Each year PPNC offers an in-depth 8 part competition readiness program geared towards helping our members understand more about image competition and become stronger competitors. This class is available to any PPNC member in good standing at no additional cost. Read below to learn more about the program and how you can take part.
To provide a no-pressure introduction to image competition
To familiarize members with the 12 Elements
To create awareness of the common pitfalls
To help participants evaluate their images and help select competition images
To familiarize participants with how to subscribe, use and enter competition through printcompetition.com
Proper use of sharpening
Resizing images
Adding a presentation
Calibrating monitor/monitor settings
Posing of subjects in their genre
Photographic expectations in their genre
Feb 23: Session 1: Intro to Image Comp. Topics will include types of image comps, how images are judged, a discussion of the value of image competition, and more.
March 02: Session 2: Common mistakes. Guide participants through a self-critique of their images.
March 09: Session 3: Discuss the requirements of categories in competition and image selection strategies.
March 26: Session 4: Discussion about expectations in different genres. Comments on posing, etc.
March 23: Session 5: Adding a presentation to a competition image.
March 30: Session 6: Work in small group breakout sessions with mentors on images for scored commentary. (PPNC Master Photographers)
April 06: Session 7: Review. How to enter a competition on printcompetition.com. Other topics or image prep help.
April 13: Session 8: Scored commentary by 2 guest judges.

Chris Richman is an award-winning photojournalist and fine art photographer, with awards from the NC Press Association, Carolina Nature Photography Association, the Professional Imaging Group of Eastern North Carolina (PIGOENC- PPA local affiliate), the Professional Photographers of North Carolina (PPNC- state affiliate) and the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), including 2016-2022 PPA Photographer of the Year (2021 Diamond POY), PPA Imaging Excellence Medallion and the PPNC 2018 & 2019 PPNC Photographer of the Year. She received the 2019 PPNC Service Award and the 2022 National Award.
Her twenty years as a senior research scientist, her decades of teaching and leadership in the informal science education arena and her years of editorial sports and event photography give her an eye for precision, composition and story-telling. In addition to coaching photographers through personal photography projects, Chris is a mentor, a frequent speaker, offers photo critiques and juries competitions for photography associations at both the professional and amateur levels. She is a PPA Approved Juror and participates on jury panels for PPA Local and State Affiliate image competitions.
She holds the PPA Master of Photography, Master Artist and Craftsman degrees, the Imaging Excellence Medallion and the Certified Professional Photographer designation. She holds the Fellowship of Photography degree from PPNC. She is a member of The Image Salon, The Professional Imaging Group of Eastern NC, The Professional Photographers of NC, The Professional Photographers of America and the American Society of Photographers.