We at Treasure State Lifestyles would like to take this opportunity to congratulate photographer Todd Klassy.
This summer, Klassy received several prestigious awards. For starters, his photograph titled Salt and Pepper was named “Photo of the Year” by the American Agricultural Editor’s Association (AAEA). Additionally, Klassy was named “Emerging Photographer of the Year” by the AAEA and received several honors in other categories as well, including two first place awards.
These accolades would be remarkable enough, but what makes them all the more impressive is that two weeks prior
to the AAEA awards ceremony, Klassy won the International Photography Award. Among entries from over thirty
countries, Klassy’s photo, Braving the Rain, was selected by the International Federation of Agriculture Journalists (IFAJ) in Bonn, Germany as the best of the best. This is the first time that an American has won the annual competition since 2004.
“I’m honored, of course,” says Klassy, “and very happy for the farmers and ranchers of northern Montana, because they are the subjects in my photos. They deserve a lot of praise too, because they are the ones leading the interesting lives and without them I wouldn’t have much to photograph.”
Klassy believes the subject material played a significant role in winning him awards this summer and he feels validated as a photographer.
Despite earning international recognition, Klassy feels there’s still plenty of room to grow. “When you’re a professional photographer you’re never done improving your craft,” says Klassy. “You just keep shooting every day and learning new things until the day you die. If you don’t, your skills begin to recede. And I never want that to happen.”
Klassy’s photography has been featured in numerous publications, including American Cowboy, People, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, and Treasure State Lifestyles. His photography and blog can be found at ToddKlassy.com.