A Bit More on the Challenge

Lookee what I did! I made a banner... um, a badge... er, a button... hmmm, a whatchamacallit! Whatever it is, The Weekend Word Challenge now has one. I'm no graphic designer, I know, but I think it will do.

So... a couple of things to hopefully ease some concerns and make a couple more of you willing to risk playing along with us.

First, Quality. By saying I would like to see "Quality Photography" I had not intended to imply that only "skilled" or "tallented" or "experienced" photographers should play. I only meant that I would like to see you take the time to think about the way you are shooting. Sometimes blurred focus is intentional; sometimes we deliberately skew the horizom; sometimes (most of the time, actually) it is a good thing to place the primary target off center in the frame. Just think about why you do what you do and you will see a dramatic increase in the "artistic quality" (there's a loose term for you) of your photos.

Second, Critiques. The only way to improve in any area is to practice. With photography this means making the shutter click many times. Then you look at what you got, think about how you got it, decide what you should do differently, and make the shutter click many more times. Lather, rinse, repeat. Along the way, it is often helpfull to have another set of eyes take a look and make helpfull suggestions, not criticisms. It is my desire that through these challenges we have a safe, comfortable opportunity to get these critiques from our peers.

My comments will usually run along the lines of "You have captured the expression in her eyes beautifully. If you soften the focus, perhaps the gorgeous collor will stand out even more." Or, "What an adorable child. If you frame the image so that he is off to the left it may draw the viewer into the scene even more."

Third, Tools. I have one digital camera I use - a two year old, mid-line point-and-shoot Canon. I do not use Photoshop; I can barely start using Paintshop Pro (the whatchamacallit taxed my skills to the limit). I do use Picasa, a free program from google, which gives me basic tools to crop, adjust, and convert to monochrome. Thats it!

While I have serious camera lust when I look at the hight end Nikon and Canon DSLRs - and nearly pee myself when I look at some of those L series lenses - they are not what this challenge is about. This is about using your imagination to find a way through straightforward photography to express a concept to your viewer. Yes, there are skills involved; yes, nice equipment helps; yes, experience is important. But the key is your imagination and a willingness to share with, learn from, and trust in the rest of us who are putting our work out there, too.

I want to share. I want to learn. I trust you. Let's play!

UPDATE:
A couple of people (notably, Kristine and Lucky Lum - both of whose opinions I value) have suggested that I keep it at one word to make it easier. If I get much feedback that way I can certainly do that. However, I actually gave three words to make it easier. Sometimes, I just can't find an image for one word, but if I have three to work with I can usually find something creative to do with at least one or two. You do not have to respond to all three words. Please let me know what you think.