As a photographer, I like to challenge myself so usually every year, I strive to enter one or two photography competitions just to see how I fare. This year and last year were a first for me— I had no photos I thought were worthy enough for entry— as I did not enter any large competitions.
In fact, I think the last time I entered a comp was 2020 possibly 2019— I did get a ranking in 2019 in a comp I forgot I had even entered. But I can not even recall if I entered anything in 2020 because it was such a weird year. In fact, Covid 19 really did a number on my photography so I am less than surprised by my lack of challenging myself with comps.
Not having work I am happy enough to submit to competitions lead me to a lot of self-reflection. I have never entered competitions to win that is more a perk than anything, I entered them to see how I ranked with photographers around the world. So much of my time as a photographer is weighed by creating images the clients want, or capturing an event that I do not often get to take the creative, fun images I imagined before I became a professional.
In fact, I do so much event photography now that it becomes a struggle to even have something to consider for a contest entry because contests are a different beast. You can’t just hand over your favorite shot, you have to weigh the competition, panel judges, and past winners to gather what styles tend to have success. Event photographs well do not make good comp entries so when 90% of my year’s shoot is events finding the time to make something else is a struggle.
2019 ND Awards Honorable Mention
I am not surprised that somewhere along the way I stopped seeking out competitions or entering a shot in my favorite comps. I am perhaps the hardest judge to please because my work has to pass my own personal criticism before I let a team judge them and I haven’t produced the work in the last few years.
Could it be because I was working on very time-consuming projects such as writing, formatting, and releasing a book? Possibly, but I find it more likely because I find it hard to submit event photographs and live performance photos. Not because they are bad images but because in the photography world they are thought of as editorial and rarely do they suit competitions that are focused on the art of an image.
I do what to get back to a place to create images for competition. Whether it is 2023 or after will be the question. I have been unsettled with my own work for a while and looking to make changes in my business, I have to discover what that means for me and go from there.
It is hard to be a photographer and put yourself out there. As a professional who has won awards and had gallery showings, I want you to know that there will be ebbs and flows in the process. That is ok, that is necessary, just do not give up because things change and aren’t like they once were.