It was as if they had created this category just for me. If there’s one thing I truly excel at, it’s experimenting. Whether it’s with flashes, LED lights, or even a toilet paper roll repurposed as a DIY light modifier. Not to mention my extensive research in the field of alcohol-based experimentation—though those tests rarely concluded with publishable scientific results.
At first, my monthly submissions weren’t delivering the expected success. Each time I eagerly awaited the evaluations, only to realize that maybe this month wasn’t quite the one where I’d take the photography world by storm.
But then, around mid-year, something changed. My scores started climbing, and suddenly, I wasn’t just scraping by with “honorable mentions.” I was actually in the running for a podium finish.
Then came the final two months of submissions.
And I swept the competition.
Not by a little. By a lot. My scores skyrocketed, and I imagined the jury nodding in approval (at least, that’s how I pictured it). Before I knew it, it wasn’t about whether I’d make the top three, but rather about the fact that I had won the category.
First place. The champion of the Experimental Photographer category.
At that moment, as I stood there, processing it all, I realized that maybe—just maybe—there is a place in the photography world for someone who approaches everything with creativity and curiosity.
Or at the very least, for someone stubborn enough to keep trying.
So, can I call myself a scientist now? Probably not. But one thing is certain: the experiments will continue.
Maybe next time, I’ll enter a macro photography series featuring fröccs (Hungarian wine spritzer). Who’s in? 🍷😆
Bonus Thought:
As a nature photographer who usually shoots in solitude, accompanied only by a serpa (a.k.a. my wife) on seemingly endless quests, being called up a year later as a category winner felt surreal. But in that moment, I did feel like someone.
If no one else, at least like a real photographer. 😊📸
The two photos I attached also made it into the exhibition.
