From Rejection to Triumph: How I Sold My First Print

When I was 19 years old, I never thought that a cheap camera could get my photos into a gallery (twice!), and on my 2nd attempt, my print would walk out of the door.

My First Entry

During a gap year spent obsessing over every shutter-click, I stumbled upon an art competition in my local visitor centre's art gallery, nestled in the heart of the New Forest National Park in England. The brief was simple: capture the soul of the forest. I was ready.

Up my sleeve was a vast collection of photos; from misty landscapes and glossy waterscapes, to beautiful woodland scenes and friendly British wildlife; I had them all. A minor hiccup though: I'd never professionally printed any of them before, and I was still perfecting my craft.

Still, armed with a cheap camera and a little bit of photography knowledge, I accepted the challenge and went down to my local print shop. Watching them bring my chosen photo to life on paper was so exciting. My shot of a New Forest pony "Zamias", that I caught in black and white, was printed beautifully and was neatly nestled in a black frame. I called the piece "New Forest Beauty".

I submitted it into the competition, and after a month of anticipation, I saw the email. My photo earned a spot in the gallery.

The Big Day

Because my print was accepted, I was invited to a special evening where the overall winner was announced; I couldn't wait to go. The room was packed full of fellow artists, staff and guests, and it was the first time I was able to see the other entries. From bold sculptures to delicate watercolours and framed landscapes; it wasn't a surprise that plenty of New Forest ponies stole the show.

When the winner was finally announced, it wasn't me, and I wasn't even disappointed. The top prize went to a massive, stunning oil painting of a Highland cow, another resident of The New Forest, and surprisingly not a pony! It caught my eye the moment I walked in; it must have taken days, if not weeks to complete. Truth be told; I wasn't disappointed I didn't win. I was happy that my work was even chosen to be displayed in the gallery alongside such talent, where it sat for over 2 months.

Most artists there had the choice to make their work available for sale during the exhibition; I took the plunge and put a price on my piece, but despite the competition's popularity, my pony print didn't find a new home, so I took it back after the event. Honestly, I'm completely fine with it; that was my first gallery showing, and I am still tremendously proud of it. 😊

Back to the Drawing Board

A year went by, and the competition popped up again. During this time, I had honed in on my photography talent and perfected my skills, which can be read on my other blog post "Sketchbook to Snapshots: How I Fell In Love With Photography". During this time, I upgraded my camera, entered another competition, joined a camera club, and learned new techniques from people I had met.

However, this year, I still chose to submit a photo taken with my older and cheaper camera, which I edited with recently-learned skills. When I volunteered to do a survey to help The New Forest National Park understand its different plant and insect species, I spotted it; tiny red flowers that stood out amongst a sea of grey grass. I snapped the photo, edited it, and called it "Simply Red".

Once again excited, I entered the competition again, and amazingly, I was invited back to their special evening.

Round Two

The room this year was laid out slightly differently, but the atmosphere was the same; budding people excited to see the results, with non-alcoholic wine in hands. I waited patiently, and the gallery once again fell silent as they announced the winner... Again, not me.

The top prize was an elegant watercolour landscape of the New Forest, with duller hues which resembled a cloudy day. Like the previous year, I didn't snag a runner up prize either, but I celebrated the winner's successes.

The Email

Before the winner was announced, and to see if it would sell yet again, I put a price on my photography piece. Two months rolled around very fast, and I had already settled with the idea that my work wasn't going to sell again. I prepared to pick up the print like last year, and that was when a very welcomed email landed in my inbox; "Simply Red" had sold! I was over the moon.

Winning would have been lovely, but knowing that someone valued my work enough to buy it felt even better. It really gave me a confidence boost, and I felt like I had achieved something really special. 😊

Life-Lessons

Entering the competition brought home a few life-lessons;

• Validation comes in many different forms. A prize would have been nice, but someone buying my work meant so much more to me; I still wonder where it hangs to this day.
• Perseverance pays off. Sometimes it takes time to grow and you don't always get it in the first try. Even if you don't win, every attempt helps to grow your skillset.
• It's okay if you don't win. My first print, along with a copy of the one that sold, hangs in my parents house to this day. Art finds its home eventually; sometimes immediately, sometimes later.

These lessons, along with many others, are the reasons why I'll never stop hitting that shutter button. With every photography outing, and with every mouse click on my editing software, my technique improves. I adore what I do, and even when I'm shooting in questionable conditions (like minus temperatures or on a windy day), I know photography will stay with me forever.

If you'd like to see more, you can explore other Blogs, follow me on my Socials, or pop over to my Shop. Have a lovely day! 😊

- Emma ❤️