April 4, 2016
We’ll get to that part in a few minutes!
Entering any contest is so nerve-wracking. But this one, oh my goodness. I mean, eek, especially when the contest is judged by your peers. Amazing peers, and I mean AMAZING photographers. I spent forever trying to decide which images to enter and then countless hours voting and hoping to see any of my own photos in the contest.
Shoot & Share is an amazing community whose mission is to inspire, connect and educate photographers. They host this crazy contest every year that attracts entries from over 100 countries worldwide. This year there was over 220,000 images entered from 120 countries. It’s amazing! There are 10 rounds to the contest, with 25 different categories. The photography community votes on the images and decides the winners! It’s such a great thing to be a part of.
So what did the 2016 Photo Contest teach me? Let me tell you!
In Websters Dictionary, the word validated means to recognize, establish, or illustrate the worthiness or legitimacy of. There is no better feeling than having your hardwork recognized by your peer group…except knowing that my images have brought happiness to my clients. The contest has taught me that. To hear a past client speak about me and my photos, how I serve them, my joy when I’m photographing them. Having a new client come from a referral of a happy client, all these little things, they’re the things that matters. Knowing they’ll take joy in the memories we’ve created together, that’s what matters in the end.
Contest wins are great, they are, but the knowledge that I’m serving you, my client, in the best way I know how, is all the validation I need.
Wow! That photo of Melissa and Pat is gorgeous! Congratulations! !
Congrats!! You did awesome in the contest!
Great job, Congratulations!!
Congrats!!! Beautiful work!
Love your thoughts on this! Its always so easy to get caught up on the thrill of contests, as long as we don’t forget whats most important…our clients!!
Gorgeous images in the contest! CONGRATS!!! & I LOVE your thoughts about it too 🙂
It always feels good to be validated, but love that in the end, it’s all about our clients! 😀