Queenstown photographer Jackie Ranken has been named NZ Photographer of the Year by the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers for the second time.

Ranken, who has won a string of prestigious awards during her career, was awarded the top accolade at a ceremony in Christchurch last night.

It is the second time she has won the title. The first was in 2008.

New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers chair Kaye Davis said Ranken had a portfolio that portrayed landscape and people in a unique way with judges describing her work as "visual poetry''.

"With over 1200 entries from around 180 photographers, the overall standard this year's awards was exceptionally high. Judges recognised this with a total of 763 awards presented, including four gold distinctions and 40 gold awards."

Ranken, a professional photographer for 32 years, also won the award for the highest scoring monochrome print for her landscape image titled "Nevis Tree with Hand," and the creative portrait category.

Ranken moved to Queenstown from Australia in 2004. She has been an international awards judge for seven years, and has many awards to her credit, including Professional Photographer of the year in Australia.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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