A photographer picked up multiple awards including the ‘Photographer of the Year’ title at a record-breaking UK trade show.
Australian photographer Jerry Ghionis was left stunned when he learned his images had eclipsed more than 23,000 others to land the 2009 title at the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) Convention.
‘In my business it?s unheard of for me to be left speechless. But this is a unique moment for me,’ said Ghionis who also won categories including Fashion, and Wedding Photojournalism.
This year’s SWPP show, held in Hammersmith, London, pulled in more than 12,500 visitors.
The organisation’s CEO Phil Jones said: ‘We are absolutely overjoyed. This year’s event has been the best in our history. Despite the recession and challenging weather we have had more photographers and imaging enthusiasts through our doors than ever before.
‘We enlisted 150 speakers from across the globe? and the seminar rooms were packed to overflowing every day.’
The 2009 winners are as follows:
The Societies? Photographer of the Year: Jerry Ghionis
2nd place: Philip Nash
Third Place: Steve Allen
Richard Page (Advertising category) Joe Smith; (Exterior Architecture) Alan Carville (Interior Architecture) Michael Nunn (Baby category) Trevor Yerbury (Children category) Michael Nunn (Digital art) Jerry Ghionis (Fashion) Christopher Azzopard; (Fine art);
Philip Nash (Glamour& Beauty) Richard Martin (Landscape) Mark Nicoll (Macro category) Faye Yerbury (Monochrome) Cath Lewis (Pets) Tom Robson (Pictorial) Damian McGillicuddy(Contemporary portraiture) Christopher Azzopardi (Environmental portraiture) Sam Knight (Portraiture: Family & Groups) Julie Hughes (Pregnancy portraiture) Damian McGillicuddy (Traditional portraiture) Steve Hill; (Press &News) Christopher Azzopardi (Publicity &PR) Sheila Pearce (Science & nature)
Martin Scerri (Sports: ball games); Steve Allen (Sport general): Elliot Patching (Motor Sports) Liam Kidney (Travel) Gordon Jovic (Wedding: bridal portraiture) Stuart Bebb
(Contemporary Wedding ) Jerry Ghionis (Wedding: photojournalism) Stuart Bebb; (Traditional Wedding) Steve Allen (Wildlife)
Picture: Jerry Ghionis
