Lifetime Achievement Recipients

The Photographic Society of America (PSA) established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 as one of the Society’s most prestigious awards and the Society’s highest award to a member for a combination of service to photography and photographic achievement. PSA is proud to present the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award to Larry Cowles, HonPSA, GMPSA/P, the thirteenth member so honored. The award was presented at the annual Photo Festival Honors and Awards Banquet on September 21, 2024, in Tucson, AZ.

Larry joined PSA in 1983, beginning his 41-year membership in the Society. Larry’s service to PSA has been extensive, starting with his first job as Director of the Color Slide Division Tops Program 2003-08. Over the years Larry served as First Vice Chair of CSD, Chairperson of CPID, and both First Vice and Secretary of PPD. From 2017 through 2023, he served on the PSA Board of Directors as Vice President of Publications and Managing Editor for the PSA Journal, modernizing the look of the Journal.

Larry is an innovator and enjoys sharing his knowledge through mentoring and writing. He started the CPID Creative Interclub contest and created the PPD Photobook Contest. In 2024 Larry received a Silver Educational Star for his work as a Mentor for Still Life and Portraits, as well as his time as Director of the PSA Mentor program. Over the years Larry has served as CPID News Editor and PPD News Editor. He has always enjoyed writing, providing many articles for the PSA Journal, and earning two Gold Stars.

The act of entering international exhibitions is what first drew Larry into PSA. His exhibition record is extensive with over 20,000 acceptances from one hundred different countries in international exhibitions. He was the first person to achieve the level of GMPSA/Platinum and first person in the USA to achieve the FIAP EFIAP/d3, the highest level for both organizations. His name has appeared in the PSA Journal Who’s Who 30 times in the North American boxes and seventeen times in the World boxes.

The Photographic Society of America (PSA) established the Lifetime Achievement Award in2012 as one of the Society’s most prestigious awards and the Society’s highest award to a member for a combination of service to photography and photographic achievement. PSA is proud to present the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award to SharpTodd, HonPSA, GMPSA/B, BPSA, the twelfth member so honored. The award was presented at the annual Photo Festival Honors and Awards Banquet on September 30, 2023, in Williamsburg, VA.

Sharp joined PSA in 1988, beginning his 35-year membership in the Society and in the Pictorial Print Division (PPD). He served the PPD in the sequence of 2nd Vice Chair to Chair from 2000 to 2006. Sharp’s work and recommendations on PPD star ratings helped to align the PPD sequence more closely with the ROPA progression in other Divisions.

He served as the PSA Vice President of Chapters, Clubs and Councils from 2007 to 2011. During this time, he initiated a quarterly newsletter for the clubs, The Projector; re-initiated a quarterly newsletter for the Chapters; and initiated a continuing calendar of Chapter events on the PSA web site. During this time Sharp continued his earlier work on ROPA resulting in the system we enjoy today. He has also served on the Honors Committee, Festival Registration Committee, and the PSA Print Collection Committee among other things.

Sharp has been listed in Who’s Who for large and small mono prints and small color prints seven times. His success in international exhibitions has earned him the GMPSA/B distinction. He has also achieved the BPSA distinction for portfolios. Sharp has served as a judge for numerous international exhibitions and Council and club competitions. He has presented programs in many venues including the PSA annual Festival (Conference). Sharp has also developed programs on “Focus Stacking,” “Converting Color to Monochrome,” and “MacroPhotography” that he presented via Zoom during the COVID restrictions.

PSA is proud to present the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award to Susan Mosser, HonPSA, HonNEC, the eleventh member so honored. The Award is scheduled to be presented at the annual Honors and Awards Banquet on September 24, 2022, at the Double Tree Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO.

Susan joined PSA in late 1983. Her service to the Society began almost immediately, first as a member of the Conference Equipment Committee and ultimately as the Chair of the Conference Equipment team for much of the 80’s and early 90’s. Susan served on the PSA International Conference Committee as Conference Program Coordinator from 1992-1997. She was a member of the Registration team in 2005 and 2006. While those are the official dates, many of you may have bumped into Susan at the Registration desk in other years as she seemed to go looking for what she could do any time she was at one of the Conferences.

Susan’s efforts were not limited to the Conferences. She served as a section chair for the PSA International Exhibition for various divisions in 1990 (PJ), 1991 (ND), 2002 (PT), 2003 (PJ), 2005 (PJ), and 2006. Sue co-chaired the Nature section of the exhibition in 2008 and chaired the Nature slide section in 2009 and 2010.

Susan has served as the Director for the Nature Division Image of the Year-Exhibitions competition for sixteen years, having assumed that role in 2006. In 2021 she expanded on that service adding the role of Coordinator for the Image of the Year-Exhibitions competition across all divisions.

Susan has served on the PSA Honors Committee three separate times 2002-2006, 2010-2014 and in her current term 2019-2023. Each time she has also functioned as Vice Chair for the Committee at some point in her terms.

Over the years Susan has also provided many articles to the PSA Journal. By 1994 she had earned four Bronze Editorial Stars. In 1995 she earned her first Silver Star followed by her second in 2014. She continues writing to this day providing information on happenings in the New England region and the occasional memorial article for noted New England members who have passed away. In 2009 PSA produced a 75th Anniversary hardcover coffee table book of images from leading PSA members and Susan had one of her portraits Tip of the Hat published in it.

The Photographic Society of America established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 as one of the Society’s most prestigious awards and the Society’s highest award to a member for a combination of service to photography and photographic achievement. In October 2020, President Elena McTighe, HonPSA, MPSA, ESFIAP, notified Daniel Charbonnet III that the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee had unanimously elected him as the recipient of the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award, the tenth member so recognized. He was surprised, pleased, and honored, and he was committed to receive the award in person. But it was not to be—Dan passed away unexpectedly in December, 2020. A posthumous presentation was made at the 2021 PSA Photo Festival in Rapid City.

Dan was widely respected for his service to the photographic community worldwide through his service to the Society, as well as to photo organizations in New England. A member of the Photographic Society of America since 1973, he was an effective leader in PSA at its highest levels, including his service as a PSA Board Member as Vice President of Exhibition Services. Dan’s service to PSA also included service as Chairman of the Honors Committee, Chairman of the PSA International Exhibition Committee, and member of the PSA Ethics Review Board. Most recently, Dan had taken on key roles in the Portfolios Assessment Program.

Over the years, Dan’s love of nature photography led him into a variety of positions in the PSA Nature Division, including Directorships in the Slide Competitions for Individuals, Subject Identification Service, New Member Image Evaluations, and the Digital Image Interclub Competitions. Dan served the Nature Division as Second and First Vice-Chair and then as Chairman. He also served as chair of the Nature sections of the PSA International.

In addition to this Lifetime Achievement Award, the Society and its Divisions have recognized Dan’s efforts with an impressive number of honors, distinctions, and awards, including the PSA President’s Award in 2010, PSA Honorary honors (HonPSA) in 2015, and the PSA Scales Award for Long Term Service in 2019. But most importantly, he was a respected friend of photographers around the world. The Society is proud to honor Dan with the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award. He will be missed.

The Photographic Society of America (PSA) established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 as one of the Society’s most prestigious awards and the Society’s highest award to a member for a combination of service to photography and photographic achievement. PSA is proud to present the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award to Laura J. Davies, HonPSA, the ninth member so honored. Because the 2020 PSA Photo Festival has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Award is now scheduled to be presented at next year’s Festival at the Honors and Awards Banquet on October 9, 2021 in Rapid City, South Dakota.

A PSA member for over 40 years, Laura has used her organizational skills and strong work ethic for the benefit of the Society and its members. Her leadership abilities are evident from the PSA Committees she has chaired, including the Certain Society Awards, Nominating, and Lifetime Achievement Award Committees. She has also served as a member of the PSA Ethics Review Board.

In 2009 Laura was elected to the PSA Board of Directors. In her two two-year terms as Public Relations Vice President, her accomplishments include reactivating and revitalizing both the PSA Public Relations Committee and the PSA Historical Research Committee; she was responsible for updating the Society’s historical records, working tirelessly—often 50 hours per week when possible—on the project; she served as chairperson of the Volunteer Recognition Task Force; she established a working relationship and repository with the Amon Carter Museum’s Research Library (in Texas); and she spent hundreds of hours compiling information used on the pages of the PSA Website.

Laura’s work for the Society and its members started in the 1990s, when she began her service to the PSA Color Slide Division, serving as Division Secretary, Treasurer, Second Vice Chair, First Vice Chair, and Division Chair. Then she served the Division for another decade as Star Ratings Director from 1998-2009. Her service to the Society has been recognized with many awards, including Fellowship honors (FPSA) in 1998, the Website Award in 2012, the prestigious President’s Award in 2013, Honorary Membership honors (HonPSA) in 2014, and the Scales Award for Long Term Service in 2017.

The Photographic Society of America (PSA) established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 as one of the Society’s most prestigious awards and the Society’s highest award to a member for a combination of service to photography and photographic achievement. PSA is proud to present the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard C. Cloran, HonPSA, GMPSA, the eighth member so honored. The Award was presented at the annual Honors and Awards Banquet on September 28, 2019 in Spokane, Washington.

A PSA member for over 40 years, Rick has provided significant, long-time, valuable service to the Society, including service as Chairman of the PSA Nominating Committee, as Chairman of the PSA Honors Committee, and as Chairman of the PSA Nature Division. Perhaps most importantly, Rick has served the Society as Chairman of the Investments Committee and as the Lead Trustee of the PSA Endowment Fund Board of Trustees.

Rick has been active in the Nature, Photojournalism, and Projected Image Divisions. He also served on the PSA Honors Task Force, Strategic Planning Task Force, and as a member of the Conference Equipment Committee from 1995 through 2010. Currently, he serves as a commentator for the Nature Division
SSG, a commentator for a PPD American Portfolios group, an assistant in PSA’s Educational Services Individualized Instruction program, and an Assessor and team member for the Portfolio Assessment Service. Rick is also an active member of PID Digital Dialog Group 44 and in the Photographic Alliance of America.

Locally, Rick has served as the New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) Treasurer since 2012. He is also a popular judge and lecturer throughout New England. For his service to NECCC and clubs in the New England area, Rick was awarded the Honor of MNEC in 1998 and HonNEC in 2016.

Rick joined the Greater Lynn Photographic Association in the fall of 1975, and he has served two terms as club President, served as Treasurer for 12 years, and been the GLPA representative to the New England Camera Club Council and PSA for over 35 years. Rick was a co-founder of the club’s special interest Print Group and a regular instructor for the club’s photo courses and workshops. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board, Assistant Treasurer, and co-leader of the special interest Nature Group. For his many years of service to GLPA, Rick was elected a Life Vice President in 2012.

Rick is also an outstanding photographer, having earned the GMPSA distinction. He is also a two-time recipient of the PSA Nature Division’s Diversity award. In addition, he is well-known for his willingness and ability to share his photographic expertise, as evidenced by his receiving two prestigious Society Recognition Awards—the PSA Appreciation Award for Teaching and the Ashbrook Award for Digital Imaging Instruction.

A member for over 35 years, Lynn is a Life Member of PSA and is accomplished in many facets of photography. She is a multi-star exhibitor and her photographs have been widely published, exhibited, and purchased for museum and private collections. She has presented programs and judged exhibitions throughout the United States, and in Canada and Europe. Lynn has held many organizational and administrative positions in PSA and in local photographic organizations. She served on the PSA Board for nine years and has chaired the Photojournalism Division and numerous PSA committees. She currently heads the Divisional Standardization Board, serves on the International Understanding Through Photography Committee and is involved administratively in three Divisions. She has written extensively for the PSA Journal, earning three Editorial Gold Stars.

Lynn is a Fellow and Past President of the Delaware Photographic Society, a Senior Fellow of the Wilmington International Exhibition, and an Honorary Fellow and Past President of the Delaware Valley Council of Camera Clubs. She established the Delaware Valley Photo Travel Circuit and the photojournalism sections of the Wilmington International, serving as a dedicated worker in that exhibition for over 40 years. She is active in two regional photographic organizations: Philadelphia Pen and Pencil Club (working and retired photojournalists) and Brandywine Photo Collective (art photographers) and she is a 25-year member of Delaware Press Association. Lynn is also a member of National Federation of Press Women and International Stereoscopic Union.

The Photographic Society of America established the PSA Lifetime Achievement Award as one of the Society’s most prestigious awards in 2012. It is given annually to a long-time member of PSA who has made significant contributions to photography and to the Society. The Society is proud to present the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award to Gerald H. Emmerich, Jr., HonPSA, GMPSA/B, a member for almost four decades. Gerry has been an active photographer since the early 1970s and has over 7,600 acceptances, including over 250 Medals and 41 PSA Best of Show Gold Medals in PSA-recognized International Exhibitions. Over 600 of his photos have been published in books, magazines, calendars, and newsletters. He is also a frequent photographic program presenter and a frequent judge of photographic exhibitions. He has generously shared his knowledge of photography through lectures and hands-on instructions to groups from beginning amateurs to seasoned photographers wishing to acquire new skills to advance their work.

Gerry has held many organizational and administrative positions in the Photographic Society of America and other photographic organizations over the years. He served the Society as Conference V.P. for 6 years and as Secretary of the Society and Executive Committee member for 4 years. This year, he served as the 2017 PSA Conference Chairman. He is currently the Co-Chair of Recognition of Photographic Achievement Awards, Co-Director of the Pictorial Print Division’s Print of the Year Competition, a PSA Portfolios Assessor, and International Understanding Through Photograph Committee member. He is also the Judging Supervisor and Coordinator of the PSA Youth Showcase, a position he has held since the inception of the “modern” PSA Youth Showcase program, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

In his home state of Wisconsin, he was one of the founding members of the Wisconsin PSA Chapter and he continues to serve as a Director and as Chapter Historian. He is active in the Image Makers Camera Club and the Wisconsin Area Camera Clubs Organization. He founded the East Troy Viewfinders Camera Club in 2001 and is the current President.

Jozef Aerts, HonPSA, GMPSA/s, MFIAP was honored with PSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Honors and Awards Banquet in San Antonio, Texas on September 17th, 2016. It is one of the two highest awards given by PSA to members only.

Jozef Aerts has been a member of PSA for 41 years, joining in June 1975. He is well known for his travel photography, but he is also a versatile photographer with an outstanding exhibition record in Color Slides, Photo Travel, Photojournalism, Nature, Color Projected Images, Color Prints, Monochrome Projected Images, and Monochrome Prints. He has earned many PSA Medals, Honorable Mentions, and approximately 9000 acceptances in PSA-recognized International Exhibitions in more than 50 countries. His “Who’s Who in PSA” record is also outstanding, with a first place in Photo Travel in 1983 and 1987. Since 1981, he has placed high in Who’s Who rankings in Photo Travel and also has a good record in Photojournalism, Nature, and Color Slides. He is not only an excellent photographer, but he is also an excellent judge. He has judged many Internationals, both in his native Belgium and seven other countries, including the United States. In addition to HonPSA, GMPSA/s, and MFIAP, Jozef also holds the EFIAP/pl award.

Jozef serves as PSA’s International Representative for Belgium and as Area Membership Director for Western Europe. In 2010, PSA recognized his efforts in recruiting new members with the PSA Fallon Membership Award. Since 1985, Jozef has recruited more than 300 new members for PSA, earning him the Diamond Star Membership Award in 2016.

After receiving a Master’s degree at the University of Tennessee in 1961, Wade moved to St. Louis to join the Missouri Pacific Railroad which later merged with the Union Pacific Railroad. He worked in a variety of roles including design, implementation, and user education of sophisticated computer systems.

He joined the St. Louis Camera Club in 1970 and became active in the club holding almost every position including Mississippi Valley Chair, Newsletter Editor, Yearbook Editor, and President. He designed and set up the Club’s website and was Webmaster until 2013. He loved the club and was always helpful to anyone who had questions.

He joined PSA in March 1971 and made many friends worldwide throughout the years while serving in a myriad of positions. Over the years, he received many prestigious PSA awards. He was particularly interested in technology and was always in the forefront when introducing new technology or streamlining systems for use by the membership. PSA exhibitions entered the digital age because of Wade’s efforts- he designed digital entries, payments and on-line catalogs and reports.

Wade was a terrific photographer and earned over 250 competition points in St. Louis competitions. He was particularly interested in photo essays. In PSA he earned many “stars” and earned the Excellent Photographer ranking. His knowledge and skills were widely recognized and as a result, he was asked to judge photo competitions hundreds of times across the country and in many foreign countries. Additionally, he was a prolific writer and speaker and presented many programs at conferences, seminars and clubs.

Wade was to have received the PSA Lifetime Achievement Award at the PSA conference in Yellowstone in September but unfortunately he passed away in March of 2015. Wade was notified of the award earlier this year and was very proud to be chosen for this award.

The Photographic Society of America’s 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Fred Greene, HonPSA, GMPSA, at the Honors and Awards Banquet of the Society on October 3, 2014 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Fred Greene joined PSA in November 1978 and soon became well-known as a very skilled darkroom printer in both monochrome and color. His portraits, done in his home studio with models who were not professional, have won him many awards. Fred is a very versatile photographer with an outstanding exhibition record in Color Slides, Nature, Photojournalism, Photo Travel and Electronic Imaging, as well as in Pictorial Prints. In the 2002 PSA International, Fred was awarded three PSA Gold Medals; one each in Class A Color Creative Prints, Class A Monochrome Creative Prints, and Electronic Imaging General Monochrome. Blue Rider, the winner in the Pictorial Print, Class A Color Creative Section, was selected as the cover of the November 2002 PSA Journal, one of his three Journal covers. Fred has earned 114 PSA Best of Show Gold Medals and approximately 7,000 acceptances in International Exhibitions. His Who’s Who in PSA record is outstanding: first place in the world 15 times with prints and 27 times in North America with slides and projected images.

Fred has served PSA as Exhibition Standards Chairman, European Affairs Committee Chair, Executive Vice President, and President of PSA.

PSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Albert L. Sieg, Hon FPSA, MPSA, at the Honors and Awards Banquet of the 75th Annual PSA Conference in Portland, Maine on September 21, 2013.

The award, first given in 2012, is the highest award that is given to a member of the Society. Al has been active as a photographer and especially as a stereo photographer for more than 50 years. His stereograms have been accepted in all major exhibitions and currently he is the world's leading exhibitor in stereo photography. He has had more than 2,000 pictures accepted for exhibition and is recognized by the 3D Division of PSA as having the highest rank of Master Stereographer 22. During this time his stereograms have been consistently recognized with the top awards in exhibitions, winning more than 400 awards. His stereograms have won the Stereo slide of the Year Award numerous times, and he has been the winner of the Stereo Sequence Award several times. His photographs have been published in several journals and in publications of the Eastman® Kodak® Company.

The Photographic Society of America (PSA) presented Kan Hing-fook, APSA, with the Lifetime Achievement Award at PSA’s 74th Annual Conference of Photography in San Francisco, California in September 2012.

The PSA Board of Directors established the award in 2012 and selected Cornerstone Member Kan Hing-fook, APSA, as the first recipient of PSA’s most prestigious award given only to a PSA member. His books include Photographic Works: Kan Hing-fook (three editions) and The Art of Kan Hing-fook. He has had many major exhibitions of his prints in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Great Britain, and the U.S. The August 2012 issue of the PSA Journal carried an article covering more of his accomplishments.