I did it again!
I did a personally difficult thing and entered images into one of the hardest, most masterfully judged competitions in the world, The Portrait Masters.
I've entered images to be judged since 2017 and it's still difficult.
It still keeps me up the night before.
I still second guess every picture I've taken and every editing choice.
As an artist, it's hard to emotionally separate me from my work. My work is so much a part of who I am that each image feels like a personal expression of my growth, but more importantly, an expression of the person I photographed.
The judges don't see that.
They don't see the story behind the person in the image.
They don't see those moments before I took the shot where we laughed until we couldn't breathe or cried because we talked about our triumphs over trials.
They don't see the memories made, the friendships created, and the celebration of self.
They blind judge the work and it is based purely on skill, execution and the emotion/story the image conveys.
My work was judged alongside 6,871 other images from photographers around the world. These photographers are stellar. I know a few of them.
All 6k+ images were judged by 5 master judges. I've talked about them in past posts. They are the best of the best. They are the greatest photographers from around the world. They truly are masters at this craft.
These 5 judges looked at my work, my beautiful images of beautiful women who I have come to adore and appreciate, and they awarded them each with a Bronze Award.
One of the coordinators for The Portrait Masters said this about the Bronze Award, "To achieve a Bronze is incredible! For those of you who earned a Bronze, you should be extremely proud to be among the best."
'Among the best' . . . I read that phrase and I've reread it, and I tell you, it sends shivers up my spine. It makes my hands shake. I feel that complement on such a deep level because I want to be the best. I want to give the best service I can. I want to create the best images I can. I want to give every part of myself to this work . . . and I desperately work at making it the very best I can. Thank you to those who choose me to be their photographer. You have helped me to grow and become the photographer I am. A photographer who can stand with the best photographers around the world and proudly show my work to the greatest photographers in the industry. Thank you! Love, Melinda
Photography Studio in Athens PA.
Serving Athens Pennsylvania, Towanda Pennsylvania, Corning New York, and Twin Tiers area.
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