TROY — Kelly Cook, of Bella Soul Photography & Design, was named a Silver Medalist during Professional Photographers of America’s 2021 International Photographic Competition.

Cook’s work will be on display at the upcoming Imaging USA, held Jan. 16 through 18, 2022 in National Harbor, Md. Imaging USA is one of the largest annual conventions and expos for professional photographers.

A panel of 36 eminent jurors from across the United States selected the top photographs from over 5,000 total submitted entries at PPA headquarters in Atlanta. Judged against a standard of excellence, 1,926 images were selected for the Merit Collection and 1,225 (roughly 24 percent) were selected for the esteemed Imaging Excellence Collection — the best of the best. The Imaging Excellence Collection images will all be published in the much-anticipated ” Excellence Collection” book by Marathon Press.

The level of the award is determined by how many of those four images receive the highest possible honor — acceptance into the PPA Loan Collection, which is displayed at photographic exhibitions, conventions, and other photography events. Cook was named a Silver Medalist, meaning that one of their four merited images entered the PPA Loan Collection. In 2021, they were one of only 81 Silver Medalists.

Founded in 1868, Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the largest and longest-standing nonprofit photography trade association. It currently helps 30,000 professionals elevate their craft and grow their business with resources, protection, and education, all under PPA’s core guiding principle of bridging the gap between photographers and consumers.