NZIPP Sony Iris Awards 24
The Depth of Talent, Judging, and Creative Photography at the 2024 NZIPP Sony Iris Professional Photography Awards
The 2024 NZIPP Sony Iris Professional Photography Awards wrapped up at the end of last week. As New Zealand’s premier professional photography awards, the depth of talent on display was again mindblowing. How people continue to push their creative boundaries and redefine excellence, never ceases to amaze me. I find it hard enough thinking of ideas, let alone producing such highly crafted work.
The Power of Creativity
Photography is more than just capturing moments. It’s about telling stories, evoking emotions, and transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Looking at the award winners, across all genres from portraiture and landscape, to documentary and illustrative, that for a small country, we indeed have some ‘clever cookies’!
The Judging Process: Rigorous and Reflective
The judging process at the Iris Awards while not perfect, is as democratic and rigorous as you can create.
A panel of 5 judges, comprised of industry veterans and past award winners, balanced between NZ and overseas guests, meticulously evaluate each entry across several categories, across several judging rooms. Images are inspected first up close, in silence. Then, pending what initial scores have been entered into the judging system, it is likely that some discussion will then arise. Once that discussion has been bantered about, a final score is computated. This process is adjudicated by a Panel Chair based around a set of rules and criteria that provide fairness of discussion and time.
An overall score is granted, that should reflect the image’s technical proficiency, originality, composition, and / or emotional response.
In 2024, the judges faced the daunting task of selecting winners from a pool of submissions that were not only technically rich, but also creatively diverse. The range in style does require judges to approach each piece with an open mind, ensuring that they honour the photographer’s intent for each piece, while also upholding the standards of the competition.
Though more than an award platform in its own right, the Iris Awards apart is as much about educational value. The judging sessions are also streamed on line, and are open for the public to attend. The hope is that the judge discussion can facilitate learning, as much as deriving an outright score itself. llowing aspiring photographers to gain insights into what makes a winning image. The aim is that through openness, there may be a greater sense of community and continuous learning, as photographers can see firsthand how their work is critiqued and where improvements can be made.
Celebrating the Winners
The 2024 awards ceremony was a celebration of not just the winners, but of all who participated. The diversity of work presented at the event highlighted the rich tapestry of stories and perspectives that New Zealand photographers bring to the global stage.
Among the winners, several photographers stood out for their unique approach to their craft. The 2024 Photographer of the Year award went to Richard Wood, whose portfolio demonstrates an unparalleled mastery of light, composition, and narrative. Richard’s work is a testament to the power of photography as a medium of artistic expression.
The 2024 NZIPP Australian Photographer of the Year award went to a name familar to us all, Tony Hewitt.
Another highlight was the inaugural Amateur Photographer of the Year, a category that recognizes non professional talent. That winner was Les Rackham.
The Future of Photography
For those who participated, judged, or simply admired the work on display, the 2024 awards served as a highlight of our annual calendar, of what is possible when passion meets creativity. It’s a bright future for photography, and the NZIPP Sony Iris Awards are at the forefront of that exciting journey. Till we all do it again next year!