Kodak Alaris Promotes Excellence in Wedding and Portrait Photography with 28th KODAK Gallery Elite Award

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its ongoing commitment to support and promote professional photographers and professional labs, Kodak Alaris unveiled the wedding and portrait photographers who comprise the 2013 recipients of the annual KODAK Gallery Elite Awards.  The awards recognize outstanding creativity and skill of wedding and portrait photographers who use KODAK PROFESSIONAL Products and Services to produce exceptional photographic prints for their clients. Kodak Alaris will showcase these images in its booth, #1226 at Imaging USA (I-USA), the annual conference and trade show of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), Jan. 12-14, 2014.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140109/NY43124)

Ben Shirk, Shirk Photography, won the grand-prize for his image, When the Music Ends. Wilton, IA-based Shirk, the grand-prize winner for the 2^nd consecutive year, said his inspiration came from "an interesting piece of graffiti I found one day while doing some urban exploration that asked a question which sent my mind spinning with possibilities and ideas." The judges described Shirk's photograph, printed by White House Custom Colour, as "haunting and creative" with amazing storytelling that "catapults the viewer into a journey within their own imagination."

"It's an honor to continue our tradition and support of celebrating the professionalism, talent and a unique style of the KODAK Gallery Elite Award winners," said Christopher S. Van Zandt, Vice President & General Manager, Paper & Output Systems, Americas Region, Kodak Alaris' Personalized Imaging. "In addition to their talent, they also recognize the value in not just using a professional lab just creating professional output, but also the high-quality and inherent value of KODAK PROFESSIONAL Products contributes work they provide their clients."

In addition to Shirk, three photographers received KODAK Gallery Elite Awards: 

• 2^nd Place: Ken Martin, Ken Martin Photography, De Pere, WI for Nature's Palette, printed by Pechman Color
• 3^rd Place: Robin Swanson, Robin Swanson Photography, La Canada, CA for A Moment to Dream, printed by Bay Photo
• 4^th Place: David Humphrey, Masters Photographic, LLC, Flint, MI for Tree of Life, printed by JD Photo Imaging

Each winner will receive the KODAK Gallery Elite Crystal trophy and a cash prize.  In addition to showing the images in the Kodak Alaris booth, Kodak Alaris will post the winners' images online at the KODAK Gallery Elite Winners Showcase and in Kodak Alaris promotional materials. During 2013, professional photographers affiliated with the PPA in all 50 states and Canada competed for KODAK Gallery Awards.

State and regional winners of KODAK Gallery Awards who used KODAK PROFESSIONAL Products, such as KODAK PROFESSIONAL Film, Media and/or Chemistry in the creation or production of their works, were eligible to compete for the KODAK Gallery Elite Award.

For more information on KODAK PROFESSIONAL Media and all KODAK PROFESSIONAL Product offerings for the professional markets, please visit www.kodak.com/go/professional or follow us on Facebook @KODAKPROFESSIONAL.

About Kodak Alaris' Personalized Imaging Business
This business combines a unique heritage, expertise and ongoing innovation to market high-quality imaging products and services online, in store and on mobile devices. Kodak Alaris' Personalized Imaging business consists of Retail Systems Solutions, the world leader in retail photo kiosks and dry lab systems, offering retailers a competitive advantage in the photo services market; Paper & Output Systems, offering photo specialty retailers, professional and wholesale labs, and photographers the broadest portfolio of traditional photographic paper and workflow solutions; Film Capture, offering consumers and professionals an award-winning range of still-camera film products; and Event Imaging Solutions, providing digital souvenir photography services and solutions at theme parks, iconic destinations, resorts and other markets worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.kodak.com/go/PI and our blog, 1000Words. Follow us on Twitter @kodakCB, on Facebook and on Instagram @kodakcb.

The Kodak and Kodak Professional trademarks are used under license from Eastman Kodak Company.

2014

SOURCE Kodak Alaris