Sometimes the universe surprises you in the most beautiful ways. This week, I opened my email to find news that still feels surreal – two of my photographs have been nominated for the People’s Vote Award in the reFocus Color Photography Contest.
The Journey to This Moment
Photography has always been my way of capturing the quiet moments that speak loudest. Whether I’m halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I’m drawn to landscapes that tell stories of endurance, beauty, and the intricate relationship between humans and the natural world.
The nominated images represent two very different chapters of my photographic journey, yet both speak to themes that have become central to my work: the power of solitude, the beauty of agricultural landscapes, and the way light can transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.
“Sentinels” – Standing Watch in Uganda
Captured during my time in Uganda, “Sentinels” features a lone, weathered tree rising above the golden savanna. This image has become one of my most personal works – a visual meditation on presence and what it means to stand watch in the midst of vastness.
The composition is deliberately minimal, allowing the tree to command attention against the soft, hazy backdrop of the Ugandan landscape. There’s something profoundly moving about this solitary sentinel, weathered by time yet standing strong, that speaks to resilience and the quiet dignity of endurance.
This photograph represents my exploration of minimalism in landscape photography, where every element serves a purpose and nothing is superfluous. The tree becomes a monument to persistence, a reminder that sometimes the most powerful statements are made in solitude.
“Yield” – The Quiet Geometry of Rural Oklahoma
Closer to home, “Yield” captures the quiet geometry of a working farm among fields of wheat in rural Oklahoma. Shot just last month, this image represents my ongoing fascination with agricultural landscapes and the way they create their own patterns of beauty.
The photograph is a meditation on endurance, sustenance, and the beauty of rural infrastructure beneath a watchful sky. The golden wheat fields stretch toward the horizon where farm structures anchor the composition, creating a sense of scale and human presence within the natural world.
What draws me to agricultural scenes like this is their honest beauty – there’s no pretense here, just the straightforward elegance of land being worked, crops being tended, and the cyclical nature of seasons and harvest. The stormy sky adds drama while the golden hour light transforms the ordinary wheat into something that glows with its own inner light.
The Contest and What It Means
Being nominated by the jury for the reFocus Color Photography Contest feels like validation of the path I’ve chosen as a photographer. To have both “Sentinels” and “Yield” recognized – one in the Fine Art category and one in Minimalism – speaks to the range I’m striving for in my work.
The People’s Vote Award adds another dimension to this recognition. Photography has always been about connection – between the photographer and the subject, between the image and the viewer. Having the public vote on these images feels like the natural extension of that connection.
The Power of Community
What moves me most about this nomination is the opportunity to share these images with a broader audience. Photography can be a solitary pursuit, but moments like this remind me that the work only becomes complete when it’s shared, when it finds its way to people who see something in it that resonates.
The voting process runs until July 5th, and people can vote once daily. Whether you’ve followed my work for years or you’re seeing these images for the first time, I’m grateful for anyone who takes a moment to look, really look, at what I’ve tried to capture.
What’s Next
This nomination comes at an exciting time in my photographic journey. My coffee table book is currently in editing, and having these images gain recognition feels like confirmation that I’m on the right path. The book will include “Sentinels” along with many other images from my travels, each one part of the larger story I’m trying to tell about the places and moments that have shaped my perspective.
Whether these images win the People’s Vote Award or not, the nomination itself is a gift. It’s a reminder that the hours spent waiting for the right light, the miles traveled to find the perfect composition, and the patience required to capture a moment of beauty – all of it matters.
Photography teaches us to pay attention, to notice the extraordinary hiding in the ordinary. These two nominations represent years of learning to see, learning to wait, and learning to trust that sometimes the most powerful images are the ones that whisper rather than shout.
Vote and Connect
If you’d like to support these images, you can vote once daily until July 5th:
But more than votes, I’m grateful for the connection. Thank you for being part of this journey, for looking at the world through these images, and for reminding me why I pick up my camera in the first place.
Sometimes the most beautiful surprises come when you’re simply doing what you love, one click at a time.
~Janelle
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