Contests and Decisions

I don’t normally enter photography contests, but the annual Morton Pumpkin Festival Photography Show is an exception. I started entering through a rather round-about process. A few years ago, my mother took a couple of my photos off her wall and entered them in my name while I was away on a business trip. I didn’t know about it until she called to tell me I’d won second place.

I don’t know how many years it takes for something to become a tradition, but I entered the contest each of the next three years. I guess I’ve done pretty well since I’ve earned four more ribbons, including a Best of Show and a Professional Division 1st Place. Since this will be my fifth year, I think my mother would say it’s become a tradition.

So, now I’m preparing for this year’s contest on September 11, and I have to decide which photos to enter. I’m on the fence about the image below. I really like the image’s story, and its unanswered questions. There’s obviously a woman taking in the sun on the horizon, but the body language and the solitary set of tracks on the beach leave you to wonder what she’s thinking. Is she pondering some of life’s biggest questions? Is she sad? Or lonely? You can’t see her face, so you have to look for other clues. Since the photo doesn’t answer the questions, you are allowed to make up your own story.

The actual story is somewhat un-dramatic. The woman is my wife, and we were enjoying a quick trip to the San Simeon area, which is along the Big Sur coastline in central California. I was busy with the camera, and she had walked ahead to enjoy the sunset. When I saw the composition of the large rock, sunset and her, I quickly set up the tripod and started taking pictures. She started to move out of the frame, but I asked her to stay there. The body language is a reaction to the cold January weather.

OK, the story isn’t dramatic, but I still like the photo.