Presented by APS Print Group and;

Total PRIZE POOL $2,400

Entry is FREE and open to all APS members and camera club members
Entries must be submitted as printed books, using a printer of your choice *
Entrants may submit one book in each category
There is no limit to the size, format, or number of pages
To get a discount on your photo book prints, see our APS Member discounts

Send or deliver entries to Paul Balfe, 120/16 Surbiton Court, Carindale QLD 4152 by 6 October 2023

For further details contact Paul Balfe - paul.balfe@a-p-s.org.au or 0404 822 317

Key Dates

Entries Open	1 July 2023
Entries Close	6 October 2023
Judging	15 October 2023
Winners Announced	17 October 2023

Category Definitions

The categories for the APS Photo Book Awards will be “Open” and “Travel”.

Open Category Entries

Entries in the Open category are open to any entrant who is a member of APS and/or an Australian camera club, and to group entries prepared by members of any Australian camera club. The subject matter is unrestricted, with the author free to choose any theme, subject or topic.

Judging criteria will include excellence and fitness for purpose in photography; selection and sequencing of images; design, layout and typography; and originality of concept and design. The images in the book should provide an engaging visual narrative and should work together to deliver an overall visual impact that is “greater than the sum of the parts”. Text supporting the visual narrative may be included but is not a compulsory element.

Travel Category Entries

The Travel category is designed to encourage APS and camera club members to prepare and enter photo books that capture their travel stories.

The category is open to any individual entrant who is a member of APS or an Australian camera club. The subject matter should relate in some way to travel, for example a photo-journal of a particular journey, or a photo essay depicting the landscapes, people or lifestyles of a particular country or region.

Phto Book Print Offer

Momento Pro is Australia's only locally owned and made photo book printer, and they've supported enthusiast and professional photographers since 2004. They've also been supporters of the APS since 2016, inviting members to join their Club Program to receive 15% off every order. Momento's deadline for APS entries is 6 September. Momento Pro is a highly awarded and respected print company with a focus on accurate colour reproduction. As a highly awarded print company with a focus on accurate colour reproduction, they will do your photography justice.

Judges

Our three expert judges for the APS Photo Book Awards 2023 will be multi award-winning professional commercial photographer William Long, APS Senior Vice President Pia Jessen and co-founder of Momento Pro Libby Jeffery.

Entry

Participants can enter one book in each section. Format and page length of books is unrestricted and entrants are free to choose their preferred book publisher. The author’s name may be included on the book cover.

 Entrants should complete the online entry form on the APS Website
NEW REQUIREMENT for 2023: Entrants will be asked to upload a photo of themselves with their book as part of the online entry process.
 

From the 1st July entries should be mailed or delivered to:
Paul Balfe, 120/16 Surbiton Court, Carindale QLD 4152  

Entrants wishing to have their book/s returned by post must include a fully pre-paid, self-addressed mailing satchel.

Opening date for receipt of entries is 1 July 2023.

Closing date for receipt of entries is 6 October 2023.
Judging will take place on15 October 2023.
Winners will be announced (via Zoom) on 17 October 2023.  

For further details contact Paul Balfe – paul.balfe@a-p-s.org.au or 0404 822 317.

Judge Libby Jeffery reviewing the entries in the 2022 APS Photo Book Awards		Libby Jeffery examines one of the entries Now in its seventh year, the Australian Photographic Society’s annual Photo Book Awards 2022 attracted a total of 22 entries. The number of submissions was slightly up on last year and the quality of work presented was once again very high. Congratulations to the three winners in the Individual Open category – Lesley Bretherton, Martin Riley and Anne Pappalardo – and to the Caloundra Camera Group which won the new Camera Club category. Altogether, they shared prizes of $400 cash from the APS Print Group and $1,100 in photo book vouchers from Momento Pro.

*Greg Sullavan records his comments on one of the Individual Open books*		Judging took place on 16 October at Carindale, Brisbane. Libby Jeffery (Marketing Manager at Momento and Momento Pro, and coordinator of the Australia and New Zealand Photobook Awards) travelled from Sydney to join Greg Sullavan (professional photographer and videographer) and Lisa Kurtz (award-winning photographer and co-founder of the VERGE Collective) in reviewing the books physically on site. The judges separately assessed and rated each book in turn. After the judges’ individual scores were collated, they came together to discuss and agree final rankings. The Awards attracted entries from APS and camera club members across Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. A wide variety of photographic genres and subjects were represented including creative floral art, aerial landscapes, rockscapes, wildlife and endangered species, intentional camera movement, urban architecture, rural lifestyle, photo-travel and food photography.

*Lisa Kurtz at the judging table*		The judges awarded the prize-winning books for their excellence and fitness for purpose in photography, sequencing of images, design, layout and typography, originality in concept and design, and visual narrative. All contestants were provided with written feedback on their entries, the judges providing positive comments highlighting the strengths of each submission as well as offering constructive suggestions where appropriate.

INDIVIDUAL WINNERS
*Lesley Bretherton with ‘A Florilegium’*		‘A Florilegium’ by Lesley Bretherton APS Member Melbourne Camera Club Prizes: $150 cash and $350 Momento Pro voucher Take a look inside the book at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJQFERcRiOw The judges noted ‘A beautiful, timeless book. Creativity PLUS … concept, words, composition and beautifully designed. Consistent, clean, spacious, well balanced, well researched. Photos almost look like illustrations which beautifully reflect 'purpose'. Lovely cover with the delicate and subtle, painterly images. Beautiful fine art photography. Great exposure and file handling. Colourful and filled with joy for the viewer.’

*Martin Riley with ‘Textures from Above; The Kimberley’*		‘Textures from Above; The Kimberley’’ by Martin Riley AAPS APS Member Queensland Camera Group Prizes: $75 cash and $250 Momento Pro voucher Watch a video of the book at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF8218gfyIQ ‘Textures from Above: The Kimberley’ was awarded for its ‘stunning photos and consistent design … visually superior’. The judges noted the excellent quality of photography and commented on the beautiful fine art paper stock. One judge summed up the overall visual impact of the book by saying ‘this is like an exhibition in a book.’

Anne Pappalardo with ‘King of Kings Beach’		‘King of Kings Beach’ by Anne Pappalardo AAPS APS Member Queensland Camera Group Prizes: $25 cash and $150 Momento Pro voucher Watch a video of the book at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HWiEkqB6rs Anne’s book ‘King of Kings Beach’ is a distillation of four years spent photographing her favourite local bird – the Eastern Osprey – around the headland at Kings Beach on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The judges commented that this is a beautifully resolved photo book, with excellent choice of cover photo and a striking, high-impact design. They noted the ‘majestic photo composition and double page spreads and the use of complementary, classical font with excellent layout of text for easy reading and visual pleasure.’

CAMERA CLUB WINNER

*Members of the Caloundra Camera Group team with their winning entry ‘Coastal Exposure’* ‘Coastal Exposure’ by Caloundra Camera Group Prizes: $150 cash and $350 Momento Pro voucher Take a look inside the book at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veyWBwCAYjw In creating ‘Coastal Exposure’ the members of Caloundra Camera Group took the opportunity to celebrate the club’s 25^th Anniversary with a compilation showcasing the work of their current active members and life members. The planning and preparation of the book was a truly collaborative effort. A team of seven club members, with varying levels of experience in photography and book making, worked together to complete the design, preparation and production processes. The judges commented on the ‘clear intention, consistent design style, complementary text, and balanced representation of club members.’ Overall, they considered the winning entry to be ‘a very worthy project with some exceptional photography.’

Judges (from L to R) Damian Caniglia, Anne Russell and David Symons reviewing the entries in the Portfolio category.	Now in its sixth year, the Australian Photographic Society’s annual Photo Book Awards 2021 attracted a total of 20 entries. While the number of submissions was down on last year (impacted by the extended lockdowns in Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory) the quality of entries was once again very high. Congratulations to the six winners across the Storytelling and Portfolio categories – Judy Parker, Ingrid Hendriksen, Hemant Kogelar, Amanda Luker, Deborah Forbes and Ian Skinner – who share prizes of $500 cash from the APS Print Group and $1500 in photo book vouchers from Momento Pro. The Awards attracted entries from APS and camera club members across Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. A wide variety of photographic genres and subjects were represented including aerial, creative and littoral landscapes, wildlife and environmental impacts, photojournalism and reportage, human interest, still life graphic, contemporary street photography and photo-travel.

Judging took place on 17 October at the ‘Art at Heart’ studio in Bellbowrie. Anne Russell (Photographic Society of Queensland accredited judge and photography educator), Damian Caniglia (professional photographer and videographer) and David Symons (award-winning photographer, photo book creator and collector) reviewed the books physically on site. The judges separately assessed and rated each book in turn. After the judges’ individual scores were collated they came together to discuss and agree final rankings in both categories. The judges awarded the prize-winning books for their excellence and fitness for purpose in photography, sequencing of images, design, layout and typography. The Storytelling category winners also showed an originality in concept and design, and an engaging visual narrative. The judges’ rationale for selecting each of the prize-winning entries is outlined below. All contestants were provided with written feedback on their entries, the judges providing positive comments highlighting the strengths of each submission as well as constructive suggestions where appropriate.
PORTFOLIO WINNERS
	‘Afterthoughts’ by Judy Parker APS Member Canberra Photographic Society Canberra Photoconnect Prizes: $150 cash and $350 Momento Pro voucher View book: https://youtu.be/dMJk-0L4A4Y This book was the unanimous winner of the Portfolio section. The judges noted ‘a stunning body of work with consistent post-production.’ They also commented on the book’s ‘excellent design, layout and use of text to support images which form a beautifully presented, cohesive package. A great concept complemented by well thought out design, paper stock, font and format.’

	‘Aerial Art’ by Ingrid Hendriksen APS Member Prizes: $75 cash and $250 Momento Pro voucher View book: https://youtu.be/iLZEgwnjJY8 The judges awarded ‘Aerial Art’ for its wonderful natural landscapes, presented as cohesive abstracts. They commented on the beautiful images and good choice of paper stock. Overall, it was seen to be ‘a fantastic body of work’.

	‘Imagined Places’ by Hemant Kogekar Northside Creative Camera Club Prizes: $25 cash, $100 Momento Pro voucher View book: https://youtu.be/XNqhBEBY0gA Hemant created ‘Imagined Places’ as a lockdown project using parts of images from earlier travel, together with everyday objects from suburban life. The judges commented that each of the images in the photobook would be ‘amazing as a piece of art presented in a gallery’. They commented on the strong creative idea and good continuity of themes throughout.

STORYTELLING WINNERS

	‘Wings on Water’ by Amanda Luker APS Member Edwardstown Photography Club Prize: $150 cash and $350 Momento Pro voucher View book: https://youtu.be/EprL7T0CRIg In ‘Wings on Water’ Amanda uses free verse to tell the story of grey-headed flying foxes displaced by climate change and now roosting in Adelaide parklands. The judges commented on the excellent photography throughout, with beautiful images of the flying foxes and effective use of poetry and images to tell the story of their plight.

	‘Moments on the Waters Edge’ by Deborah Forbes APS Member Fine Art Photography Association Prize: $75 cash and $250 Momento Pro voucher View book: https://youtu.be/6hp3t0uESXg In this book, Deborah reflects on happy times spent by the beach with her ageing mother. The judges commented that this was ‘a great idea well executed. Production and placement of images on pages is excellent. Images and story are well connected. A very personal work that succeeds well with its aims. The style of photos fits the subject matter very well’.

	‘Aftermath: Cadgee 2020’ by Ian Skinner APS Member Prize: $25 cash and $100 Momento Pro voucher View book: https://youtu.be/CUZ0UwO0gBc ‘Aftermath: Cadgee 2020’ is a story of heartbreak and loss in the devastating bushfires which swept through the NSW South Coast hinterland in the summer of 2019–2020. The judges praised the ‘excellent choice in book size, paper stock, design and layout, text/font. Great presentation of story and images.’

APS Photo Book Awards

Presented by APS Print Group and;

Total PRIZE POOL $2,400

Key Dates

Category Definitions

Open Category Entries

Travel Category Entries

Phto Book Print Offer

Judges

Entry

MomentoPro Book Comp - Winners 2022

2022 APS Photo Book Awards Winners Announced

INDIVIDUAL WINNERS

CAMERA CLUB WINNER

MomentoPro Book Comp - Winners announced 2021

Six winning entries from the 2021 APS Photobook Competition

PORTFOLIO WINNERS

STORYTELLING WINNERS