This time I did something completely new — I joined my first-ever photography competition 😬📸.
No fancy setup, no pressure — just me, my old photo of the Galle Lighthouse, and a little courage to try again.
Funny thing is, I actually captured this photo a long time ago. Back then, I submitted it for a UNESCO photo contest, but... yeah, I totally misunderstood the theme 😅. Didn’t get selected.
It stung a bit, ngl. But now I realize — maybe that failure happened for a reason. Because today, that same photo means something else entirely.
🌅 The Moment That Started It All
It was a chill evening down in Galle Fort, the sky turning golden, sea breeze hitting just right. The Lighthouse stood tall — calm, proud, and timeless.
When I took that shot, I didn’t think “competition” or “category”. I just felt something peaceful inside.
The path leading to the lighthouse, palm trees on both sides, the soft light wrapping everything in gold — that frame spoke to me.
It felt like hope captured in silence. ✨
🎨 Picking the Category
There were only three categories — Portrait, Wildlife, and Abstract.
Mine didn’t fit the first two, so I went with Abstract.
Some think abstract means “weird”, but for me it’s about emotion.
This photo represents guidance, direction, and peace — the feeling you get when life feels messy but there’s still a light showing you the way.
That’s why I named it “Guiding Light.” 🕯️
📤 Submitting the Entry
So yeah, I submitted my application and photo last night.
Still waiting for the results — 🕒 no confirmation yet on who the winners are.
But this time, I’m not overthinking it. Whether I win or not, I’m proud that I actually did it.
This photo once got rejected — now it’s my comeback story 🔥.
💡 What I Learned
- Don’t let past mistakes kill your passion 💪
- A great photo doesn’t come from the best gear — it comes from heart ❤️
- Every click can tell a story if you let it speak
- Sometimes a “failure” is just a preview of your next success 🚀
📍 Photo Details
- Title: Guiding Light
- Location: Galle Lighthouse, Sri Lanka 🇱🇰
- Category: Abstract
- Captured by: Rishmika Sandanu
අපිට හිතුනම sometimes loss එකක් කියලා, ඒත් ඒවම තමයි life එකේ turning point එකක් වෙන්නෙ 😌.
මේ photo එක මට මතක් කරලා දුන්නේ ඒක — failure එකක් කියලා හිතපු එකක්, අලුත් journey එකක් ආරම්භ කරලා ❤️
No matter the results — I already found my guiding light. 🌤️