The start of February is a special time to be a member of The Guild of Photographers (TGOP). This is when the annual Awards Ceremony takes place. This year the location was the Doubletree Hilton, Stoke-on-Trent (a very classy affair which unfortunately I couldn’t attend in person). Awards are presented for various achievements, i.e. ‘Image of the Year’, ‘Photographer of the Year’, attaining the ‘Photographers Bar’, etc. To achieve an award of any kind is a very special achievement.

Now in my 4th year with the Guild, I am delighted to say I had a very good year last year and managed to get a few mentions at the Awards Ceremony, (which was kindly live streamed on the Guilds members Facebook page.) My main aim for 2022 was to achieve two Photographers Bars, one in the Natural World Category, and the other in the Open Category. Anything over and above this would be a bonus. First up, the Photographers Bar. Below is how the Guild describe the Photographers Bar:

“Becoming a member of the Photographer’s Bar is a unique distinction awarded to those photographers who have had images assessed by the Guild via the Image of the Month competition over the course of the competition year, attaining a score the equivalent of a point for each entry made.
In other words, any member who can secure 24 points in one section of the Photography of the Year Title chases from 24 images entered in that section from any 8 months of the same competition will be awarded honorary life membership of the ‘Photographer’s Bar’ in order to acknowledge the fact they have submitted strong images consistently throughout the year in a competition judged in accordance with national scoring criteria - a distinction that is very difficult to achieve!”

I was delighted to achieve the Photographers Bar in the two categories I set out to.

I was also extremely happy to find out (prior to the Awards Ceremony) that I was a finalist in three separate categories for ‘Image of the Year”.

I was delighted just to be a finalist, however I was genuinely surprised when I found out I was runner up in the Pictorial Landscape category. Really happy to have achieved another piece of Guild glassware :)

The next ‘bonus’ in store for me was to find out that I had achieved ‘International Top 10 Photographer of the Year’ in two separate categories, Open & Natural World. Although I had achieved the Bar in these categories, I was surprised to learn I had accumulated enough points, not just to achieve the Bar, but to make the Top 10 photographer in both categories. Really chuffed to have attained this.

International Top 10 Photographer in two categories.

The final big surprise for me was to hear my name being called out as 3rd Place in the All-Round Photographer of the Year 2022. Out of all the amazing photographers in the Guild, professionals and enthusiasts alike, to come 3rd in the BIG award was just mind-blowing. Very chuffed indeed.

So overall a far more productive year with the Guild than I could have imagined. Happy days.

All Round Photographer of the Year 2022 - 3rd Place.
International Top 10 Photographer of the Year 2022 - Open Category
International Top 10 Photographer of the Year 2022 - Natural World Category
Image of the Year Runner Up 2022 - Pictorial Landscape Category
The Photographers Bar - Open Category
The Photographers Bar - Natural World Category
Image of the Year Finalist 2022 - Event, Sport & Action Category
Image of the Year Finalist 2022 - Pictorial Landscape Category
Image of the Year Finalist 2022 - Flora & Insect Category

Who knows what this year will bring…