• September 10th, 2012

Thank you to all the participants of this contest and a special thanks to our friend and amazing photographer Peter Hurley for selecting the following winners:

“Hey guys!  Thanks for all the incredible submissions to the contest.  I love that there was such a variety of shots submitted and it was a difficult task narrowing it down to the winner.  I know we didn’t set any clear cut rules on what would make a winning headshot and we certainly did get enough variety to go around.  Since the only definition of headshot that I know is a shot of someone’s head then most submissions make the cut.  I’d love to change headshot to faceshot for numerous reasons, but since headshot is the norm we’re going to have to run with it for a while.  So here are my thoughts:  First off let’s keep it human, that cuts out pretty much all other forms of life that were obviously plentiful in the gallery.   Secondly, let’s keep it simple.  Not too distracting and clean is the way I roll and I like things that way.  Third, I want the shot to make me think.  You need to have a feeling coming from the shot that captures the attention of the viewer.  I needed to stop and wonder what that person is thinking or what did the photographer say to this individual to make them look like that.  My thing is really about feeling something out of the shot.  Once I’m getting a vibe from a photograph then I start to look at details. ” – Peter

Congratulations to DanHashemi winner of the year of ViewBug PRO and the copy of the DVD “The Art Behind The Headshot” with photo “Father”

“I think Dan’s shot of this father(not sure if it’s his father!) is a complete SHABANG!  It captured my attention instantly and I’m am drawn into the expression on this man’s face.  I always want people to look at my photographs and wonder what the person is thinking and this completely does it for me.  Congratulations Dan on winning the contest!” – Peter

Congratulations to maksym winner of the year of ViewBug PRO with photo “Age of Wisdom”

“Runner up goes to Maksym for this shot.  I was completely captivated by the look on this man’s face.  Definitely makes me wonder what he is thinking about the moment this image was captured.  Great job Maksym! ” – Peter

Congratulations to the following Honorable Mentions:

maheshguild with photo “The Gaze”

tracywrightcorvo with photo “Sam”

victor_velazquez with photo “Hector”

ewilman with photo “Homeless 14”

• September 4th, 2012

Lighthouses have always been a popular subject to photograph as these are usually located in spectacular corners of the world and provide a wide range of options to frame a photograph.

We appreciate all the magnificent photographers that shared their work in this photo contest and a special thanks to photographer Brad Ross for his collaboration in selecting the following winners:

Congratulations to ybuhac winner of Holga Camera + starter kit and a year of ViewBug PRO with photo “Corbiere Storm”

“There are a few things that made this image stand out above the other great entries. Technically the use of black and white is perfect. It brings out the stark contrasts yet the photographer still managed to not overexpose the whites and kept details in the waves. I also love the metaphors you can pick up from this image….. humans vs nature, light vs dark, good vs evil.” – Brad

Congratulations to dana223 winner of the year of ViewBug PRO with photo “Ghost at the Lighthouse”

“The slow shutter speed here is what propelled this image into 2nd place. The ghosted humans give a sense of time and serve to show how long the lighthouse has stood.” – Brad

Congratulations to Elrem winner of the year of ViewBug Premium Gold with photo “Lighthouse”

“A nice use of HDR to bring out the majestic skies. The leading lines converging towards the lighthouse give this the technical points to win third place.” – Brad

Congratulations to Manserotti the Top People’s Choice and winner of the year of ViewBug PRO with photo “Peggy’s Cove”

• August 29th, 2012

Butterflies can be a great photography subject as shown in this photo contest gallery. The variety of colors and scenarios provide  limitless opportunities to capture unique shots of these creatures where our imagination is the limit.

A big thanks to our friend and renowned photographer Jan Armor for his collaboration in selecting the following winners:

Congratulations to lolav2010 winner of the Digital Holster and an Artificial Intelligence 15 V2.0 by ThinkTankPhoto

“This image has feeling. I loved the confrontational “face to face” quality of this unusual capture. Man meets butterfly… It just knocked me dead, not the typical butterfly shot one sees everyday. The bullseye composition added to this feeling and the background, probably a texture overlay, was blended well, and very appealing. Great job!” – Jan

Congratulations to the following Honorable Mention:

Keithng with photo “Butterfly on Flower”

“This was my second place. I liked the intimacy of this photo. Like the First Place entry, it too had a feeling of closeness. I thought it could have been captioned:  ”Oh, boy, t’s  time to eat.!” There is the feeling that the insect had just landed a millisecond before the shutter was tripped. It has depth and sharpness in all the right places.” – Jan

Congratulations to the following Top 2 People’s Choice and winners of the Cable Management 20 pack by ThinkTankPhoto:

AnnKearns with photo “Birthday Butterfly Large”

sherrytheberry with photo “Wings with faces”

• August 27th, 2012

This photo contest resulted in a collection of stunning images showing how nature mixes and blends in with urbanization. As we strive to find balance of these two, photographers had the opportunity to showcase their perspective on this photo contest’s theme. A special thanks to renowned photographer Jason S Moore for his collaboration in selecting the following winners:

Congratulations to Ata winner of the Lowepro Fastpack 250 and the Joby Gorilla SLR-Zoom with Ballhead

“This image shows a creative interpretation of the “Urban Nature” theme in which light is used very effectively to draw a stark contrast between the realm of the animals and the domain of man.  I enjoy how this image works graphically – the frame divided by the sloping hillside and the animals’ silhouettes against density of the city.” – Jason

Congratulations to the following Runner Ups and winners of the 250 Reward Points:

ardilla with photo “Ushuaia”

“I enjoyed the light and colors in this image.  Halving the frame with the horizon works here because the sky reflected in water is sufficient to create some interest in the lower half of the frame.” –  Jason

agasurreal with photo “City Scape”

“I like how this image depicts a sliver of civilization in the midst of a vast wilderness.  It makes me want to visit Tierra del Fuego, though I’m not sure I’ll see these colors when I get there.” – Jason

Magpie1960 with photo “Unique Sunset”

“This is an interesting angle of view and the processing serves and does not overwhelm the image.” – Jason

robertboake with photo “Bam!”

“This image is somewhat surreal, aided by monochrome treatment and a fast shutter that freezes the action leaving the viewer unsure of where that wave is going – perhaps to drown those building in the background or to spill out of the screen and onto our laps.” – Jason