BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The Professional Photographers of West Virginia, the state-level affiliate organization of the Professional Photographers of America, held their Annual Convention earlier this month and Perry Bennett, the photographer of the state Legislature was named the 2026 Photographer of the Year.
During the convention, which was held March 6-8, seen more than 30 members from around and outside West Virginia attend. This provided members the opportunity for professional development, networking, and education across various photographic specialties and genres.
The weekend was used for members to learn about website development, online marketing best practices, attended a lecture on the history on Military Photography, learned about Adobe Lightroom Classic software best practices, and enjoyed working with their colleagues in a hands-on location and studio shooting session.
A significant part of the convention is the juried image competition, where photographers submit the very best images they have created over the previous year in a variety of competition categories including Portraits, Landscapes/Nature, Weddings, and Photojournalism/Reportage.
For 2026, 223 images were submitted, with 127 of them earning merit recognition.
“This year’s image competition was especially meaningful as it reflected both strong participation and strong work,” Image Competition Chairman Danny Leary said. “The sheer numbers of participants, images entered, and the total number of merits earned shows the commitment our photographers have to improving their craft. I’m incredibly grateful to see that level of enthusiasm and excellence on display.”
Perry Bennett submitted 25 images and 19 earned Merit scores. Those scores from this year and last year helped him with the Photographer of the Year award.
“Earning the title of POTY for the second year in a row is a great honor,” Bennett said. “I am thrilled to see my work judged so favorably and to carry such an esteemed title awarded by my colleagues and the organization.”
Also, during the convention, members were honored during an official awards banquet Saturday evening including PPWV Past-President Susie Herndon was recognized with the Joseph Barta Award for service to the organization. Members Mike Maxson and Edwin “Bo” Wriston were recognized for earning the PPA designation as Certified Professional Photographer, and members Ed Conner, David P. McMasters, and Anthony Rumley were presented with Medallion Awards which represent achieving 25 or more total merits in PPWV competitions.
Individual awards for the 2026 included: