International Photographic Competition (IPC)

What is the International Photographic Competition?

The International Photographic Competition (IPC) is the premier competition of Professional Photographers of America (PPA).

For many years, IPC followed a case-based format where photographers submitted up to four images, which were judged individually against a 12-element rubric. High-scoring images earned merits, and truly exceptional images were accepted into the Imaging Excellence Collection (formerly known as the Loan Collection). Earning merits on all four images could result in a Bronze Award, with additional levels for each Imaging Excellence earned: Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Diamond Photographer.

In 2024, IPC transitioned to a high-stakes head-to-head competition format:

• Images are now entered in 16 distinct categories.
• Photographers may submit multiple images per category, but only their highest-scoring image in each category can advance to the top 32 finalists.
• This means one photographer could theoretically have up to 16 finalist images (one per category).
• The top 32 images in each category face off in single-elimination brackets to determine the Diamond Photograph for that category.
• The 16 Diamonds then compete head-to-head to crown the Grand Imaging Award winner.

It’s all very fun and exciting in the live format. Anything can happen; you never know if you will be going up against the winning image early or late in the contest.

Why It Matters

The new IPC format is exciting and engaging, but more importantly, having an IPC Finalist image validates the creative dance retreat process at the highest levels of professional photography. It’s a true honor to the dancers who make these images possible. These accolades celebrate their art, emotion, and individuality.