Accolades

      A work in progress, this is a partial list of our accolades and awards...

Lisa Cuchara was named a Bronze Medalist  in 2022 and a Double Bronze Medalist in the PPA International Photographic Competition (IPC).  Lisa was named a Double Bronze Medalist during Professional Photographers of America's 2018 International Photographic Open and Artistry Competitions. Lisa Cuchara's work will be on display at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 20-22, 2019. This International Photographic Exhibit is held in conjunction with Imaging USA, an annual convention and expo for professional photographers. The level of the award is determined by how many of those four images (in each category: open and artistry) receive the highest possible honor: acceptance into the PPA Loan Collection, which is displayed at photographic exhibitions, conventions and other photography events. Lisa Cuchara was named a Bronze Medalist by earning a merit—a mark of quality and honor—for each of the four images included in her entry case to the International Photographic Competition open and artistry categories. This is the most prestigious competition of its kind, where images are judged based on a standard of artistic excellence, not against each other. In 2018, she was one of only 208 Bronze Medalists. A panel of 32 eminent jurors from across the United States selected the top photographs from nearly 5,073  total submitted entries at Gwinnett Technical College in Georgia. Judged against a standard of excellence, 2,622 images were selected for the General Collection. All eight of Lisa’s images judged at IPC earned merits, she was 4/4 for open and 4/4 for Master Artist. About PPA: Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the largest international nonprofit association created by professional photographers, for professional photographers. Almost as long-lived as photography itself, PPA's roots date back to 1869. It assists 30,000 members through protection, education and resources for their continued success. See how PPA helps photographers be more at PPA.com.
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            Both Lisa and Tom earned the title of MNEC by the New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) in 2010. Both have since earned their HonNEC. The MNEC designation was awarded for their achievements in photography and for their significant contributions to photographers in New England through lecturing, teaching, judging, and through other administrative activities in photographic organizations.

·         In 2015 Lisa was awarded NECCC’s prestigious HonNEC, a title awarded for superior leadership in the operation of our Council and superior photographic leadership, lecturing, judging, and teaching in the New England area and for her tireless efforts to promote the photographic arts. A part of her certificate read… “with her commitment and vast knowledge of photography, Lisa epitomizes the concept of the dedicated professional.”

·         Hamden Photographer Earns Awards at Northeast District Photographic Competition. Two photographs created by Lisa Cuchara of BREA Photos, of Hamden, CT, recently won awards at the PPA Northeast District Photographic Competition. Two of Lisa's photographs ("Red-Eyed Green Tree Frog" and "Red Chair in the Prison") won "Seal of Approval" awards at the Northeast District Photographic Competition held May 20-21 2014.

·         2015. Two of Lisa’s images won merits in the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) IPC (International Photographic Competition)

·         2016. Five of Lisa’s images won merits in the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) IPC (International Photographic Competition)

o   Three of those five earned an additional merit and a spot in the Loan Collection. 1007 (of 5,700 total submitted entries) were selected for the esteemed Loan Collection—the best of the best.
o   The Loan Collection images will all be published in the much-anticipated "Loan Collection" book and over 200 selected General Collection images will be published in the "Showcase" book by Marathon Press
o   All accepted images will also be on display at the International Photographic Exhibition at Imaging USA, held in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX, Jan. 8-10, 2017.

o   IPC involves PPA members from across the globe now and is not a competition playground: this level of competition (the IPC) actually involves two judging. The first one determines if your images are merit-worthy (that’s industry-speak to say you made the first cut). If they are, you earn a second judging, which could possibly earn you an additional merit and a spot in the Loan Collection (our way of saying that your work is the “best of the best”). 

2016 Lisa

1) Connecticut Professional Photographers Association (CTPPA)

     a) Treskunoff Award (for the highest total point score for the 6 prints entered at the CTPPA convention) (second year in a row)

     b) Photographer of the Year 15-16
          i) Based on the total accumulated points) from all four quarterly competitions
          ii) Art Tech/Electronic Imaging (ART/EI) category
               (1) Third year in a row
          iii) Unclassified category (based on the total accumulated points)
                (1) Third year in a row

     c) Judge's Choice

     d) Blue ribbons (an Award of Expert) for
          (1) “Frog on Calla Lily” (94, highest scoring print of the 2016 convention)
          (2) “Veiled Chameleon”
          (3) “Prison Tough”
          (4) “Barn with Star Trails and First Light”
          (5) “Disoriented at the Insane Asylum”
          (6) “Left Behind”

     e) Miller’s Award – for Prison Tough

     f) Court of Honor Winner for ART/EI

2) PPANE (Professional Photographers Association of New England)
     a) PPANE Convention Challenge ‘A Shot in the Dark’ winner for “Lunar Eclipse”

3) 36th George W. Glennie Nature Salon a) "Tree Frog in a Jack-in-a-Pulpit" won a merit award in the 36th George W. Glennie Nature Salon. The 36th George W. Glennie Nature Salon had 798 images from 80 clubs, representing 7 countries and 21 states in the US. The award-winning images as well as approximately 1/3 of the top scoring images are accepted into the Glennie Nature Salon.

2016 Tom

1) Connecticut Professional Photographers Association (CTPPA)
     a) Best in Show, Creative, for "Green Tree Python"
     b) Court of Honor, Creative category for “Common Tern Aerial Ballet”
     c) Tom 2016 Tom won Judge's Choice for "Dinosaur at the Junkyard”
     d) Blue ribbon (Award of Expert) for:
          (1) “Common Tern Aerial Ballet”
          (2) “Green Tree Python”
          (3) “Old Truck”
     e) Red ribbon (Award of Excellence) for
          (1) “My New Nonfurry Little Sister”
          (2) “Velociraptor at the Junkyard”
     f) White ribbon (Award of Achievement) for:
          (1) “Dinosaur under the Night Sky”

2) New Haven Camera Club
     (1) Image of the Year for “Ambilobe Chameleon Bug Zapper”
     (2) Class A competition for “Ambilobe Chameleon Bug Zapper”

2015 Lisa

1) Connecticut Professional Photographers Association (CTPPA)
          a) Photographer of the Year in the Art Tech/Electronic Imaging (ART/EI) category (based on the total accumulated points) from all four quarterly competitions

          b) Photographer of the Year in the unclassified category (based on the total accumulated points) from all four quarterly competition

          c) October 2015 CTPPA Best in Show, Creative for "Frog on Flower”

          d) Best in Show, Creative, for “Barn with Star Trails and First Light”
         
          e) Treskunoff Award (for the highest total point score for the 6 prints entered at the CTPPA convention

          f) Court of Honor Winner for ART/EI

          g) Court of Honor Winner for unclassified category

          h) Best in Show in the Creative category

          i) First place in the Creative category

          j) BWC Printmakers Award "Most Creative" ART/EI image

          k) Sunset Award (for the "Best print in Exhibition" (selected by the judges from the top ten scoring images)

          l) Kodak Award

          m) Artist Images Award (Most Creative image in the Creative Category),

          n) People's Choice Award (voted on by attendees) for "Red-Eyed Green Tree Frog

          o) Three Judges Choice Award
               (1) "Red-Eyed Green Tree Frog
               (2) "Feeling out of Place"
               (3) "Sunflowers Remind me of Van Gogh"

          p) Blue ribbons (Awards of Expert) for:
               (1) "Feeling out of Place
               (2) "Sunflowers Remind me of Van Gogh”
               (3) "Red-Eyed Green Tree Frog"
               (4) "Red Chair in the Prison"

          q) Red ribbons (Awards of Excellence) for
               (1) "Never a Line in the Men's Room"
               (2) "Contemplation in the Stairway"

2015 Tom

1) Connecticut Professional Photographers Association (CTPPA)
          a) Blue ribbon (Award of Expert)
               (1) "Magnolia Tree Blooming"

          b) Five of Tom's photographs won Red ribbons (Awards of Excellence):
               (1) "Abandoned Roses on Old Glass"
               (2) "Muscleman"
               (3) “Proud Older Brother"
               (4) "Romance under the Moon"
               (5) "Spring Flowers in the Ornamental Grasses"

2014

1) Connecticut Professional Photographers Association (CTPPA)

          a) 2014-2015 Photographer of the Year (based on the total accumulated points) from all four quarterly competition for
               i) Creative/Unclassified (Lisa)
               ii) Art/EI in the Art Tech/Electronic Imaging (ART/EI) category (Lisa)

          b) 2015 Court of Honors
               i) Creative/Unclassified - “Tiger Legged Frog” - Lisa Cuchara
               ii) Art/EI - “Face in the Praying Mantis” - Lisa Cuchara

          c) Judges Choice: “Tiger Legged Frog” - Lisa Cuchara

          d) Judges Choice: “International Truck” - Tom Cuchara

2) 2014 New Haven Camera Club End of Year Competition
          a) Joe DiChello Land/Sea Scape, First place for "Ocean Beach Pier"
          b) Jane Sibley, Nature Award, Second Place for "Frog, Reflected"
          c) Creative, Image Artistry Second Place for "ESP red chair flooded 98 image HDR Panorama"

Prior to 2014, highlights:

1) “Best in Show” Milford Fine Arts Photo Expo (Hummingbird photograph) (2011)

2) “Best Portrait”, 2010 TOPS in CT, Connecticut Association of Photographers

3) Osprey photograph won “Best in Show” at the 2009 George W. Glennie Nature Salon

4) “Three Wolves Howling” published on the cover of the Wolf Conservation Calendar, several photographs published inside the calendar as well.

5) “Osprey with a Flounder” First place in the 2008 Wild Bird photo contest, published in the Sept/Oct issue of Wild Bird magazine.

6) “Great Blue Heron” First place in the 2006 Wild Bird photo contest, published full page in the Sept/Oct issue of Wild Bird magazine.

7) Two photographs picked as 2006 Editor’s Pick in the Nature Photographer’s Network

8) “Roaring Brook Falls” 3rd place Adirondack Life Photo Contest, published in Adirondack Life

9) “Decoy Stalking Great Blue Heron” Merit Award, 9th Annual Adirondack Life Photo Contest

10) Editor’s Choice, 8th Annual Adirondack Life Photo Contest

11) Three photographs published in the Regional Water Authority’s calendars

12) 2000 - 2001 – Photographs (and Quilts) exhibited "Art Place” Yale Physician’s Building

13) 2000 -- Photograph published on the cover of novel “An Adirondack Life”

Photographic exhibitions at:
     1) Milford Fine Arts Photo Expo (2011)
     2) Milford Fine Arts Photo Expo (2010)
     3) Abanakee Studios, Indian Lake, NY (2009)
     4) Café George, 300 George St. New Haven, CT (2009)
     5) Wakely Lodge, Indian Lake, NY (2009)
     6) Café George, 300 George St New Haven, CT (2009)
     7) Milford Fine Arts Photo Expo (2009)    
     8) Borders Fairfield (2009)
     9) The Funky Monkey Gallery and Café, Cheshire, CT (2009)
     10) Wakely Lodge, Indian Lake, NY (2008)
     11) Wakely Lodge, Indian Lake, NY (2007)
     12) Abanakee Studios, Indian Lake New York (2005)
     13) Abanakee Studios, Indian Lake New York (2003)
     14) Abanakee Studios, Indian Lake New York (2001)