"It was a great surprise and honor to be selected and placed among photographers I truly admire," said Steele. "Aside from the very awesome 4k Canon body, the attention from the Best of Show award will provide a nice boost to my outreach and marketing.

Award winning advertising photographer Kevin Steele shoots active lifestyle, travel and portraiture and is based in Los Angeles.

"The goal after all is to continue to create inspiring images with wonderful clients," said the artist who won a Canon Cinema EOS-1D C camera and will get worldwide exposure for winning the award. The winner will also receive free consultations concerning his work. "The included portfolio portals, the consulting and editing services and subscriptions will all be put to good use toward that goal."

American Photographic Artists' most exciting and prestigious annual event is open to photographers from around the world. Members and non-members alike are invited to submit their best work for an excellent chance at over $130,000 in prizes including photo equipment, software and professional business support.

31 winning images are chosen based on personal creative expression and technical excellence. Categories include Portrait, Action, Fine Art/Personal, Conceptual, Fashion, Landscape, Architecture, Still Life, Lifestyle/Wedding and Student.

"The APA Awards provide a wonderful opportunity to put forward striking imagery that showcases the exceptional talent of both respected and emerging artists," said Juliette Wolf-Robin, APA National Executive Director.

The public can view the 2013 Awards Winners' Gallery at the site of the contest host, Dripbook here.

BEST OF SHOWKevin Steele

PORTRAIT1st Place - Art Streiber2nd Place - Cameron Davidson3rd Place - Kristofer Dan-Bergman

ACTION1st Place - Nathan Abbott2nd Place - Cassandra Plavoukos3rd Place - Christopher Morris

LIFESTYLE1st Place - Harold Lee Miller2nd Place - Clinton Perry3rd Place - Erik Almas

FINE ART / PERSONAL1st Place - Craig Kempf2nd Place - Eric Doggett3rd Place - Karen Fuchs

LANDSCAPE1st Place - George Kamper2nd Place - Patrick McCarthy3rd Place - Zoe Wetherall

CONCEPTUAL1st Place - Andreas Franke2nd Place - Alejandro Chavetta3rd Place - Timothy Bailey

STILL LIFE1st Place - Lupine Hammack2nd Place - Rob Prideaux3rd Place - Ben Kist

FASHION1st Place - Rafael Astorga2nd Place - Mark Leibowitz3rd Place - Ruo Bing Li

ARCHITECTURE1st Place - Emily Hagopian2nd Place - John Muggenborg3rd Place - Tim Griffith

STUDENT1st Place - Kristina Varaksina2nd Place - Maria Kanevskaya3rd Place - Samantha Sneider

About American Photographic Artists (APA)The American Photographic Artists is a leading national organization run by and for professional photographers. With a culture that promotes a spirit of mutual cooperation, sharing and support, APA offers outstanding benefits, educational programs and essential business resources to help its members achieve their professional and artistic goals. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with chapters in Atlanta, Los Angeles, the Midwest, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Charlotte, Colorado, the Northwest, Washington, DC, and APA Editorial Photographers, APA strives to improve the environment for photographic artists and clear the pathways to success in the industry. Recognized for its broad industry reach, APA continues to expand benefits for its members and works to champion the rights of photographers and image-makers worldwide.