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| 2nd Place Finish, Abstract Category - Professionals, 7th Annual Black and White Spider Awards © 2010 Terrell Neasley |
"Winning isn't everything, but it beats anything in second place."
- William C. Bryant
Contest results are finally in for the Black and White Spider Awards, a very popular international photography contest for black and white photographic artwork. After a six month wait, I found out that I took 2nd place (Merit of Excellence Award) in the Abstract Category for Professionals. I also took Honorable Mention in the Nude Category for Professionals. This is my second time in a row coming in second in a category, but I did better this time in the Nude category. If you recall, last November I posted the announcement of a 2nd Place finish as well as 2 Nonimee spots, one of which was in the Nude Category. That was for the 5th Annual Photography Masters Cup (for Color Photography) produced by the same people. So again, a 2nd place finish (Americana Category), a Nominee for Nudes and also a Nominee again for the Americana Category.
I can't say I'm disappointed, but I've also never been exuberant about 2nd place. The one thing I will concede is getting Honorable Mentioned for my nude work which is one step up from Nominee! If you take a look at all the work that got nominated, you'll see that therein lies some stiff competition. So to be recognized at all is "honorable". The nude is by far my main, favorite, and most passionable subject matter to photograph. If I were to win anywhere, I'd want to win for my nude work. Yet still, I've never looked at my work in that regard as being incredibly worthy of note. As long as I like it and my model likes it, I'm good to go. Being recognized and evaluated by such esteemed professionals of the trade against participants from all over the world was never anything I every really thought I'd measure up against.
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| Honorable Mention, Nude Category - Professionals, 7th Annual Black and White Spider Awards © 2010 Terrell Neasley |
"The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell."
- Andrew Carnegie
But also, I think you have to consider what you actually get from photo competitions with your entries. Both the Spider Awards and the Photography Masters Cup are huge and the recognition is fabulous. But what are the spoils of such achievements? There were over 83,000 entries in the Photography Master's Cup last year and the entry fees are $35 a pop. Granted that costs decreases if you enter more images, but when you consider how much money is made...wow. You're looking at more than $2 million just in entry fees if you average $25 per image. So here is what I get:
2ND PLACE WINNERS (Merit of Excellence)
Recipient of the title award "Merit of Excellence"
Publication in The PHOTO PAPER Magazine (print edition)
Featured in movie presented by World Photographic Arts Films
Showcased at the online Winners Gallery
International press campaign and exposure
Right now, bragging rights is the main take-home from something like this. The only other pay-off might come in the form of some lucrative deal made as of a result of being published in the magazine honoring the winners. So I'll have to let you know if someone comes a'calling, as of a result of seeing one of my shots in the magazine. As far as I know, a title award doesn't come with a cash prize or a new camera. It does feel good to be recognized for one's work. And I thank Joanie for the use of her boobs to create something masterful for my Abstract image. I guess when you actually think about it, I did get a 2nd place finish for a nude! And I appreciate the Dean Koontz reader in the second shot (who has chosen to remain anonymous) for her help as well.
