"A rite of passage occurs when you move beyond photographing what you see and begin to actively manipulate a scene or subject to produce better photos."

This month's Photo Challenge is a tricky one, but it also offers photographers a huge amount of freedom. Your assignment is to set a scene in front of your camera and capture it. You can read how one pro did it here.

You can make a meticulously crafted still-life or arrange an elaborate group portrait worthy of a Vanity Fair cover. It can be simple, or complex. Be creative and you could win $100 and get published in an upcoming issue of Popular Photography magazine.