Dunedin photographer Simone Jackson, who specialises in wedding photography through her business Simone Jackson Photography, said it was an exciting time.
"When the first lockdown happened, all of my wedding bookings dried up in an hour, which was very difficult," she said.
"Now lots of people are catching up, so this season is shaping up to be really busy."
Wedding photography could be hard work, involving long days and requiring a lot of energy, but were very enjoyable, she said.
"It’s a lot of work, but I love it."
Dunedin had a strong cohort of professional photographers, each with their own specialty, including weddings, babies, family portraiture, glamour, school balls, and commercial photography.
"Everyone is different, with their own skills and their own preferences," she said.
Alongside her wedding and commercial photography, Ms Jackson’s passion is landscape photography.
So, she was delighted to achieve success at the recent New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers (NZIPP) Iris Awards 2022 in the Wedding, Nature and Landscape categories.
The prestigious awards were judged live over three days, with five judges looking at each category, with a focus on technical skill and innovation.
"The judges love things that are new and different —so entering the awards really pushes you to be creative," Ms Jackson said.
NZIPP chair of honours Tracey Scott said each year the imagery entered in the awards "reaches new heights both technically and in its visual communication".
"These are wonderful assets they can transfer into their day-to-day photographic practice."
Results
NZIPP Iris Awards 2022 — Otago/Southland photographers’ results
Kurien Koshy Yohannan:
Nature category — 2 silver, 2 bronze
Portrait in Camera category — 3 bronze
Portrait Open category — 2 bronze
Associated distinction
Simone Jackson:
Nature category — 2 bronze, 2 silver
Wedding in Camera category — 3 silver
Landscape in Camera category — 1 bronze, 1 silver, 1 silver with distinction
Finalist in 3 categories — Wedding in Camera, Landscape in Camera, and Nature
Moira Clark:
Creative category — 1 silver
Illustrative category — 1 silver
Landscape Open category —1 bronze
Justine Turner:
Portrait in Camera category — 1 bronze
Family category — 2 bronze
Justine Weatherall:
Family category — 2 bronze
