This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (12-18 Jul ‘09)

Weekly Assignment

This week we wanted you to show us aMistake that turned out to be a shot that you really liked. The catch this week was that each shot also needed to explain the mistake that had been made. Our winner this week was monkey_soup’s guitarist. monkey_soup explains that it was a mistake because the shot ended up focusing on the hand instead of the singer. What made the mistake into a keeper was the setlist written on his hand, really creating a story. And it was that setlist that drew us into the picture and made it a winner in our books! Our first runner up was mpomeroy’s Bug Eyes. She was trying to take a self portrait, but forgot to zoom out, creating her “bug eye” shot. The reason she liked it was because of the reflection in the lenses. And guess what? That was the same reason we liked it (that and the neat kind of colour cast that it had). And last, but not least was schmelly’s water crown shot. The mistake was the strange reflection caused by the lights across her lens. And of course, the colours that were created by those lights were the reasons that we liked it.

We also started an assignment that we hope gets everyone laughing, because it is Humour. In order to be eligible for the mini contest to have your photos features on the blog, you need to follow a few rules. First, your photo must have been taken between 8 – 22 July 2009. Second, your post must include the words “Assignment: Humor” and the date the photo was taken. Finally, your EXIF should be intact, and if possible, it’s helpful if you include the main points in your post so that others can learn from what you’ve done. Next week’s assignment will be “Machinery”. Whether it’s old or new, where would we be without machines? Your challenge is to show us how you can take an interesting picture of a somewhat cold, inanimate object.

Hot Threads

• Auto Focus: Auto focus on a camera / lens can be an absolute godsend. But that raises the question of whether or not you should “always” use auto focus? Do you always use auto focus? Or do you use a mix of auto or manual? Come join in the discussion.
• Digital Unmasking | Ripping one’s face: One of the great things about the forums is the “How I Took It” area which shows you just what you can do with some creativity and time. This thread shows how one forum member created a mask from two pictures.
• Anyone joining the Worldwide Photo Walk?: On Saturday 18 July 2009, photowalks were held all over the world. This was the second year of the Worldwide Photowalk. If you participated in one in your area, why not come and post in the thread and even share a picture or two?
• What Would You Do: Come join in our weekly post-processing thread where you get a chance to edit the photo of another forum member. Whether you’re new to post-processing or you could post-process an old hat onto a dog, you’re welcome to join in the fun.