SMALL VICTORIES

Fine art is a funny thing. Just defining the term is trying. Sometimes I think it has more to do with not being labeled, but allowing yourself to shoot anything from landscapes to nature to portraits to wildlife to products to....

The reason this post is appearing has to do with competitions. And that's where the fine art definition either plays a huge role or no role. There are competitions for all those photographers who specialize in a particular form of photography, and there are those that have no rules. My definition of fine art. No rules.

I entered a competition last month where I impatiently waited for the results. This competition had two rounds of judging. From the first round, they chose two from the four photos I entered. From the second round, they chose one of the two. For me, that was a huge accomplishment. This competition pulled in over 6,000 entries. And to be one of the 83 chosen out of 6,000...well, it's quite an honor.

Being a photographer, or an artist of any kind requires a thick skin. A very thick skin. I remember entering my first juried competition. I had been putting it off and putting it off and I finally just resolved to do it. Send it in and forget about it. Forgetting about it wasn't so easy, but I had the rejection already set in my head. Who am I to think that I'm good enough to exhibit in a juried photography competition? Well, the notice came back and it had been accepted. Accepted! My first time entering. I think I rode that high out for a week. This was back in 2009 with a photograph I call Wednesday Afternoon in a competition titled Connections. I didn't think it was a particularly good shot, but somebody did. It was a bit blurry so I water colored the photo to give it a more artistic look. Actually felt like I was cheating by doing this. Now, you wouldn't believe what I do to some of the photos. Hey, art is art.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

I enjoy the story of that photo more than I do the photo itself. I was in Guatemala for an animal vet clinic. The group that sponsored this clinic, Mayan Families, also provides various programs for the indigenous people of the area. We were at a school Christmas party and I needed a break from the crowd after shooting all morning, so I decided to walk the streets. They were quiet. It was a hot December day (remember, we're in Guatemala) and there's this woman with, I assume her daughter, sitting on the stoop of their home. I looked at them and saw the beauty of that image. I asked if I could take their picture, which is a hard thing to do for someone who doesn't speak Spanish in a country that understands very little English. The question comes out as a basic move of holding up the camera and asking in English, "Can I take your picture?". She smiled and nodded. It's my favorite shot from the trip. And it was taken on a Wednesday afternoon.

Back to the current competition. I was strolling around Fredericksburg, VA one morning. It's a haunt I visit on many occasions and for a small downtown, I find something new every time I'm there. I saw this color, this pink wall and red chair and the white tablecloth with the simplicity of the two napkins. It was too cold that morning to dine outside, but the charm of that setting...I couldn't pass it up. I saw a romantic breakfast that morning, a ghost couple in love - Dinner for Two.

DINNER FOR TWO

This really was supposed to be a post about dealing with rejection as an artist, but you know, sometimes the small victories are just worth sharing.