Tailgate Awards Party
This year's 2020 Awards Party was, to say the least, wildly different from past events. The COVID pandemic and social-distancing prodded our creativity. And a safe, fun tailgate lunch held in the FBCD parking lot was the result.
Parking Lot Tailgate Party
We all had a great time as we admired the accomplishments of our talented photographers, enjoyed the many tasty desserts, and stayed safe with the abundant fresh air of a brilliant-sunny day, distancing and masks.
Lots of fun photography talk
Now, on to the Awards!
The Awards Table
Best of the Year Images
Enjoy these three superb "best of the year" images!
1st Place Color: Feeding Time by Michael Amos
1st Place Mono: Abandoned Down Under by Mike Shaefer
1st Place Digital: A Perfect Landing by Mike Shaefer
Just click the thumbnails on the right for a better view of all the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place winning images. And go to our Gallery to admire all the Masters Competition winners for 2020, and the rest of our competition ribbon winners for the entire year.
Photographers of the Year
New member Michelle Simmons had a great 2020. With her stunning array of wonderful iPhone images she captured both Color Photographer of the Year and Rookie of the year!
Michelle Simmons - Color Photographer of the Year and Rookie of the Year
Your competition Chair, Rohit Kamboj, continued his routine of many outstanding images and earned the Digital Photographer of the Year honors.
Rohit Kamboj - Digital Photographer of the Year
Despite tough competition provided by both new and "old" members, Mike Shaefer garnered Monochrome Photographer of the Year (a first for him), and Creative Photographer of the Year (his fifth time!!).
Mike Shaefer - Monochrome Photographer of the Year and Creative Photographer of the Year (he also played the roles of Santa & Auctioneer)
Other Major Awards
Jim Harrison's superlative program, Approaches to Composition, brought him the club's Presentation Medal (his second). Please enjoy reading: Approaches to Composition - Part 3 and Approaches to Composition - Part 3 (continued) to fully take in the program if you missed it.
Jim Harrison - Presentation Medal
Our club's Service Award (named for Ed Calhoun and Helene Mewborn) saw a first for 2020. This honor always goes to one member providing the most incredible service to APS. But this year was one of special challenges which saw many members rising to the occasion. Two stood out! So the 2020 Calhoun/Mewborn Service Award was bestowed to both Elsie Allen and Mike Shaefer.
Elsie Allen chaired the committee that produced our beautiful 50th Anniversary Book. She corralled the members to get their best images in, designed the layout, and saw this big project through from start to finish. The result was superb!
Elsie Allen - Calhoun/Mewborn Service Award 2020
APS President Mike Shaefer went way above the call of duty this year by organizing all of our on-line "Zoom" meetings and by hosting regular Sunday afternoon on-line photography discussions. Both kept our photography community (and friendships) going during this so, so tough time of pandemic social-distancing.
Mike Shaefer - Calhoun/MewbornService Award 2020
Thank you to both Elsie and Mike!
New Master Photographers
Long-term accomplishment by our APS photographers is recognized by our Master Photographer distinctions. Michelle Simmons and Jenn Cardinell gained the Craftsman/woman designation. Steve Director moved to the Artist level and Darryl Neill crossed the Master threshold. Great work by all!
And last, but certainly not least, Mike Shaefer became the third person ever to achieve Distinguished Master (joining Enrique Duprat and Mario DiGiloramo). A hearty congratulations to Mike on reaching this lofty precipice faster than anyone so far!
Thanks and Looking To the Future
Thanks to Darryl for providing many of these pictures, to Mike for nice posters of the 2020 Masters winning images, and to all the APS members who made our "different" celebration special.
We're all looking forward to 2021 and another excellent year for the Atlanta Photographic Society. And to the next 50 years of creative photography and incredible images. Everyone stay safe and have a very Happy New Year!
Michelle & Elsie Masked & Safe
