1st place in The Cake
The WPJA contest judges presented Abram Eric Landes, a District Of Columbia, United States wedding photographer, with this Master Piece Award as recognition for top wedding photojournalism in the industry.
The leading documentary wedding photographers in the world enter their best photos to the Wedding Photojournalist Association's photography competitions. They want their wedding reportage photographs to be evaluated and selected by some of the most notable and respected working picture editors and photojournalists in the news industry (these are not wedding photographers or other WPJA members judging their work). Winning these competitions is a true accomplishment for a wedding photographer.
2010 Q3 Judges
Photographer's Comment
Cutting the Cake. It began as a polite interaction between the newlywed trouble-makers, but for the record - she started it. As a wedding photographer who also covers extreme sports, it is always important to be ready and react to situations as they unfold. I enjoy being close to the action but not in the way of it, and always having the right settings/equipment to make the picture right is my priority. In this case, I needed to have a speed-light and be in manual metering mode to create a properly exposed image, since the tent was much darker than the outdoor scene behind them. This is still one of my favorite wedding photographs (and weddings that I have had the pleasure of photographing!) since the whole day was filled with fun and lively characters that kept me moving.
Judges
- Another classic cake in the face moment. Nice execution.
- Here's a fun photo from a scene that can often go awkwardly awry. I've seen hundreds of "cake stuffing" images but I can't recall any that I liked as much as this. Perhaps it's because their faces are somewhat obscured, creating a moment that becomes more iconic than isolated in the event. Maybe it's the shutter speed capturing the chunks of chocolate cake falling from the playfulness of the scene. Maybe it's the light and composition of the image that fills the frame in a way that accentuates the moment. Or perhaps it's simply a great photo where everything works together at once. Whatever it is.. from background to foreground, the image "works."
The best and top wedding photographs from this category
WPJA contest judges have been recognized by their industry peers, winning top awards as staff picture editors, staff photojournalists, and newsroom mentors while working for these and other leading publications and journalism organizations.
Wedding photographer Abram Eric Landes, was awarded 1st place for photo 444186 in the The Cake category for the WPJA's 2010 Q3.