Exciting Photography News!!!

Well, it's not time for a trip (yet... I'm leaving for Africa next month) but I wanted to share exciting photography news. 

I recently entered a photography and essay contest. There were over 10,000 entries from 44 countries including:

Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa,  Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, the U.K., U.S.A., and Vietnam.

 I was SO excited that I made the World's Top 50, where people from 17 countries were represented. Shortly after, I found out I had made the World's Top 10. The competition was so tough that the panel of 9 judges extended the deadline to reach a decision. Out of the Top 10, I was the only American. 

Well, tonight I attended a black tie gala. I sat at table 26 (which happens to be my lucky number).

I had NO idea until they called my name, but my minke whale photograph from Antarctica won FIRST PLACE!!! I am so unbelievably thankful for this opportunity. Wildlife photography means the world to me, and this just goes to show that hard work pays off.

Close up of my winning minke whale shot.

Below was my essay I submitted to the contest. 

"Sailing across the cool waters, I couldn’t help but smile and think to myself “I’ve done it. I’ve now been on every continent”. Just a few days earlier, I had made my first continental landing onto Antarctica. As someone who is passionate about protecting the environment, raising awareness about wildlife conservation, and as someone who doesn’t mind being totally remote, Antarctica exceeded my expectations in every way. This particular morning was a little chilly. I stood on the bow of the ship looking down at chunks of ice as we sailed along. I remember thinking to myself “It looks like someone threw buckets of ice into the ocean”. Then, our expedition leader announced it was time for an excursion to a gentoo penguin colony. I hurried back to my room, put on my penguin hat (which gave me the nickname “Gentoo Girl” with the crew), my several layers of clothing, thick insulated wool socks, and my chunky waterproof boots. I grabbed my camera gear and headed out. Upon landing at the penguin colony, I was hit with a horrible stench and a loud cacophony of honking penguins. When it was time to leave, we piled into the zodiacs. Before heading back to the boat, our guide made a detour for some photo opportunities because on this particular day, the water was smooth as glass. Surrounded by cascading mountains being perfectly reflected in the calm Antarctic waters, I was mesmerized. Our guide, an expert on whales, mentioned to our zodiac group of 8 that on the expedition prior to ours, he had seen a minke whale around this area. While he said there are no guarantees we’ll see it, he said that minke whales are creatures of habit and asked if we wanted to try to find it. Of course, we said yes. We were in the bay less than ten minutes when our guide got really excited and said, “I see it!” This gorgeous minke whale popped up, staring us directly in the eyes. The water was so clear you could see all the way down to its flukes (whale tail). I quickly fumbled with my camera, barely turning it on and setting up the shot with enough time to get a picture. By some miracle, the zodiac didn’t topple over as the eight of us frantically scrambled to snap pictures and by some miracle, this was the only photograph I got of the whale before it disappeared. Minke whales are curious creatures, but he only popped up once. By the time our guide had radioed the other zodiacs and the rest of the group came to the bay, the minke whale was nowhere in sight. We were the ones who had this once in a lifetime experience. When I think back on this moment, I’m amazed at the fact that this huge creature could have easily sent us flying into the cold Antarctic waters. Instead, this gentle giant was just as curious as we were. This minke whale."

I gave a short speech to a room full of 1,000 people...

Watch a short part of my speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKdm7bZf5cw

After I gave my speech, I was whisked away for a TV interview (here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK8KIDCl0gw)!! You can also find me in Chinese News USA (use google translate for the article) here: http://www.chinesenewsusa.com/news/show-19446.html

TV interview in the Westin Bonaventure California Ballroom foyer.

I was honored that I was in top 50, incredibly honored to have been chosen as the top 10, and I’m even more honored now. I’d like to thank my mom whose endless support motivates me to push myself. She carries my tripod when my camera gear is too heavy, she takes me to what I call the candy store (which is the camera store), and she always encourages me to follow my passions. As much as I appreciate this award and as grateful as I am for it, one of the greatest rewards is being able to share my passion for wildlife photography with others. I can only hope that my work sparks change, opening dialogues and encouraging current and future generations to think critically about our world and how desperately it needs to be protected. Take a moment to think about the importance of reducing our environmental impact. It’s so easy to be discouraged, thinking that one person cannot create change, but I’m here to tell you that we can spark change. We can help the planet and make sure our children see the natural world in all its beauty like I did here in Antarctica. Use reusable straws instead of plastic ones. Use reusable grocery bags instead of purchasing one-time use plastic. Turn off lights when you’re not using them. Recycle. There are so many little things we can and should be doing.

With all that said, I leave you with this...

Photo by Xun Chi

I think this trophy is as heavy as my lens!!

If you'd like a print of this image, choose from metal (my favorite), canvas, photo prints, or framed prints at: https://www.redbubble.com/people/elissatitle/works/31611700-minke-whale?p=metal-print&size=x_small&finish=gloss Scroll down to "Wall Prints" to select the size and material. 

Stay tuned for African adventures in July! As always, follow my instagram @elissatitle for more pics.