Gaia, an image by PACC member Suszi McFadden received a Gold Merit and was the Fashion Category Winner of The Portrait Masters International Awards and Accreditation program for January, 2024. A Gold Merit winner displays excellence in all technical fields with outstanding creative communication and narrative.
The Awards & Accreditation program is part of The Portrait System, founded by Sue Bryce, an online education platform & community for contemporary portraiture, which connects photographers globally through live broadcasts, videos, in-person workshops, and The Portrait Masters annual boutique conference (now a part of WPPI). The program acknowledges, honors, and celebrates high-quality professional work, and arms photographers with public recognition.
Submissions are open twice a year. An international panel of judges reviews all images for expression and connection, styling, composition, posing, lighting, overall technique and presentation, post-production, focus, and storytelling.
In this round, The Portrait Masters received 2,737 entries. Of those, six images were awarded a Gold Merit.