International Photographic Competition 2019 Results

by Francesco Carucci August 31, 2019

I'm delighted to announce that I was awarded four merits from three images at the recent International Photographic Competition 2019 that was adjudicated in Atlanta in August.

The International Photographic Competition (IPC) is where photographers from all over the world engage in fierce competition to earn merits towards their Master Degree in Photography.

A panel of jurors from across the United States selects the top images from thousands of submitted entries each year. Judged against a standard of excellence comprising 12 elements, the highest scoring images are then selected to be part of PPA's General Collection and its esteemed Loan Collection—the best of the best.

Black Ocean, under the name of "Lava Field at sunset", scored 80.

I reworked and tweaked this image several times over the years to finally be awarded a merit. Most of the focus has been on focusing the impact and uniqueness of the scene through carefully removing anything superfluous.

For IPC, I printed Black Ocean on Hahnemüle PhotoRag metallic and mounted on a black foam backing to give it the rigidity needed to withstand the harsh handling of the competition.

White Wave, under the name of "Timeless Sands", scored 83.

Only two points shy of the loan collection, White Wave was a pleasant surprise. The judges appreciated the strong composition and the impact.

For the print, I used Hahnemüle Musuem Etching paper, a matte paper that is ideal to convey the subtle pastel tones. Printing this image wasn't easy: the details in the shadows needed some extra careful processing to be revealed.

Using a matte paper for a competition is a bold move and I'm glad it paid off.

White Dunes scored 87.

This is my highest scoring image at IPC and earned a place in the PPA Loan Collection!

From PPA:

Simply put, the Loan Collection exhibits the best of the best from the IPC. These amazing images are collected into a gorgeous and massive, hardcover Showcase book. This book is made available for purchase to photographers all over the world. Most importantly, it is known for being a collection of images that set the standard for quality in our industry.

Looking at statistics, only 10% of the images in 2018 were accepted in the Loan Collection: I won't understate how proud I am of this achievement, that goes beyond my wildest dreams when I started my journey into Photography.

For the technically inclined, I printed White Dunes again on Hahnemüle Photo Rag Metallic, which is proving to be a solid choice for competitions.

All three images will be exhibited in Nashville in January 2020 during the next Imaging USA.

I am now half way to earning my Master Degree in Photography, something that felt near impossible only few years ago.

I'll keep you posted.