This Week in the Digital Photography School Forum (23-29 May ’10)

Weekly Assignment

We saw a lot of different Fences in this week’s assignment. Fences can be meant to keep things out or keep things in. And although often we try to avoid focusing on fences in photographs, this week we wanted you to show us how you could use them to create an interesting picture. Our winner this week was Steves Shots‘ Cold Winter Morning. The lines lead your eye right through the frame, and the fog and black and white really give it a mysterious and allots eerie feeling. Our first runner up was slsphotos‘ Fenced In Daughter. She said that when she saw her daughter standing like this, with the writing on her hand, it immediately took her back to that adolescent feeling of being fenced in. And the combination of the physical and metaphorical fences really made it stand out to us. And last, but not least, our final runner up was alsalmi‘s Red Fence. In this shot, the bright lights really help make the photo. This, combined with the way the top rail curves and leads you into almost another realm really makes it a winner. Well done everyone!

This week, things are getting a little spicy on the forums with our latest assignment, Spices. Whether you take this word as a noun or in a more descriptive way, it’s up to you. Just remember that if it’s a little too descriptive it might be better suited to the nudes forum. Remember to consider not only your subject, but also the composition and lighting when creating your shot. As usual, a quick reminder of the rules. First, your photo must have been taken between 19 May – 2 June 2010. Second, your post must include the words “Assignment: Spices” and the date that the photo was taken. Finally, your EXIF should be intact, and it’s useful if you can include some of the main points, like shutter speed, aperture, camera, lens, ISO, etc. Next week’s assignment is Cemeteries. Whether you find them peaceful or creepy, they are usually fascinating for some reason or another. This week we want you to show us your perspective on cemeteries. Try a wide angle or a close up, try it in black and white or colour, take it in the morning or the evening, it’s all up to you. Try to give us a shot that really stands out. And next month, watch out for some more technical assignments.

Hot Threads

• Unique Father’s Day Ideas: Whether or not you’re in one of the countries that celebrates Father’s Day in June, if you’re looking for a unique way to present a special guy with a Father’s Day gift or you’re just looking to add some gifts for guys into your available products, why not stop by this thread and see some of the recommendations that are there, and add your own. After all, it’s not easy to find ways to use photos that aren’t keychains and coffee mugs sometimes!
• How Do You Sign Your Work?: Painters sign their paintings, and some photographer’s sign their photos. But if you’re just getting started you may wonder what to use to sign your photos. Come check out the recommendations in this thread, and if you use something different, why not let us know!
• Does Megapixel Count Really Make a Difference?: Cameras are getting higher and higher megapixel counts, but aside from being able to make larger prints, how much of a difference does the number of megapixels really make? Is it all about the megapixels, or is it more about the composition, lighting, and overall photograph?
• Canon 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.8: If you’re starting out with prime lenses, you might wonder which focal length is right for you. This is a discussion that comes up a lot, and it often boils down to personal preference. But if you’ve been struggling to decide between a 50mm lens and an 85mm lens, you might find some useful advice in this thread.
• What Would You Do: One of our popular threads each week on the forum is our What Would You Do threads where you get the chance to edit another forum member’s photo. These threads are a great chance to practice your post-processing skills and also show the person who took the photo a new way to interpret the post-processing. So if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, why not stop by the WWYD thread.