2017/2018 IPF Photographer of the Year Results

The national finals of the IPF Photographer of the Year Competition 2017/2018 took place on Sunday February 18th 2018 at The Talbot Hotel in Carlow.

We are delighted to announce the overall winner of the 2017/2018 competition as James Cosgrove from Clones Photography Group. The judges chose his image ‘Sara’ as their winner.

When asked to speak about his entry, James had this to say:

“This was my first year to compete as an advanced photographer in national competition so it was a big surprise to hear my name called out at the end of the awards ceremony. To win the photographer of the year award is a huge honour especially when you see the calibre of previous winners and the standard of photography, in general, throughout Ireland.

It also brings me great joy to bring the award back to Clones Photography Group, a club which was formed in 2015. At club formation our member base comprised entirely of non advanced members however in a short period of time we have members whom now hold IPF distinctions and have won numerous awards on both the national and international stage. The idea behind my winning image came from the 1984 photographic portrait of the Afghan girl taken by journalist Steve McCurry which appeared on the June 1985 cover of the National Geographic.

The image of my daughter was taken in my living room and was originally comprised of a three light setup however I decided to simplify the lighting setup by using a single strobe and large reflector which resulted in a more balanced image in terms of lighting. This award has highlighted to me that a winning image can be a simple setup taken at any location and that even the underdog can have his day in the sun.”

IPF President Dominic Reddin sent these words about the event.

“Day Two at the Talbot Hotel for the Photographer of the Year Competition and another great day with another large audience in attendance. The standard of images on display both digital and prints was again of a very high standard and has certainly put the judges through their paces.

Our thanks to our judges Rod Wheelans, Anne Greiner and Leif Alveen who have worked tirelessly all day.

The atmosphere was great with all the photographer from clubs across the country watching and waiting in anticipation for their various scores.

A special note of thanks again to the National Coordinator Darragh Sherwin and his back room staff including Ita Martin, Niamh Whitty, Joe Doyle, Tony Murray and Brian Deering who ran the event like clockwork.

As with yesterday, the support of IPF PRO Liam Beattie and his colleagues in Carlow Photographic Society cannot go unnoticed either. Together, their team contributed to a very successful day overall. Thanks also to the staff at The Talbot Hotel, especially Amanda and Claire who have been incredibly helpful to us all day.”

This year, we were thrilled to welcome four sponsors to the finals weekend and would like to express our thanks for their very generous sponsorship. All four are in attendance throughout the weekend, so please be sure to stop by and chat with them.

Frametastic who are an outstanding commercial and bespoke framers, canvas, print and specialized products for the photographic industry.
Nicelight – Professional lighting made easy. Nicelight is the right place if you are looking for new lighting equipment to get that pro studio look or to update your lighting needs.
Image Creation Supplies a leading supplier of Photo Kiosks, event printers, paper media and other accessories for your photographic needs.
One Photographic based in Ballymount, Dublin 12, supplies a diverse range of products and services to Photographers in Ireland.