Tauranga and Bay of Plenty photographer Justin Aitken has been named the Wedding Creative Photographer of the Year winner for 2017 at the Epson/NZIPP Iris Professional Photography Awards held this week in Wellington.

Justin was named as a finalist for both the Wedding Creative and Wedding Classic categories.

The NZIPP Iris Awards is New Zealand's national and biggest awards and print competition for professional photography.

The creative category sees a mix of in-camera skills and post production techniques, blended with contemporary ideas that reflect wedding moments, storytelling and communication.

The Iris Awards are a great opportunity for photographers to be recognised and awarded by some of the most respected and experienced artists in the industry.

Justin photographs weddings in Tauranga, and all around New Zealand, and is proud to have couples who trust him to document their day as it unfolds, capturing real emotion and wonderfully crafted moments.

'Entering the awards allows me to explore different ideas while focussing on growth and development as an artist," says Justin.

"Photography is continually evolving and I am excited to be part of what is a very challenging and interesting industry. I was really excited to be named finalist for both the creative and classic categories, and super stoked to have won creative."

See more of Justin's photos here.