Made for Documentary Exhibit : Documenting 2022

I was making my usual morning cup of Earl Grey in my favorite mug a few weeks ago and I heard the familiar notification sound that my phone makes when I get an email. I open up my account and my eyes are slow to adjust, but I think it says that one of my images was selected for exhibition. 
I see words like "congratulations" and phrases like "the competition was tough" and "the standard was high".  
I blink. Re-read it again. 
And then again.
I see a link at the bottom to view the exhibit and I scroll down and I see a very familiar picture...a photograph I made. 
And it hits me then that my work was included among so many talented photographers that I deeply admire and look up to. And an environmental portrait that I made was included among theirs. 
I am so filled with gratitude and honestly, I am humbled. 
To the amazing jurors, thank you so much for seeing the magic that I see in this photograph and for believing in my work. 

My caption that went along with the photograph was this: "Portrait of a neighborhood kid. One of the only positives of the lockdowns for us was the resurgence of neighborhood playdates and old school fun outside. I’m forever inspired by the neighborhood kids hard at play."

To see the whole exhibit, please click here. It's so inspiring!