This was my submission in the Art of 2011 best of challenge on DPChallenge. At the conclusion of voting, I was happy to see it finish 31st, with a respectable score of 6.3561. I was more impressed by the number of “favourites” and comments it received during voting, and in the post-challenge discussion.
Then, this morning, I woke and checked to see if the Jury results had been posted… and to my total surprise, it appears that this photo of backyard activity following Christmas Day lunch had taken out the top honours in the juried award. Yes… Jury’s Pick – First Place… WOW!
Never, would I have imagined that I’d win such an award. First Place in a competition where some great photographers, many of whom are exceptionally artistic, are challenged to dip into their 2011 archives and revel in their artistic side.
I have to say, I’m very grateful that many of these great photographers were on the jury, and therefore, not eligible for the award themselves…
Anyway… big thank you to the jury, the DPCers that liked my photo, and to my kids, niece, nephew, sister-in-law and father-in-law who created this moment in time.
For those of you wondering, this was not a setup shot. I lay on the grass in the backyard of my in-laws, following Christmas lunch. Kids running around, playing with their new toys, parents and grandparents joining in on the fun… I just lay there with my camera looking for the right moments to capture. Does this make it a “candid snapshot“? I guess so, given it was “Not posed or rehearsed“, though, such a term is coloured with such negativity. I’m glad some people can see art in the candid snapshots.
