Stunning images from a Coast photographer have been selected to appear in the industry’s most prestigious awards.
Wurtulla-based photographer Ben Connolly left for Las Vegas on Friday to represent Australia and showcase the Coast’s amazing talent and scenery at the annual Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Awards.
Mr Connolly’s work is already well recognised, having received 12 awards at the 2016 and 2017 awards, and taking out seven Australian Institute of Professional Photography Queensland and national awards in 2017. Mr Connolly said more than 12,000 attendees and 250 exhibitors had participated in the international conference/awards last year with about 290 photographers taking out awards.
“It’s a really prestigious awards event and I’m very excited to be able to showcase the Sunshine Coast as one of the world’s premier wedding destinations,” he said.
“Photography is my passion and I am really proud to be a part of an industry which is so dynamic and now even more exciting with the addition of same-sex weddings now finally legal here in Australia.
“The industry has certainly changed a lot over the past few years.”
Mr Connolly, who has been operating on the Coast since 2005, photographs about 45 local weddings per year.
“As word of mouth spreads, I’ve also had the privilege to photograph weddings interstate as well as exotic locations like Bali, Thailand, New Zealand and Italy,” Mr Connolly said.
In October 2016, Mr Connolly was recognised by national camera retailer Ted’s Cameras Australia as one of its seven brand ambassadors.
Ted’s Cameras social and digital marketing manager Andrew Edyvean said Mr Connolly had been chosen to be a Ted’s ambassador because of this passion for the industry, the quality of his work and his commitment to educating other photographers in the interests of raising the industry standard Australia-wide.
