Despite the rise of digital, photographs only really come alive when they're printed. That's the message from the 2018 Australia Institute of Professional Photography at its Award ceremony in Melbourne.
Despite the rise of digital, photographs only really come alive when they're printed. That's the message from the 2018
According to AIPP's President John Swainston, the use of print is still important. "The AIPP continues to believe that a photograph only achieves its maximum impact when printed. While there are many national and international digital photographic awards the institute will continue to focus on printed photographs as the pinnacle in the craft of professional photography."
He was backed up by awards sponsor, Ben Eaton, Starleaton CEO, (pictured above) who said that while he kept abreast of the evolution of photography it was gratifying to see printing is still an integral part of the process. "As a company approaching 40 years in the printing industry we have seen its constant evolution, including the impact of the rise of digital. So it was reassuring, and exciting to attend the AIPP APPA event and see that not only is the art of printing alive and well in the photography world, but actually flourishing," he said.
This year over 1,800 prints were sorted and presented to the various judging panels, a huge undertaking for the organisers. Starleaton sponsored the Tertiary Education category, which honours the students who achieved the highest aggregate score. Eaton maintained the inclusion as sponsors of this award proved particularly pertinent to Starleaton as a family company.
"Supporting the next generation has always been important to us. These photography students and the educational institutes guiding them are not only vital for the continuation of the Australian photographic industry, but also the print labs who bring their work to life".
Daniela Barth from Starleaton's Victorian office, spent the weekend womanning (sic) the Starleaton trade show booth at the Melbourne event. She says she missed these opportunities to engage with the wider photographic community. "We used to have a number of these events each year, but they are becoming few and far between. The chance to catch up with so many leaders in the Australian photography industry gives me vital insight into the latest trends, which, in turn allows me to adapt and evolve our offering to fully support their creativity."