New York, NY—For half a century, the International Photographic Council (IPC) has focused on a single mission: Peace through Photography, the Universal Language. At the recent 50th Anniversary IPC Professional Photographer Awards Luncheon in New York City, attendees were treated to a program that showcased legends, icons and prodigies who bring this mission to life.
Further, the awards luncheon took place during International Photography Month in the Delegates Dining Room at the United Nations. Moreover, Melissa Fleming, under-secretary-general for Global Communications at the UN, opened the ceremony with moving words about the organization and the honorees.
“Our 50th anniversary program was marked by tremendous energy,” said Andy Marcus, president of IPC. “Under-Secretary-General Fleming’s opening remarks set the mood for a moving event. The program was a strong mix of photographers. We will continue our mission to promote Peace through Photography, the Universal Language through our programs and events like these. Congratulations to all the honorees.”
50th Anniversary IPC Professional Photographer Awards Honorees
The following people were honored at the the 50th Anniversary IPC Professional Photographer Awards Luncheon.
Douglas Kirkland: IPC Special Lifetime Achievement Award
This award was presented posthumously. Accepting it was Francoise Kirkland, who also served as the keynote speaker. Together the couple published several books and showcased numerous exhibitions. Furthermore, Douglas Kirkland remains one of the world’s most influential photographers, capturing such faces of Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, Leonardo DiCaprio, Coco Chanel and Mikhail Baryshnikov. His portrait of Charlie Chaplin hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in London. Further, in 1998, Kirkland’s picture book, Titanic, rose to No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list. Additionally, a retrospective exhibition of Kirkland’s work, A Life in Pictures, was recently on display at Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles, California. Francoise continues to look after her husband’s legacy and vast archive.
In her moving keynote, she thanked IPC for honoring her late husband who touched beings of all walks of life and made everyone that he came in contact with feel like they mattered.
Benjamin Von Wong: IPC Environmental Photographer Award
Von Wong is a multidisciplinary visual artist and photographer who uses recycled and reclaimed materials to create striking installations and images. His work has generated 100+ million views on social media. It focuses on various causes, including plastics, fast fashion as well as electronic waste.
Lindsay Adler: IPC Professional Photographer Achievement Award, Professional Photographers of America Nominee
Specializing in beauty and fashion photography, Adler is an award-winning photographer/director and world-renowned photographic educator. Based in New York City, she has traveled the world shooting for iconic beauty brands as well as high-end editorial publications. She is also known for her signature clean, bold and graphic style. Adler has worked for brands ranging from NBC and Ogilvy to Vogue. She is also the author of five books, a Canon Explorer of Light and an internationally sought-after photo educator.
Peter Hurley: IPC Professional Photographer Achievement Award, WPPI Nominee
Hurley is a world-renowned photographer who for the past 20 years has fixated on the faces that fill his frame. He spends his days in-studio unpacking the relationship between how his clients’ internal thought processes affect their outer appearances. He’s a TEDx speaker on the subject, author of The Headshot, a Canon Explorer of Light as well as founder of the Headshot Crew, which comprises the largest group of headshot specialists globally.
David McLain: IPC Professional Photographer Achievement Award, Sony Artisan Nominee
McLain is a Maine-based photographer and filmmaker whose work explores big questions through intimate stories. Over his career, he has shot seven feature-length assignments for National Geographic. He also coproduced and shot Bounce, a feature documentary that premiered at SXSW. Additionally, he has worked around the world for commercial clients, including Sony and Apple. Moreover, for the past 20 years, he has been photographing The Blue Zones, places on earth where people live the longest healthiest lives. He recently shot the New York Times best-selling Blue Zones Kitchen, which has sold over 400,000 copies. His current work is focused on longevity, healing and health. McLain is also a founding member of the Sony Artisan program.
Shotti NYC: IPC Professional Photographer Achievement Award, Fujifilm Creator Nominee
Empathy is at the forefront of Shotti NYC’s practice. As a portrait photographer, he feels it is important to reimagine how a subject defines personal beauty. Shotti NYC often finds himself capturing the unconventional, uncertain as well as uneasy aspects of human nature. His process relies heavily on connecting with a subject on an emotional level. Further, through this connection, he can get an insight on their shared experience.
Deanne Fitzmaurice: IPC Professional Photographer Achievement Award, Nikon Ambassador Nominee
Fitzmaurice served as an eyewitness to sweeping change across the Bay Area as a photojournalist for the San Francisco Chronicle. She documented the worst earthquake in nearly a century, pivotal Supreme Court rulings, significant wars involving the U.S., climate change as well sports. In addition, her work for the Chronicle garnered the attention of global publications. Consequently, she shoots for National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and ESPN. One photographic essay, documenting a young Iraqi war victim named Saleh, earned her the Pulitzer Prize. She has also won most of the major prizes in photojournalism—some multiple times. They include Pictures of the Year International, AI-AP American Photography, Communication Arts and NPPA.
Anna and Jordan Rathkopf: IPC Professional Photographer Achievement Award, American Photographic Artists Nominees
Anna and Jordan Rathkopf’s work utilizes their lived experiences to create inclusive health stories. Their work portrays illness humanely and authentically and helps create awareness for health equity. They have received prestigious awards (Comm Arts, APA, American Photography) as well as exhibited at ICP, Photoville, LinkNYC and Smithsonian Institute. They work was also featured as the Master Brand Campaign for Susan G. Komen and media, including CNN, Good Morning America and Metro UK.
IPC James L. Chung Memorial Scholarships
This scholarship honors the late longtime president of IPC. This year’s recipients, Lucas Brito Drumond and Mariana Otalora Chavez, attend the School of Visual Arts College in New York City. The scholarship awards are made possible by the generosity of the Chung Foundation. Dr. Mark Chung gave a heartfelt speech on how important the IPC Scholarship program is in keeping with his father’s legacy of helping to mentor young people. 
A special thanks to our corporate supporters: American Photographic Artists; B&H Photo – Video; Canon USA Inc.; Fred Marcus Photography & Video; Fujifilm; H+H Photo Lab; MailPix; Nikon Inc.; Professional Photographers of America; Sigma America; Sony Electronics North America; Tamron; Tether Tools; Tiffen; Westcott; WPPI; Steve Simon and Suspect Photography; along with generous donations to the James L. Chung Memorial Scholarship program from the Chung Foundation, Francoise Kirkland and Benjamin Von Wong.
The International Photographic Council is a Civil Society Organization formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications. Furthermore, it is composed of representatives from every major sector of the photographic industry.
