January Photo Contest!

Hi everyone, this is just a reminder that we are still accepting entries for our January photo contest. This month, anyone is eligible to enter. The winner will receive a Canon Rebel camera kit.

It’s easy to enter, just email a self-portrait of yourself to us so we can show case your talent on our blog for all of our viewers to see and you just might be this month’s winner!
email us at: info@valwestoverphotography.com


This photo is from Jimmy, age 13


The next 2 photos are from Michael, age 11


This photo is from Tommy, age 8




Hello,

I am so excited to hear that you are having a photo contest! I love photography so so so much and it has always been a strong passion of mine. I would love to eventually get paid for it and I love looking at your site/blog and learning from your incredible talent. My family, the LeSueur's, love your work as well and your photos are all over my parent's home.

If I understood it correctly; you are looking for self-portraits. I have been looking through my photos for hours now and I just need to decide, so I hope I have what you are looking for. I have attached the following photos:

1) my husband did this self-portrait of himself just when the sun was hitting the blinds through the window perfectly. i decided to edit the photo to sharpen the lines and bring in the yellow-like-the-sun color.

2) my self portrait was taken at the top of a black diamond run at snowbird, utah. just me and my snowboard...thanks to a pole and my camera timer...i got this shot. this was my identity through my college years in utah. :)

3) i threw in this one just for fun. it is a silhouette shot of my husband jon at utah lake.

I know the next step to taking even more amazing pictures is getting the right camera. I have wanted the rebel for quite some time now...it is my dream camera! It has been number one on my list for a while, but rent always gets in the way!!! You would make me the happiest aspiring photographer ever if I won the contest! Thanks for the opportunity.

here is my photography blog for more of my pictures:
http://photomylove-jill.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much!!!! Have a great day!!!






Here is a photo of my son Braden and our dog Murphy. Murphy died unexpectedly a few days after I took this photo so it has special meaning to my son. I think it really shows the tenderness and love of a boy for his dog.


Hi Val –

Here is our attempt at a family self-portrait. We took 87 pictures (no joke!) using the remote shutter release to get one that had almost everyone looking toward the camera. It’s much easier, and it turns out much better when you do it!! Please come to Oregon and do a real photo shoot for us! Maybe on your next trip to Montana?

Cheers,
Benny, Julie & Cammi Benson
Sisters, Oregon



Shelby sends us these photos of her daughter.
Here are some pictures of my daughter Ella taken at the beach.
Ella is 4 years old.




This Self Portrait was sent to us by Celena!
Thank you Celena, your baby is on the fast track of becoming a very talented photographer!





This Self Portrait was sent to us by Tracy, and this is her story!

I couldnt resist entering the contest, as the prize was something I could REALLY use, as my camera is now bieng literally held together by duct tape due to a fall caused by a faulty camera strap. (and because I love a good photo challenge) But I really did not want to get in front of the camera. As I agonized over this with my husband, he said 'Why don't you take that scar picture youve been talking about for years. Thats a self portrait isnt it?' And it got me thinking.


When I was 12 or 13 ( I just remember that it was middle school) I started cutting myself. I dont know really how it got started. I dont even remember the first time. But it continued, and got progressivly worse, to the point that after my senior year, I was hospitalized. I'd like to say that the hospital helped me, and I quit, but thats not true. While my time in the hospital was important, I got worse still. I cut once that was so deep it gaped open about an inch, but I refused to go to the ER for stitches because I knew that they would put me away again, and I had a job and my own apartment and was too selfish because of what a hospitalization would do to those. That scar is my biggest one. Shortly after that I met my husband, who unlike my previous boyfriends, did not put me down for it. He stayed with me through the good and the bad, and the awful. Its been 4 years since I cut reguarly. I've had a few set backs, and I still get 'the itch' and thats hard to ignore. But with the love of my husband and my daughter I get by.

This photo was really hard to take (and not just because I kept knocking the tripod over and having the camera fall on my head :-)
These scars are a part of me that I dont nessacarly share. For my friends and family, its just kinda common knowledge, and its not really discussed. New friends figure it out over time. But there are people that catch a glimpse, and stare at me. I've lost potential jobs because a possible employer has seen one poking from out of my sleeve, and quickly ended the interview. I was fired from one job because the new manager said because they are self inflicted, they count as tattoos and they had a no tattoo policy. But I have an attachment to them. They are a part of me, and they remind me of where I have been. Sometimes we talk about getting them removed if I can hit 2 years of no cutting (no setbacks) and I want that. But then I feel like that would be erasing part of the past. Its very bitter sweet.

So this is very much a self portrait. Whether or not I like it, this is who I am and unfortunatly these scars define me. Thats not all I am, but thats my 'outside'. If I dont get to win that camera, Im still glad that you gave the push that I needed to get this done. And even though it was hard to do this, and show them like this, it was/is rather thereaputic.

Im sure you really just wanted the photo, and not some huge long novel to go with it. But thats not the kinda photo that I can just hand over, and not explain. And thats kinda just me. I'm an 'explainer' :-)

Thanks,
Tracy

Ps the word art on the photo is from the Papa Roach song "Scars" its a great song!

PPS! As I went over to the blog to grab your email, I noticed that you have a link to Andreas Closet!!! Thats SO AWESOME of you!!! Thanks so much!