Competition time for aCUBED !
YAY, I was invited to be a professional member with the Equine Photographers Network , and that means I have the option of entering my photographs into the professional division of the Equine Ideal Photo Competition.
YIKES!!!
Ok, so competition isn't a bad word right? I am SO guilty of avoiding competition, professionally and personally. It goes as far as not wanting to try anything new, like snowboarding or roller-blading, for fear of SUCKING at it! lol. Ok but really, why would I want to put myself out there and potentially be rejected and ridiculed. I am inherently really shy, no one has ever described me as an A-Type, that's for sure. But at the same time I crave publicity and exposure. Haha a megalomaniac with low self-esteem, what a quandary.
It's incredibly comforting to know that as long as you don't create anything in your life, then nobody can attack the thing you created. It's so much easier to just sit back and criticize other people's creations. This movie is stupid. This restaurant sucks. This Internet writer is an jerk. That photographer is a fauxtographer! I'm going to leave a mean comment on his blog :P
I fear that submitting an image [which I love, which I think represents some of the best of my work] which doesn't 'place' in the competition somehow renders the image worthless [and therefore my work]. But of course this isn't true, and realistically I have to be prepared for that possibility, there is some really stiff competition in the contest and it'll be the very first time I enter anything. But non-participation to avoid disappointment really just creates a different kind of disappointment, that is disappointment in myself for not facing my fear.
Actually the thought of having my photographs professionally reviewed by a panel of judges makes me strive to do better, be better at my art. And the judges WILL of course critique, that's the point... otherwise I mean, hey what's the point. And someone has to win right? Hey it might be me. And if I don't enter than my odds of winning are zero. I try not to be too pessimistic or doubt my own artistic abilities. So I just have to can the self-defeatist mindset that tries to tell me my work isn't significant enough. And being slightly under-confident is probably an advantage because planning for each shoot becomes strategic ... ie. I'll have a more critical eye for details. And it's the good stress of being forced to find my edge that is giving me the zeal to organize creative shoots again... Not a bad thing especially in the cold dreary winter when I could easily find myself hibernating at home while my camera is gathering dust.
So now onto the daunting task of choosing my submissions... a challenge in and of itself! Here are the front runners:
YIKES!!!
Ok, so competition isn't a bad word right? I am SO guilty of avoiding competition, professionally and personally. It goes as far as not wanting to try anything new, like snowboarding or roller-blading, for fear of SUCKING at it! lol. Ok but really, why would I want to put myself out there and potentially be rejected and ridiculed. I am inherently really shy, no one has ever described me as an A-Type, that's for sure. But at the same time I crave publicity and exposure. Haha a megalomaniac with low self-esteem, what a quandary.
It's incredibly comforting to know that as long as you don't create anything in your life, then nobody can attack the thing you created. It's so much easier to just sit back and criticize other people's creations. This movie is stupid. This restaurant sucks. This Internet writer is an jerk. That photographer is a fauxtographer! I'm going to leave a mean comment on his blog :P
I fear that submitting an image [which I love, which I think represents some of the best of my work] which doesn't 'place' in the competition somehow renders the image worthless [and therefore my work]. But of course this isn't true, and realistically I have to be prepared for that possibility, there is some really stiff competition in the contest and it'll be the very first time I enter anything. But non-participation to avoid disappointment really just creates a different kind of disappointment, that is disappointment in myself for not facing my fear.
Actually the thought of having my photographs professionally reviewed by a panel of judges makes me strive to do better, be better at my art. And the judges WILL of course critique, that's the point... otherwise I mean, hey what's the point. And someone has to win right? Hey it might be me. And if I don't enter than my odds of winning are zero. I try not to be too pessimistic or doubt my own artistic abilities. So I just have to can the self-defeatist mindset that tries to tell me my work isn't significant enough. And being slightly under-confident is probably an advantage because planning for each shoot becomes strategic ... ie. I'll have a more critical eye for details. And it's the good stress of being forced to find my edge that is giving me the zeal to organize creative shoots again... Not a bad thing especially in the cold dreary winter when I could easily find myself hibernating at home while my camera is gathering dust.
So now onto the daunting task of choosing my submissions... a challenge in and of itself! Here are the front runners:
I will quickly comment but with the disclaimer that I myself am not a photographer, nor particularly adept at judging photography.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said I am drawn to the group snow shot in motion, the group snow shot @ the closer perspective and the very first photo.
There is a lot more to competition than finishing first. It's a growing and learning process. Best of luck, but ultimately what you take away from the experience is what you will win.
Thanks for your feedback. You listed off all but one of my absolute faves. In fact, my favorite hasn't been called out by anyone! I wonder if anyone can guess what it is ;)
ReplyDelete