The International Photographic Council (IPC), a nongovernmental organization of the United Nations, has announced the recipients of its 10th annual IPC Professional Photographer Leadership Awards.

Honorees include Judy Herrmann, immediate past president of the American Society of Media Photographers; George Fulton, of Advertising Photographers of America; Ann Monteith, with Professional Photographers of America; George Davis, with Professional School Photographers Association International; and Marty LaVor, of the White House News Photographers Association.

Seattle-based OnRequest Images has launched a new service to provide customers with broader choices about their involvement in the image production process. Custom Assignment Services allows customers to select photographers and direct photo shoots, just as they would with regular assignment photography.

Trade associations, such as the Professional Photographers of America, American Society of Media Photographers and Stock Artists Alliance, are cautious about the new service. Representatives of the groups have expressed concern about spec assignments, fees, royalties and copyright issues.

Commercial photographer Doug Walker, of Walker Photography in Olympia, Wash., won three top awards at the Professional Photographers of Washington Annual Educational Conference and Print Competition.

Walker received the Best Architectural and the Best Industrial print awards, as well as the C.C. Yang Trophy for highest total combined score from four entries.

Greg Schurman, of Schurman’s Photography in Richmond, B.C., has been named BC Photographer of the Year by the Professional Photographers Association of British Columbia. In addition, Schurman received the Fuji Masterpiece Award in Commercial/Industrial, the top Fashion trophy, and the top Illustration trophy. Greg also received the Most Creative Trophy, awarded by a vote of his peers, for the second year in a row.

Michael Acord, of ArtLight Studios in Eugene, Ore., was awarded the Certified Award in Professional Photographers of America’s annual competition for marketing excellence, the AN-NE Awards. The studio’s web site, artlightstudios.com, also ranked as a finalist in the Internet Promotions division. The site will be featured at Imaging USA, PPA’s annual convention, to be held...