Blogger's Community Photo Challenge-TREE

This month's challenge is TREE or TREES, whether it is one unique tree or a small grouping, find an image that includes trees. The tree or trees should be the main subject. You can post more than one photo on your blog, but when you come back to this blog select your favorite to post on our new system.

The Challenge starts Feb.15th & ends on March 15th. Post your image on your blog & come back here & try out new system. Click on the blue button, at the bottom of the post & follow the simple directions.

At the bottom of the post you will see "ADD YOUR LINK" CLICK on that button....Fill in & lets see everyone's images on this blog.

When you click on ADD YOUR LINK you will enter the URL of your post, your name and your email. After that you will click "next" which will show images available on your post. Just select the image & your done!

Update: With this new system, it does not send us alerts when people leave their link. So I recommend you check this Challenge blog, occasionally, to see if there are any additions. Try to visit all blogs, you may find some extra photos on each post...;)

Transportation Challenge

Martha from Color Carnival & Menagerie is using a new system for posting your links to our blogs, I think it's a great way to get everyones links & images on the challenge blog. This system does all the work.
Thank you Martha!
I am copying & pasting Martha's simple directions here.

When you click to play you will enter the URL of your post, your name and your email. After that you will click "next" which will show images available on your post. It's ok if you prefer to use your profile photo/avatar, but it would make a beautiful display if you click the image that you are using for your challenge photo. So far I love the new Inlinkz!

Now all I ask is that if you already added your link to the comment section we will need you to add it again, but click on the blue link. Go to Transportation post below this entry.
At the bottom of the post you will see "ADD YOUR LINK" CLICK on that button....Fill in & lets see everyone's images on this blog.

UPDATE!!!!
IT WORKS! So try it out. Remember, this is the first time we are trying this. Hopefully we will use this for now on. THANK YOU MARTHA!

Community Photo Challenge-TRANSPORTATION!

Our photo challenge this month is TRANSPORTATION. You can use cars, trucks, trains, planes, even motorcycles! Some kind of transportation with or without people. You can be creative, you can use Photoshop or a paint programs. It starts today & ends Feb. 15. Post it on your blog, come back here I leave your link. Remember to visit everyone's entry to see what they contributed.

To ADD your link,
Go to blue button"Add Your Link" on lower left side of this post.
When you click on button, you will enter the URL of your post, your name and your email. After that, you will click "next" which will show images available on your post. It's ok if you prefer to use your profile photo/avatar, but it would make a beautiful display if you click the image that you are using for your challenge photo.

Community Photo Challenge-GREETING CARD!

With the Holidays approaching I thought it would be fun to create our own greeting cards.
It could be Christmas theme, Festival of Lights or any religion holiday you celebrate, or.....New Years, birthdays, anniversaries.........Landscapes, Still lifes, portraits....any type image can be used. You can do more than one.
This should be a good challenge for everyone. So please find the time to join in, I know that will be hard this time of the year.
You can add text to it. If you don't have any software to edit it, you can add your text in the post.
ANYTHING goes on this one. Be creative & have fun!

Post it on your blog, come back here & leave your link in the comment area. I posted late, but it should have started on the 15th & will end on the 15 of January.

Community Photo Challenge-Leading Lines!

example;

Marie 2009

Our new challenge, LEADING LINES, starts today & ends on Dec. 15th . There are many lines to look for when shooting your images....Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curves & "S" curve....even converging lines.
Some examples can be found here;
http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/photography/articles/959.aspx

example;

Marie 2006

The use of Leading Lines in your photographs can have a very powerful effect.
• They can create depth and perspective to an image.
• They can convey distance and provide a relationship between the foreground and background of the image.
• They draw the eyes into a picture, leading them through a scene or directing them to an area in the image that the viewer would otherwise not have noticed.
[above taken from http://blog.fotonomy.com/tips/creative-composition-leading-lines/]

example;

Marie 2007

You have a month to post your image on your blog, come back to this entry & leave your link/URL in the comment section. Remember to mention the challenge in your blog, makes it easy for others to find your image. Try to leave a direct link to the post.

Make sure you visit all the entries in the last challenge. We really had some beautiful autumn color this year & everyone had success in showing off their autumn!

DSLR Tips & Picks

DSLR Tips: Using polarizing filters

I wanted to share a few websites and books with you.
I think video tutorials really help me to understand photography.
Whether I am looking for a tutorial on Photoshop or understanding studio lighting, I usually check out Youtube.com & do a search.

I found using a polarizing filter really intensifies my landscape photography. If you haven't purchased one yet, here is a video you should watch, using polarizing filters.
Also check out dslrtips.com for more interesting tips.
Gordon Laing, Editor of http://www.dslrtips.com
& cameralab.com makes it easy to understand anything in photography.

Here's the "simple to understand" video on polarizing filters.
Click here for VIDEO or copy & paste
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vvz_d6APXk

I also want to suggest few books that I have read. These make great holiday gifts for any photographer. I am presently reading Matthew Bamberg's "Quick and Easy Secrets for Using Your DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS" I find this to be one of the most helpful books I ever got. It shares websites for photo storage, portfolio sites, family tree sites.....to start..Ü
I am still reading this one, but will do a review once I finish it.

I also have Matthew's "101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs"
This new book is for anyone that wants to improve their images.
MY REVIEW


I read Volumes 1 and 2(2 out of 3) "The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby.
Amazon is selling a boxed set. You need to read the first one, before you purchase the second. He is a clever business man, but he is annoying..;)
He now offers the set of 3 for a reasonable price, just in time for Christmas!

OK, thats about it for now. If you haven't posted your Autumn photo yet, you still have time before we start the next challenge. Remember all challenges are announced on the 15th of each month. So you still have time to post some autumn color.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back, Photo Challengers!!!

We hope you're all well-rested and ready for another great year of shooting. Once again, we're going to make some changes in how we manage things here in the Challenge. Here's the scoop:

--Challenges will be posted once a month (on the 15th)
--Shoot for the challenge, post your photo(s) on your blog and link to the challenge entry via comments on our blog
--Others will use the links you post to view and comment on your photos
--There will not be a vote--we're all in this for the fun and for having an 'assignment' to shoot for AND to share our visions
--The next challenge will then be posted (again, on the 15th)

In addition to challenges, we will post some photography tips a couple of times a month. If you have any suggestions or requests, drop a line to Marie or Vicki and we'll try to include your ideas into our lessons and tips.

As you can see, our first challenge has been posted. Remember...fall colors don't ALWAYS mean oranges, reds and yellows...what does fall color look like in your area?