Award Winning Boston Photographer :: Leah Haydock Photography :: *blush*

I'm blowing my own trumpet today. Parp parp parp parp parp parp paaaaaaaarp!

I'm a proud member of ISPWP. The International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers.

I remember submitting my application for admission a few years ago - it was kind of nervewracking! Most associations/groups/guilds you can simply join by asking and/or paying a membership fee but ISPWP is different. You have to have shot 50+ weddings, submit your portfolio for review, agree to operate under the ISPWP code of contact, have an ISPWP sponsor or four professional references AND you have to be voted in by current members.

Each season, ISPWP runs a photography contest. Members from around the world - winners hail from France, Spain, Russia, Quebec, Brazil and many other countries - submit images for serious judging and then cross their fingers until the results are announced. As I clicked through the winning images for the Spring 2013 contest I was shocked/delighted/honored to have 3 images place.

Here are my winning images:

The Bride & Groom Portrait Category has super fierce competition AND this was one of my very favorite pictures from last year so I was super happy with this one! Amanda and Mike's Boston Harbor Hotel Wedding:

I also had two images place in the "Venue or Location" category. Images come from all over the world - the most stunning and unusual and exotic locations - so I was so proud to have winning images from two iconic Boston wedding venues.
Jessica & Mark's State Room Boston Wedding:

Elizabeth & AJ's Boston Harbor Hotel Wedding (in the blizzard of February 2013 no less!):

And if you'd like to see the first time I placed in the ISPWP awards you can check out this post: Award Winning Boston Photographer

Yay! Award Winning Wedding Photographer :: Leah Haydock Photography

I like to set myself objectives at the beginning of each year - and one of this year's objectives was to win an award for my photography. I know - aim high right? :) Ideally I was looking for an International Award which led me to ISPWP.

In case you're not familiar with ISPWP here's the info from their site:
The International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers (ISPWP) is a rarity among wedding photography organizations. Photographers cannot simply buy an ISPWP membership, they have to earn it.

Our requirements are experience, talent, and professionalism. To be accepted, a photographer must have shot at least 50 weddings, submit their portfolio for review, agree to operate under the ISPWP Code of Conduct, and have an ISPWP Sponsor or four references. And THEN they have to be voted in by current members.

In short, when you hire an ISPWP Photographer, you are hiring a talented veteran with a track record, peer recognition, and a passion for creating heirloom images of your wedding.

I've been a member of ISPWP for a while now but haven't taken part on the various photography contests that they run. Namely because everytime I'd look at the winners I was literally blown away. However I figured to meet my objective I had to at least enter the contest and so back in January I a few of my favorite images in the ISPWP Winter Contest.

This morning I was completely shocked to have two of my wedding photographs actually be placed!

Autumn trying on her Mommy's wedding shoes at Kristin & Zach's wedding:


And a wedding dress image from Lauren & Dave's beautiful Maine wedding:


I guess I need to set some other objectives now! Happy Tuesday. This week I am mostly in Switzerland, more on that on Thursday :)