Themed free study side challenge

Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II for Canon

12/17/2007 03:02:01 PM · #1

I participated in the November texture side challenge (Thanks

sherpet!) and ended up getting a little side tracked and I created a poster of all different kinds of tree bark in my area. The poster turned out pretty good and the side challenge was so much fun I thought it would be fun to pick a theme again and shoot it for a month. This would be a free study of sorts, but once you picked your theme you would have to stick with it...like barns, churches, waterfalls, etc. This could also work well in conjunction with

iamwoman's "2008 - A year in Colours" side challenge.

Possible rules:

1. Pick your theme which should be very specific. An example would be "silhouettes" and not "portraits". If you are participating in the color challenge then perhaps your theme could be "green".

2. Choose the number of photos to be taken in your side challenge prior to beginning. This can be any number you like but keep in mind your final poster format. For example for a nice even number of 5 rows and 5 columns of images would make a nice 25 photo collage.

3. Post individual photos and comment (as much as possible) and also post your final collage upon completion.

4. This is not a timed challenge therefore you can post any number of photos for your side challenge at a time and take as long as you want to complete your project.

Something to consider and what I might or might not do is choose my photo orientation and style (ie b/w, toned, hdr, grunge, overlays, etc etc) prior to beginning (landscape, square, portrait) and stick with that for the entire challenge so that my final collage will be uniform.

Anyone interested in this idea? I'm not sure what my subject would be yet, but I'm leaning toward something like "leaves" to go with my bark textures (that would have to wait until spring), barns, churches, bicycles or human silhouettes...I'm not sure!

Oh and here is my bark collage for an example:

Participants:

fixedintime - Old Tobacco Barns - 30 photos

jasonlprice - The Alphabet - 26 photos

karmat - "Desperado" by the Eagles - 14 to 18 photos

slaakso - The Power of Water - 36 photos

sfalice - Undecided

sulamk - Birds - 20 photos

SandyP - Animals - 10 photos

CWelch - Dogs - 25ish

Message edited by author 2007-12-26 21:58:27.

fixedintime

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

12/17/2007 07:51:13 PM · #2

I think I like this one. First choice will be old tobacco barns. There are lots of those around here. I may reconsider, or cut the number of entries back as it is hard to get out after work while there is still light and those barns are a bit big for a flash to work very well.

Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II for Canon

12/19/2007 09:22:58 PM · #3

Yea, I know what you mean about the light...I leave for work in the dark and get home in the dark now. Old tobacco barns would be very interesting. Maybe we could do weekends only with 8 photos and I could do old churches.

sfalice

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

12/19/2007 10:00:27 PM · #4

I like the concept of this very much. We did something like this in September when

littlegett started a month of "forks."

.

the rules #2 and #5 would make it more difficult than necessary, perhaps. A nice collage can be made with varying sizes and orientations of images. And shooting different styles might make a theme a little less boring and far more fun.

As usual, just my 2Â¢

fixedintime

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

12/20/2007 08:47:20 AM · #5

Originally posted by sfalice:

I like the concept of this very much. We did something like this in September when littlegett started a month of "forks."
.

the rules #2 and #5 would make it more difficult than necessary, perhaps. A nice collage can be made with varying sizes and orientations of images. And shooting different styles might make a theme a little less boring and far more fun.

As usual, just my 2Â¢

Agreed, I toss those two rules. Most collages seem to sport a good bit of variety in the size and style of the images.

I'm in with the barns..........got one yesterday - but it don't count in this side challenge.

Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II for Canon

12/20/2007 10:32:19 AM · #6

I agree that you can design your collage to look wonderful with varying orientations and the example above is a great one. I was thinking about the simple contact sheet with no design like my b/w and texture ones:

It drives me crazy that I have different tones and orientations in my b/w side challenge poster LOL. I realize that I'm a little obsessive though! I'll edit the rules above.

Oh and I don't see why this has to be tied to a specific month really...I'd say pick the number of images that you want to end up with and shoot for that..even if it takes until summer! So your barn image would count just fine....

It might be harder to keep track of images, but if it is only a few of us then it might not be too hard.

fixedintime

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

12/20/2007 12:54:15 PM · #7

Sounds good. So consider this my first. I sure hope it does not take me till summer to get that many. The goal will be 30 images. That should make a nice 5x6 collage.

When I get time I'll put up a page at my photo blog with the images. I'll also upload them to DPC.

This will be fun.

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

12/20/2007 12:56:28 PM · #8

Something I am wanting to do, and I don't know if it fits here or not, is "illustrate" my favorite songs with pictures -- like the couple of threads that have been done in the past.

Olympus 50mm f/2.0 Macro ED Zuiko Digital

12/20/2007 01:42:28 PM · #9

Great! We have our first participant...I've updated the original post.

Karmat, I think that is a great idea and would fit in just fine...You got to pick the song and number of pictures though :)

I started the alphabet challenge 2 weeks ago and I'm going to use that as my first themed free study...so I don't get off track. I need F,M,N,P,R,W,Z.

I shot this X yesterday as a replacement for another X that I had taken last week...I'll be looking for replacement photos for several of my shots that I don't really like (especially the A).

The rest of my Alphabet Photos

Message edited by author 2007-12-20 14:03:28.

slaakso

Olympus E-510

12/20/2007 02:43:13 PM · #10

Jason, I really loved your bark textures and I love the idea for this side challenge. I need to come up with an idea though. The first thought I had was, Waves. Then I thought Waves Without People, then I thought, the Power of Water. Since it is the rainy season in Kaua`i it seems a good time to shoot the water.

The water theme plays along with the winter season, in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), it is the time of the water element. Here is a quote from Tao Te Ching, 'Under heaven, nothing is more soft and yielding than water, Yet for attracting the solid and strong, nothing is better, it has no equal.' It could be a very connective challenge in using the element of water to glean better understanding of TCM.

Water...flows on and on, and merely fills up all the places through which it flows; it does not shrink from any dangerous spot nor from any plunge, and nothing can make it lose its own essential nature. It remains true to itself under all conditions. --- The I Ching

12/20/2007 03:17:52 PM · #11

Sean, I think that is a great idea for a theme! I like the fact that you are narrowing it down to something specific rather than just "water". Let me know when you decide what you want your theme to be and the number of photos that you are going to try to get...I love the idea of "The Power of Water" and that would provide a real challenge, but would be so neat when finished!

I love the quote you provided..

Water...flows on and on, and merely fills up all the places through which it flows; it does not shrink from any dangerous spot nor from any plunge, and nothing can make it lose its own essential nature. It remains true to itself under all conditions. --- The I Ching

sfalice

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

12/20/2007 04:43:50 PM · #12

jasonlprice by all means count me in on this side challenge. I will continue to think hard on a theme and tell you when it takes shape. I had thought of interpreting one site 30 different ways, but when I went there today to check out the idea more carefully, I decided it just wouldn't hold my attention that long.

Olympus 50mm f/2.0 Macro ED Zuiko Digital

12/20/2007 05:00:27 PM · #13

I'm off work today so I took this opportunity to shoot some more letters. I found a replacement A and F,P,R,W and a replacement S. Now all I need is M,N replacement O and Z.

Alice, I will add you in the list...Just drop in and let us know what project you want and how many pictures you want to challenge yourself with. It would be very neat to have a geographic challenge like you describe, maybe you can find a more interesting spot.

slaakso

Olympus E-510

12/20/2007 05:19:11 PM · #14

I have decided to put together a 6 x 6 grid of The Power of Water. 36 images should suffice. I'll get started as soon as I see some powerful water.

Here is an image from my visit to Lumahai beach in early December that prompted the title. Not a great photo but there is power.

12/20/2007 10:27:45 PM · #15

Great Sean! I look very forward to seeing your powerful water shots...that is a great theme choice and one I might have to do myself this summer!

I'm leaving for a short trip with the family bright and early in the morning and won't be back until Sunday so y'all cary on and I look forward to checking back in on Sunday with some letters!

Sigma 70-200 /2.8 APO EX DG Macro HSM II

12/23/2007 11:19:50 PM · #16

I found an M on our trip..

I added rule number 4 to make it clear this isn't necessarily a timed side challenge. It may take some of us longer or shorter to complete our themes...

Message edited by author 2007-12-23 23:24:51.

sulamk

Canon EOS-60D

12/23/2007 11:35:25 PM · #17

Birds
Feathered kind!

Sigma 70-200 /2.8 APO EX DG Macro HSM II

12/23/2007 11:44:02 PM · #18

Ooooo good one sulamk! Different bird for each shot? How many are you going to try and capture? I can't wait to see your final collage on this one! I'd love to do a bird poster when I get a good birding lens. Are you going to identify each one?

sulamk

Canon EOS-60D

12/24/2007 05:51:43 AM · #19

Originally posted by jasonlprice:

i will try and identify them1 some the of the little ones give me a hard time1 check out my web site needs to be fixed up a bit //www.sulamk.com

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

12/24/2007 10:27:23 AM · #20

My first one will be "Desperado" by the Eagles. I'm looking to have between 14 and 18 pictures.

12/24/2007 10:16:00 PM · #21

Found a Z and reshot my O today....

Sounds good sulamk, I'll have to check out your web site. How many photos are you going to try and get?

Welcome Karmat! I'm looking forward to "hearing" Desperado. Do you have a plan for the final collage? Are you going to include the words to the song? Or perhaps the final "product" will be a slide show that incorporates the music?

12/24/2007 10:30:52 PM · #22

Hey Sandy, great web site and bird photographs! I love your collection so far. Looks like you have enough for a poster already! To make it more challenging you could narrow your challenge down even more to a specifc type of bird....ie shore birds, waterfowl, song birds, etc...Just a suggestion and you can do anything you want (this is a free study challenge after all!).

My favorite so far on your web site is the black headed heron...It looks so classic...like an Audobon illustration. I love your web site too. Going to look at some more birds...

12/24/2007 10:32:21 PM · #23

Sandy, you may already know this but you "index" link from the individual bird photo page is broken...