Lets’ face it; if you get a personally addressed email from someone purportedly representing an international United Nations initiative you are more than likely going to send it to the spam folder unopened. If (given the keyword in the subject line) you do happen to open it… just out of curiosity say… you are going to be sceptical. If they then go on to say they have seen some of your work online…and assuming at this point you don’t say ‘yeah, right’ and press ’spam’ anyway… you might start doing searches to find out how legitimate this thing might be.
If it turns out to be genuine, you might just be sitting there open-mouthed and doing a pretty good impression of a goldfish.
Image: Dr Tom Bailey
This was pretty much the scenario back in July last year when I was approached and asked if they could use one of my photographs in the Light Beyond the Bulb project, as part of the United Nations International Year of Light 2015.
I’m not a professional… not even a proper amateur photographer. I just take pictures. But to be approached out of the blue and asked because they had seen the image and liked it… well you can image how I felt!
Of course, I didn’t really expect to be actually included. Not even when I filled out the permission forms. Then they sent a link to the website tonight and I see the calibre of the images… which are utterly incredible… stunning work… from photographers the world over alongside images from such as NASA. I looked through the galleries, speechless.
Brill, Buckinghamshire
The exhibition will be launched at UNESCO in Paris on 19th January at the Opening Ceremony and will be shown at over 40 locations worldwide as well as hosting an online repository of images.
The International Year of Light will focus on “the importance of raising global awareness about how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health.”
And my little bluebell picture is a tiny part of that.
To say I feel honoured would be an understatement.
Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
just wonderful! x
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Thanks Steve… still grinning like a Cheshire cat 🙂
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That is a beautiful photo and fits right in with the other incredible work. Nothing second rate about the bluebells. It is astounding. And for such a wonderful reason as well.
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I just feel amazed to be part of it 🙂 Thank you, Kanzen.
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Oh, that’s fantastic, Sue – congratulations! xxx
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Thanks Ali… 🙂 xxx
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Wonderful! Congratulations. 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂
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We are proud of you! It’s beautiful!
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Thank you 🙂 I’m still grinning 🙂
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Congratulations! Very cool!
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Thank you, Marilyn 🙂
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Congratulations!
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Thank you!
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That’s great! Congratulations!
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Thanks Trent!
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A stunning photograph – well deserved! Congratulations!
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Thank you, Alethea 🙂
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Congratulations! What an honor. After seeing the picture, it’s obvious as to why they chose you, it’s beautiful! 🙂
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Thank you… but it still can’t capture the real beauty of an English bluebell wood in spring.
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Although I’ve never seen one in person, I think you’ve done a masterful job. 🙂
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Honestly.. you’d have to be there… the colour is amazing and looks like a blue/purple mist under the trees, while the perfume utterly fills the morning.
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That is just too cool. I love that pic! Totally awesome. Congrats 🙂
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Thanks Susan. 🙂
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..you just utterly ROCK, m’Lady 🙂 :):) well done:)
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Thanks Seumas 🙂
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Best wishes for health, happiness, peace, and prosperity to you and yours for 2015!
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Thank you… best wishes to you and yours also!
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I love all your photographs, and this one is really special. You must have a magic camera!
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Just lucky sometimes to be in the right place at the right time with a camera in my hand, I think 🙂
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Reblogged this on Anita & Jaye Dawes and commented:
What a wonderful opportunity, Sue, this year will be very special…
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How wonderful Sue….love the goldfish image of you you”ve planted in our minds!! And of course its a very beautiful image of the bluebell woods…congratulations!
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Now whay did you go to spam?? WP has some odd quirks occasionally!
Thank you.. it is amazing to be asked to contribute to something like that.
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so richly deserved – I have long been in awe of your poetic eye
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Thank you Paul.
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this is a huge honor, sue. and you deserve it, believe it or not, you are a full-fledged photog. and your pictures prove this. congratulations and enjoy the glow. )
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Thank you Beth. I am basking 🙂
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It’s beautiful!
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Thank you.
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Wow, congratulations! It is a gorgeous photo and I am so glad that it will be seen by millions! Whew, you must feel exhilarated!
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Still find it hard to believe, Eliza! It would have been fantastic to have submitted an image (not that I would have had the temerity to do so!) and been accepted… to have it happen this way was wonderful.
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Maith thú! Congratulations!!!
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Thank you, Éilis!
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Your bluebell image—like every image your artist’s eye captures and shares with us—is breathtaking. Congrats on getting some well-deserved recognition!
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Thank you, Barb. Wish you could have smelled the perfume in the air under the trees that morning.
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congratulations, they are the sort of emails you want to receive. Well done 🙂
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Thanks Claire. I almost didn’t look….
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Well it is a wonderful image Sue! You take many wonderful photos, and I enjoy them all as much as I enjoy your words. You are clearly a multi-talented lady with a natural eye for what constitutes a good picture. Congratulations!
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Thanks Ali.
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Based on the quality of that picture, well-deserved!
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Thank you, Noelle.
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