 In the 1960s most wedding photographers were members of the Professional Photographers of America (PPofA), which regularly held print competitions at meetings and conventions.Monte, with his innovative combination of window lighting and dual flash, started winning competitions at the state and national levels in the "Candid" category of the competitions, which gave him recognition beyond his small niche market.Awards in competition led to offers to teach at PPofA events and training seminars, and to writing a column on wedding photography he called "Candid Comments" in the PPofA magazine.