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Here we are again, bringing you the best of the best of what's happened in the past week in our beloved photography community.
We are sure that this year we'll see some amazing stuff from not only our newest members but also our amazing regular forum attendees.
We started this year with 100 new members, so we hope we can see them around some time, at least at the “Introduce Yourself” forum.
First up was an interesting challenge thanks to Tersha on Favourites and you are still in time to participate. So come and post your favourite image of 2018 in this challenge.
Another beautiful photo from Beth is this week's Photo of the Week. Here is what Kent had to say about it
“Here we are with the first POTW for 2019. I wonder what fantastic photographs this year will bring to Light Stalking?
I narrowed my selection this week down to two photographs, and while they are completely different in appearance, they share some similar attributes.
First of all, they both depict architecture. However, what really attracted my attention was that they both relied heavily on post-production technique to establish a mood and send a visual message – slash – story.
In the end, I chose Beth's shot of the Dooley Church.
I find this image both beautiful and haunting at the same time.
On the one hand, I can hear the laughter and greetings of families with children. On the other hand, my mind almost tricks me into believing that I can see ghosts in the windows.
Beth's use of a subdued monochromatic color scheme plays heavily into this mood.
She set her black point to black, but not a dense black. Her highlights are white, but not sheer white. The golden grass that surrounds the building has had the color saturation drawn back just enough so that it doesn't overwhelm the structure as the hero of the shot.
Her camera POV is perfectly placed so that we can witness the opposing forces of two collapsing walls. This builds a visual tension that would be missing from another angle.
In my opinion, it is an exquisite picture… worthy of hanging on a gallery wall.
My runner-up was Billyspad, for his chaotic abstract architectural image titled, “Downtown”. His image also creates thought and evaluation through his use of post-production.
Congratulations Beth on your POTW. The first of 2019!”
What Are Our Members Up To?
Old and New, the great dichotomy of life, that was the topic of the 415th Weekend Photography Challenge, These are some of the most interesting shots we saw during this deep challenge. Here's what Federico had to say about these wonderful images.
It takes a while to understand the powerful juxtaposition in this shot, the old and the new blend together so nicely, that it requires a slow pace reading. Brilliant capture.
Beth's abandoned buildings are amazing – in fact, they are Photo of the Week worthy as we've seen this week! Here we have an old (really old indeed) abandoned school house in the middle of nowhere, with a brand new (almost shinny) flag. A real treasure and hard not to photograph it, thanks for sharing it with us.
Oh jeez, this picture is so poetic, and we wish we could see it someday in black and white. The perfect contrast between two identical tools showing time in an incredible manner.
The colors in this image are great, they all combine perfectly, and the post-processing enhances the drama of the light that bathes the scene.
Discussions You May Have Missed From The Community
Please let's help KAllen with this one, she is trying to achieve a certain look with her photos and make a business out of it. So, of course, she's asked the community for their views! Maybe you can help her out. The look she is trying to achieve has to do with outdoor light, so a little bit of weather will be involved as well.
Dave shared with us a shot that he made in order to create a beautiful card to send to his sister in law who isn't feeling too well. We hope she gets better, and thanks for sharing this lovely and colorful photo with us Dave. It really made us super happy!!!
Chris shared with us a pretty interesting Instagram account he recently discovered about a young and talented photographer that really deserves some attention, check it out here.
Ryan still needs some help in deciding whether he should invest in a Laptop or an iPad. I say Laptop, but what do you folks have to say?
Erik was off of Light Stalking for a bit and we missed his regular thoughts and updates. He explained to us the reason for his absence in this post, he also shared an amazing collection of photographs of his mother. We send you our most sincere condolences.
As Always, We'd Love To Hear Your Thoughts
Improving as a photographer is always a struggle, we know the path we need to take but it is hard to advance. One of the best possible ways to improve in photography, is with criticism. Well intended of course, not the negative and poisonous comments, no, the positive feedback that is intended to help people out.
We have a special place dedicated exclusively for this, it is called the Shark Tank, and despite the fierce name, it is a friendly place. Here you can share your images and also you can share your opinions on others, but please, keep them beyond gear related questions. Here are some of the most interesting shot shared during last week on the Tank:
Feel free to comment on any or ale of those photos, and also share some of your images with us, we will be more than pleased to help you out into getting better if we can.
This stunning image captured by our very own Dahlia Ambrose on her iPhone 7 Plus of the Annapurna Range. Completely breathtaking and submitted to our Mobile Monday Challenge.
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