Vote Now: Which Topic Should Be July's Monthly Photography Assignment?

I've contacted both Mike and Athena who tied as winners of the June Monthly Assignment topic "Night Shot." Since winner gets to chose the next month's topic, I asked both of them to tell me what they would like to spend July trying to shoot and I would like my readers to vote for the final topic. Which one do you think you would have the most fun capturing this coming month:


A) Fireworks



or


B) History

I will open the poll now and it will have a quick turn around, closing this time tomorrow evening.

Breaking News: Monthly Assignment Tie!

Wow, this month's photo assignment contest was a nail-biter right to the very last hours the poll was open. But alas, PWYP has its first ever tie between images submitted by Athena Otto and Mike Haley, with each receiving 5 votes.

I had to do some thinking about how to address this, and decided to go with an idea I got from Mike: Both Athena and Mike will be allowed to choose a topic for next month's assignment. Then, readers can vote on which topic they would like to shoot for July. I will post up another poll once I get the topic ideas from Athena and Mike. Polls will be open for one day only, so I can give everyone the full month to get their submissions in.

Until then, congratulations to Athena and Mike. Here are some great comments blog passersby let regarding what they thought about your images:

Image by Athena Otto



REBELRESCUER wrote this about Athena's image: I have no technical expertise, but photo "B" is my fav! There's something about the street light, and the front of the building that gives it a certain feeling. Really like that one!! Hope to participate in July!!
Reb

Image by Mike Haley


DIZZLE wrote this about Mike's image: I like D. If I am not mistaken that is Heritage Square...childhood memories come flooding back and capturing it night makes me remember days gone by when my mom would let us run around there with no fear of anything bad happenign to us other maybe a scraped knee from a fall during a game of tag...music playing and just enjoying the summer night.

Get the Job Done: First Wedding Assignment Complete and Successful!

My presentation with bride Tolisa was a success, and I can't tell you how relieved I am to finally be done with this assignment. Tolisa (seen above) is very pleased with her photos and she took a handful of my business cards and new postcards to give to all her friends and relatives. For her presentation, I chose to display all the images in a slideshow on my MacBook Pro. To hear Tolisa react so positively to the images was a great confidence booster.



I wasn't able to complete the photo album in time as it was a very difficult process and would have required about two hours putting it together. So instead, I went back to my original idea of blowing up this fabulous shot Mike Haley took of the couple walking out of the church and into their new life together. I printed an 11x14 of this, framed and matted it. Turns out this was one of Tolisa's favorites (mine too!) and she plans to purchase it as well as several CDs that have 4x6 print versions of select images taken throughout the day. Tolisa, Jordan and their friends and relatives will purchase larger prints directly from my website.

I managed to cull 3,000 shots taken from three very different photographers to about 600 cohesive "Picture Your World Photography" images. All of those images were then separated into six galleries. I wanted to thank Mike Haley...



and Jason Peckovitch again for a fabulous job! Love you guys!



Now, I wait to see if I will get some print sales from the website. Tolisa mentioned that the first photographer she considered hiring was going to charge her $3,500, so she recognized that my charge for $500 was an incredible steal (and she will be the ONLY bride to ever get my services at that discounted price!). She promised to keep that between us, and she intends to push her guests to buy prints to help me make up those lost sales. Plus, I think I may have secured a new client for life, as she is already making plans for numerous sessions, including a glamour/boudoir set and Christmas shots to be taken later this year. Her brother is graduating this year and needs senior shots. Her god daughter's family needs portraits done. And I hope to be their chosen maternity photographer when the couple gets pregnant. Here's hoping for many more opportunities to work together in the future. Besides, Tolisa and Jordan just moved into a house right up the street from my house....why should they go to anyone else when I'm so close by. ;)

Get the Job Done: Favorites Emerging from the Wedding Shoot

As I've been editing photos from the wedding, I'm feeling more and more confident and pleased about the work Jason, Mike and I accomplished at this event. I think the photos are amazing, and I wanted to take a break from post production to share a few of my favorites thus far:



Mike Haley captured this photo while I was setting up the bride and groom for their private portrait session. I love the bride's natural glowing expression of ease, beauty and happiness in this image.



This great storytelling photo by Jason Pechovitch makes me laugh. Periodically, the groom would appear to have these moments when he seemed freaked out about the prospect of getting married. Jason captured him here and I got several of him doing the same thing right before he had to be yanked into the church. The way this groom looked at the bride with such love in his eyes, I have no doubts he loved marrying her. But his sense of humor was a joy to see too.



Mike and I both love the symbolism reflected in this photo I took of the bride emerging from the basement. It was the first time many of her relatives had seen her in the ceremonial gown, so their amazement of her beauty and their compliments were sincere. But capturing her coming from the basement could also be viewed as seeing her step into a new role in her life.

June Monthly Assignment Posted: "Night Shot"

Congratulations to John Freeman, the winner of my blog's first monthly assignment. His ultra cool "Self Portrait" taken with a fisheye lens took top honors.

Voters Comments:
"I voted (c) as the picture just has bags of personality coming out of it..." says Scatterbrain from the Digital Photography School online forum.

As the winner, John has chosen "NIGHT SHOT" as the topic for June's assignment. Brush up on the rules by reading this past post. You have from now until June 22 to submit an entry. Voting polls will be open and will run for one week, with the winner announced on June 30.

A) By Mike Haley


B) By Jason Peckovitch


C) By John Freeman