I’ve seen a fair amount of debate on WordPress about the pros and cons of entering photography competitions.  To be fair, it seems to me the majority of posts have been anti.  The fear of being judged and found wanting, being a big motivator not to enter.  I’ve always been of the opinion that it’s worth giving an entry a go.  I’m not a fan of paid entry competitions, I believe these to be money making machines for the organisers but there are a great many free to enter competitions out there.  One of them that I entered last year was Weather Photographer of the Year.  I was lucky enough to take first place with the picture below.  The reason I’m posting it again now is I’m a judge on this years panel and having gone through 3,500 plus photographs, I was only able to choose 30 pictures.

I’ve seen so much better from the photographers on WordPress I follow, and those that I don’t, as I simply don’t have time to follow everyone, so my advice is enter!!.  Enter!! Enter!!  It’s worth it I assure you.  Enter and forget about it, you might just get that email which is what happened to me.  I couldn’t even remember the picture I’d entered.  The photography in this community that I’ve had the privilege of being a part of for the last 4, nearly 5 years is of an incredibly high standard.  I’m just passing on my knowledge of viewing a huge number of pictures recently.

We’ll be going through the shortlist on Friday,  I’ve approached the judging firmly as a photographer and looked for photographs I wished I’d taken.  I set myself such incredibly high standards and lately I haven’t been able to travel to take the pictures I’d want to post here.  I hope my back catelegue stands testament to that.  I’m very much looking forward to Friday and seeing what the other judges have brought to the the judging.  As well as photographers, the Chief Executive of the Royal Photographic Society for one, there’ll be meteorologists and a TV weatherman, who’ll no doubt have their own individual take on things.

The picture below shows a blizzard approaching a small seaside settlement AND me of course.  Driving became extremely difficult when, having got out of the 4×4 to take the picture, the blizzard hit within a few minutes and created complete white out for us.  I was quickly to learn why Icelandic roads have yellow markers every 25 yards to help you on your way.