Have you ever been that kid in a candy shop? You know the feeling: you walk in, and laid out before you is this rainbow-colored assortment of delights, the likes of which you've never imagined, much less seen, before -- floor to ceiling sweetness, all sugar coated and promised glistening goodness.
This feels exactly like that.
Each January, photographers from around the world come together to participate in The Shoot & Share Photography Contest, an international competition that is not only free, but also fair. Beginning the first week of February, images are voted on in a completely random and anonymous fashion. Photos by professionals who have been in the business for 30+ years, brand new amateurs, and everyone in-between -- and no one knows who the photographers are until the voting is complete and the awarding begins in early March.
This year was my first time entering, and lemme tell you: the competition was fierce! I've not seen photography talent and skills like this since ... well, ever. And I didn't expect much to come of my work, tossed as it was in an ocean of vibrant colors, expert editing, perfect posing, and exceptional lighting.
So color me shocked -- like an awed child in a sea of gorgeous candy -- when I watched as my images plowed right through rounds one, two, three and four, on to rounds five and six, and then pushing past seven and eight ... all the way through round twelve.
My photos made it all the way to the finals, the top 3.1% of all images submitted. Y'all, one of my images even placed.
Let's let that sink in for a minute. (It hasn't sunk in for me yet, so I'm still trying...)
An image of mine actually placed in the top ten in an international photography competition.
What.
Maybe 2018 really is my Year of Possibility.
I am beyond astonished -- nay, utterly floored -- and overwhelmingly honored to have witnessed nearly half of the 50 images I submitted place in the top 30% and higher of a competition encompassing more than 412,000 total submissions. This is not false modesty. I am truly blown away to have done so incredibly well in my first year of submissions, with so. much. astounding talent.
Here a graphic of what that looks like:
