Honored to Be Mentioned, But A Seal? Seriously?

Remember that contest I told you I won a prize in back a ways? Well, they announced the winners Friday, so I can say it was for Hawai'i Magazine's Tenth Annual Photo Contest.

Click here for a link right to the contest entry on their site.

I won Second Place in the "Maui" category, which isn't bad out of 800 submissions. (Well, there were more than 800 total submissions. I have no idea how many were for Maui.)

The grand prize winner was a picture of a seal.

A seal.

Now, it's a really good picture. I'm not complaining that it's not "better" than mine. But a seal? For reals? For Hawai'i?

Oh, well. I guess people don't usually think "bamboo forest" when they think Hawai'i, either. Or "sledding." So I shouldn't complain, now should I?

Anyway, links to my stuff below.

Here's the picture that won second place:


Bamboo Grove Entrance, Pipiwai Trai, Kipahulu District, Haleakala National Forest, Maui, Hawai'i.

They also featured the sledding picture in the contest slideshow:


Children Sledding on Grass along the Kula Highway, Maui, Hawai'i.

M More after the jump - click here!

So the Editor of a Magazine Just Called.

Unfortunately, he doesn't want to hire me to shoot a massive spread for a $20K day rate. Nor have I just won a digital Hasselblad. However...

I did just win second prize in my category in an international photo competition.

Not allowed to say what magazine until it's published, but it's a Real Magazine. (I have a subscription to it, and you can buy it in any bookstore. Paid circulation is over 200K.) The editor made a point to say how this particular photograph was one of his personal favorites. I mean, sure, he could have said that about all of them, but I'm willing to bet it was very, very different from most of the entries in my category, so even if it wasn't the jury's overall pick, I can see where it might really appeal to someone. :)

The prize isn't huge, but it's more than a "photo credit." Every little bit helps: since I write off my camera gear, I need some income to show for it!

This isn't the first contest I've had success in, but it's the largest by a country mile. Now maybe I'll have enough gumption to put together a portfolio for that B&W contest I wanted to enter.

M More after the jump - click here!