Bianca Turri snaps her way to WA Professional Photographer of the Year final

For the second year running Bianca Turri was named a finalist in the WA AIPP Epson Professional Photographer of the Year awards.

The Australind-based photographer said there had been some high-scoring prints in the category so she was surprised to be one of the two finalists.

“Whoever scores the highest from their folio of four prints progresses to become a finalist,” she said.

“It’s always nice recognition because this is a print award so the judges get right up close to the print to look at so many different things.”

Two of the works in her folio were commissioned works and the others were self-commissioned.

She said she viewed the awards as a way to push herself beyond her comfort zone and that she was constantly thinking about what photos might be worth using to enter awards.

Only one of the four photos were ones taken this year while another was taken as far back as August.

“Sometimes when you take a shot you know there is a little bit of magic there, but then six months later you might think ‘no way’,” she said.

“As an artist you always go back and you are always second guessing.

“That’s why its so humbling when your fellow peers consider your work worthy of being awarded.

“Some of these people who do the judging have been in the industry for years and years and years, and they are doing blind judging without knowing who took each photo.”

Ms Turri said the WA awards were a good chance to warm up for the national awards later this year.

Depending on the results of those awards she said she was a chance of reaching her goal of becoming master photographer within the institute.