Someday I’ll learn
Welcome back!
You’d think I’d have learned my lesson by now. Think again.
About three or four weeks ago I found and entered an online photo contest. Two of the things required on the entry form are your email address and your street address. If you don’t provide these items, you’re not going to enter the contest. Since I wanted a shot at the prize money, I coughed up the info they wanted and sent in the photo I liked so much without creating a “throw-away” email address.
Imagine how excited I was a week or so later when I received an email from them announcing that my photo was a semi-finalist and was being advanced to the finals where it could win one of “over 114 monthly cash or gift prizes”, and the chance at the annual prize of $10,000. The email went on to explain that my photo was going to be included in their book which is a compilation of their best photo entries.
About the time I got the third copy of that email (and one hardcopy I received via snail-mail) the excitement had really quieted down. I began paying attention to little details and doing a little math. They claim this book where they want to publish my photo (and sell me a copy of said book for $75, by the way) is 250 pages. According to the photo of the book (how they came up with a photo of an unpublished book is another story) there are 6 photos per page. Now, 250 pages times 6 photos per page is 1500 photos.
Assuming the book is a compilation of a year’s worth of entries, that means they’re selecting (1500/12=) 125 photos from every month. Remember when they said there were “over 114 monthly cash or gift prizes”?
Guess what?
Obviously, I cannot say for certain, but it’s a safe bet that everyone who enters a photo in their monthly contest receives the notice that they’ve been “selected” as a semi-finalist with the “honor” of being incliuded in their book “in celebration of your unique talent”. Give me a break. First off, you cannot look at ONE picture and find reason to “celebrate” someone’s “unique talent”. How can you tell from ONE picture if it was talent or just a lucky shot? Secondly, if you’re giving the same “honor” to everyone who enters, then you have removed anything special from the act.
Since I’m already on their mailing list and I’ve already decided that any further emails from these people will be filed in the same place I keep ads for online car insurance and “male enhancement” products, I’m thinking of finding (or taking) the crapiest, most out of focus, no-point-whatsoever, a-vision-impaired-two-year-old-could-do-better-style picture and submitting that in next month’s contest to see if they rave about that as much as they did my photo of a flower I happened to be walking past.
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I really liked that picture of the flower. You get better at photography every time you take a picture. I love your pictures!!
I think that is a great idea and at least you will have a good laugh when they tell you you’re a finalist. Go for it and let us know what happens!