Second Place win for BetterPhoto's February 2010 Contest!

3/28/2010 Photographer Jodi M. Walsh of Pittsburgh, PA, has won Second Place for February in the prestigious photography contest sponsored by BetterPhoto.com, the site's founder, Jim Miotke, announced Sunday.

More than 17100 entries were submitted to the online photography contest, which attracted contestants from around the world and featured 10 separate categories.

Walsh's stunning image, "Dive", garnered top honors after being submitted in the Animals category.

All of the winning images can be viewed at BetterPhoto.com's contest page: http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/winners/1002.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

February BetterPhoto Finalists!

That's right, 2 of my photos were selected to be finalists in the BetterPhoto monthly photo contest! It's been quite a dry spell for me. I haven't entered a lot and haven't won since September so I was thrilled to get these emails this morning. Both of these images were taken at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium last year.


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Congratulations! You have placed as a finalist in this month's BetterPhoto Contest! Over 17200 photos were entered into the competition; it is an honor to have your image selected among the top 884 finalist photos.



Your finalist photo: Portrait of a Bear (#9771904)



Your finalist photo: Dive (#9778257)

My Story: Entry for Amy Wenzel Workshop Giveaway

I have art in my genes but I haven't always known how to express it. My grandfather worked as a butcher but would draw and paint as a hobby. There were oil paintings and a mural in my grandparents' house - painted by him and forever etched in my memory. He died before I was born and those paintings are the only connection that I have to him. My dad, recently retired, worked full-time at a steel mill and also full-time as an artist. He paints the most beautiful and detailed wildlife scenes.

It was my dad and stepmother, both avid photographers, who got me my first "real" camera and introduced me to photography. In college, they bought me another "real" camera, this time an SLR, and I began trying to understand f-stops and shutter speeds. I absolutely loved it but it wouldn't be until grad school that I was able to take my first photography class. I loved the dark room and the almost magical way my images would appear on the paper - not always exactly as I wanted but pretty close to my vision. At this time I was also working at a preschool taking care of 2 and 3 year olds. I would use my camera to try and capture them being kids, in their world, without having to say cheese and look at the camera. This became my artistic voice.

Shortly after I finished grad school, I had my first child and also got my first digital camera. It was wonderful. I could record every inch of my little angel and as a good mother, I dutifully did. Baby number 2 came along 14 months later and I continued to take pictures. I hated the studio portraits and started working harder at improving my own pictures. I upgraded my camera and then began to develop a portfolio. My friends and family really enjoyed my work and a business grew.

My stepmother managed my dad's art business for years and provided a lot of guidance for my photography business as well as critique and encouragement with my photos. In September of 2008 she was diagnosed with cancer and our world fell apart. She began getting treatment and responding well to it and life began to go on. I would call her during the day and email her photos and ask her business questions. She was excited for me and I loved having someone to share this with. My business grew and my confidence increased and her treatment progressed. We would eagerly await photo contest results and each visit I would bring photos to share with her.

In October of 2009 she lost her battle. I was devastated and continue to grieve to this day but my business keeps going. I know she would never have wanted me to give it up. I want to continue to improve, to be able to create images that not only record a moment but take your breath away. I especially want to help families with similar battles preserve the little moments of joy that they find. In January, I was contacted by a woman whose son has cancer. He's just a boy but is fighting so hard and in the midst of his fight, he wanted to set up a foundation to provide portraits to families who are suffering through this too. I signed up right away to help.

I would love the opportunity to attend this workshop and to develop my abilities further. Thank you to iheartfaces and Amy Wenzel for this opportunity, not only participate in this contest, but to share my story.

West End Overlook

My last session for February was a family portrait session downtown and in the snow! This was my first time actually trying to do portraits in several inches of snow and while snow was falling. Definitely a bit trickier than I had expected but I had a great family to work with and they were such good sports about being in the cold. They even got some great shots with the Pittsburgh skyline as an amazing backdrop.

Lessons learned- snow falling from the sky really drives the auto focus crazy. And it takes a long time to clone snowflakes off of black clothing :-)

Thank you K Family for being such great sports about it and now you have some portraits that not only showcase your family but also document the crazy snowfall of February 2010!

Happy Birthday Little Miss E!

Another happy 1 year old little girl! It's been so much fun to see so many cuties in the midst of all this snow. It's helped to put a smile on my face for sure.

This little girl belongs to a friend of mine from high school. She's been following my photography for a while and decided to make the trek from Delaware (through the crazy snow) to western PA to get some photos. She was also back to visit her family too :-). Since outside photos were out of the question, I convinced my mom to let me take over a room in her house and turned it into a make shift studio for the afternoon. It was quite an adventure but I still managed to get some shots. And Miss E was a little angel in her spring dresses even as the snow was falling outside the window.

Thank you so much Karen for coming all this way and Happy Birthday again Little Miss! I hope to see you both when the weather warms up!