2011 was a huge year for Erin. As it was her first year entering competition at the State Level in Virginia, (the only other time before that was 20+ years before back in Port Townsend High School where she won Best of Show for all state high schools in Washington for her photography!)

At the Virginia STATE level competition - you are allowed to enter 6 images for a complete case. Each image will receive a score (an 80-100 means it's a blue ribbon, Merit Worthy at 80 and Superior at 100 - both mean they would receive a merit when we enter it for judging at PPA's International Photographic Competition).

All of the images entered in 2011 were actually printed competition prints. 

2011 Award Winning Images: 

"Tie A Yellow Ribbon" Basset Hound Puppy, Bella on a chair. It was a fluke that Erin had the pretty ribbon to tie around her neck and it struck a chord with one of the judges at Virginia's State competition where he explained the story of tying a yellow ribbon - waiting for her soldier to come home with tears in his eyes that helped the image do so well for Erin's first competition. 

VPPA STATE AWARDS (score: 94)

Best Portrait of a Pet/Animal

Kodak Gallery Award - Portrait/Landscape

Nancy Starkey Justice Award - First Time Entrant Highest Scoring Print

Virginia BEST IN SHOW   

Entered at South East DISTRICT Competition in March 2011 and SEALED (meaning it MUST be entered at IPC to MERIT). 

IPC - MERIT! (Erin's very FIRST MERIT to work towards a Master of Photography Degree with PPA) 

****

"Adoring Companions" Clients of Erin from when she lived in Sicily, Italy. They travelled to the countryside with their two pups in tow. An image that Erin loved that went through many updates from State to District with major changes, where it received a 77 to more changes in June of 2011, at IPC where it merited for Erin's 2nd PPA Merit. 

****

"Yearning For His Touch" Another one of Erin's clients from Italy who wanted a boudoir photo session for her deployed US Navy husband as a gift. To this day, this is one of her most loved portraits that she has captured.  When entered in Virginia, it had a black mat and different title. For District, she opted to go with the white mat on a fine art watercolor paper where it received an 82, thus Sealing and continued on to IPC for there 3rd Merit.