SO many photography awards and "Best-of" lists are paid for. The photographer pays to advertise, to have high standing, and then they get put on a list.
So lists usually make my eyes glaze over from so much ego-driven haze.
But this one isn't like that. There is no money exchanged, no affiliation, and you don't submit images or nominate yourself or anything like that. They just do their homework and then pick. And so, it feels good to be in such great company. And for heaven's sake I bust my fanny to do what I love and sometimes when someone says, "Good job, Mama," it kind of feels good.
