New York, NY, February 17, 2024 –The International Photographic Council (IPC) is excited about its upcoming luncheon to honor a high caliber of award recipients. World-renown photographer Douglas Kirkland will be honored posthumously with the special IPC Lifetime Achievement Award. Benjamin Von Wong has been named as the IPC Environmental Photographer Award as well as several professional photographers who will be awarded IPC Professional Photographer Achievement Awards. IPC has awarded professional photographers for their photographic achievement since 1999 and we await the names of the nominees from the key professional photography associations.

The IPC Professional Photographers Awards Luncheon will take place during International Photography Month in the Delegates Dining Room at the United Nations in New York City with special guest Francoise Kirkland as the Keynote Speaker.

“Photography has evolved substantially over the past 50 years in terms of how images are captured,” says Andy Marcus, President of IPC. “But the image still represents life and communicates in every language. Francoise Kirkland has been fully present in this spectacular craft and witnessed the emotions photography elicits. Her ability to narrate this world over five decades is something rare.”

Francoise and Douglas Kirkland met during the 1960s in France, collaborating over their nearly 60 years together on books and exhibitions. Kirkland remains one of the world’s most influential photographers, capturing the faces of Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, Leonardo DiCaprio, Coco Chanel, Mikhail Baryshnikov and more. His portrait of Charlie Chaplin hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in London. In 1998, Kirkland’s picture book, Titanic, rose to No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller List. A retrospective exhibition of Kirkland’s work entitled, A Life in Pictures, is currently on display at Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles, California until February 24, 2024.

Benjamin 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 over 100 million views on social media focusing on various causes including plastics, fast fashion and electronic waste.

Two MPS Digital Photography students from the School of Visual Arts in NYC will also receive IPC James L. Chung Memorial Scholarships. The scholarship honors the late long-time president of IPC.

Visit IPCPhoto.org to learn more or to secure your reservation to the May luncheon. Please contact Kathy Jello, IPC Vice President for more information on sponsorship opportunities for 2024 or to donate to the James L. Chung Scholarship program. The May luncheon will be a fantastic opportunity to network and celebrate the power of photography, the universal language with all of the award honorees and special guests.