New York, NY—The International Photographic Council (IPC), a nongovernmental organization of the United Nations, announced the recipients of its 2012 IPC Professional Photographer Leadership Awards. The award recipients will be honored at the 14th Annual IPC Pro Award Luncheon, which will be held at the United Nations in New York City on May 17, at 11:30 a.m.
As it does each year, this IPC luncheon kicks off “May, International Professional Photographers Month,” saluting professionals around the globe. “The winners, nominated by professional photography organizations, are chosen for best representing the groups’ criteria and ideals,” said James Chung, IPC’s president.
For the first time, international editors in chief will be present to receive IPC Distinguished Service Awards: Machiko Ouchi, Pen News Weekly, from Japan; and Muzammil Izhar Siddiaqui, Foto Line, Karachi, from Pakistan.
Andy Marcus, the award luncheon chair and president of Fred Marcus Photography, will discuss “The World of Professional Photography.” James Chung will welcome the group and then Alice Miller, vice president of IPC and president of Plum Communications, will interview the honorees to determine what drives their passion for photography, how their businesses have adapted to change, and what they consider their “must have” photography products.
Eight associations have designated honorees for the 2012 IPC Leadership Award: American Photographic Artists (APA); American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP); Federation of European Photographers (FEP); National Press Photographers Association (NPPA); Professional Photographers of America (PPA); Professional School Photographers Association (PSPA); White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA); and Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI).
The 2012 IPC Professional Photographer Leadership Award recipients are:
American Photographic Artists (APA): Michael Grecco
American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP): James Cavanaugh
Federation of European Photographers (FEP): Bernd Gassner
National Press Photographers Association (NPPA): Yunghi Kim
Professional Photographers of America (PPA): Louis Tonsmeire
Professional School Photographers Association (PSPA): Ralph Romaguera
White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA): Chip Somodevilla
Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI): Jennifer Hudson
Michael Grecco has a platinum roster of advertising clients (NBC/Universal, GE, Pfizer, HBO, Kodak, ABC, IBM, Yahoo!) and editorial clients (ESPN, Wired, Time, Premier, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Maxim). Featured in photographic magazines, books and gallery shows, he wrote the best-seller Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Celebrity and Editorial Photography. A frequent speaker, he has been honored by International Photography, Photo Design, The AR 100, NY and L.A. Art Directors Clubs. Grecco is APA’s national vice president.
James Cavanaugh, a recognized specialist in architectural, interior and aerial photography, serves a broad clientele of architects, engineers, interior designers, real estate developers, contractors, architectural product manufacturers and government agencies. Featured in Architectural Record, World Architecture, Rolling Stone, Business Week, Parents, et al., he teaches Professional Business Practices in Photography at Villa Maria College, Buffalo. He is a national director of ASMP and its president.
Bernd Gassner, a Master Photographer and Master Qualified European Photographer, specializes in advertising photography and is the FEP’s first double master QEP. He also serves as president of the Westphalian Professional Photographer Association, representative of the Central Association German Professional Photographers in FEP, and an FEP board member.
Yunghi Kim, photojournalist, has covered major global conflicts since the 1990s, including those in Somalia, the Rwandan Genocide, the war in Kosovo, the Iraq War, Afghanistan and Hurricane Katrina. She has documented the lives of former South Korean Comfort Women, post-Katrina reconstruction in New Orleans, children with autism, and Occupy Wall Street. Her accolades include World Press Photo, Magazine Photographer of the Year, Olivier Rebbot & John Faber Awards/Overseas Press Club, Visa D’Or for News/Visa Pour L’image Festival, and White House Press Photographers.
Louis Tonsmeire has been a portrait and wedding photographer in Georgia for 30 years, earning his Photographic Craftsman and Honorary Master of Photography degrees during his 24 years as a member of PPA. He is an Approved Photographic Instructor and has served on the organization’s Education and Convention committees, Affiliate School Task Force and Imaging USA Task Force.
Ralph Romaguera opened his studio with his wife and sons in 1971 and has since earned his Masters and Craftsman degrees from PPA, won the Kodak Gallery Award 10 times, received Louisiana’s Master of the Year, PPA’s International Award and an ASP Service Award. He lectures in North America, Europe and Asia and teaches at the Winona International School for Professional Photography, Florida School, Mid-America Institute of Professional Photography, et al.
Chip Somodevilla was a photographer for the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Detroit Free Press before moving to Washington, D.C., where he worked as a freelance photographer for newswires and newspapers before becoming a Getty Images photographer. He was awarded the Political Photo of the Year and Photographer of the Year by WHNPA, University of Missouri’s Pictures of the Year International, and NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism.
Jennifer Hudson, a dynamic, soulful wedding and portrait photographer, teaches Portraiture and Photographic Illustration at the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University. An international lecturer whose programs are sought by public and private photographic organizations, she recently completed “Baptism,” a narrative series exploring a young woman’s spiritual reincarnation, and she plans to begin work on “Medic,” a series that will explore human relationships during illness and recovery.
Reservations for the May 17 Pro Award Luncheon at the United Nations must be received by Monday, April 16. To RSVP or receive more information about the event, please call James Chung at 914.476.1712 or send him an e-mail at jchung1@prodigy.net.
The International Photographic Council (IPC) is a multinational, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization of the United Nations, composed of representatives from every major sector of the photographic industry. Founded in 1974, IPC is dedicated to increasing worldwide recognition of photography as a universal means of communication. IPC’s motto is “Peace Through Understanding, Understanding Through Photography, the Universal Language.” ipc-un-ngo.org
