[An excerpt from The New Tradition book, which can be purchased as either a real book or now as a PDF.]

In 2006, I was awarded the title Grand Master of Photography by the Australian Institute of Professional Photography. I must say I am not enamoured by the name, but the sentiment is greatly appreciated. 

Working as an artist or a photographer, the question we always ask ourselves is whether our work is valid. Simply speaking: “Are my photos any good”? On a professional job, there is rarely a direct comparison to be made. You are the only photographer, so as long as you produce something, chances are the client will accept it, but is it any good? How would other photographers approach the same shoot? Are your clients the best judges? There are many different ways you can create photographs that have merit.

Entering the AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPA) every year since 1984 until 2019, I had four of my best photographs assessed by five professional photographers. In the beginning, these judges were my mentors; in later years they have been my peers. And while I might not always have agreed with the result, the judging process was fundamental in establishing the quality of my work in my own mind.

Successful prints earn Silver awards and one ‘merit’ point; occasionally, very successful prints earn Gold awards and two merit points. You collected merit points to advance within the AIPP: five merits for Associateship, a further 10 merits for Master of Photography. For every additional 10 merits, you received a Gold Bar. And if you enter for long enough, eventually they run out of awards to give you and so you are presented with a Grand Master of Photography: 65 merit points.

However, within those 65 points there must be at least five Gold awards (90% or higher) and ten Silvers with Distinction (85-89%). So, while the title is a little lofty, the acknowledgement behind it has given me some confidence in the work that I produce.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the AIPP awards process was knowing when to step aside and trust your own intuition. For photographers in the early stages of their career, APPA was a wonderful benchmark (and today, you can look at photo competitions like our own Better Photography Photographer of the Year, or the Australian Photographic Prize, etc), but it is not the only benchmark in the world. As you gain experience, you learn what images to enter to APPA and what images to put aside. While styles and techniques change over the years, there is a ‘flavour’ to an APPA award. Once you master this, it’s time to move in new directions – but with the confidence to do so.

This image was never entered to APPA as it is a portrait and I felt I had stronger chances in landscape! But the shoot itself was a wonderful experience. As we walked through thick jungle in PNG, we suddenly heard war-like screams and a crashing of bodies through the undergrowth. This gentleman arrived brandishing a spear and, to say it was quite alarming is an understatement. However, just a little behind him was his son, much less scary, similarly attired but with a smaller spear. Suffice to say they were friendly!

If you're interested in visiting PNG with Tony Hewitt and me in July 2027, it will be a photo tour like no other! Check out the details on the www.betterphotography.com website.