Competition Confessions

Sweet fourteen year old Lucy, coming to see why I'm on the ground. 🥰

It’s competition season, and that always stirs up a swirl of emotions for me. If you’re part of the pet photography world, you probably know what I’m talking about: the International Pet Photography Awards. And if you’re not in that circle, well, now you know - it’s all right there in the name. 😆

The photographers who enter this competition are supremely talented. Their images are often captured in jaw-dropping locations, under dramatic light, with the most perfect dogs to complement their vision. And when they break away from that “standard” formula? They're wildly creative in ways that make you stop, stare, and feel something. And make you question, “How did they come UP with that idea??” I admire that deeply; I study it, swoon over it, and cheer loudly for my friends.

And then… the self-doubt. I can’t help but feel like I can’t compete.

Now, before anyone starts jumping in to shower me with praise and accolades - please just don’t. This isn’t a fishing-for-compliments post. I know my strengths. I’m confident that I can take beautiful, personality-filled dog portraits, often with a creative or humorous twist. 😉 This post is about being vulnerable. About pulling back the curtain on the behind-the-scenes self-doubt that creeps in, even when I know better. Because competition season makes me a little crazy - and a lot introspective.

Right now I’m knee-deep in the "which images should I submit?" phase. I’m questioning every choice and scrutinizing every detail, wondering how each image will stand up in a sea of exceptional work.

I keep circling around the same inner monologue:

• Am I drawn to these photos just because I took them?? Because Queso and Churro are featured in some of them? (Mama goggles, anyone?) Or are they actually good images, with immediate IMPACT that will resonate beyond my own bias?

• I tell other photographers all. the. time: “You’re not competing with anyone but yourself.” And yet, here I am, forgetting that truth. (Darn it. 🫤)

• Each entry gets written feedback from judges who are legends in the dog photography world, and I keep reminding myself THAT is why I’m entering – to hear how I can improve and grow.

• I’m not expecting to win anything. Truly. That’s not the point. See above. (Although… one of my images was a category finalist last year. 🤭)

• I’m also working towards the next level of accreditation, so any positive points are a move in the right direction. I earned the first tier last year, and while it would take a miracle to achieve the next level, the math says it’s technically possible. (But, let’s be real: it would require my top ten submitted images to all score gold, and I’ve never earned a gold before. So… yeah. Unlikely. But not impossible. 😜)

• Most importantly: I’m reflecting hard on how to push my photography to the next level - with the tools, locations, and dogs I already have access to.

The images are due next week. Results will be released in September.

So for the next week, I’ll be over here adjusting pixels, tweaking crops, agonizing over color tones, questioning my lens choices, and whispering little pep talks to my desktop. This process is hard. And it’s good. And it matters, even if no one sees the behind-the-scenes struggle.

Once I submit, it’s out of my hands.

And then… I’ll start wringing them. Wondering what the judges will say. Watching the calendar. Waiting. For the entire summer. 😂 

Thanks for reading my crazy. If you’ve been here too - doubting, tweaking, overthinking - I see you. Drop a 🐶 or 🙋‍♀️ in the comments so I know I’m not alone. 🐾

Ginger Wick Photography is an award winning dog photographer specializing in creating beautiful custom artwork of dogs & their people. Based in Parker, CO serving the Denver area.