I am a member of various photography groups and every once in a while, a competition is declared or someone wins an award and I think to myself ‘maybe I should enter’.

But the thing is, most of the winning entries are highly stylised, illustrative, extremely creatively lit and posed and I don’t think any of my mature clients will consent to be clothed, posed or photographed in a highly creative style. You may ask, “how do you know?” From experience.

I am a business owner in a creative field and so I have to wear both hats, of being a savvy business person AND a creative person. But no matter how strong my creative urges, my main objective is to satisfy my client. When these creative urges rise up and possess me during a shoot, I request the lady to oblige me with some offbeat / creative poses. But almost always, she does NOT like and buy those photos. Because she is wanting to see herself as how she is, not as some model in a painting or some super stylised version of herself that her grandchildren won’t even recognise.

Photos for awards typically feature models who are young, skinny, bendy and can pose like super models, in elaborate setups. I will have to pay for a model, rent a whole lot of clothes and accessories and spend days planning, shooting and editing these photos to enter a competition. I might take some great photos, I might even get an award. But my prospective clients will look at them and think, “I don’t look anything close like that.” That would make them sad and me sad.

Notice how most other professionals don’t feel the need to win awards. I haven’t heard of international awards for ‘best doctor’ or ‘best lawyer’. These professionals are quietly going about doing what they do best without looking for accolades.

My awards come from a different source altogether. It comes from the joy that women experience when the see their photos. When they fall in love with their photos (and with themselves) and have a hard time deciding which ones to get, that’s my award. When their eyes sparkle when they come to collect their printed photos and say, “I will be passing these on to my children and they will to their children.” And I realise that I got to participate in the creation of their legacy, that is my greatest award.

On my website you will not find a label that says ‘Award-winning photographer” because all my awards are unseen ones. The rose that wins the ‘best rose’ award may be beautiful, but equally beautiful is the wildflower that blooms unseen in some fragrant valley.