For this week's post, I wanted to highlight a recent photography contest win that I'm very proud of. If you know me, then you know how much I LOVE animals. Growing up in a NY farming town probably helped with some of that.... There were always cows, chickens, goats, and other animals that I would drive by and see regularly. Growing up in the middle of the woods probably also influenced my curiosity for the animal kingdom, as I was living symbiotically with the deer, birds of prey, salamanders, frogs, snakes, wolves, and even bears that shared our property. After adopting cats at a young age, I also soon learned the incredible companionship that these adorable creatures could provide in my life.
While I was living in NH (about 6 years ago), I loved working with animals so much, that I decided it needed to be a part of my photography business. It can be very challenging working with different species, and so I jumped right in to learning the ways I could safely work with different creatures to create stunning portraits, while also learning how to respect the animals and their natural behaviors and limitations.
Well, it feels good when hard work pays off.... 2 years ago I submitted some images to Rangerfinder Magazine's Best Friend contest that I took for The Animal Rescue League of NH for their marketing, and it placed as a runner up! But wait, there's more....
Published in the April 2015 issue of Rangefinder Magazine. Click to view 2015 Gallery.
A few months back I submitted a series of snake images that I recently took working with the non-profit Nature's Educators here in Colorado. To my excitement, I took 1st place in the Best Friends contest this year! Persistence pays off :)
Published in the March 2017 issue of Rangefinder Magazine. Click to view 2017 gallery.
As a photographer, it's always heartwarming to see your images get published somewhere and be honored for your ideas and talents. It reminds me to follow my passions, always be working towards personal goals, and pursuing my dreams with perseverance. I wholeheartedly believe good things will come when you follow that formula.
If you'd like to see the rest of the images from my Nature's educators project, you can view them here. If you'd like to check out my strictly pet portraits, you can view them on my other business's website, Colorful Life Studios.