I'm A Winner!

We had to go up to the farm show grounds today to pick up our animals and pick up my photo contest entries. I am proud to say that one of my photos took second place. That photo is:

Pretty cute, huh?

That's my Maggie May with her cousin Olivia. They were playing in Nana's dressing room. Ok, it was a totally posed shot - we had a photo shoot because Nana redecorated her bedroom and we decided that pictures of the girls playing dress up in her dressing room would be cute.

So, let me tell you the difficulty of this shot. First, the room is kind of narrow and the lighting is just so-so. The biggest challenge is that there is a huge wall to wall mirror above the vanity which, if not careful, the photographer finds herself reflected in. Plus, the mirror also reflects the big brothers playing in the bedroom outside the dressing room - angry because they are not allowed to play dress up too. Not that they would want to play dress-up, but because they have been specifically told they cannot play dress up, they are angry and want to. Oh, and the photographer also had to deal with Olivia's mom's feet (my sister, Katie)- she was sitting outside the dressing room with her bright fuchsia colored slippered feet resting on the ottoman. Those feet popped into every picture!

This shot is actually one taken in the mirror - I would have never been able to get their faces due to the narrow space of the vanity, so I just shot straight into the mirror. Good thing my mom is a very clean lady and the mirror was streak free.

I used some of my favorite actions to blur the background because of the above mentioned feet, but erased the blur somewhat on the girls. Very cute, don't you think.

Personally, I believe I should have won first place, but what do I know? The first place winner was really cute too, (a little boy and a little girl- possibly siblings - walking down a tree lined cobblestone street holding hands) but seriously, shouldn't these adorable pixies have won?

My prize you ask? Well, I now am in possession of an adorable red ribbon: it is 3 inches long by 1 inch wide.

And . . . I won some money. THREE WHOLE DOLLARS!!

I know, I know, don't spend it all in one place. I'll try to contain myself. I'm sure the bank teller will have to hold the check for a few days to make sure the check clears.

I don't do it for the money - I do it for the fame!!

Ha!