All I Want for Christmas is... A New Life!

All I Want for Christmas is... A New Life!, originally uploaded by Jeff Sullivan (pls see msg in profile!).

Outdoor/adventure photography is a challenging field. You're only as good as the depth of your portfolio and the compelling nature of your latest images. Those of you I've interacted with know that I don't ask for much... I prefer to contribute rather than ask, but this is important enough that I'm going to ask a huge personal favor. If you've enjoyed my images (or like what you see in my Flickr photostream and Favorites set if you've never seen my work before), please consider taking a moment to giving me the holiday gift of a vote... to send me on 8 adventure travel trips so I can build my portfolio as a travel/adventure photographer:
http://www.blogyourwayaroundtheworld.com/blogs/view/1238

For many years I've admired adventure photographers such as Galen Rowell, and this is an excellent opportunity to follow in his footsteps. Winning this contest will be expensive (the winner must cover thousands of dollars in travel expenses), but such an opportunity could make my photography career, so it will be a worthwhile investment.

The site requires registration, but they won't spam you. Winning this contest could literally be a life-changing event for me. Thanks in advance for your consideration and support!

Happy Holidays!

Jeff Sullivan

Photo of the Day on National Geographic Adventure

Ocean View Dining, originally uploaded by Jeff Sullivan (www.MyPhotoGuides.com).

Check it out!

http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2009/01/daily-catch/adventure-photography

My photo of Horsetail Falls backlit at sunset appears 11 photos earlier in their lineup!

By the way, beware of the main National Geographic reader photo contests... read the terms carefully to understand what rights you may be giving away. They seem to allow people to download the winning images, which pretty much kills any commercial value that the image might have had for you in the future. In fact, by giving National Geographic a steady stream of free photographs, user submissions contribute to the death of a viable market for nature photographers. National Geographic used to be the one everyone always used to want to work for, now their practices may help put emerging professional nature photographers out of business?

"Photo of the Day" on MyParkPhotos.com!

On my recent Fall 2007 Western States trip I didn't have a lot of time to edit or upload photos, but one shot that I did upload to MyParkPhotos.com did win "Photo of the Day"!

Since MyParkPhotos features high quality photos from national and state parks, it is one of my favorite resources that enables me to preview places that I'm going to visit. I can see what kinds of views I'll have, and it can help me decide which ones to visit during the critical hours of best morning and evening light. In addition to photos that can be viewed by property, there are often site tips posted by other photographers, and their sharing of their experiences can make me more productive when I arrive.

Here are some other shots of mine that have been honored on MyParkPhotos in recent months:

"Photo of the Year"!

A few moments ago I was building my "Places Visited" links in the right margin of this blog, and as I entered the very last link to my Zion National Park, I saw my "Delicate Veil" shot with an extra award under it: "POTY" - Photo Of The Year!

It's one of only two shots that I have on my own wall at the moment printed at 20" x 30" size, and as good as the online thumbnail or file may look, with the way the light is distributed and with its blend of geometric elegance with natural lines and texture, it seems to look better the bigger I print it. More than the photo, though, the site is unreachable by most people, so although it's in a busy area of Zion National Park, when you get into the small 8 foot round alcove that this 12' waterfall has carved out, you're in an entirely isolated environment, a coccoon of rock and thunderous sound, a private cathedral dedicated to you and your thoughts.

The award doesn't involve a large cash or equipment prize, a book and free site membership (for life!), but the site is populated by many creative, talented, and dedicated photographers, and it's an honor to have my work recognized alongside theirs.

Coincidentally though I was wondering if I would be able to renew my paid membership next month. It may be the best site on the Internet to find quality examples of the shots that I can aspire to find as I visit new places, but without any income, I was thinking of getting on the road again and vacating my apartment to save money. For the second time in a couple of months photography site membership dues have been taken care of, right when I needed to renew. Fate, destiny, divine providence, or just dumb luck, it's one whopper of a coincidence. Perhaps the forces calling me to get on the road are all part of that big picture. I can afford to indulge in hope for at least another month and see where that path leads.

"Active Sole" Blog Nominated for Award!

If you enjoy this site, please follow this link to vote for it! (The site asks for registration and sends a confirmation email to reduce voting fraud. I've received no additional emails and no spam since registering.) Nominees are featured on CoolPhotoBlogs.com, which also helps this site show up in search engine rankings. Thank you for your support!

Second Place: Travel & Place Category of the BetterPhoto Photo contest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/29/2007 Photographer Jeff Sullivan of Granite Bay, CA, has won Second Place for July in the prestigious photography contest sponsored by BetterPhoto.com, the site's founder, Jim Miotke, announced Wednesday.

More than 31100 entries were submitted to the online photography contest, which attracted contestants from around the world and featured 10 separate categories.

Sullivan's stunning image, "Morning Lights", garnered top honors after being submitted in the Travel & Place category.

All of the winning images can be viewed at BetterPhoto.com's contest page: http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/winners/0707.asp

The contest is conducted each month. Categories include Nature and Landscapes, Animals, People, Elements of Design, Digital Darkroom, Travel and Place, Flowers, Details and Macro, Catch-All, and Monthly Theme. Judging is performed by a panel of professional photographers.

Besides its free, popular photo contest, BetterPhoto.com also offers a variety of services: digital camera reviews, online photo courses, free newsletters, a discussion forum, Web sites for photographers, question-and-answer section, how-to articles, photo galleries, and more.

Photographers can enter this month's contest and learn more about photography at: www.BetterPhoto.com