Suggest Ideas for Upcoming Challenges!

[shutterspeed]

Hey Ladies!

So I was thinking that it might be fun to take suggestions or ideas about future challenges from you! Do you have a fun & creative idea that you think would be fun to photograph? Do you have something you've wanted to try but haven't...that could be a challenge too!

So step right up, don't be shy, give us your ideas and we might just see them as a future challenge! Every idea is welcome, no idea is silly or unworthy.

Looking forward to your ideas & suggestions!! :)

[nina81]

In another forum we had a photchallenge about the "blue hour" the time when night comes...I loved to see the different pictures with this deep blue sky!!

[MissMint]

Capture movement or action?

[RhiG122]

capturing sunflares....

rocking the silhoutte....

bokeh....

the self portrait in a creative way....

thats all i got for now!

[birgit]

i always wanted to do something with silhouettes but have no idea how. i love those pictures of people behind blinds/curtains... something like that... maybe that's a challenge? for me it sure is... :teehee:

[glumirk]

food
architecture
nature
animals
movement
macro
textures
lighting
seasons
hybrid projects
collections

and tips on how to best photograph such things.

[shutterspeed]

Birgit you should link me to an example of the type of silhouette you're talking about! :)

so far so good ladies...several of these are already on my list, but a few are not...so that should be fun adding these new ones! :)

keep 'em coming!! :D

[Scrappie Irene]

A lot of great ideas are already mentioned!
I don't have many great ideas left, just some things that came to my mind:

Jewelry
Playing with shadows
Night shot
Landscape
Cityscape
In the forest (trees, leafs, mushrooms)
Shop window (of your favourite shop)
Unexpected compositions
Most used vehicle to go to work/shopping etc.
Self portrait
Your most beautiful photo (don't have to be taken in the challenge week)
One color as subject (just like the red in the beginning, but now with other colors)
Playing with shutterspeed (movement) or diafragma (DOF)

I really enjoyed making the magazine cover. Maybe create a movie poster, a DVD cover or a book cover with your own photo?

[RhiG122]

.....

clouds (this looks like a...)......

shape with in a shape......

weather vanes......

windmills......

christmas lights......

holiday decorations (this one could be seasonal)......

the skyline (the view out your back door)......

[shutterspeed]

I really enjoyed making the magazine cover. Maybe create a movie poster, a DVD cover or a book cover with your own photo?
Our minds are on the same wavelength....cuz I was just thinking about this today!! :D

so far i have 22 challenges on the list, i've added all the ones that have been mentioned so far that i didn't already have. so that gets us thru the first of February! :happydance: that doesn't mean though that I want the ideas to stop flowing in. sometimes a random idea will hit me as i'm driving or something...and it could be a better idea than what's already there...

i'm really excited about the future challenges. many of them involve a tip/technique section or mini lesson. i try to stay about 3 wks ahead, so if you don't see your suggestion right away as a new challenge, don't fret, it's in the queue. for some of these suggestions i have to go out and do some shooting for the example photos...the 3 wk buffer gives me time to do that. :)

and wow i've been incredibly wordy tonight! ok, back to regularly scheduled programming! :smug:

[cindys732003]

I was thinking along the same lines as Rhi too......around Christmas, you know those spectacular photos of the Christmas tree lit up, close ups of the ornaments (in the dark with the tree lit)? Holiday lights at night? etc I'd love to learn how to do that properly :)

[RhiG122]

cindy that is exactly what i was thinking!!! i love the pics of the tree all lit up ...so pretty! i cant wait to experiment at halloween when i turn on the yard decorations....my junipers are going to be covered in purple & orange!

[glumirk]

Another idea would be to play with perspective to create optical illusions.

[birgit]

have to see if i find something. nina knows what i mean - maybe she has an example...

[RhiG122]

wow i feel like i have been gone for months!!


anywho, dont know if i missed reading this one or not, but did you get the emotionally expressive?

[lucysmom]

Seasons where you live

Animals

Through the lens

Any color challenge!

Day in the life

My best friend

Favorite hobby

Cooking+recipe

Just some ideas that came to me! :smug:

[PixelChick]

I know it's been mentioned a few times already, but I would LOVE a nature/landscape challenge.. The leaves are turning here & I'm itching to get outside & take some pics of the beautiful colors.. I also like the holiday lights/ornaments idea (along with a tutorial on how to do it 'right').. Just my 2 cents!

[glumirk]

Oh! I think we need to have challenges that help us take pictures without natural light. We had snow flurries yesterday morning, the leaves are mostly falling now, and the days are already so much shorter. I've been playing with settings and with lights around the house, but letting the light stream in from the windows is really the best. I like being able to take pictures without the flash when possible (although a giggling baby makes me turn my flash back on in an instant!). What are the best ways to do this when there isn't an abundance of natural light?

[shutterspeed]

i sat down real quick to check email and such before taking the kids to the park (OMG it's sunny!!!!). but i do have an answer for you Megan and when i have a bit more time i will come back and explain! :) great question btw!

[shutterspeed]

alright...how to get more natural light or boost the natural light you have?

one of the first things you could try is to bounce the light either using a reflector board/screen or something as simple as a large mirror. (however be careful using the mirror if you receive direct sunlight through the window, best used for great diffused light cuz it can be too bright). go to any craft store and buy a big sheet of foam core board (in white) to use as a reflector. or go to the automotive section of any store and get a silver windshield car reflector (these work wonders but may not be big enough). position these items opposite the light source to help bounce the light back onto the subject.

if you're using a big window (french doors, etc) as your light source pay attention throughout the day for when the most diffused light is coming through (not direct sunlight). and use the time of day to your advantage.

remember that dark colors absorb light, light colors reflect it. so if you're already at a loss for light, don't use a black backdrop or blanket as one of your props. it'll suck up all the light.

if you have a garage use it as a "mock studio". open your garage door and use the flood of natural light that you'll get from that. (altho for some of you it may be too cold to use that option).

another simple thing to do is boost your ISO from 100 or 200 to 400 or 800 or even 1600.

try using a fast lens like a 50mm 1.8 or 1.4.

use a tripod (and shutter release cable). especially for photos of babies as they tend to move around a bit. babies still young enough that they just lay there a tripod can give you a more steady hand and you can set a lower shutterspeed if need be without worrying you'll get camera shake.

if you have to use a flash as fill, try using a diffuser of some kind. there are those that you can buy and some are as cheap as $10-$15. however if you're hard pressed or don't want to spend the money here's a few household items you can cover your flash head with to help diffuse the light:


using a sheet or two of wax paper (attach with rubber band)
using a sheet or two of a more opaque vellum (attach with rubber band)
cut out a piece of a milk jug (big enough for flash head) and attach it as a diffuser)
attach a simple piece of white cotton fabric to the flash head


some of the more expensive flashes also have the option to dial down the power or output of the flash burst. utilizing that for an indoor portrait session would be ideal, especially if it's a secondary source of light.

have i answered the question or did i just make it more confusing? :teehee:

[glumirk]

oh! Now I have lots of things to try! I think I'll get some white foam core board next time I'm at the store!

Oliver only just "lays there" when he's sleeping...and that's if you are lucky! I have so many blurry hands flying around in his pictures because I hate how harsh the flash is. I'll have to try some wax paper!

Thanks! :bouquet:

[shutterspeed]

any new suggestions for future challenges?

my list is starting to run low...LOL! ok maybe not that low. i've got 3 months worth of ideas but never hurts to have fresh ideas! :)

[Jodimc]

I know we've done reflections but what about only water reflections.

Odd I'm sure but my other suggestion would be mist, but I don't know if I could actually get out of bed early enough to participate in that one!! LOL

[shutterspeed]

definitely got the water reflections down for the rotation. thanks Jodi for the suggestion.

alright ladies...i'm hitting the bottom of the barrel in ideas for photo challenges. got any creative ideas we haven't tried yet? or maybe a new spin on an old idea?

[tkeetch]

I'm getting a new SLR SOON! And I can't wait...

But local *community ed* photography classes have already started, so I'll have to wait until January to get into one. After I found that out, I was super bummed, but I remembered these challenges. :)

I'm sure you've already covered most of this, but since I'm new to it... maybe others are too?

Fast / Slow shutterspeeds
Playing with Aperture
Depth of field
ISO

Maybe you could give us a photography tip... like about composition, or taking pics of kids, animals, etc. and then we could go out and take a photo using your tip?

Basically, I want to learn more about shooting "out of auto". :)

[shutterspeed]

i'm gonna start working on some "tutorials" if you will that will address the topics you've suggested. it never hurts to continue to cover the basics and to practice practice practice! :)

[shutterspeed]

hey Tiff i have a "lesson" of sorts on aperture up:
http://www.peppermintcreative.com/forum/showthread.php?p=29244#post29244

soon to be followed by a "lesson" on shutterspeed! :)

[tkeetch]

Thanks!:smug:

[FHPGIRL]

When will you be starting challenges again?:loveshower:

[shutterspeed]

after the holidays and first of the new year! :)