Here is the album that won the “Wedding Album of the Year” Award for Maine in 2011. The wedding was held at the Samoset Resort in Rockland, Maine. You can use the cursor keys to turn through the pages, and the fullscreen option to see the images larger. The press release for the award is here. Thanks for looking — Will

I also was elected to the MPPA’s court of honor for my third time, received my third Kodak Gallery Award, and received an award for the highest scoring print by a Certified Professional Photographer (but there’s only six Certified Professional Photographers in Maine, while there’s hundreds of wedding photographers). I’m happy about those awards too, but to win Album of the Year two years in a row – that’s an honor I’m giddy about!!!

Here’s the link to the 2011 Album of the Year, and the album that won in 2010 is posted here.

I’m also happy to tell you that I’m a member of the Maine Professional Photographers’ Association (MPPA), a great network of photographers.  Every year at the annual convention for the MPPA, we have a competition judged by 6 national judges from the Professional Photographers of America.  This year, out of 196 total competition entries, only one wedding album received a blue ribbon (albums are judged for excellence in image quality, story telling, and composition).  That album, submitted by me, was from an Eastland Park wedding posted here, and entered into the competition entitled “Downtown Wedding”.  The album pages are posted on this blog as well, here.

Guess what?  I won the Album of the Year award!  A unanimous choice by the judging committee!  This was the first wedding album I’ve ever submitted for competition, and the judges loved it.  I’m thrilled – I’m proud – and I’m grateful to my whole team for their help and support.

I also received my second Kodak Gallery Award, and was again nominated to the MPPA Court of Honor, but it’s the Album of the Year award that really has me excited.

Thanks for looking – Will

Here’s the text from the press release above (in case the image is too small):

Maine Chapter of the Professional Photographers of America Awards Will Wenzel, of Focus Photography, Top Prizes for Portrait Shots

  February 1, 2008 (FREEPORT, MAINE) –

 Old Port photographer Will Wenzel has won top prizes for excellence in portrait photography from the Maine Chapter of the Professional Photographers Association. 

“These are prestigious awards,” Wenzel said, “and I’m proud to have earned the recognition of my peers.” 

Wenzel won the Kodak Gallery Award for technical and visual excellence in a portrait, as well as a Court of Honor Award – the top prize given by the chapter – for excellence in technical and visual impact in a portrait. All told, Wenzel walked off with a Blue Ribbon, six Red Ribbons, and the Judges Choice Award, in addition to the pair of portrait prizes. 

“What I’m most proud of is that all seven of these images were created for our clients at Focus, and not just created for competition” said Wenzel. 

The Maine Professional Photographers Association award the prizes Jan. 29, at its annual awards banquet, held this year at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport, Maine. 

Wenzel is the principal photographer at Focus Photography, Maine’s only boutique portrait studio, located in the Old Port, one of Portland’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods.

Okay, I’ve got to tell you, I’m feeling a little pleased about this.  We always try to give each of our clients the best images we can create, but to have only client images do so well in competition, really says a lot for our clients.  Here’s a few of the cool people we got to work with this year, who’s images received awards this weekend: