Cincinnati, OH | Have you ever had an experience that seemed so surreal that you wonder if it really happened? A couple weeks ago I got an email from a city-wide photo contest called Capture Cincinnati. The email stated that I had won some sort of prize for one of the photos I had entered a few months back. I knew that this contest was huge so I figured there was some sort of “Thanks for playing” prize for everyone who entered. Regardless, I blocked out the time and planned to go, just in case it was something real.
When I showed up my name was on a list and I was ushered to a special area with about 20-30 other people. I started to get an idea that something was more than I thought seemed when there was free food and drinks to those of us who were up there. When it came time for the award announcements I was starting to get a little nervous. Am I really winning something? Is this an episode of Punk’d? Did they accidentally send the email to me instead of Mason Teel?
The host began to read off the categories and explain how a person could win. There were 9 categories, a cover photo and a grand prize winner. Each of the categories had an editor’s choice and a people’s choice award. The people’s choice meant that you had been selected by the number of votes you received throughout the contest. She read off a few categories and then came Landmarks & Architecture. ”And this year’s People’s Choice in Landmarks & Architecture is Nathan Peel”. Wow.
1400 photographers, 25,000 photos and over 2.4 million votes and I was 1 of 20 photographers to win an award? That’s nuts!
And if that wasn’t surreal enough they had all the People’s Choice winners stick around for the book release to sign on their winning photo…seriously:) It is hard to believe that it actually happened and that I really signed a hundred or so people’s books. I have never had an experience like that I am guessing they will be few and far between.
Thanks to all of you who voted! I have 2 photos in the Cap Cincy 09 book and a couple more on the accompanying DVD. If you want to get it you can go to the Capture Cincinnati Website or local bookstores and purchase it.
Here are the pictures featured in the book:
Holy Cross Immaculata (page 122)
*winner of the People’s Choice in Landmarks & Architecture
Tickets to Heaven or Just the Fun Slide? (page 57)
This one is one the DVD (I haven’t watched it all the way through to see if there are any others):
Jaya (in the “Friendly Faces” section of the DVD)
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