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I'm Gonna Burn It Down I love Trent Nelson's take on contests. They are such a double-edged sword. You win: You feel validated. Your bosses and publications are happy. Your resume gets padded with a few extra lines. You lose: You take it personally. You feel like your best is not good enough. Your ego gets deflated. Or maybe that's just me. A few days ago, I heard about the kid in Scotland that said he was going to burn his bridges to publicly protest the contest because of the low blow the judges made -- and I've been trying to decide what to do with it -- how to feel about it. They decided not to award places in a category he entered because the said the entries were not good enough. I hate that. It's a contest. You judge it on the photos entered, it's a benchmark standard for the current year. So, in protest, he's going to the extreme. But I understand. It's like nature. How land actually needs to burn every once and a while in order to start anew, regenerate growth, preserve the integrity of the land for future generations. Like I said, I understand. There's a certain refreshment in starting over. Not relying on the past to get to the future. Staying in the present. Judging your worth buy what you do today. The zen of photojournalism, if you will. And as Trent's post reminded me: Invest your emotion into your work, not into contest wins. Contests are not science. The results are subjective and unpredictable. If you work hard and stay focused on your art, then recognition will come. Food for thought. So get a buffet plate. 
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