Blue Mountains Portrait Photographer: Published in Photo-Book !

I always said that this year... IS my year... My year of making things happen...  I take the plunge... I set up this blog to showcase/promote my work.
Being self-taught, I learn even more from books, from magazines, from people, from my lows and highs... from what surrounds me... I am more confident in what I do  ... I shoot shoot shoot !!
and... I also get a buzz to enter competitions !

So...  My very first competition in a french magazine!  (I feel it is so important for me to keep my french background/connection on a creative level... well... we just don't know where life could take you huh ?) ...

Well .. I didn't win BUT... from 572 participants, I was so excited to hear that, I was within

the 100 selected and published in a book !! oh my goshh..isn't this a thrill or what ?!!! 

I love how the french do things, they always have good cause for things or competitions and this one is one of them: 

All the benefits received for the sale of this book (through Photobox www.photobox.fr) will be going to an international solidarity association Aide and Action (www.aide-et-action.org). The financing brought within the framework of this operation will contribute to help increase the cause of “Education for all” in more than 15.000 schools throughout the world. 
How fantastic is this !
This book is conveniently available in 3 sizes and can be ordered HERE

Anyway, here is my entry  with the theme: 'Bienvenue chez moi' 

(translated to: 'Welcome to my home') 

a very interesting theme with so many different interpretations to it!  This competition made me realise that often, it's not how perfect is a photo (and anyway, to whose eyes is seen 'perfection'?) but more...  how you interprete it and how you explain your choice of photos...

What do you think ?

Thank you for your visit, your feedbacks/comments are always appreciated,  

I am very interested to know how 

YOU would react to this photo (considering the theme given)
I know... hardly 'welcoming' lol ! but I subtitled it: 'Hope'
I guess ...up to everyone to interprete it their own way

Have a fantastic week !