WHEW!
Well, if you aren't a photographer, you may not realize the stress of this time of year when you ARE one.
No, it's not that we're gearing up for the busy season, although that does add to the excitement.
It's the time of year that we enter IPC. What's IPC?
Well, it's International Print Competition.
It's not the only competition. It's simply the only one that I enter (so far).
Honestly, I'd never even done it until last year. I'd heard all about it since I'm heavily involved in PPA things. (What is PPA? Professional Photographers of America)
So I'd been told to enter. It didn't really tug at my heart, so I never entered. Could have been fear, or apathy, but I just never did it.
Last year, I decided, last minute, to enter. I wanted to see what type of photography would "stick" so...
I entered a cell phone vacation photo, a photo I had been told wouldn't do well, a photo I really thought WOULD do well, and a client image.
Oddly enough, the one I'd been told would not do well, did well. The others did not.
But one did.
It was the most meaningful of them all to me, as it was a photo of my foster son at the time.
I got the bug.
I entered this year also. Only, I entered four photographic and four artist. I can't talk about them much because judging hasn't happened yet. I can't tell you if I made more statement pieces on the foster system or if I took random photos. I can't tell you what type of artistry I entered. I can't say much. I can tell you that every photo was created the week before the late entry. I really need to learn to work through the year... eye roll. Creative brains are a fun thing to possess... anyhow,
What I can say is this:
I entered an idea I've had for a while, I entered some humour, I entered some personal insight, I entered something that looks just like my client work, I entered some artist stuff that really was me. It came from the heart.
Will it do well? Meh, one never knows. These competitions are also a way to earn the merits you need to earn your Master of Photography distinction and Master Artist distinction through PPA. I have the service merits I need. I don't have the competition merits. Honestly, I'm not even close. (I have one merit. Because, I have entered one time and only one did well in competition.) But many I know need to do well in this competition to earn a big distinction! I'll be one of those one day...
Right now, some of the work I entered, I'm not hoping for a merit. I'm hoping to spark a conversation. I want conversation and hopefully change in the future... If I get both things? BONUS! Some of the entries, I just want the ding dang merit, but I digress...
This coming weekend, the judging happens. Right now, we've all entered and just wait. Sunday through Wednesday, we'll sit in front of our computers and wait for our photographs and art to get in front of a judge. Between now and then? We run our studios, do our normal shoots, and try not to overthink what we've already sent in for judging.
I'll share with you my four entries from last year.
The titles are:
Please, no more foster homes...
Though she be but little...
Only light can drive out darkness
and
A nap in New Orleans
.....
I'm pretty sure you can figure out which photos the titles go with, but let me know if you need help.
In the meantime, send all that good juju to the photographers that entered. Some will be earning some big distinctions this year! Some will be heartbroken, some will learn a lot, some will be relieved because what they learned last year worked better this year... and many other things on the spectrum.
So fingers crossed!
I'll check back in soon and let you all know how it went!
For now, comment a GOOD LUCK and you'll make me smile!
0 Comments