For the last few years I have entered images into the Sigma D-Photo Amateur Photographer of the Year Competition (also known as APOTY) and never made it into the short lists, let alone place anywhere. I had been entering in the Nature category because that is where I feel I am strongest. There are a lot of very good nature photographers in New Zealand and I just wasn’t good enough to compete with them.
Still this year I tried again, entered a bunch of nature images and sat back to wait. Then I decided to enter one of my crystal ball images as well to see if it would do any better. I struggled to decide what category to enter it into and mindful of the feedback I had received from judges in the past, I steered away from Creative and entered it into Still Life.
My thinking was that in still life, the wine glasses would become part of the focus and not a distraction. I am so happy I made that decision! I am super excited to tell you all that I have won the Still Life Category of the 2019 Sigma D-Photo Amateur Photographer of the Year Competition with my image titled “Light Refractions” (see above).
All the competition winners are revealed in this month’s D-Photo Magazine in the shops today 🙂
Fabulous image Toya and so well deserved. I’m sure this image took the judges by surprise in the Still Life category as it is something they probably hadn’t seen before. As you say, most would put it in Creative. It is both, but the stillness of it with the swirls so beautifully captured makes it come alive.
Well done.