Perth photographer, Chris Saunders, has been announced as winner of Australian Professional photographer of the year.
One of the winning images from Chris Saunders’ portfolio. (© Chris Saunders.)
Mr Saunders, an engineer for an oil and gas company spends his spare time photographing landscapes. His winning portfolio was entered in this year’s Australian Professional Photography Awards (known as APPAs) which were presented at a gala dinner at The Plaza Ballroom on Collins Street in Melbourne this week. Commenting on his photography, he said aerial images challenged the viewer to look at our landscape and see what is going on around us. “To see the scale of what people can do to our landscape, you can either be in awe of it or mortified by it”, he said. “Australia has some of the best landscape aerial photographers on the planet so making it on the shortlist was hugely rewarding in itself. never really seen myself as being equal to some of the established AIPP photographers, so the recognition my work is at that standard is incredible.”
The AIPP is Australia’s largest photographic membership body. Founded in 1963, this not-for-profit organisation is run voluntarily for and by professional photographers and industry representatives, who seek to set a standard of excellence within the photographic industry. The AIPP strives to promote and maintain the highest standards of professional competence and business ethics in the industry. By maintaining rigorous entry criteria and a binding Code of Ethics for members, as well as providing ongoing education via seminars, workshops and events, the AIPP is a brand of trust in the photographic industry. AIPP Committees represent members on important issues such as copyright; taxation, legal and business matters; insurance; digital imaging and work practices. In 2015, the AIPP’s accreditation standards were awarded landmark certification from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which means its members can benefit from the first ever official certification status for accredited professional photographers.
See the 2018 AIPP APPA Category Winners here.