[jinky]

Yes Russ my website says that as I have recently set it up with the aim of trying to make money from what has been a hobby and passion - largely inspired by a few small successes in competitions which I see myself as havig entered very much from the mateur end. I`d love to earn even 1/100 th of my income from photography but the reality is it`s a wide world out there full of photographers of all level. that I have not even stepped into. I have never advertised beyond this new website but have been lucky enough to have contacts / colleagues give me gifts / stays in kind for *jobs" and won a handful of other competitions gibing me cash to buy higher end - but not "professional " equipment in my definition. If that makes me a professional it is indeed a very loose definition you hold..

I think if I offered "amateur services" or "average " images on my website it might be a bad start to my efforts to try to get out there in the coming year when I might aim to set up. There is no working definition of professional that I know of that covers whtat I do / have done. I`m flattered you consider me such and would be delighted to use you as a reference point. After saying you were not going to " witch hunt" and the tone of the thread was not what you intended it seems odd to target me with the "accusation" of being a pro!

I`m with others above who say, as you do:
no rules have been broken
the shortlists are in and many like me were delighted / surprised to be on them
there is rarely common agreement on what are the best shots
- OK you did not get one there and obviously feel you should have - just get over it and let the judges now decide as within the terms and conditions of the contest.

PS I also note from the number of posts you do that the POTY seems to be your only interest / involvement here. I`ve been involved with this website from DC Mag days - never got round to entering the POTY comp before because I felt I did not have much worthy to get all the way - and been actively involved in weekend comps on the forum as my photography has developed - getting great advice from other contributors here and elsewhere when they moved on with the changes to the website. As Karen says it is a bit of a kick in the teeth to get what seems like stick when you are pleased to have made it thus far - even if not getting any further. I`ve seen the previous years debates about plagiarism, quality of images but never got involved as, just as Sue Allen says, you really just have to accept it is a massive competition with its own aims and you just pin a bit of hope to it when you senmd in your entry. I`m not looking i on this thread anymore to taint my enjoyment but didn not want to leave your assertions unchalleneged.