2024 International Imaging Competition
The 2024 International Imaging Competition (IIC) is hosted by Master Photographers International (MPI) and is in its 9th year. What drew me to this competition is that it provides feedback from an international judge pool and recently added a section explicitly for dance photography.
Since this was my first year entering, I opted to over-submit images to see how judging across the various classes (sub-Categories) worked for my style. I entered 27 images in the Portrait Category across the classes of: general portrait, fine art portrait, story-telling, children, monochrome, figure studies, and dance.
I am supremely happy to report that all 27 images received an award in the judging round: 3 gold, 15 silver, and 9 bronze. Additionally, I submitted a portfolio of 10 dance images that was accepted for accreditation in Dance Photography. With the points from the competition and the accreditation, I earned my Master Portrait Photographer degree from MPI.
In the final ranking against all of the photographers in the portrait category, our images brought home:
- First Place in Fine Art Dance Photography
- First Place in Monochrome Portrait Photography
- First Runner Up in Fine Art Dance Photography
- Second Runner Up in Monochrom Portrait Photography
- Second Runner Up in Figure Studies
- One image in the top 100 overall across all categories and classes
And….
Third Place Overall in Portrait Photography!
To say that I’m pleased would be a massive understatement!
About IIC
The 9th Annual International Imaging Competition is concluded. Regarded as the pinnacle of photographic competition fostering education, inspiration, and advancement, the IIC has attracted top-tier talent from around the globe and witnessed submissions from over 84 countries this year. The success rate for award certificates was slightly lower this year, underscoring our commitment to upholding industry photography standards by ensuring that all entries were authentically photographic, without AI manipulation, and in line with IIC rules and guidelines. This year’s judging process was notably rigorous, a testament to our judges’ dedication to fostering growth and challenge among participants.
Participating in the IIC means being evaluated not solely based on your country’s photographic style but on a global platform. Winning a top accolade signifies that your work has been recognized globally, is celebrated, and is a source of immense pride for the top winners.
The Individual Results
Going Forward
I earned my Master of Portrait Photography (MPP) this year based on my results. The next step is to earn my Grand Master of Portrait Photography, which requires 8 Gold or Platinum images beyond the master. Next year’s goal is to act on the feedback from the judges and try to get more images in the Gold/Platinum category.
Fine Art Photography
Andrew Bowen Studios’ goal is to help artists thrive. When a Fine Art Photo sells, 20% of the net proceeds go to the dancer to support their career.