Award-Winning Photo Featured in Fuji Film’s ‘Professional Imaging Profiles’ Magazine

Russ Hanson’s evening photograph of Fargo’s Ramada Plaza Suites is featured in the current issue of Fujifilm’s prestigious how-to magazine, Professional Imaging Profiles.

The magazine cites his mastery of light in the image, citing the “technical skill and experience that he has garnered over the past 25 years.”

The magazine quotes Russ: “I never have the ideal lighting situation for any photo, and usually I’m working on limited time, so I have to be resourceful. ,,, My goal was to capture the front of the hotel with various levels of light in the background. I took the picture at sunset and had two vehicles traveling at various speeds to achieve the fast light effect.”

The Ramada photograph has won its share of awards in professional competition, including the Fuji Masterpiece Award and a number of honors  in region  professional competitions. The Ramada exterior was named the state’s and region’s top commercial photo of 2000, and helped earn Russ the “commercial photographer of the year” state and regional titles. It was also displayed in Professional Photographers of America’s national juried print competition.

PPA Awards

Ten commercial photographs by Russ Hanson of Hanson Photo Video Communications have won top national honors in the 1998, 1999 and 2000 print competitions sponsored by Professional Photographers of America ... a distinction that only a handful of commercial photographers can claim.

PPA represents more than 14,000 professional photographers across the United States. The Northern Lights Region encompasses Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Manitoba.

Five of Hanson's merit prints — including images of the A&W Drive-In in Fargo and Borrowed Bucks Roadhouses in Bismarck and Grand Forks — are currently displayed in PPA’s traveling loan collection, the top honor accorded entries. Photographs are judged by some of the nation's top photographic experts. He is one of the only photographers in America to place three images in the top category in the 1998 contest and another two in 1999.

Photos of the A&W and Borrowed Bucks are also part of the American Society of Photographers‘ national traveling exhibit. He is the only photographer to be represented by more than one print in the prestigious juried selection.

Hanson chairs the board of PPA's Northern Light Region. He is a past president of Professional Photographers of North Dakota.

Certified by PPA, Russ has earned its two top degrees, the Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman. He is a Certified Professional Photographer.