Karen Campbell's
Awards and History
Over the years I have scored well in local and state wide photography competitions across a variety of categories. I have written a short summary of how I got started and listed a few award accolades that point to my success and recognition.
I started showing my work back in 1983 at the local Mariposa County Fair. And I soon discovered that the judging of my print & slide entries each year had gone favorably well, on average, 30-35% receiving 1st place, another 40% receiving 2nd place and the rest 3rd. And during that time I joined a photography club, "Yosemite Western Artists". I became a regularly involved member within all aspects of that organization and even served on the YWA board as Vice President and Secretary for a few of those years as well as serving on committees for helping YWA organize and put together, Photography and Artists competitions/ exhibits, that by the early 1990's began drawing professional exhibitor entries from all over the west coast!
By 1991, my photography began a part-time professional service, doing weddings, high school portraiture and small commercial jobs. And in 1995, photography became full time and also while traveling throughout the mid-west for a New York company. In 1997 my husband and I decided to branch out and take our own photography company back to the West Coast to photograph high school seniors, families, children and students in small academic schools and students who attend cosmetology colleges in Calif., Oregon, Washington. & Nevada. (FYI: we still travel some, doing the schools to this date)
Throughout our years of travels I've captured tens of thousands of images and have had some of them exhibited in shows throughout Central Calif., and competed in many Photography Exhibits and other shows with honors and many 1st place awards. Such as:
1984-1990 Mariposa & Merced County Fair Photography Exhibits - with several Novice & Intermediate - 1st place awards throughout
1991 YWA Spring Photography & Art Gallery Show - many 1st place awards and a "People's Choice" award
1992 Best of Show, Mariposa County Photography Exhibit
1993-96 YWA Spring & Fall Photography & Art Gallery Shows - several 1st place, special, and "People's Choice" awards
1994 "Tulips" with Best of Show; Mariposa County Exhibit that went on to Calif. State Exhibit to receive a 3rd place in the Best of Show Pavilion (out of 1600 total entries).
1997 "Tumacacori Grainery" Best of Show (Chowchilla County) and "Outdoor Photography Magazine" contest - 1st place award
1998-2003 Merced County Photography - 1998 Best of Show - and Dozens of 1st, 2nd place & several special awards (Professional div.)
2003 - Merced Photography Club & San Joaquin Valley Photography Club - 2003's Overall High Points winner - 1st in Monochrome & Color print Div. and 1st in Nature photography for slide division
2004 - San Joaquin Valley Photography Club - Year - 1st in Monochrome & Color print Div. / 1st in Travel & 1st in Pictorial slide division
* The San Joaquin Valley Photography competitions, includes membership of all the photography clubs throughout the Central Calif. Region (many of the club's members are accomplished and professionally published P.P.S.A.. photographers)
* PPA; (Professional Photographers Society of America)