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I had someone post on my blog today a link to the radio interview I did on creativity for the religious show, LDS Radio.  I thought I’d post it here so it’d be easy to find.

The interview was of me and two other people, all creative in our trades, asking about our thoughts and procedures in creativity.  Here’s a direct link to the show, here.

It begins with the quote from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the LDS Church:

“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.  We each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exhist before.  The more you trust and rely up the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create.”

Me at LDS Radio (2)

And here is my original blog entry, with more info on the interview.

This weekend was both the state and regional (multi-state) convention for professional photographers.  Every year, professional photographers are allowed to enter 4 prints for critiquing and possible awards, and the judging is done by out-of-state affiliated judges from the Professional Photographers of America.

I received NINE new image awards, including what is considered ‘the Best of the Best,’ the ASP State Elite Award! To even be eligible, a photographer must first me be a Master photographer, which is why it is called the best of the best – the highest scoring image by a Master photographer.

I also won TWO Kodak Gallery Awards, one of the most coveted awards available.

Here are the images and the rundown of awards for each image.

• ASP State Elite Award
• Kodak Gallery Award (Wedding)
• 1st Place Multi-State Regional (Master Wedding)
• 1st Place State (Master Wedding)

• 3rd Place State (Master Pictorial)

• 2nd Place State (Master Illustrative)

• Kodak Gallery Award (Portrait)
• 3rd Place State (Master Portrait)

Also, as one of the top scoring photographers, I won the ‘Court of Honor‘ award – an award that goes to the top 10 photographers.

Now these images will go on to the national level where I expect them to win even more awards.  I will now also be awarded ‘Photographer of the Year’ at nationals, but I’ll have to wait until then to receive that.

If you’re looking for some fantastic images of your family for Christmas from one of the state and region’s best Master Photographers, give me a call!  I’d love to create something award winning for you!

Until next time, Amercia!
– Bry

…That night we were treated to an amazing awards ceremony and party.  The awards ceremony was for the best of the best images from the international exhibition, of which 25,000 photographers entered from all over the world.  From those final images chosen for exhibition, some images where chosen for Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals.

I WON THE GOLD!  It was very fun to actually be there to receive the award!  Even though I was there in China to speak at the convention, I didn’t expect to win any awards with so many photographers entering.  It was so exciting to have them call me up as the Gold Medalist too!

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 1

When I went up to get the award, I handed my camera to Doug Box and asked him to take a photo of me winning.  After the shot, I took my camera back and took this quick pano of the audience photographing me!  Look at all the people grouped up on the sides!

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 2

Here’s a close-up of one of the sides.

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 3

But before they started giving awards, they event started with beautiful Chinese models coming out wearing some of the top images from the exhibition.  They were strutting to music with a heavy beat.  The lighting, fog, and bubbles made it look amazing.

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 4

Here’s a close-up of one of the girls.  They were stunning women!

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 5

The model on the right of this image is wearing one of my images, the famous portrait I did of Joe McQueen.

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 6

Afterward some of the models asked for a photograph with me.  It probably didn’t hurt that I’d just won the Gold Medal in front of them, or that they were wearing some of my images, or that the place was decorated with my images…but I have to tell you that I loved the attention and felt like a rock star!  They were beautiful and stunning women who were amazingly tall.  Notice how tall they are compared to me.  I’m 6 foot 4 — especially tall for China.

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 7

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 8

Then before dinner that night the models changed outfits and came back out to do another dance.  I loved this one too!

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 10

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 9

The dinner room was decorated with our photographs.  That’s actually my image hanging behind us.

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 11

Here’s another shot showing two more of my images on the wall along with images from the other speakers.

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 12

This dinner felt like another awards ceremony because we were all presented with gifts from the Chinese.  Here is Dennis Craft and I getting some traditional cut-out art pieces.

BryCox - PPA China Awards Night 13

That night was fantastic!  It made me feel very grateful and blessed to do what I do — to be an artist and to be able to travel and meet so many people from all over the world.  It was a joy to be able to speak and share my artistic ideas with the Chinese photographers.  They were incredibly hospitable and kind.  I hope to get back over there again soon!

This month I was featured in two completely different photography trade publications.  I feel it an honor to be featured in just one or the other, but I think that it’s really cool to be in both in the same month.

Some time ago I was interviewed by a writer for WPPI, and the article finally came out as this month’s “WPPI Photography Monthly.”  The second article was an interview that I gave to LexJet’s “In Focus.”

I know that my clients don’t get these magazines or have the ability to read them, but at the very least it should make you feel proud of the work I’ve done for you in the past as well as confident of the work I will do for you in the future.

It means a lot to artists to be recognized by industry leaders on a national level and it should mean a lot to you too as my clients, to know that your artist is a leader in the industry.

Next month in November, I’ll also be featured in the PPA’s “Professional Photographer” magazine — the biggest photography trade magazine in the country!  I’ll have more on that when it comes out next month.

Well, until next time, America!
– Bry

Professional Photographer Magazine, the official magazine of the PPA (Professional Photographers of America) has had a contest going.  They asked professional photographers across the country to submit images for a contest — a fight for the cover and a few images inside.  It’s a way to showcase the best images and photographers in the country in a special issue of the magazine that will be coming out.

The magazine received over FIFTY-THOUSAND entries.   They chose only 18 images.  I found out today that my photograph is one of those to be showcased in the magazine’s special November issue.

This image, titled “Woman of Wind” is the portrait that will be showcased in November’s magazine.  You can see more from this photo session on the ’slideshow‘ section of my main website, BryCox.com.

It is quite an honor and I am very excited!  I had no idea that there were so many entries either.  I just got the word and wanted to get this info up on my blog so that you all could share in the excitement. 

Ok.  Now I should head to bed.  Until next time, America!
– Bry

Winning awards year after year is a way of showing you the client, that you will always receive a high level of consistency and quality in the portraits that I create for you.  My entire life is about creating high-quality heirlooms for you down to the tiniest detail, and it is nice to receive awards recognizing that. 

I am very pleased to announce that I won two awards for my album, Angie & Steve which you can see in full right here.

Albums are judged on image quality and design throughout the entire book.  The first award was First Place Master Album.  I then won the Fuji Masterpiece Award for the entire wedding division from this album as well.  This makes a total of 6 total Fuji Masterpiece Awards now in my collection.

My next two images, though they didn’t win first, still did very well.  This image below, won 2nd place Master Portrait…

…and this image won 3rd place Master of Electronic Imaging.  This was in the Electronic Imaging section because the background was completely created in post-production using tools that I sell photographers (available in the Products section of the BryCoxWorkshops.com site).

Even though these images placed 2nd and 3rd (which is very hard in the Master division), I still expected them to do better.  Nevertheless, they go on from here to compete for Regional and National awards where I know they will do extremely well for sure.

This competition was part of the Intermountain Professional Photographer annual convention and print competition.  There are two divisions in the print competition: General for the general photographers, and Masters for Master Photographers.  As a Master, I compete in the Masters division.

Well, that’s it for today.  Until next time, America!
– Bry