Assignment .06

Color due August 8.2011

First of all, thank you to everyone who voted for my shot. I really thought all the submissions were great. Now it's time to keep the ball rolling.

One thing you may have noticed from the last assignment was that nearly all the shots submitted were in black and white. It's classic yes, but it's not how we see the world. The old adage, "when you look at a photo of a person in color, you see their clothes, but when you look at a shot in black and white, you see their soul" - that's a bunch of bull if you ask me. There are some images that just HAVE to be in color.

So my assignment is this: go out, take a photo of a stranger, from the front. The twist is that color must be part of the "story" the photo tells. Maybe it's a photo of a little old lady walking down the street into the golden sunset, maybe it's someone sitting in front of a bright red sign - whatever it is, make color a critical element of the shot.

For inspiration, check out the work of Magnum photographers like Alex Webb, particularly images like this. The ultimate shot should be one where color grabs our attention, but doesn't ultimately distract from the overall photo.

-Peter

housekeeping and assignment .05 victor

First off, congratulations to Peter!  For your prize: please email your choice for assignment .06 (and a brief explanation of it) to {Photoclub} and we'll have that posted as soon as we can.  Thank you to everyone for commenting--the ability to get feedback on our photos is an awesome part of the club, so please keep it up (whether or not voting is involved)!

Second, a minor change.  After some experimentation (you hardly noticed, right?) we've decided to set a regular photo deadline for every other Monday.  If you would like to get on the list for reminder emails (we'll send out one the Friday before each deadline) please send an email to that effect, or leave a comment below.  Thank you for sticking with us while we work out the bugs!

<3,
{Photoclub}  

.05 Interaction

Leslie

Andrew

Jenny

Debbie

Peter

Ashley

The photos are in!  Way to get out there and take pictures of strangers interacting!  Thanks to all who participated; you have until the end of Monday July 25th to cast your votes (via comments- just describe the photo you like and why you chose it).

Assignment .05

Interaction due July 23.2011

The world is buzzing with interactions-- someone stops to pet a dog tied to a parking meter, a mother tends to a child's scraped knee, a policeman gives directions to a lost tourist.  This assignment is a street photo* that captures a moment of strangers interacting.  The photo should be taken from the front, but other than that the world of interactions is your oyster!

This is a great opportunity to try something new and expand your repertoire a little.  Vivian Maier was a nanny in Chicago for 40 years, starting in the mid-50s.  After she died, it was discovered that she had roamed the streets of Chicago in her spare time taking photographs, and you can see some of her work, which includes some great street photos of interactions, at the link above and here.  You have 10 days to go roam the streets of your town and send in your best photo of an interaction.

*A note about street photography:  Those new to street photography are sometimes concerned about taking pictures of strangers.  It is completely and perfectly legal to take photographs of strangers in public places without their permission.  If you have further questions about it, feel free to post them in a comment below.

NOW FOR THE TWIST!
This time around we are going to have everyone vote on their favorite submission after they come in!  The prize?  The winner gets to pick the next assignment!!!  So if you win, you get to choose anything your heart desires that you would like to photograph and see others photograph then see what treasures come back.  Now, since this time it's a competition, we'd like to remind you that photos submitted to {Photoclub} need to be taken between the time the assignment is posted and the due date (see {Photoclub} rule #2).  This keeps the playing field even, and it promotes the continual practice of the skills we have and are developing.  Only those who submit get to vote so be sure to send in your photographs by July 23rd!

We are having a great time taking photographs and seeing yours!  Thank you to all who have been participating in {Photoclub}, and we can't wait to see what you send us for Assignment .05: Interaction!

.04 Light

What a great crop!  One of my favorite things about assignments, is how they change the way I look at the world as I hunt for a photo.  For the last two weeks light (and dark) has been always on my mind.

A number of you expressed in your emails that your photo didn't turn out just how you wanted it (Jenny-I hear that lightening is in fact very tricky to capture)--I'm really glad you submitted anyway.  The idea for this blog is for everyone to stretch their abilities and try some new things.  And, of course, to enjoy yourself.

It was great to have double digit submissions for the first time and also great to see so many first time submissions.  Welcome!  Tomorrow we will post the next assignment, along with a special challenge to mix it up a bit, so be sure to check back then.

Photo Credits (from top to bottom):
  Nancy
  Andrew
  Brianna
  Debbie
  Debra
  Erin
  Jenny
  Jes
  Leslie
  Kevin
  John
  Nicole

friendly reminder

clubbers,

Photography literally means writing with light.  Whether it's natural light, a traffic light, light sabers or night lights, this weekend show us how it's done.  We can't wait to see what kind of poetry you come up with.  

Assignments are due Monday.

<3,

{Photoclub}