Students from Holland College's Photography and Digital Imaging program had an opportunity to compete at the Professional Photographer of Canada Atlantic Annual Convention and Image Competition held in Summerside recently, earning various awards and recognition for the high quality of their work.

At this event, student images are judged under the same standards as the professionals. There is no separate student category. Twelve students from the program submitted a total of 35 images for this year's event. There were over 150 overall entries in the competition. Holland College second year student Chauntelle Gallant won Student Photographer of the Year. Classmates Mark Yammine and Ian Fildes where also nominated for the same award, along with Amy Corkum from Moncton, N.B., who is currently studying photography at Dawson College in Montreal. Holland College participants rated well against the professionals, with many images scoring in the Accepted class. The Holland College students also received four awards of merit during the main competition and one Models Choice Award resulting from the annual shootout competition. Chauntelle Gallant also recently won first prize among Holland College students in the invitational national Bridgestone photo contest.

The students attended many workshops, including a very informative business session delivered by Mark Orenstien from Lethbridge, Alberta and a truly energizing talk and demonstration on portrait photography from Cape Breton photographer John Ratchford.

"Attending a variety of sessions, volunteering to help convention organizers, and talking with a wide range of professional photographers form the Maritimes and beyond is a very valuable experience for our students," said learning manager Jean-Sebastien Duchesne.

For more information about the association, visit www.ppocatlantic.com.

In this picture: olland College Photography and Digital Imaging student Chauntelle Gallant accepts the Student of the Year Award from Walt Malone, President of Professional Photographers of Canada Atlantic/Atlantique.