I Won My First Photography Contest!

A few weeks ago, I timidly entered my first photography contest. Eugene told me about Your Photo on Canvas's ‘Summer Party’ photo contest on Facebook and suggested I submit a photo. Let it be known that I've never entered a photo contest and that I almost didn't do it because I was afraid of losing.

Though I've been writing about photography for over two years now, I still consider myself a student of the craft. Yet, as you know, I love it for so many reasons.

I love how you can capture a pure moment.
I love how a photograph can evoke such strong emotion.
How there's an artistic element.
How there are rules one should know.
How those rules are (sometimes) meant to be broken.
How it makes you see the world in your own, unique way.
How it can tell an indescribable story.

The photo you see, above, is of my nephew, Evan. It was taken during the 4th of July weekend at our house. Sam, my husband, blew up that green, inflatable pool in our backyard. Though we gave the kids water guns and rubber ducks to play with inside the pool, they ended up loving the red, plastic cups. Evan would dip his red cup in the pool and splash water all around him, sending hundreds of droplets into the sky. The droplets almost look like shiny diamonds, don't they?

Why do I love this picture? Because it reminds me about how carefree childhood can be. It's almost as if I can still hear his sweet giggles floating through the air.

Though YPOC wouldn't know this story, I submitted the photo, anyway, and was thrilled to find out that they picked it as their winner. As a prize, they took the jpg I submitted and turned it into a photo on canvas. The canvas is now hanging in my living room.

It's not often that I share a personal story on theMET. But given that this story pertained to photography and inspiration, I thought it was fitting. One of our Met members once said, "each of us is an artist in our own way. Each of us curates a collection of of our life. This collection is our art. This collection tells others who we are. It speaks for us. It moves others." I remembered these words and that's why I entered the contest. Mark inspired me to find the artist in myself...and, for that, I am thankful.