As my network with other photographers continues to grow, so does my skill level and knowledge in the world of photography. About a year ago I was added into a social media group of photographers in the Denver area. With this group I have gained a plethora of information. This includes where to post photos, how to use hashtags, how to get your images published and more. I was also introduced to the Shoot and Share photography contest that takes place every year. 

I have never entered my work into a contest but figured it was worth a shot! With this contest each individual can enter up to 50 photos. These photos must fit into a specific group of 25 different categories. These very from phone photography to landscape to styled bridal shoots, weddings and more. In 2018 there were over 412,000 images submitted world wide.

I took a "leap of faith" and entered 13 images. Why I didn't enter all 50 I have no idea! I was nervous about people judging my work. I was worried the competition would be significantly better than the shots I submitted...I didn't want to take too much of a risk. 

A few days into the contest I only had two hearts, I had no idea what that meant but figured it wasn't good so I quit following my submissions. This contest goes on for almost 2 months, so it would be a while before I saw the true results. While the contest was going strong into the 10th round I received a spontaneous message from one of my fellow colleagues. They saw one of MY images...in ROUND 10!! I was shocked, excited, and also sad I quit following my own work so early. I should have been more confident in my submissions.

In the end, the image my fellow photographer saw placed 288 out of 8,800 images in "Emotion and Excitement". It also ranked in the TOP 3% out of the total 412,000+ entries. When I got my complete results it turns out 6 of my 13 images placed in the top 30% or better.  I can't wait to continue to capture more amazing moments and see if I can set the bar even higher in next year's contest!

**Reduced image quality to show contest results**