the chapanese chapters.: oh snap!

I think every artist at some point in their career or if you're like me, everyday, wonders to themselves, "is my stuff any good?" Does anyone appreciate my work or creativity? How do I rank on the scale of professional to amateur? Well, I have been encouraged and blessed this fall with my photography as my portfolio continues to get bigger, my name continues to be passed around, and business is growing! Most of all I just love taking pictures, so even if anyone didn't appreciate my art I think I'd still continue to snap. Doesn't it feel good to do something you love to do?

There is an annual photography contest held here on Yokota AB. I arrived in Japan like two days after the deadline to compete in last years competition. So, as soon as I saw this years contest posted I began to sift through my many pictures and pic out a few favs, which is almost impossible for a photographer I think. :) Even though I began to sift through early on, I still somehow managed to be turning in my entries moments before the deadline ended at 6pm one Friday afternoon. ugh. Pro-cras-ti-na-tor.

There was I think about 500-600 entries this year, divided into 4 categories. People, Abstract, Digital Creation, Nature/Scenic. I entered 6 pictures. Mainly, just for fun, and to see my work on a wall so I could go gaze at it and pretend I was famous and that my work was being displayed in a gallery somewhere cool. ha!

The pictures were displayed for about a month in our Arts and Crafts center here on base. 5 very talented and professional, working in Tokyo, photographers were the judges and came at different times to par-ooze the art and judge during that month. I attended the awards ceremony to see who had won, so I could gaze at their work and dream of being famous like them. I mean after all this is Yokota AB we are talking about. :) I went all by my lonesome since hubby was deployed and I didn't think it would be that big of a deal so I didn't even think to invite a friend.

Well, I was completely but pleasantly shocked and surprised as my name was called three times for an award! I was awarded with about $1200 worth of prizes. The loot I took home: a tripod, iLuv player, and a Canon Rebel T2i camera and lens. Totally blessed!

I won honorable mention in the Abstract category for my fire thrower, taken in Thailand. I won 1st place in People for my Muai Thai boxing picture, also taken in Thailand. (hopefully I can travel back to Thailand before next years competition. :) For my boxing photo I also won the "Peoples Choice" award. The public has an opportunity to come through and look at the exhibit and vote on their favorite photo. No photographers names are posted with the photos, so people are voting for the picture, not the person. My picture was voted for the most...and I promise I did not go out and solicit any votes! ha! (thanks to everyone who did vote for me!)
here they are:

Burning Ring of Fire - Honorable Mention