I have come to a very difficult decision.
And I have three reasons for that decision.
So as not to cause drama, I will get right to it.
I have decided to discontinue my monthly
FREE PHOTO CONTEST
for now and during 2013 as well.
It was like my child.
But like any family, I had to review how things were going.
Here are my three reasons:
1. Entries have dropped off significantly. Not that the ones entered aren't spectacular. But I need at LEAST ten or more photos each month for the contest to have any meaning. The winners should feel good about winning against several competitors, not just two or three others. I realize a lot of the drop off in entries is because I am not blogging as often (which I hope to improve over this coming winter months, thus the word PROMISE in the title of this post).
2. I'd like to give the winners something of value. I loved having widgets made where the winners could post their winning widget on their blogs for forever bragging rights. Try as I might, I could not find another widget maker for me. If you all know of someone who can do this at a reasonable rate, please send me a message? Because I still hope to do this contest again beginning in 2014, if I can find another designer.
3. My Judges got worn out. I believe I will need to recruit three SAME permanent Judges, ones that know photography and are willing to Judge the contest every month. I think I can ask someone in my photography club to do this for me, but I need to make sure when I reinstitute the contest that #1 and #2 (above) are in place first. I think that having knowledgeable photographers that are consistent and can give professional reasons why they picked the winners they do will help us amateur photographers improve as we see why each winning photo was chosen.
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That being explained, I want to thank each and every one of you that submitted photos into my photography contest faithfully all these months from the bottom of my heart.
You have such talent. And? I loved getting your email entries...they made my day as they were entered!
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Since I did get some entries for the last month's theme of :
"something round",
and we won't be picking a "winner"....
I still want to share them with you as I think they are wonderfully creative and they ALL deserve to win.
Thanks to everyone who did enter this one, and I know my readers will love looking at them as much as I did!!
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Weren't they wonderful??????????????!!!!!
I am going to miss this monthly contest...but if all goes right,
LOOK for it to RETURN in 2014
along with new, consistent Judges
AND
widgets for your blog if you win!
Thanks everyone for your understanding of this decision,
and most of all, thanks to each and every one of you that entered photos over the past!!
12 comments:
*sob*
Very sad news... I loved coming in and seeing what the different contestants had come up with each month!
But you're right, there need to be enough contestants for it to mean something... and poor judges!
I hope you get everything worked out and can start up again in a year (2014 seems so far away!)
Why am I not surprised you're in a photography club? No wonder you always share such lovely photos with us!
I hope you can get back to regular blogging soon... "real life" tends to get in the way sometimes, but ENJOY the "real" world, we'll always be here waiting in cyberspace. ;o)
I feel bad, but I understand. Its a lot of work. Please don't stop blogging though. I would really miss your blog.
Hi Joan,
I'm afraid I am one of the guilty ones. I always intend to enter a photo in the monthly contest and then life gets so complicated that I forget.
It sure is nice to "see" you here,
xoxo
Thank you, Joan! It was fun while it lasted. But even without the contest, visiting your blog with all of your beautiful photography is such a treat.
I wish I could have participated more but it's been a rough and busy year for me. *sigh*
I understand how times change, and things get in the way of blogging too. I have been a winner twice and cherish both of those awards. Thank you so much for doing this for as long as you did, and I'll be watching to see if you come back with it again. I always enjoy your photographs, so I do hope you'll continue with those! :-)
I only participated a couple of times but I loved seeing the fantastic entries and the incredible creative photographers.
I felt so sad on reading this but all good things finally come to an end. It was truely fantastic while it lasted. I do hope that it will be once again up and running come 2014.
I will wait for 2014, I loved participating in this so much that even though I never won it but still entered enthusiastically :)
Have a happy week :)
I really enjoyed entering the contest. I didn't really care to ever win, I just like to show my shots. Life just got to be so busy that it would be the 2nd of the month and I was always missing the deadline. The work on your part was great but your personal time is your's now to enjoy. You deserve it.
I sent in photos for at least two years and had a lot of fun. But I stopped sending photos after the mailbox theme when a winner wasn't chosen. But thanks for running the contest for as long as your did. And I hope you keep blogging. I know I for one would miss everyone's blog visits and comments. And where would I put all those photos!
No worries! We still love ya! :-)
After an extended absence, long story but internet problems, I was sad to call by and read of your decision. Thankyou for running it in the past and hope to join in again when you revive it.
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