Forget the (Photography) Competition.
Looking beyond photography competitions to find greater fulfillment in your work.
Its almost a template newcomers to photography follow. You give it a shot (photography) and become smitten. Who wouldn’t? You shoot voraciously and you love your pictures, you think they’re great. Of course you do; your friends and family praised your posts on the social networks. You think your pictures deserve greater recognition and they’re good enough to haul in a prize at a competition so you take a shot (the competition). Nothing happens and you wonder why your pictures weren’t deemed good enough to even receive a nod.
To be clear, there’s likely nothing wrong with your pictures. And your family and friends aren’t delusional either. The fact that you enjoy shooting, viewing and sharing your pictures is testament enough to their worth. Yet this is specifically what you surrender when you throw your pictures into the mixer hoping they get noticed in a competition.
Photography competitions have a way of seducing us with promises; win money, get exposure, become famous and feel like the best thing since sliced bread. And there’s no wonder it works, these are all great things; money, fame, sliced bread. But, I have news for you. As great as they seem, two of these three promises are grossly over-rated and sliced-bread is a very hard act to follow…
