Focus Portrait Awards

Meet The Judges

Carol Ann Neil

Carol Ann is an award winning baby, children and family portrait photographer based in Glasgow (Scotland) with over 10 years experience in studio and outdoor portraiture. For the past three years Carol Ann has travelled the world teaching fellow photographers her techniques to create low key, painterly style fine art portraiture. With a keen eye for detail, Carol Ann loves to combine her love of colours and textures to produce images that are both eye catching and memorable. Images that tell a story and evoke emotion for the viewer

Carol Ann created FOCUS and the FPA as a way to make her teaching available to all photographers. To create a community of individuals eager to learn and a place were artist’s can join together to support each other

Evelina Skersyte

Evelina is an award winning family & children photographer based in London.

She loves to capture real life in its rawest form, unearthing the essence of what it means to be human. Her images express pure emotion and stories through her own eyes, portraying innocent, whimsical, romantic and nostalgic feelings

Evelina teaches her portraiture at workshops and during online mentoring sessions.

Sharon Wallis

Sharon is a leading photographer in her field of newborn and family photography of which she has won multiple awards. She produces her stunning imagery from her quaint barn conversion studio in the idylic Chesire countryside. With 18 years experience in the industry she knows her stuff!

Sharon teaches her newborn art to photographers all over England, she is a licenciate and associate member of the guild of photographers and this year gained her master craftsman qualification in newborn photography

David Shoukry

David is a studio portrait photographer, shooting fashion, editorial, fine art, and working primarily with performing arts professionals. His work has been published by the Los Angeles Times, BBC, Radio Times among others, and exhibition highlights include London’s Royal Academy of Arts. David read music at Oxford University and has lived and worked in many of the world’s most interesting places: he is now settled with his family near Bath, where his studio is based

FOCUS PORTRAIT AWARDS (FPA)

Each month awards will be given in the form of Bronze, Silver & Gold to those entries that meet the judging criteria. Judges will be looking for images that display good technical merit in terms of exposure, sharpness, lighting, composition, colour balance etc… they want to see images with visual impact and creativity that evoke emotion in the viewer

Each month the judges will select one image from all of the entries received and from all awards given, to be titled ‘Judges Choice’ the winner of which receives a custom designed framed print from the amazing team at Digitalab

After all awards are announced, the winning artists will then be entered into our ‘Peoples Choice’ gallery that will be open to the public to cast their votes! The winner of the Peoples Choice Award will win the designated prize for that month

MATERNITY – Expecting mother, may include partner/family members

NEWBORN & BABY – For babies younger than 18 months

CHILDREN & TEENS – Children aged 16 years or younger. Sibling or group portraits may be included

FAMILY – At least 2 members of the same family, including at least one adult and one child

PEOPLE PORTRAIT – Studio or outdoor portrait. No age limits or creative restrictions**

OUTDOOR – Baby, child or family portrait taken

ANIMAL – Family pets or wildlife images are accepted

BLACK & WHITE – Open to all genres of monochrome photography

STILL LIFE – an image depicting inanimate subjects

All components of your entered image must belong to you. For composite work each element must come from an image you have taken

How To Enter

You may submit ONE image per category

Please submit the following information in the message section BEFORE you upload your image

name_category_country_month_year

for example

joebloggs_portrait_denmark_may_2020

For optimal image quality and upload speed please submit your image in JPEG format no more than 1500 pixels on the longest side. Images should be no larger than 3mb. No copyright, logo or any other identifying marks should be visible.

Failure to do this will result in your image being rejected

** images portraying distaste or full nudity will not be accepted. Judges will make the final decision on what they deem to be unacceptable**

The closing date for entrants is midnight on the last day of the month and results will be announced on the 5th day of the following month.

If you have submitted and failed to achieve an award or have scored lower than you had hoped, you may request feedback TWICE per year FREE of charge if you are a member of FOCUS. For non members feedback is provided FREE of charge ONE time per year. For further critique from the judges a fee of £20 for 3 images will be required. Please email if you wish to discuss – fpa@focuswithcaneil.com

Payment For Entry

1 image £10

3 images £20

5 images £25

9 images £35

When you have submitted your entries to the FPA please then send your payment via PayPal to caneilphotography@outlook.com

Please note: Your entries will not be entered into the FPA until payment has been received

ENTRY IS FREE FOR ALL FOCUS MEMBERS

To join FOCUS for £19 per month and access ALL tutorials and learning materials instantly, as well as FREE entry to the Focus portrait Awards, click here

Entries for June 2021 are now open!

We are delighted to start another year of judging at the FPA and welcome entries from talented photographer’s across the globe!

Our mission is to celebrate art and showcase your talent among your peers and wider audience.

Amazing prizes for our winners are also up for grabs each month! Including a custom designed framed print of your winning image from the team at DIGITALAB and 1:1 mentoring with Carol Ann Neil