I you have never heard of the Shoot and Share Contest, it is a photography contest that runs from February through March, where photographers from around the world submit up to 50 of their favorite images into 25 different categories. Once the submission period closes, the contest is open for 12 rounds of voting. Every chance to vote includes 4 images to choose from that were submitted into the same category- so you vote for your favorite of the grouping, and move on to another set! (It is SUPER addicting, and even more fun!) It’s a very informal contest, but that’s what makes it so amazing! This contest is not judged by professionals, nor can it be weighted unfairly by people only voting for the photographers they recognize. Instead, the contest is open to anyone who wants to vote, and it is completely anonymous! With each round, a percentage of images are taken away as the contest narrows down image left to vote on. This goes on until hundreds of thousands of images are narrowed down to the finalists and top 100 in each category. Here are some more specifics from the 2017 contest:

330,000 total images submitted from over 159 countries!
150,000 participants involved!!
Over 60,000,000 total votes!!!

I first learned about this contest last year, but this was the first year that I submitted- and I went all out with 50 submissions (why not!). I had a more difficult time selecting images that I thought I would! It was a fun process narrowing down the images, while simultaneously noting the types of images that I would want to aim for submitting in the future, based on the categories that were available! In the end, I submitted photos featuring weddings, couples, families, and seniors, and was eager for the voting to begin!

Out of the 50 pictures I submitted, 4 of them made it to the Top 20%, and another 4 made it to the top 30%!! This was beyond exciting, since it was my first submission year, and I had not expected to receive so much positive feedback! I am so grateful to my amazing clients who trust me to tell their stories, because contests like this are all about artistic vision, and the value that is seen in the stories that I was able to share! Looking forward to using this year to hone my craft and earmark some more incredible moments to enter next year!