So where do we stand now? Well, as you know, I entered 23 photos in the contest and with some fantastic support and great marketing from friends, all the photos are doing quite well. What I have below are the rankings, photos, and links to the voting pages for the top photos that are either IN the top 20 or close TO the top 20.
Remember, only the TOP 20 move on to the judging stage. Every vote counts and getting votes to the ones just outside the top 20 really helps so they can move up and into the finalists category and be considered by the judges.
So, let's keep voting, keep spreading the word, keep posting reminders, keep sending e-mails, and keep voting every 24 hours. Yes, you can vote again every 24 hours.
Okay, why the big deal, you may ask? Why the aggressive marketing campaign for votes? These aren't my best shots to date, but there were time constraints on the entries, so these are the best from this past year. To be honest, this isn't about winning something or the prizes, I'm not even sure what the prizes are. Here is my drive behind this particular contest.
Wait….pictures and links first. Please vote first, so you'll have less time for your 24-hour clock to re-vote and read below for more and if you aren't motivated to vote, hopefully my motivation for entering will motivate you to vote.
#2
#6
#9
#10
#13
#14
#15
#16
#17
#23
#24
Remember, it's the last two which need that little extra shove to get them into the top 20 before Aloha Friday. Let's get them that extra push into the top 20!
So, okay, what's my motivation? Well, here's the story. Ever since I was a child, I have always loved the ocean and dreamed of being a Marine Biologist or Oceanographer. Jacques Cousteau was a hero of mine and I watched his show, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, every Sunday evening in the 70's. Also, every Sunday, my mother used to take us to Fort DeRussy in Waikiki to hang out and go swimming. It was our early 70's past time, to keep me out of trouble, or at least try to. I'd always either end up at or beg to go to the Aquarium where I would spend countless hours looking at the fish and dreaming of being underwater. I loved diving and learned to Scuba dive at an early age. Maybe it was my escape from reality, like Dustin Hoffman taking the plunge in The Graduate. Okay, I know…shades of 'The Incredible Mr. Limpet' just went through your head. No, it's not like that though. This contest for me, then, is getting one, if not more, or my photos in the Waikiki Aquarium's Calendar. Yes, the place I hung out at as a kid and the place where I created and dreamed many of the realities that I am so privileged to be able to still experience today. It would be a tribute to the little boy in me that dreamed of the under sea world and grew up trying to capture images that reflect all the beauty in the ocean. It would be such an honor to be a part of the Waikiki Aquarium Calendar, a place that had such a significant impact on my love of sea life growing up.
And while my Mother and Dad are gone now, I know that they would be proud that their little tumultuous rapscallion of a little boy found some peace in that Aquarium he so loved.
So there you have it, now please go vote! …and vote again every 24 hours :)
Mahalo for Voting with Captain Bobby Mitchel
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