Ashanali

Just got sms - didn't win the grand award but who cares!?! I WON THE CATEGORY!! :laugh:

still waiting... OMG SO NOT WAITING!!!! OMG OMG OMG I am shaking I WON! I WON THE CATEGORY!!!!! I'm now up for the grand award against three other albums. Holy crap! O M F G

Sorry for your loss

still waiting...

Still waiting... apparently it will be around three pm or so. There are two tables of Aussies ready to give me results. Someone is apparently going to call so I can hear the announcement and someone else is recording for me. OMG I am so nervous. I wasn't expecting a placing at all so I really am thrilled to just get this far but how amazing would it be to actually win? This whole experience is mind blowing!

still another 1 hour and 45 minutes until the awards START. They run for two hours. ARGH! This is a loooooong wait.

also make sure you get your lense checked (if it was on the camera)

yep. check your insurance.

Yep. I'm paying fines via sper. They take $20 a fortnight on arrangement. It means I can drive! How does someone take the moral highground when she has no morals (leaving one dog to die in a pound. Terrible.)

I think the whole of Australia will hear the squeal of excitement

yes Canon 100mm 2.8 macro. I used it. I loved it. I want to stroke it and pet it and call it George. I haven't edited the photos yet but OMG it's incredible the difference a decent macro makes.

I will be informing all the kids and parents after I know the results. I have a feeling they will all be stoked too

and we need photos

YAY YAY YAY!!! GO FRANKIE! I was wondering how he was going. Well done

I actually said to Alex yesterday, "Thank you for being so supportive and letting me have this little moment". He answered with, "Aw baby, I'm so proud of you and I want everyone to know how awesome you are... but honestly, if I entered and didn't do well, I'd likely be a little p!$$ed off by now." ahhh, brutal honesty.

For those who aren't on my facebook, there is something HUGE happening here. At the start of the year I sent off entries to the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) awards in Las Vegas. These awards are sort of like the academy awards for professional wedding and portrait photographers. I had never entered before but a photographer friend in Melbourne had been pushing me to enter one particular album... so I decided that if I'm going to enter, I might as well throw in two. Well, the album that I was pushed to enter scored around 80 (a silver) and I was thrilled with that. But then a contact in America sent me a message via facebook that simply said, "I think I had the results from your second album, you need to call me." Now people don't want you to call if you've done badly or even just something average. I jumped out of bed and ran straight to the phone to call. Sally (my friend) had watched the entire category for judging and missed one album being judged when she went to the ladies... and it happened to be my album. HOWEVER, when she returned, the person sitting next to her said, "You just missed the most amazing album, it was all these school kids and there was a dunce and a tecaher's pet and a class clown and it was so well done." Sally said, "Oh! That sounds like my friend's album. What did is score?" Other person replied, "94 points". That is 94 points out of 100. That is a gold award. Not only that, it was THE. HIGHEST. SCORE. for the category. I had people telling me I had to jump on a plane to get over there for the awards, I even had another photographer offer to pay my trip telling me it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I've had messages from people who I consider 'gods' of photography congratulating me on the images. I have had messages coming thick and fast from people in the US telling me that the judging has been extra tough this year and most people haven't seen anything score over 91 so if I got 94 it's INCREDIBLE. However, even though it scored so high, I still don't know if I have won. This is what I'm nervously waiting for. The judges take the three entries with the highest scores and they rejudge them from zero. So I don't find out if I've won until the awards are actually handed out (lunchtime tomorrow, Brisbane time). My friend is going to the awards so I'm going to ask her to take video for me. If I win, I want to hear them call my name ROLL ON LUNCHTIME TOMORROW I'm keeping everything crossed here. I'm so nervous and also very excited. Some of the photos that are included in the album can be seen here http://www.flickr.com/photos/savvystudios/...57621936962967/ The album layout isn't online. I want to wait until after the awards before I post that. I have a terrible fear of jinxing myself. So if dolers can send some winning vibes for me to Las Vegas, that would be sweet :)

I like. BUT if you brushed back one of the layers over the railing at the left of the image it would be perfect.

I'll facebook Sally and ask her to come back and update.

Here's an iphone photo taken using the hipstamatic application (it crops everything square automatically)

The idea is to shoot and compose the photo thinking about how you will crop it. The crop either has to be a ratio of 1:1 (eg 10cm x 10cm ) or 1:2 (eg. 10cm x 20cm) Give it a go

some great submissions in here

I know... I better empty some.

I want one but not in a hurry to go out and get one.

Mollie is the mum, Mischa is the pup.

Sometimes mum can make them too hot but bub wanders away and finds it too cold. Try a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel. Pup may prefer to cuddle up to that between feeds. (It gets easier when their eyes open and can see exactly what they want. )