photo excitement

Several months ago I decided to enter a photo contest, so selected three of what I considered my best. On a whim, I added a fourth, not my best, but I liked the colors. The contest was sponsored by Ruralite, the monthly magazine published by our electric cooperative. The prize was $100 per photo chosen for the covers.

I checked the website and found none of my photos were selected for the cover. This didn't really surprise me, because while I love taking photos, I am certainly not a professional - and at times I think I'm mediocre at it. I'm truly excited when I get something I really love.

A couple of weeks after the announcement of the winning photos, I received a letter from the electric company. They told me that although I didn't win the cover contest, they want to run one of my pictures in a section inside the magazine. I completed and signed the release form immediately, and shortly after that I received a check for $25. The money is just gravy. I'm simply excited that one of my photos was selected to run in a regional magazine.

The winner? It was the fourth picture - the last-minute add-on. It was a photo I shot from the window of a moving bus in Denali Park.

Even though it was a spur-of-the-moment addition, I loved the fall colors and the contrast - the low brush and tall trees, the reds set against the green of the spruce.

This isn't the one I sent in, but it's similar. So I'm now waiting until Sepetember to actually see one of my pics in print!

I will probably spend more time concentrating on photo composition and really working to improve my technique. A lot of the time I simply point and shoot without really thinking about the end result. But the rush of excitement when I read the letter has me wanting more!