Got an email today 21 August 2015 that said :
"Congratulations! I
want to let you know that you are one of the finalists for
The 2015 EyeEm Awards. Your photo was selected out of 200,000 photos and
made it to the shortlist of 100 images. You can see your photo and
those of the other finalists here: http://blog.eyeem.com/2015/08/the-2015-eyeem-awards-finalists"
First thing come up in my mind is that will it pay my bills? I am professional photographer (which it doesn't mean i create beautiful pictures all the time!) it mean that i make money from doing photography,i take photos and then get paid. Mostly my work are editorial and street photography because i really love that genre, it just can make me calm after taking that kind of photos. Start this career professionally since 2010 and been doing it for the sake of loving it until now.
Nowadays doing editorial nor commercial stock photography didn't pay the bill anymore since all the price fly the way down freely from 0,000001 USD to only 5 USD, i've tried so many microstock and also news agency sell my work through them but the payment not so well, and then come Eyeem that I thought can give a different to the industry, but still the same; only 5 USD and max 15 USD that they sell through the giant greedy corporate called getty images. Conclusion for me : there's no stock industry that can really help the professional photographer any more. But that didn't make me pessimist to not continuing with the stock photos (and because my genre editorial, i am focusing most of my stock to editorial), the sites such as Eyeem or some of News Agency that I am joining with can provide me with their audience that can help built a brand of me as professional photographer.
Back to the first thought come up in my mind, does this announcement paid my bills? in short term for sure NO and No Way selling photos through Eyeem or any other microstock or news agency can pay my bills!! But as my brand developed high there will be organization or personal that interesting in hire me for the photo project, and that where I can make big deal of high income. So a big YES for long term doing uploading photos to them (Eyeem or any microstock or News Agency).
About the photos it self that made me to the 100 finalist, it's a photo that I made for a photo project that gave to me by a Lovely Lecture and very intelligent from Universitas Indonesia, Mrs. Rita Damayanti-Chief of Central Health Research Public Health Universitas Indonesia, one of the most famous Universtiy in Indonesia (make me proud as I am one the graduated from this university). She asked me to make features photos about Family Planning using IUD that can control the birth rate which since 2000, Indonesia having an increasing birth rate that made the population rate in Indonesia increase significantly. So she asked me to join her on the journey to some area where CHR-UI doing the research. The place where i took the picture was at Bima-West Nusa Tenggara, the family planning program was well applied there, so further research need to be done to make people change perception from using temporary family planning such condoms or pills to long term family planning like IUD (intra uterine device). I was looking around to find image that can represent the research process, until i find this moment where happy children from happy family went home after learning quran from the mosque. I was using my lost Canon 5D M2 and 16-35 F2.8 and Flash 600 ex (it was lost because i want to sell it to upgrade to 5D M3, but an assholes hypnotize me by pretend want to buy the camera, he is in jail now, but the police cannot guarantee that i can have the camera or exchange money, I don't know why but that the situation in Indonesia, you cannot expect a lot from the F****N POLICE) on wired so that can get spreading light that not to harsh in dimly almost sunset afternoon, several shot was taken until i have this moment.
I am happy getting through the 100 finalist and may be winning the grand prize that will expose me to international recognition, that is where i can get the change to get extra money from a lot of photo project that can pay my bill. Thank you Eyeem for the opportunity, this is like World Press Photo in non professional level. Again Thank YOU and I hope I will win the grand prize!
August 21st 2015
Writing on my pair of Old PC and Old Keyboard that may be I can change it to a Mac Laptop if I win the grand prize.
Donal Husni
Freelance Photographer
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