Hope is More Than Wishful Thinking

Dear Amazing Hopeful Shutter Sisters,

It is with so much joy and happiness that we are writing this morning to tell you that the Shutter Sisters' Picture Hope Dream Assignment entry won the $50,000 Grand Prize for the Microsoft/Lenovo sponsored photography contest!

Can you believe it???

We're crying, we're laughing, we're in a state of disbelief. We've been fighting and working and hoping and dreaming for a moment like this our entire lives. And it's here.

Because of you. Because of us. Because we hoped. Because we believed.

Thank you Microsoft and Lenovo for choosing us out of a brilliant group of finalists. Thank you for seeing our ideas and believing in our dream and for understanding that without hope, none of us stands a fighting chance.

Shutter Sisters, take this win straight into your heart, because it is yours. The way you find life and hope and beauty and truth through that lens every day matters--every bit as much as the stories we will find from women around the world who love and live the way you do--with all their hearts, one tiny incredible moment at a time.

Thank you for believing. Thank you for working so hard at what you do. Thank you for hoping.

As they say in Rwanda, Turikumwe. We are together.

With so much joy,

Tracey, Stephanie and Jen

photo by Stephanie

Comments

[Lindsay]

AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I am over the moon right now!!!!!!! You so deserve this, and I know that wonderful things are going to come from this opportunity. WOOHOO!!!!

[Laura]

i teared up a bit reading this, just because what you are about to do is so REAL and it's so EXACTLY what we all feel in our hearts - that every single being on this earth exists in hope and love and peace. go forth and celebrate that! i celebrate you!

[Bebe]

Congratulations! I can't wait to follow your journey.

[Rachel]

I am fairly new to the shutter sisters community, so am a little overwhelmed by how much this had affected me.
I have often lived off of hope. I believe it is a powerful, edifying emotion that can literally sustain someone through the worst.
I am inspired and cannot wait to follow your journey on this dream assignment. My warmest congratulations. Before you even begin you have given me hope.
Rachel - photodriven

[megan]

yea! can't wait to see the results of this fabulous project :)

[Wayfaring Wanderer]

This news warms my heart.....so wonderful!

[faith]

I am so excited for you! I can't wait to see the images!

[alison]

woo hoo!!!
congrats!

[Julia]

Congratulations, this is so amazing! Have fun!

[Jeanine]

omg. this is fantastic. i am SO thrilled. congrats, congrats, congrats! here's to hope!

[Andrea @ the train to crazy]

Congratulations!!! Fabulous news! I love your blog!

[shan]

Congratulations. I look forward to watching this project evolve!

[Tracy]

Amazing. I'm welling up. Congratulations!!

[emily Perry]

Oh, congrats! Internet hugs! How exciting!!!!

[tricia]

congratulations!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see what you do with it!

[Beatriz Kim]

Wow! Congratulations! Your post was so moving, I felt like leaping for joy and I don't even know what this is about (I just found you guys 3 days ago)!

I hope this means more wonderful things coming your way!

I'm just and amateur, but I am really getting the "photobug". I love how this blog is so encouraging to women. We need the encouragement to be creative and hopeful. Thank you very much!

Congratulations, again!!!

[Gayle]

Yay!!!

[summer]

This is awesome. So excited to watch and cheer!

[~Kristina]

such an accomplishment! very well deserve. Congratulations Sisters!

[Chris]

I've been here and read this like 6 times. Everytime I try to comment, I get all emotional and start sputtering, like I am right now. I'm so unbelievably touched and inspired and a whole bunch of other words that just aren't coming to me right now. Just know, well, you guys are awesome. I'm honored to belong to such a group. Congratulations.

[s]

I am so happy for you!!

[elizabeth]

I'm so excited and happy for you that I'm crying. Tears of joy naturally. Many many congratulations! I can't wait to see the images of hope.

[littlepurplecow (Stephanie Roberts)]

Just can't thank you all enough for your love and support. We are eager to get this journey started and so THRILLED to take you with us!

[Amy]

wowowowowowoow! this is such cool news I can't stand it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats to all the hopeful!

[Toni | DailyVignette]

I just read the announcement at Jen's and had tears in my eyes - I had to come right over to add my congratulations here as well. This is so awesome!! Congrats!! I need to go revise my post for tomorrow. =)