Ann and Frank Nester

Ann Nester, CPP

Ann spent years in her father's darkroom helping him develop hundreds of black and white images he took with his Graflex camera. From this came a love of photography and the type of composition that makes a true portrait. Her sports montages hang on the campuses of West Liberty University, and Ravenswood High School. Ann's montages and portraits hang in multi million dollars facilities across the state. Her images have been used on billboards and one of her children's portraits (Treasure Chest) was chosen as Editor's choice of the week for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). Both Ann and her husband, Frank, are members of the Professional Photographers of West Virginia. Ann is a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and the Professional Photographers of America. Ann is a nationally certified professional photographer through examination and image submission. She is one of only 15 CPPs in the state of West Virginia, and one of only 8% in the United States!

Ann has won a Fuji Masterpiece Award for her wedding image, The Garter. She has also won the James H. Hall Memorial Award for receiving the top score in the Digital Enhancement category for her image, The Supreme Court. She has won international recognition for The Garter and this image was displayed at Imaging USA! Ann has completed many hours of training in the use of Adobe Photoshop CC 2022, and her business is entirely digital. Ann's Location Photography utilizes the Virtual Background System for 95% of her studio work and has 3 other VB Systems that they take on location. In 2019, her image entitled "The Unleashing" was nominated for a Grand Imaging Award from PPA...one of the highest honors a photographer can receive. Ann earned her Master Photographer Degree from PPA in 2020. This same year, Ann earned a Bronze Medal for having all four of her International Photography Competition entries receive merits! Ann owns and operates Ann's Location Photography with her husband, Frank, who does videography and slideshows.

Ann has studied with some of the most notable photographic and artistic professionals in the business. She has attended seminars and workshops given by internationally known wedding and portrait photographers, David Ziser and Jerry Ghionis. Ann has also studied with compositing artist, Richard Sturdevant, and has taken webinars from sports compositor, Joel Grimes.

Ann's image, "The Beauty Is the Beast" was chosen to be included in the coveted Loan Collection by the International Print Competition judges. The Loan Collection is considered to be the best of the best of photography internationally!

Ann's composite image, The Unleashing, received a Grand Imaging Award nomination by the Professional Photographers of America in 2019. This image was judged by a panel of PPA Jurors.

In 2022, Ann's image, Lighting the Way, received the Walter E. Johnston Memorial Trophy at the Professional Photographers of West Virginia's Spring Conference. Her image, Lacey, also at that same conference, received the Best Animal Image Trophy.

Ann's Location Photography utilizes creative lighting and composition. Ann uses backlighting, accent lighting, long-exposure photography and painting with light. She has taken lighting classes from black and white master, Tim Walden.