DST Newsletter Photography Challenge #1

[nicunurse]

Hi Everyone! Welcome to the first DST Newsletter Photography Challenge! This month's challenge focuses on creating meaningful photographs. You can read the entire article on page 13 of the newsletter (doesn't the newsletter look fabulous?! Terra and her staff did an AMAZING job!)

There will be 4 specific challenges this month - about 1 per week.

Challenge #1 is: GET CLOSER

Here is the newsletter excerpt on this topic:

1. Get closer. Even closer. Fill the frame with your subject. It IS okay to chop off tops of heads. Go ahead – I give you permission! Focus on the details – damp curls after a bath, little pudgy hands playing with a train, a faraway look in the midst of a daydream. Taking tight shots eliminates distracting backgrounds and places the focus on what is important.

I challenge you to share your "closer" shots with all of us. You can get closer using either your zoom or your feet, but you can also do a close crop in your photo editing software. See the newsletter for some great cropping tutorials!

I also wanted to mention that the newsletter challenges are in addition to Rose's awesome challenges!

Here are a few of mine to get the creative juices flowing (all were taken with natural light)...

#1 I used a color pop action on this one

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/capturedbycindi/DSC_1571challenge.jpg

#2

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/capturedbycindi/DSC_0923bw5x7challenge.jpg

#3

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/capturedbycindi/DSC_1301bw5x72challenge.jpg

I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Cindi

[daisyrose]

Great challenge Cindi! Love to be able to see every freckle when I look at a photo of my girls! You can never have too many challenges, helps me stay motivated. :) Your photos are gorgeous as always! Can't wait until I get home to read the newsletter, how did they get it done so fast?!? :D

[Hom74]

Awesome photos! Off to find and read the NL!

[dinamom]

Fantastic photos. I just took one yesterday of the sand on the back of my ds's earlobe. I'll have to post it tonight.

[Karen Bowers]

i took a closeup of one of my favorite coffee mugs!

http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8317&cat=500

[growliesgirl]

Great photos! Where did you get the color pop action you used on the first one?

[abbysmommy]

OM, Goodness! I love the shot of that itsy bitsy belly button!

[BrownEyedGirl]

Here is mine... I did a LO of my new niece with the picture I took of her yesterday

http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=9197&cat=500

Here is the original photo that I used..

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i284/withu2inmind/100_1798.jpg

[nicunurse]

Karen, I love the coffee cup photo! The color is beautiful and I love how you can see the reflection of your kitchen - awesome! The layout is gorgeous too - love the quote! The monochromatic color scheme is perfect!

Michelle, what a precious photo! You really captured the sweetnes of the newborn period. And that little hint of a smile is priceless! Your layout is beautiful too. I love how you kept it simple to focus on the photo - the flowers are perfect for this page! And I like the crop you chose to put the emphasis on her cute little face and curled up hand.

Nancy, I'll check on the action and post here later.

Great job everyone! Let's keep sharing!

Cindi

[GingerT]

A few of mine

My DD
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/ginrc/IMG_4112.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/ginrc/IMG_2550.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/ginrc/IMG_2087.jpg

My Dog
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/ginrc/IMG_3369.jpg

[Hom74]

I did THIS LAYOUT (http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=9334&cat=500&ppuser=12) with this picture I took this afternoon:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v612/Hom74/IMG_5973-1.jpg

[sphmaz]

Here are a few of my kiddos on the tire swing the other day.

http://usera.imagecave.com/shalsey/SaraCloseup3.jpg
http://usera.imagecave.com/shalsey/SaraCloseup1.jpghttp://usera.imagecave.com/shalsey/tommy.jpg
http://usera.imagecave.com/shalsey/SaraCloseup2.jpg

[Alissa Jones]

Here's my 'closer' shot...

http://pickapaper.blogspot.com/2006/08/dst-newsletter-photography-challenge.html

TFL

[growliesgirl]

Wow, great shots everyone, Ginger I especially like the one of your dog. I've been trying to get more shots of the pets lately, I tend to focus on the kids but we've got one cat who probably doesn't have much time left and it'll be nice to have the pictures of him.

[selana]

wow, really great pictures here...

I have some of my son, I took them yesterday

http://www.selanas-scrapwelt.de/sonstiges/philipp-nah1.jpg

http://www.selanas-scrapwelt.de/sonstiges/philipp-nah2.jpg

[jdesai]

My layout of DD's eye-lashes. I couldn't get closer than that.

http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=9305&cat=500&ppuser=1007

[melanie]

Wonderful photos everyone!! They all really are making me want to get out there and find some subjects to get close up with!

[juliemarie]

Here is a close up I took of my daughter

http://juliemariedesigns.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/100_1994.jpg

[debbie.pearson]

Oh my goodness, you all have such awesome photos! Love the close-ups of the kiddos. I'm always amazed at what else you see in their expressions when you get a little closer. Hmm, I'm going to have to do this challenge too and will post back later.

[growliesgirl]

Here's a shot of my sister that I took this afternoon. I took the photo in color, then desaturated it in Photoshop and bumped up the contrast a little.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l300/growliesgirl/close-up.jpg

[debbie.pearson]

Beautiful picture of your sister Nancy. And Sue, I'm expecting some great layouts with those photos of your kids on the swing. They are really incredible.

[PeggyC]

I spent Saturday evening with my nephew taking photos for his senior pictures. One of my favorites:

http://RockinC.smugmug.com/photos/86272400-M.jpg

[abbysmommy]

Everyone, these are just awesome. I am probably one of a few scrappers that actually HATES the picture-taking side of scrapping. LOL! But, these are just so amazing and inspiring. What a gorgeous set of photos everyone's come up with!

[nicunurse]

WOW! I'm so glad to see so many people participate!

Ginger, I abosolutely love #3! Love the curls, those sweet cheeks, the eyelashes! I hope you don't mind that I played around a bit - I converted it to b&w with a slightly closer crop. Just couldn't help myself!

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/capturedbycindi/IMG_2087.jpg

Karen -fabulous shot! I want to reach out and squeeze those sandy little toes! Love the perspective and shallow depth of field.

Sue, great job getting in close! My favorite is the last one. Wonderful eye contact and I love how her hair is falling over her one eye. Her hair flying out on her left side gives a great sense of movement.

Kids just came in - will respond to the rest later!

[GingerT]

Don't mind at all -- any time! I can't get enough versions of my little Cassidy -- I am biased though hehe.

Looks awesome BTW! Is this your own conversion or an action?

WOW! I'm so glad to see so many people participate!

Ginger, I abosolutely love #3! Love the curls, those sweet cheeks, the eyelashes! I hope you don't mind that I played around a bit - I converted it to b&w with a slightly closer crop. Just couldn't help myself!

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/capturedbycindi/IMG_2087.jpg

Karen -fabulous shot! I want to reach out and squeeze those sandy little toes! Love the perspective and shallow depth of field.

Sue, great job getting in close! My favorite is the last one. Wonderful eye contact and I love how her hair is falling over her one eye. Her hair flying out on her left side gives a great sense of movement.

Kids just came in - will respond to the rest later!

[Cherie Shields]

Here's one of my favourites of my 2 and a half year old son:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/angelarelle/fireenginesml.jpg

This was converted from colour using the infrared effect on PSPX because I love the grainy effect and the fire-engine has been kept in colour for effect. This one is going to be framed and put up on the wall this week for sure :)
Why do I like this one? Because the fire-engine grabs your attention and then you notice the hand that leads you up the arm and out of the frame.

I LOVE tight shots - one of the best pieces of advice from a photographer friend I got before my son was born was get in close for detail and you won't need to take heaps of photos. LOL like I can stop ???

[AKSheridan]

I didn't see this challenge until today! Tight shots are my fave!! Great photos everyone.