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| Photo by Angie Birmingham |
| Click photo to launch slideshow. |
My step daughter and I set out on Jan 21st with one mission and that mission was to take a lot of pictures of anything and everything.
My step daughter is eight years old and we had a blast. She had her camera and I had mine. I think that we may make this a regular on weekends. Just listening to her scrolling through her pictures was funny. I could her here saying "oh that's a good picture ... this one is OK ... what was that one of ... and oh that is bad I need to delete this one."
I think that this is just what we needed to bring us closer together.
Angie Birmingham
Corpus Christi, TX
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On Sunday, January 21st, my son participated in a soccer tournament.
It was the All Star Regional Tournament for AYSO for the Santa Clarita Valley in California. I was already planning to take pictures but your contest inspired me to take more and better pictures. I started at 8:00 am and took pictures all morning and a good part of the afternoon. I even exceeded the 225 photos goal you had set. And as the day progressed, my pictures got better and better. I learned to follow the game through the lens... never put down the camera! It only takes a few seconds and you could miss a great photo opportunity. Soccer is a fast-paced game and I found it easier to take pictures from the end of the field rather than the sidelines. I also realized that it is important to anticipate where the ball is going since having the ball in the picture makes it a better shot! I usually take between 30-40 photos at every game and end up with maybe one GREAT one and a few good ones. This time I had a few GREAT ones but a lot of good ones! But most of all, I learned a lot about sports photography.
Thank you for the challenge!
Nathalie Seguin
Newhall, CA
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I would like to say that I am glad that you thought this up. I can't tell you how many times I have looked at objects or places on my way to and from work and said to myself "Someday, I will stop and take a picture," knowing full well that that would never happen. But on the 21st, I stopped and got my shot. Plus, it was a great bonding experience for me and my three-year-old son. He has a twin sister, so he doesn't get as much one-on-one time as he should. It snowed almost all day, so we have a lot of memories and pictures to back them up.
Thank you,
André Wright
Eau Claire, WI
***
I live in a very small town in Northern California, Coloma, just outside of Sacramento about 40 miles. It was here on January 24, 1848 along side the South Fork of the American River where James Marshall discovered gold and changed the course of the world. At one time almost every educated person in the world was aware of Coloma and most wanted to come here to seek their fortunes.
I am a Tour Director and choose to live in this historic community. My travels take me to the far reaches of the world but this is the place to live. I take advantage of the opportunity to take pictures of not only the world but this little corner. It was quite an experience to walk around this community for so many hours and look for what makes me enjoy the area. I hope these five pictures show a glimpse of this very special community along side the South Fork of the American River.
Thank You,
Jerry Moorman
Coloma, CA
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I have had a camera since I was six years old when my parents gave me a 110 camera with a built in flash. I shot many pictures with that until I was given my first 35mm point and shoot camera with true auto focus at the age of 12. That camera saw a lot of use especially during my six weeks in Spain at the age of 19. When I returned I was given a Pentax IQ Zoom camera that I started to take many pictures with on cross country motorcycle trips. Then a couple of years ago my mom gave me her old Pentax Spotmatic with a 50mm Super Takumar lens. I started shooting pictures with it and reading everything I could about depth of field, manual focusing, lighting, contrast, you name it. Last year I purchased my first digital SLR camera and have been getting more and more into photography ever since.
When I read of this contest in my new subscription to Popular Photography magazine, the article touched the aspiring amateur photographer in me and said "Go do it. Win or loose, it will be fun." I woke up early Sunday morning on January 21 hoping to catch some of the dawn light and start my day of shooting. I eagerly looked outside and saw a dim gray light through the whirling snowflakes falling on Fort Collins Colorado. Suddenly I realized that someone who has spent his time trying to capture the most beautiful landscape and fit as much as he can inside the lens was going to spend most of the day inside. I made the best of things and got another hour of sleep since the light would be a dull gray almost all day. When I got everything ready, I protected my camera with a plastic bag, bundled up, and headed outside despite the snow. On my way out, I glanced at the clock an noted 8 AM. My day of shooting had begun.
I took a few shoots, walked about a block from my house and decided to get home before frost bite set in on my fingers. Back inside I fetched my tripod and started experimenting with available light and my pop up flash. I found that all my reading about white balance began to pay off since using the manual settings is much more necessary indoors. My girlfriend then wanted to go out shopping and I thought that it might be an interesting challenge to make a good picture in a store.
We went to a few antique shops were I tried my hand at framing various junk on the walls and shelves. Then we went to an import store were everything apparently comes from a single pier. After taking a few shots there I was quickly told that cameras were not allowed in the store and that a photo of any item would be supplied to me on request. This was not the type of challenge I expected. We went to another big box store for some home supplies. I began to take pictures once more and found no resistance there. We then returned home where I photographed various household items and rooms playing with reflections in a mirror for a while. It had gotten dark outside so I decided to head out once more.
I went to the historic part of town where there are many old buildings that now mostly contain bars and restaurants. I made several shots using my tripod when the wind came up and the smokers forced outside by our no smoking law were forced back inside by the cold. I warmed up in the car for a bit and then headed over to an old church. I took a few shots and then the church bell started echoing through the cold night air. I looked up and the large clock on the steeple read 12 AM. My day of shooting had officially ended.
Throughout my day I learned a lot about going outside of my comfort zone for subjects and using my equipment more effectively. I also learned that unless there is a stated rule about taking pictures, people don't seam to mind someone walking around with a camera and pointing it at everything they see. That lesson, most of all, will help me go out and make photographs more often. Thank you Popular Photography for having a great idea and inspiring me to have a fun and creative day.
All shots were taken with a Pentax *ist DL using the 18-55mm kit lens and shot in RAW format. Pictures converted and resized for email file size.
Brian Vos
Fort Collins, CO
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