I received an email yesterday from the Bullock Museum in Austin. that was fairly important to me in my life as a photographer. I suppose the bottom line for a lot of us is that we want fame, to have our name posted somewhere in public next to our masterpiece(s). Going online and sharing is fine, but it’s not the same as having to pass work through a panel of judges going up against other photographers’ works as well and to have yours be selected. Yes, I have done photography for money, but the money part leaves me feeling numb…I simply don’t care for it that much and it actually ruins the experience as a creative one. A word of recognition or gratitude means much more than money. That’s my opinion.

Several weeks ago, I saw a call for entries to this:

https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/visit/exhibits/big-bend

I submitted a dozen photos and in the numbers of “likes” I was, as usual, putting in a dismal performance. It’s just that I don’t push myself “out there” too much on FB, Instagram, or whatever social media that exist. I’m not even on Instagram, honestly. (I lost a contest one time the theme of which was people on bicycles to two other finalists because the winner was determined by the number of FB “likes.” So much for judging. Mine was the best, simply that. I did not canvas for votes and I never will.)

So now, in spite of my few “likes,” I had a chance in this one since a panel of JUDGES actually looked at the 550 submissions and made their decisions on an informed and professional basis, not on how popular the photographer is.

This is the famous image:

It’s called Winter Storm over Chisos Mountains and the exhibition goes May 23 to June 19 at the Bullock Museum. It will be printed 8 x 12, mounted, matted and framed. I’ve emailed a request to send them a print I make myself. No answer yet and I have my doubts. I’d just like to be in control of the quality. However, they know their display conditions, so maybe I should just leave it up to them.

I suppose after dozens of long trips to Big Bend and back over the last 30 something years the law of probability would dictate that something was likely to happen based on the sheer amount of effort and the humongous numbers of negatives, transparencies and files created of the place. I’m glad it did happen and will go have a look at the exhibit that recognizes the wonders of this place I have loved.

Update:  We visited the museum this past weekend. Nice place. There were something like nine of us amateurs who had our work posted on a wall in a display entitled:  “Big Bend through Your Lens.” That display of the efforts of the tyros will be changed out monthly.