Week 50 Gallery: A Pre-Finale Fest of Photographic Flair

Photography has the power of lightening up our lives; and what a great thing it is to start our days by checking out some beautiful images in the comfort of our seats!

Here is our weekly wrap-up – you'll find finely curated photos from the general chit chat blended with some creative shots from Tersha's latest challenge on Soft or Diffused Lighting! And of course, we'll introduce some worth-seeing shots from the Feedback Forum as well!

And why not mention it, this particular challenge was especially crowded, and it was a beautiful joy picking the featured shots!

Photo Of The Week – December 20th, 2021

Photo by Patrick

Words by Jasenka Grujin

It was really hard to choose the winner this time – so many great candidates and such a variety of soft lighting styles!
POTW goes to @patrickw and his gorgeous shot of a horse rider on the beach.
This is a perfect example of soft blue hour lighting which looks even more magical because the scene itself is rather minimal and tranquil.
The composition is also pleasing to the eye – the subject and the horizon line follow the rule of thirds.
Congrats, Patrick.

What Are Our Members Up To?

Pour some coffee and enjoy our favorite shots from Challenge 569th!

Photo by Aurimas

*There's something about birches that makes them poetic for good. Subtle colors and soft light take that nature to a different level.*

Photo by Wendy P

*One of the moodiest photos we've seen here in a while!*

Photo by Timothy S. Allen

*Even though one hardly can't go wrong with lighthouses, careful composition and meticulous processing will always make your images stand out from the crowd.*

Photo by Tersha

*Dull days are popular among photographers due to subtle and easier control of natural lighting.*

Photo by Charmaine Joubert

Photo by Patrick

*“Having a few days away from the madness of everyday life” (County Donegal, June 2021).*

Photo by Pat Garrett

*Steamy conditions add a tranquil and eerie aura to photographs thanks to the increasing levels of softening haze; great for dreamlike results!*

Photo by Robert Apple

*And speaking of hazy conditions, “Foggy Montana”!*

Photo by Jasenka Grujin

*Gentle and always creative, and the “touch-me-not” leaves work as a humble symbol about sleeping and dreams too!*

Photo by Marty E

*This looks like a good wallpaper for the upcoming days!*

Photo by Bobbie

*Nice angle, and the medieval look compliments the dark moody sky.*

What You Shouldn't Be Missing From The Light Stalking Community

Robert invited us to drive deep into the night with this intriguing and highly dramatic photograph.

And there's something about crisp winter days that make the skies unveiling and fun.

Wyoming’s Red Desert is one of the last great high-elevation deserts left in the US. Natural erosion has carved out colorful badlands, sandstone towers, deep canyons, and shifting sand dunes.

Dan shared this enchanted display he witnessed earlier this week:

Steve shared with us that yellow is his new favorite color, and down Deep Creek Recreation Area, Great Smoky Mountains, he encountered this beautiful pigmented patch.

Last but not least, Marty gave us an example of how the Sahara Desert dust storms affect our perception of the clouds during sunsets.

And if you want to see more shots, take a look at the Members Picks! A place where our community is able to share their favorite photographs from our forums every week.

We'd Love To Hear Your Thoughts

Also, our Feedback Forum got some nice pictures, and is clear that some of you have started building a solid photography style. This is the right place for all those people that want to grow fast as photographers.

Here, you'll get your work critiqued by plenty of well-intended people, but you'll also have the chance of critiquing your peers. We truly believe in the power of criticism and feedback. Here are some of the most interesting shots shared during the last week:

The Shark Tank is a great place to learn and to discuss, so please read the instructions in order to get a better critique experience. Share your comments, opinions, and doubts on any or all of the images above. We also will be delighted to see some of your own images. Don't be shy, critiques are given to photographs and not photographers.

Also, don't forget to participate in our 570th challenge on Making Use of Hard Light in Photography!