I recently submitted four images to the PPA (Professional Photographers of America) for judging in the 2020 International Photographic Competition. I was fortunate to have all four images selected to receive merits in the judging, which earned me the award of Gold Medal. Two images of my images received Purchase Awards into the International Loan Collection, and the other two received Purchase Awards into the General Collection.
Intense moment frozen in time. Aurora framing the mountains in the background and Vikbutan Bay in the foreground, Lofoten Islands, Norway. The intensity of this display lasted for a short 10 minutes.
Professional Photographers of America Press Release
2020 International Photographic Competition Gold Medalist
November 2020
New Richmond, Ohio Photographer Named Gold Medalist at the International Photographic Competition
Steven Barger of Barger Nature Photography is honored by peers and jurors for high-quality photography.
Two cubs-of-the-year protected by their mother; one climbing on its mothers back while the other watches in Wapusk National Park near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Hew Richmond, Ohio – Steven Barger of Barger Nature Photography in New Richmond, Ohio was named a Gold Medalist during the Professional Photographers of America’s (PPA) 2020 International Photographic Competition (IPC). Barger’s work will be on display at the upcoming Imaging USA, to be held virtually January 17-19, 2021. Imaging USA is one of the largest annual conventions and expos for professional photographers.
A panel of 36 eminent jurors from across the United States selected the top photographs from over 5,000 total submitted entries at PPA headquarters in Atlanta. Judged against a standard of excellence, 1,706 images were selected for the General Collection and 865 (roughly 17 percent) were selected for the esteemed Loan Collection-the best of the best. The Loan Collection images will all be published in the much-anticipated “Loan Collection” book by Marathon Press.
This polar bear north of Svalbard on the pack ice in the Arctic Ocean is cooling off.
The level of the award is determined by how many of the four images submitted by the photographer receive the highest possible honor: acceptance into the PPA Loan Collection, which is displayed at photographic exhibitions, conventions, and other photographic events. Barger was named a Gold Medalist, meaning that all four of his images merited, selected for the General Collection, and two of the four merited images entered the PPA Loan Collection. In 2020, there were 60 Gold Medalists.
Great Grey Owl perched on a spruce tree in a dark forest near Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. The owl had landed on this spruce tree moments before this photograph was taken. The shaded trees in the background creates the dramatic contrast between subject and background.
Founded in 1868, Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the largest and longest-standing nonprofit photography trade association. It currently helps 30,000 professionals elevate their craft and grow their business with resources, protection, and education, all under PPA’s core guiding principle of bridging the gap between photographers and consumers.
Steven Barger
513-460-6091
https://www.BargerNaturePhotography.com
sbarger3@mac.com
