These are Australia's best professional photographers for 2017
Portrait photographer Keren Dobia has been crowned Australia’s top professional photographer for 2017.
More than 400 of Australia's professional photographers gathered in Melbourne for the Australian Professional Photography Awards – known as APPA.
Apart from being a photographer Ms Dobia – who was named the 2017 AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year – works as a creative director for theatrical compositions designing, creating and sourcing both costumes and sets.
Ms Dobia says her passion for the visual arts is what has driven her to create much of her dramatic and emotive imagery.
“My background in painting and drawing has allowed me to blur the line between photography and illustration,” she says.
APPA is the largest awards for professional print photography in Australia. The Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) – the country’s largest photographic membership body – has been running the awards annually for the past 41 years.
The national president of the AIPP, Vittorio Natoli, says the awards represent the best of the best of professional photography in Australia.
“APPA awarded images display visual literacy with exemplary creativity, vision and craft," he said.
To be eligible for the title of Australia’s Professional Photographer of the Year, photographers must first win a category, with Ms Dobia winning the portrait category.
A panel of experts then further anonymously assesses all category winners’ work side-by-side to determine the overall winner. Innovation, content, creativity, technical excellence and impact are the key criteria when the images are reassessed.
More than 500 entrants submitted a collective of almost 2,000 images to be judged for APPA.
See some of the winning images below.
The 2017 AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards winners are:
• 2017 AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year – sponsored by the AIPP – Keren Dobia
• 2017 AIPP Australian Portrait Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Canson – Keren Dobia
• 2017 Australian Epson Signature Worthy Award – sponsored by Epson – Keren Dobia
• 2017 AIPP Australian Commercial Photographer of the Year – sponsored by PPIB – Angela Miller
• 2017 AIPP Australian Creative Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Leica – Leah Kennedy
• 2017 AIPP Australian Documentary Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Nikon – Kelly Champion
• 2017 AIPP Australian Family Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Giclee Media Supplies – Katie Kolenberg
• 2017 AIPP Australian Illustrative Photographer of the Year – sponsored by EIZO – Kris Anderson
• 2017 AIPP Australian Landscape Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Fujifilm – Yane Sotiroski
• 2017 AIPP Australian Newborn Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Sigma – Jodie Andrews
• 2017 AIPP Australian Pet/Animal Photographer of the Year – sponsored by digiDIRECT – Angie Connell
• 2017 AIPP Australian Science Wildlife and Wild Places Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Lacie – Steven Duncan
• 2017 AIPP Australian Travel Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Camera Electronics – Mick Porter
• 2017 AIPP Australian Wedding Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Atkins Photo Lab – James Simmons
• 2017 AIPP Australian Album of the Year – sponsored by Momento Pro – Eric Ronald
• 2017 AIPP Australian Photographic Book of the Year – sponsored by Momento Pro – Steve Scalone
• 2017 AIPP Australian Emerging Photographer of the Year – sponsored by IPS – Barbara Brown
• 2017 AIPP Australian Student Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Kodak Alaris – Alec Morris
• 2017 AIPP Overseas Photographer of the Year – sponsored by digiDIRECT – Kelvin Gilbert
• 2017 Australian Highest Scoring Print – sponsored by ILFORD – Tania Malkin and Marija Sullavan
• 2017 AIPP Australian Tertiary Institution of the Year – sponsored by Nikon – North Metropolitan Tafe, Western Australia
• 2017 Grand Master Award – sponsored by the AIPP – Andrew Campbell