Urban Wildlife, Monitor Calibration and Summer Goodbye!

Welcome to the weekly Light Stalking community wrap up. We'd love for you to join us!

As we continue to take more global space, wildlife gets pushed against our existence. It qualifies as resilience or adaptation capability; and in all cases, it's the result of our effects on their territories and ways of living. Not to mention smuggled species across the borders every day.

For our weekly challenge, we got asked to provide images capable of showing how intertwined our existence is with other species around us. And of course, they are not invading us; is the other way around…

Just like the previous +700 challenges, this one will remain open for you to continue nurturing our Encyclopedia Visualis. So in case you feel like contributing to the respective set, here are some things to consider when capturing wildlife in urban settings.

Before you even think about pointing your camera at a squirrel, a raven or even a spider, do some research. Otherwise, you might encounter some frustrations. Deep dive into how these behave, and develop some solid patience skills.
Urban wildlife can still bite, scratch, and make you wish you'd chosen a safer subject. So you must prioritize safety and ethics, be aware of potential risks, avoid harming animals, and respect their boundaries.
Scout for a quiet spot, and once there get down to the ground. With time, wildlife might get used to your presence; and with it, better shots will arise!

And remember, with long lenses support is crucial; so find yourself a good tripod for the job.

Photo of the Week

Despite the depressing fact that these birds are eating popcorn — the most basic human culinary invention I can think of — the composition of this is absolutely gorgeous. It builds upon the principle of the rule of thirds, times two when you take into account both subjects combined in the frame. And if that weren't enough, it graciously breaks with the expectation of the rule of odds; look closely into the feathery bulb… Four they are! Not to mention the on-spot decision of developing it in monochrome.

Congrats Frogdaily, thanks for sharing such a high-quality photograph with us!

Weekly Photography Challenge Digest

Thanks, Tersha and Dahlia for pushing our creative boundaries one step forward every week!

Feral wild cat in Mykonos Greece

Geese over the HudsonRiver in New York City. View of New Jersey in the background.

Loading dock, Fish Market

Rule #1: Never leave your picnic lunch unattended……this gull did get into the sandwich and a bag of chips

For more visual examples on decay and resilience, check out the original challenge post!

A Highlight on the Latest Activity at our Community

Local meteorologists promised Elin some clear skies, but “we all know the failure rates of such prophesies. I have never seen the landscapes as lush and the colors as vivid as now after weeks of torrential downpours – so all is not bad”.

Daniel had a very interesting question about monitor calibration, it quickly escalated into hardware-based solutions. So, if this is something that might enlighten your doubts on accurate colour reproduction, we suggest you click here for more.

Patrick suggests taking 30-minute projects, sometimes he likes setting a short limit on the time he can shoot for, the aim is to try to build a short set of pictures that work together and one that captures his environment:

And the summer is officially over…

Don't let the chance of winning a $250 cash prize slip by! “Human Impact” is our August theme, click here to read more! And remember, if you want to make out the most of your Light Stalking user account, make sure to check the latest posts. Also, don't forget to swim the Mobile Monday Challenge! Last but not least, Check out the current reading throwdown, it has some nice insights and recommendations!

We'd Love To Hear Your Thoughts

Our Feedback Forum is a fine place for all those people wanting to grow fast as photographers. Here, you'll get your work reviewed by friendly photographers, but you'll also have the chance to comment on the work of others. We believe in the power of feedback, and here are the latest shots shared in the pool:

The Shark Tank is a great place to learn and to discuss, but please read the instructions in order to get a solid 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. Remember all comments are given to the photographs; not the photographers. Also, don't forget to participate in our upcoming challenge!!!