Image titles left to right: Wisps of Wonder, Triumphant, The Triple Moon
(click on images to see larger)
PPOC National Salon ~ Victoria BC
Growing up, I was never competitive. Sports, for me, were just a school requirement, and I often found myself struggling rather than excelling. Volleyball, in particular, left me bruised and disheartened. I lacked the drive to compete and was never drawn to the adrenaline of games.
Luckily, my competitive perspective shifted dramatically when I delved into the world of professional photography. Having your work judged in competitions is such a great learning experience, albeit a challenging one. Each image submitted represents hours of dedication and passion. Entrusting their fate to a jury of experts can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking.
After attaining my national judging certification in 2022, I assumed I had mastered the art of creating excellent images. Yet, being human means I'm prone to fatigue, oversight, and (lol) occasional mistakes. Even judges can produce subpar work. However, the journey of frequent judging (anytime I am asked to judge an accreditation or regional/national, I do it) is opening my eyes to new levels of understanding and refinement.
Participating in both Regional and National this last year felt like a culmination of my growth as an artist.
During our recent National Salon, I'm thrilled to announce that out of 4 images entered, two of my images received Excellence awards, one earned a Merit, and among them, two were selected as Judges' Choice and one as Best in Class (also included in the Loan Collection). I am incredibly grateful to my clients for entrusting me with their sessions, allowing me to explore my creative vision. Your participation is a huge motivation for me to continue photographing and entering competitions.
Simply put, striving for excellence in photography is about constantly learning and improving. Image competitions act as milestones on this journey, bringing photographers together and uniting them in a common goal.
