Photography Contests

It seems like I am always trying to somehow prove my self.  My value or worth.  I have it in my mind that if I can win some photo contests somehow that will mean that I am a good photographer.  Somehow I always doubt my ability.  I was the high school newspaper photographer and thought maybe I would major in photo journalism  but I really didn't have the right camera equipment and the competition  was pretty tough.  I had children and a career and just didn't have the time to spend taking pictures  except of course for the pictures of my great kids, family vacations etc.  I bought a canon camera and then eventually bought a 100-400 zoom lens and a most recent buy a fish eye lens.  These are the contests that I have won so far.

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This photo won a Utah State Fair Blue Ribbon "Human Interest  in 2011.  

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And it also was on the front cover of  the National Association of Conservation Districts.    Spring 2012

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The two pictures above won the National Historical Landmark Photo Contest 2012.  the top photo is the State House in Boston and the bottom one is the Bear River Massacre Site near Preston Idaho.

Here is a link to that contest.  http://www.nps.gov/history/nhl/2012photocontest/index.html

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This picture is a National Natural Landmark photo winner.  It is a picture of The City of Rocks near Almo Idaho.   It is on their 2013 calendar. Here is the link to that website.  http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/currentwinners.cfm

My current picture is this one of Bloomington Lake.  It won a  Box Elder County Fair blue ribbon and also the Nature Conservancy Photo Contest and will be on their 2014 calendar.

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"What inspires You?"

I was looking for photo contests to enter and found one titled "What inspires you?"  I took a day off work with the intent of finding what inspires me. I made sure my camera had full batteries, cleaned my lenses  loaded the goodies and diet Pepsi   I thought maybe I would drive out towards the West Desert which really does inspire me.  As I was driving I thought--"What really inspires me?  What can I take a picture of that inspires me?"  I ended up at the spiral jetty and took really some pretty awesome pictures, but do they inspire me?  I don't know.
We had a little boy at school who was involved in a serious pedestrian accident.  He was hit when walking to school with his younger brother and 2 older siblings.  He was a Primary Children's for months.  His parents are good people but have had some bad luck and were homeless when the accident occurred and in fact are still homeless.  Both Mom and Dad work but they just can't get ahead.
Skyler was finally  released from Primary Children's and showed up at our school the next day.  He has some brain trauma issues but looks pretty normal.  As the Mom was talking with the principal and all of us were gathered around Skyler, I looked at his brother Zachary's face.  Zachary is one year younger than Skyler and they are very close.  I tried to identify the look on Zachary's face as he watched Skyler and then it hit me--Love.  This is what inspires me.  
We are helping the family at Christmas.  I asked the Mom what she might want for Christmas--I mean she is living in a hotel room with her husband and 4 children.  Her son has been seriously injured and has a long road ahead of him.  Surely she could use something to help relieve  the stress.  
She said, "You know I have everything I need."  Love

MOM Adventure

I went an an incredible MOM adventure with my daughter.  We were tying to find an overlook to the Snake River and ended up in a foot of snow.  We drove for 5 hours and finally got to the last 6 miles and had to stop because the snow was too deep.  It just about drove me crazy.  All I wanted to do was go the last 6 miles.  It seems that this is one of the most frustrating things to get almost to the finish line and because of circumstances beyond your control, not be able to finish.  We took pictures of us up there on that cold hill and knew it was good. 

We went through this town called Caprum in Idaho that has a population of 8.  There are some seasonal cabins there, but some of the residents 8 I guess live there year around.  The main street is a dirt (dirt, not gravel) road that goes through the middle of town. The mail comes there 3 times a week.  (We stopped and talked to a resident so we found out some things about the town.)  They do have electricity which really surprised me.  It used to be an old mining town and there are probably still miners who live there.  What would you do in the winter?  That is a group that I am going to showcase when I publish my photo book.

Tundra Swans

I went on a drive today to get some pics of the tundra swans that have stopped in Box Elder County to rest.  I love to listen to them talk to each other.  It really is true that they will change positions while they are flying to give each other a rest.  I witnessed it today.  We can learn  from God's creatures.  Maybe they were placed on earth to teach us if only we will open our hearts and minds.

This a the beginning of my blog.  I would like to somehow write my experiences down and share my photos and philosophies.  One of my favorite places on earth is the Bear River bird refuge.  These pictures are from the refuge. I especially love the blue herons and the pelicans.  I was completely shocked when I saw my first Pelican out there and  Iremember the first photo I took of a blue heron.
I think it is the smells of the marsh and the wind that is always gently blowing that draws me.  Ofcourse the birds fascinate me.  The pelicans, depending of the season always have a wary eye on me.  If I get out of the vehicle they fly away before the door is even open.  If I drive along the canal road they will stop  and paddle the other way.  If I back the car up, they will go the other way.  Then I go forward and the go the other way.  I go do this  over and over and they will always change directions.