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SUBMISSIONS:
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DECEMBER 2010 - Submission by Daniel Osorio Gonzalez, Columbia
(Image shown in Lugano, Switzerland)
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Daniel's submission below is a beautiful way to end the calendar year for 2010! We've had some stunning pictures from all over the world and this one is no exception. Set on a waterfront at Lugano, Switzerland, this is a gorgeous photograph!  Waterfront, Lugano, Switzerland © 2010, Daniel Osorio Gonzalez Canon EOS 50D; f/22, ss = 5sec, ISO 320, 50mm Focal Length |
We've seen various takes on this beautiful waterfront in Switzerland, but Daniel captured something special here. Taken at what appears to be dusk, his five-second exposure captures the warmly colored reflections of street and traffic lights in the water, but also shows some reflection of clear squiggly points of light from the sky. It's a very attractive picture of an equally attractive area! But that reminds us of a key photographic concept which says - attractive subject matter does not make the photo equally attractive. It's what the photographer does and how he or she sees it, that can make it a stunning photograph! Congratulations Daniel; we look forward to all of the excellent reader submissions throughout 2011...Happy New Year to all of our visitors! |
NOVEMBER 2010 - Submission by Maxime Seltenrijch
 © Maxime Seltenrijch, 2010  © Maxime Seltenrijch, 2010  © Maxime Seltenrijch, 2010 |
Near the end of November, Maxime sent us a set of very interesting and artistic photos related to what appears to be a family gathering or celebration in an outdoor public place. Maxime looked beyond the obvious and found a really great photo opp in the way that the wine and beer glasses seemed to take center stage as they absorb and distort their surroundings. The slight sepia tone works remarkably well in these pictures, providing a nostalgic appearance. The folding and/or placement of arms and hands in these photos is also artistic; they appear to be perfectly posed, but something tells us that these were photographed in the moment without compromising the authenticity. It's a simple and warm idea - sharing good times with family over some libations - but what a wonderfully artistic take on it; photographically speaking! Help us congratulate Maxime Seltenrijch on this excellent photography! (As with all of the photo artists featured in this gallery, Maxime was given a customized Certificate of Achievement by FreePhotoCourse.com's Submissions Review Team.) |
OCTOBER 2010 - Submission by Anna Betts, Christchurch, New Zealand
In October, we received four beautiful images from Anna that portrayed distinctive features of some very different scenes in nature. Her photo locations ranged from her home base of New Zealand, to some fairly remote locations such as Laos and Cambodia. We took a turn from our usual practice of featuring one winning picture from a reader/contributor, and decided to post three of Anna's submissions. Help us congratulate Anna for her photographic prowess and enjoy looking at the images below! (If you click on an image, you'll be able to see a larger view.)
 Spring in Christchurch, New Zealand © Anna Betts; Olympus 725sw  Sunset in Laos, © Anna Betts  Shell on Woodend Beach, South Island, New Zealand © Anna Betts |
While the northern hemisphere was settling-into the idea of Autumnal scenes and their accompanying end of the annual growth cycle for a lot of plant life, Anna captured a thoughtful picture of morning dewdrops hanging from a branch showing a spring bud about to pop. Nicely composed with a short depth-of-field "bokeh" blur in the background. Just enough detail to notice the trees and spring color, but enough blur to avoid clutter. By the way, this was shot just days after the devastating earthquake struck Christchurch in September.
This next submission from Anna portrays a stunning sunset over Laos. While the golden hue and the sun's rays are quite eye-catching, what's most interesting in this image, is the juxtaposition of the beauty of nature with the industrial type of footprint of human activity. This is a very interesting photograph! When Anna photographed this clamshell on a South Island, New Zealand beach, she had to move her lens down toward the sand - good photographers often need to get in strange positions in order to capture interesting perspectives. The result here is quite appealing and eye-catching. Her composition is excellent, as is the rich color tone of the shell, contrasted by a rather muted sky. The waves crashing on this beautiful ocean shore are far enough in the background that they do not take center stage. As well, the angle of the open clamshell is perfect! We see just enough of it to invite curiosity, rather than showing the entire opening. |
SEPTEMBER 2010 - Submission by Joan Soles, Minnesota
© 2010, Joan Soles
Canon SD1100 IS, 1/160s, f 3.2, ISO 80
Joan Soles photographed this gorgeous picture of crab apples hanging from a branch, silhouetted against a classic late summer Minnesota sunset.
The plump crab apples show very sharp edge definition, along with shallow depth-of-field, so that the sunset in the background provides an interesting 'painter's backdrop' color variation, but it's not so clear that it distracts from the main show - the silhouette!
Joan also exposed this properly so that the crab apples are perfectly black and the sky pops with a rainbow of color. Reminds us that Autumn is on the way...
Joan, enjoy your personalized certificate of recognition!
The plump crab apples show very sharp edge definition, along with shallow depth-of-field, so that the sunset in the background provides an interesting 'painter's backdrop' color variation, but it's not so clear that it distracts from the main show - the silhouette!
Joan also exposed this properly so that the crab apples are perfectly black and the sky pops with a rainbow of color. Reminds us that Autumn is on the way...
Joan, enjoy your personalized certificate of recognition!
JULY 2010 - Submission by Mar dela Cruz, Manila, Philippines
© 2010, Mar dela Cruz, *Nikon D-90, 1/125, ISO 200
Thank you Mar for capturing this amazing photo from a cloud formation above Manila just before Tropical Storm Canson hit the Phillipines on July 12, 2010. The gradation of shade is fantastic, as are the rainbow-like swaths of color on the upper left portion of the image. Mar made a good decision to crop the clouds tightly, as this is the "main show" and needs no other reference point.
In Mar's own words, "It was actually a bright and sunny afternoon when suddenly "big black cottonballs" enveloped the sky...in less than an hour it's already raining heavily."
Keep on capturing nature's excitement!
In Mar's own words, "It was actually a bright and sunny afternoon when suddenly "big black cottonballs" enveloped the sky...in less than an hour it's already raining heavily."
Keep on capturing nature's excitement!
MAY 2010 - Submission by Angela Mackinnon, Scotland
© 2010, Angela MacKinnon; Canon A550, 1/640s, f 2.6, ISO 80
Uig Isle of Skye - shot by Angela back in late January, just after a hard frost. What a beautiful setting! But it's not just the landscape that makes this image look so attractive and powerful - it's what she did with her camera and an artistic eye. Shapes are a very important aspect of photo composition and this is an excellent example of some basic shapes that our own eyes tend to favor. Look at the blue triangle found in the sky reflection in the water, cut out in that shape by the outcropping of rock on the bottom and the shoreline on the top. We see more triangles in the rocks themselves and a rectangle on the far right landscape area.
The horizon, cut along the top 1/3 portion of the image follows the rule-of-thirds guideline. More importantly, the image invites our eyes to dance around the frame in a very favorable manner. We tend to look toward the skinny end of the blue triangle, helped along by the intersecting lines of the foreground rock and the shoreline in the distance. This brings us to the houses in the village which provides for a peaceful feel.
The horizon, cut along the top 1/3 portion of the image follows the rule-of-thirds guideline. More importantly, the image invites our eyes to dance around the frame in a very favorable manner. We tend to look toward the skinny end of the blue triangle, helped along by the intersecting lines of the foreground rock and the shoreline in the distance. This brings us to the houses in the village which provides for a peaceful feel.
APRIL 2010 - Submission by Kara K., Manchester, U.K.
Skylight; Fuji Finepix S7000
Thank you Kara for this wonderfully creative and unique representation of what appears to be a backdrop sky photographed through the focal point - an atrium dome window or skylight. The image has gone through a bit of digital processing and this is an excellent example of proper use of such types of manipulation! Far too many photographers who dabble in Photoshop or other digital image editing software, take images that are more than fine on their own and apply filters just to push the envelope. While the result may be interesting, it may be less compelling and thoughtful than the original photo.
Kara, what you have created here is different! The combination of deeply saturated colours with the rhythmic pattern of the glass frame is not only eye-catching; it makes the viewer want to spend a lot of time here. We usually try to avoid symmetry - and for good compositional reason - but this one works and works well! Very nice warm tones offset the royal blue sky, making that magnificent sky take a back seat to the main attraction - the atrium skylight frame. Inventive, creative and appealing. Brava!
Kara, what you have created here is different! The combination of deeply saturated colours with the rhythmic pattern of the glass frame is not only eye-catching; it makes the viewer want to spend a lot of time here. We usually try to avoid symmetry - and for good compositional reason - but this one works and works well! Very nice warm tones offset the royal blue sky, making that magnificent sky take a back seat to the main attraction - the atrium skylight frame. Inventive, creative and appealing. Brava!
MARCH 2010 - Submission by Mike Stittler, KY, USA
© 2010, Mike Stittler
NIkon D50, 1/160s, f 4.5, ISO 125
In Mike's own words, "It's nice to get outside for a change, now that the snow is all gone! Where there was just last week a two-foot mound of snow, the recent thaw had revealed something quite exquisite - a dried-up old strawflower in what was last year's flower garden. I was awestruck at how the flower had retained its colors despite the fact that it had gone through a heck of a battering through the winter. I love how the stem and dried leaves on the ground are so drab, thus upping the contrast and emphasis of the flower itself. And, just in case you're asking...no, I did not "photoshop" to desaturate the rest of this image. The background and surrounding area are natually this grey-brown in color."
We agree wholeheartedly, Mike! Nice job all around! Great composition, choice of vertical frame and short depth of field with the indistinguishable blurred "bokeh" in the background. Bravo and enjoy the honor Mike!
We agree wholeheartedly, Mike! Nice job all around! Great composition, choice of vertical frame and short depth of field with the indistinguishable blurred "bokeh" in the background. Bravo and enjoy the honor Mike!
FEBRUARY 2010 - Submission by Lana Thurston, GA, USA
(shooting location: Merritt Island National Refuge, FL)
© 2010, Lana Thurston
Canon Rebel XT; 1/250s, f 16, ISO 200
Wow! You have composed a nature feast for the eyes. The reflection is what makes this a special photo. Very nice use of a fairly long depth of field; the palm brachts in the foreground appear to be within a foot or two of the lens, and they as well as the background back some 200 yards are both in focus. The blue sky dotted with the white puffy clouds is much more interesting as a reflection than it would have been in the sky. As such, it was a good decision to put the horIzon line on the top horizontal rule-of-thirds line. The colors are not overdone, although some Photoshop adjustment is evident. Nice decision to put the palm brachts on the left and up in a bit of a curve, because this helps bring the balance off-center a bit which is nice for the eye. Keep shootin' these nice landscape images!
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