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Daily Prompt: Audience of One

WordPress Daily Prompt:  Audience of One:  Picture the one person in the world you really wish were reading your blog. Write her or him a letter.

I’m going to take liberty and change the letter to someone who wants to participate in my challenge but is too afraid.

___________________________________________________

Dear Reader,

I’ve seen you sneak a peek at photography blogs and even caught you looking at my challenges once or twice.  I get a feeling you want to play along and add one of your own photos.  But you are too afraid.  Those voices in your head are saying little phrases like, you are not good enough, you only have a cell phone, your camera is too old, you are not a photographer, you have no creativity, you don’t have an eye for photography.  And then you hear other voices asking what if they hate my photo, what if I do it wrong, what if my photos are not worth showing, what if I am just not good.

First challenge I ever entered. It wasn't a challenge for a prize, more like an exercise. The task was to take a macro in your backyard (or outside). This is what I came up with. This was back in 2009.

First challenge I ever entered. It wasn’t a challenge for a prize, more like an exercise. The task was to take a macro in your backyard (or outside). This is what I came up with. This was back in 2009.

After hearing all that negativity, I can’t blame you for not wanting to read my blog or play in my challenges.  What a daunting task.  I used to hear all those things in my own head.  I was so overwhelmed many years ago when I entered my first challenge.  It took me forever to chose a photo and then even longer to press enter.  It was a challenge on a photography community site.  How very daunting was that.  The next time, several weeks later, it was easier.  Now you see me running the challenges and having fun.  I have tons of fun reading other photographers blogs and playing in their challenges.  I think I have turned out to be a fairly good photographer in the process.

I am here to tell you that you are creative.  It doesn’t matter what kind of camera you use.  Photography is something that can grow with you.  Your photographic eye is yours and no one can ever take it away from you.  You get better with practice.  You gain confidence with practice.  You learn what you like and don’t like by looking at other people photography.  For me, I’m not a landscape or wide angle person.  It just isn’t my thing.  However, once I discovered macros and flowers I got hooked.  That is where I started.

Be gentle with yourself and have fun.  I won’t ever tell you that you are unworthy of being in one of my challenges and that your photos are bad.  We all started somewhere and I adore seeing people find their niche in photography.  It’s fun to watch people grow and learn and become more aware of themselves and become confident.

I invite you to actually look at my photography and join in one of my challenges.  After the initial “awe” at looking at my photos and the photos of other photographer and the “fear” of playing along, you just might have some fun along the way.

I really hope to see you soon.

Qi (energy) hugs

Cee

 

57 replies »

  3. It wasn’t that long ago that I entered my first challenge. I was sure everyone was going to laugh at me. You were and are wonderful. Supportive, encouraging, intelligent. And you recognize that baseline critical thing — that it’s the photographer, not the camera. True, a good camera helps, but if you look and you see, you already have 95% of what you need.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. This is a beautiful letter Cee! Thanks to you for bringing out so many challenges and helping us push back our fear and have fun with your challenges.

    Like

  6. Love your letter Cee. Encouraging and inspiring. Your photography has come a long way from that first picture you entered in a challenge.

    Like

  9. Your challenges are a riot and very enjoyable. The only reason I don’t do them more is just a limit to my time and energy. But I enjoy seeing what you put out there and how others respond!

    Nancy

    Like

  10. I think this letter was written just to me when I was starting out on my blog. Thank you for your inspiration and contact encouragement. Dave

    Like

  11. I would like to add that Cee is a warm, friendly, understanding, inspiring, motivating, helpful… (I can go on and on) person. And you will have a lot of fun like many of us do. 😉 Helen

    Like

  17. Beautiful. You are a wonderful person Cee. Thank you for helping expand my horizons, try new things, look at things with your challenges in mind! ❤ ❤

    Like

  19. I felt you were writing directly to me… I have been spying your challenges, read some of your posts and tried to select one pic to participate with you, but honestly, I don´t quite understand the order of your blog and challenges… I am never sure if am reading a new invite or reblogs of past entires… I might some day do it, I promise!!

    Like

    • The title will always have he current topic for the challenges that are topic related. I do “features” (reblog) of posts from the previous week’s challenge. That way I can acknowledge people’s photography and participation.

      I hope you do play along one day. I’d be thrilled to have you join along.

      Like

  22. I would love to join in the photography challenges. I began with photography some years ago mainly in Multiply where a professional photographer would teach us stuff. I love taking photos but I also like writing. I belonged to two photo groups in Multiply, also created by two good professional photographers in Facdebook that migrated there when Multiply collapsed. I still belong to a group in blogger which posts weekly. I have a look around in WordPress and am strongly tempted, but the day does not have enough hours. I am very much into writing, have a household and love reading. I have over ten thousand photos in flickr, my online place and continue to take photos wherever I go. I am not worried about joining a photography group because of the photos, but more worried about being to post regularly and being fair to all.

    Like

  23. It is so inspiring to read your letter Cee. You actually took the attention away from the cameras and brought the eye in light. I enjoy all your challenges and can see myself improving each day 🙂

    Like

  28. Pingback: State of Your Year: One Word Fabulous | Cee's Photography

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