APA Vice President Michael Grecco Awarded International Photography Honor at United Nations

NEW YORK, NY – American Photographic Artists is proud to announce APA National VP and the Chair of the APA Advocacy/Activism Committee Michael Grecco is a recipient of the 2012 IPC Professional Photographer Leadership Award. The awards were presented by the International Photographic Council (IPC), a non-governmental organization (NGO) of the United Nations, at the 14th Annual IPC Pro Award Luncheon in New York City.

"American Photographic Artists is very proud to be asked to participate in the IPC Professional Photographer's Leadership Award," states APA National CEO Stephen Best. "The APA National Executive Board nominated Michael as this year's APA recipient, as Michael's long history of association leadership with APA as well as editorial photographers has been impressive. Best congratulates Michael and says, "Besides his commitment to strong leadership, his cutting edge visuals in advertising photography offer a unique statement."

Every May the IPC Awards Luncheon launches the "International Professional Photographers Month," bringing attention to professional photographers around the world. "The winners, nominated by professional photography organizations, are chosen for best representing the groups' criteria and ideals," says IPC President James Chung who welcomed the group at the luncheon, according to the IPC website.

"I have always admired Michael's strong, clean portraits," says Award Luncheon Chair and President of Fred Marcus Photography, Andy Marcus, who spoke on 'The World of Professional Photography' at the luncheon. "His clientele is amazing which speaks for itself, and the way in which Michael conceives and executes his images is spot on. That is why Michael has the reputation that he has and is a most well deserved recipient of the IPC Leadership Award for 2012."

Eight pro photographer associations designated honorees for the 2012 IPC Leadership Award: American Photographic Artists (APA), American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Federation of European Photographers (FEP), National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), Professional Photographers of America (PPA), Professional School Photographers Association (PSPA), White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA), and Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI).

"I'm very excited for Michael to be recognized with the International Photographic Council's (IPC's) Professional Leadership Award," states American Photographic Artists President Theresa Raffetto. "I have been working with Michael for the past several years on the national level and have long been impressed by his passion, commitment and strong leadership within APA and to his craft. I'm proud to work with him."

Awards were presented to eight professional photographers nominated by their respective photography associations: APA, Michael Grecco; ASMP, James Cavanaugh; FEP (Federation of European Photographers), Bernd Gassner; NPPA,Yunghi Kim; PPA, Louis Tonsmeire; PSPA, Ralph Romaguera; WHNPA, Chip Somodevilla; and WPPI, Jennifer Hudson.

"It was an amazing honor to have received an award on Thursday from the NGO at the United Nations," states Grecco. "It feels good to be recognized for my work and my service to the photography industry, and I look forward to wearing my medal to dinner parties in the future."

About the American Photographic Artists
APA's mission is Successful Professional Photographers. We are a non-profit photographers association with the main goal to establish, endorse, and promote professional practices, standards, and ethics in the photographic and advertising community. We seek to mentor, motivate, educate, and inspire in the pursuit of excellence. Our aim is to champion and speak as one common voice for advertising photographers and image makers to the advertising industry in the United States and the World. For more information, please visit www.apanational.com.

About Michael Grecco
Commercial photographer Michael Grecco has spent years perfecting his signature lighting technique, and in addition to his work for clients, and as an authority on studio and location lighting, he teaches his process and photography tips at photography workshops all over the world. Recently, Michael has moved into video production and publishing books centered around his photography projects. He is one of the top editorial photographers and has created iconic portraits of some of the most recognized entertainment stars in the world, most recently Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Will Ferrell, Penelope Cruz and Teri Hatcher. His award-winning work is seen in trendsetting magazines such as Esquire, Time and Entertainment Weekly. The winner of awards from Communication Arts, Photo Design, AR 100, the New York and Los Angeles Art Director Clubs, and numerous others, Michael lives and works in Santa Monica, California. For more information, please visit www.michaelgrecco.com.

About the International Photographic Council
The International Photographic Council (IPC) is a multinational, non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) of the United Nations, composed of representatives from every major sector of the photographic industry. Founded in 1974, IPC is dedicated to increasing worldwide recognition of photography as a universal means of communication. IPC's motto is "Peace Through Understanding, Understanding Through Photography, the Universal Language." For more information, please visit www.ipc-un-ngo.org.