Photography Board Summer Assignment, 2010: Scavenger Hunt

[nordkin]

Azalea - Although it is June, when I pulled in the driveway yesterday I noticed one azaela bush had one bloom on it.

Jeep

Itty Bitty - Ant on a log

Underwater - The things people through in the C&O Canal.

Buoy

Island

Roadside Diner Menu

BBQ Shack - This is actaully in between two office buildings near the Pentagon

Harley with Biker

US Govt Building - The Pentagon

Monument - Washington Monument

Arlington Cemetary - couldn't decide which one so the first is close to some of the graves in a small section near Fort Myer and the second is from a hilltop showing the massive number of graves in just one area.

Old Glory flying at the Air Force Memorial

Outdoor Dining

Kayak

Inn Sign

Spider Web

 

[mer1015]

Itty Bitty - An Ant right next to the "O" on the dime!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Roger (GoofyontheHighSeas) and Don (dcg013) - amazing work, as always!

mer1015, enjoying seeing your pics around Washington DC!

PrincessinOz, I won't be able to take your BBQ shack pic - it was more meant as a hole in the wall type place that sells greasy food and has interesting signage, etc. (I know sometimes the cultural meaning may get lost a bit when we're living on different continents!) A stadium is more meant as a stadium that holds thousands of people and has visual interest as opposed to a local playing field, but if you really don't have baseball stadiums in Australia, then I would accept a football or soccer stadium as long as it's a professional or semi professional place, etc. And sorry, can't accept a football in flight in place of baseball. It wouldn't be fair. And doggy bag - again, I meant it more as the type of thing you get when you don't finish your dinner at a restaurant, but because it technically is a doggy bag, I will accept the pic of the doo doo doggy bags.

Hope that clears up some of my thinking on types of shots that are acceptable.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Which brings me to another point, now's probably a good time to point this out. Please know this is something I've thinking about and is not directed at any given posters.

I'm very happy that people are having fun with this Assigment. I am too.

But I want to remind people that it is an Assignment that's actually part of the Monthly Assignments that I run every month here on the Photography Board. These are meant as a a learning tool to better our photography skills as well as to get people out using their cameras.

Something that's very important to me is that everyone is included no matter what their skill level is or what type of camera they use. The one thing I would like to see is that people are using good photography technique, growing in their skills, and attempting to get and post the best shots they can possibly get given the rules of the Assignment.

By nature, a Scavenger Hunt is meant to be a challenge. Fun, but still a challenge. I developed the list of items with the hope in mind that people would actually *get out and about* with their cameras and post creative, well thought out shots using good photography techniques. (ETA tonight I will post some examples of what I mean using my own pictures.)

Hopefully my saying this doesn't cause anyone to shy away from posting here. It's not my intent. But I would like to see everyone here show us the best work they have; techniques you challenged yourself with and grew from.

I hope that more of the Photography Board regulars will join in and show us all how it's done.

Thanks! And keep shooting! Bring us back your best work!

By popular demand, I've put together a Scavenger Hunt for our next Assignment. The Assignment will span the entire summer, including the months of June, July and August. I am including all of the items at once so that people will have plenty of time to find, shoot and post.

This Assignment is open to everyone, regardless of skill level, type of camera you use, or whether or not you're a Photography Board "regular". The whole purpose of the Assignments are to get out and use your camera, therefore all pictures used in this assignment should be NEW.

Rules for Scavenger Hunt - PLEASE READ:

1. Post as often as you wish.

2. Photo MUST have which scavenger item it is listed with it in order to receive points. Only one picture per item as I've listed them, please.

3. Categories are open to your interpretation, but please don't stray "too far" from the intended meaning.

4. Pictures must be new, ie taken no earlier than the time of this post, and date picture taken should be verifiable by EXIF data. Pictures that are not new cannot be counted toward points.

5. Points will be awarded as follows:

- One point for each item.
- Two points for each item with one asterisk.
- Three points for each item with two asterisks.
- You can only get one, two or three points for each item, i.e. they are not cumulative.
- If you post an item and then later get a picture of that same item that's worth higher points, you may replace the picture but you will only get the points for the higher item, not both.

6. The Winner will be the person who scores the highest points by the end of the Assignment. There will also be Second and Third place Winners for points scored. Winners will get a trophy for their signature - to be developed. (Bragging rights go to those who get pictures from every letter and every asterisk category.) Winners will be determined after midnight on September 1, 2010. Entrants will keep track of their own points but these points must be verifiable. Winners can expect to have points tallied carefully and should be able to provide EXIF data for all photos.

7. No cheating or arguing, please. It's all just for fun. If there is an issue, please PM me.

As an aside, there may be times that, by nature of the item, your picture will be difficult to take. Heck, you may barely get it which is fine. Post it, by all means, to get those points.

But since this *is* a Photography Board and part of the reason we're doing this is to improve our skills, let's try whenever possible to take *good* photos which we can all not only enjoy, but learn from.

If there are any interesting stories that go along with your getting you pictures, of course we DO want to hear them!

Editing is allowed, but not necessary.

 

[annnewjerz]

Took a trip to the Ocean City Boardwalk last night and completely forgot my list for the scavenger hunt. Luckily, I knew there was one item I would definitely be able to get.

BOARDWALK

 

[annnewjerz]

Oooooh I found another. I bought these yesterday at the Fudge Kitchen on the Ocean City boardwalk.

SALTWATER TAFFY

 

[mer1015]

Grid - Shadow Cast From A Lawn Chair

Java - With A Disney Touch

Underwater

Goggles

Pool Fun - A Splash

Inverted

 

[SC Mouse Fan]

I was busy Friday and got a few good ones.

Quote on a Plaque

Gallop (a very cute minature horse)

People in Uniform at work

Hydrant

 

[SC Mouse Fan]

Armed Forces

Uniformed Soldiers

Spider Web

Grid

 

[SC Mouse Fan]

Evening

Drive in Marquis

Woof

Geranium

 

[SC Mouse Fan]

Dog riding in Car

Let me know if this does not qualify. She hates riding in a car and she won't sit up so you can tell she is moving. This was taken the same day as the Drive in Marquis sign.

 

[dcg0317]

F Row of Flags

H Horizon

L Lemonade Stand

O Owl

V Vacancy Sign

 

[Pea-n-Me]

LOL I am going to post some pictures that aren't good to help illustrate what I mean about ones that are.

These are pics I shot while out and about, but I didn't use for the assignment because basically, they aren't good pictures. I'll post why on each.


Jeep - composed pretty well, but blurry

Starfish - distracting light, ceiling and fixtures in background

Ghost related - blurry, but difficult to detect subject and too many distractions in pic. If used, would have cropped

Harley Davidson - half a Harley, don't think so

Cemetery - cool, ancient cemetery, but didn't bargain for red machinery in pic

Bicycle - sure, but really not a good pic at all, holding out for a better one (I have several already like this)

This was the original pic I had for Bride. I knew Brides were hard to come by, so I decided I'd use this pic but improve it by cropping out the distractions

Final version of Bride

I know photography "rules" may be new for many. But try to learn from these examples and compose your pictures with a minimal of distractions and if there are distractions and you have to use the picture, try to do some basic cropping and get rid of them. This will go a long way to improving your pictures and really what these Assignments are all about!

(Oh, and don't try to get pictures just like dcg0317 - his are in a class by themselves! Just strive for *good* pictures.)

I found an old thread I started three years ago on Composition. I hope it will be helpful to those just starting out.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1414269&referrerid=70088

Now lets see some more pictures!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

can I get some clarification on Push cart?

Is it a wheelbarrow, shopping cart (we call it a buggy), food service cart??

 

[Pea-n-Me]

can I get some clarification on Push cart?

Is it a wheelbarrow, shopping cart (we call it a buggy), food service cart??

The intent was a wheeled cart that sells things. It could be food, or wares, etc. Usually in a touristy area.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Salt Water Taffy

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

The intent was a wheeled cart that sells things. It could be food, or wares, etc. Usually in a touristy area.

Thanks, that's what I thought but I've heard shopping carts be called push carts too.

I'll have to head back to Mystic seaport sometime. The push carts weren't out last time we were there and that's the only place I've seen them.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

.I'll have to head back to Mystic seaport sometime. The push carts weren't out last time we were there and that's the only place I've seen them.

And hence, that's part of the intent - to get out to a new place and get some shots that you might otherwise not have gotten.

I mean, we can all do some shooting around our homes that could probably fit some of the categories.

But the Fun and Challenge of a HUNT is to get out somewhere new and get shooting! That was really the intent behind the Assignment and a lot of the items.

 

[AlisonUK]

Insects on flower

We call these bumble bees - do they have the same name where you are?

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

sadly it's not a new place for me (I used to work there, as did my dad) but I don't have any new photos (tons of old ones though). We went on a field trip so some of my shots are point and run, not point and shoot. LOL I had 5 boys and DD with me so I didn't get fantabulous photos.

I have some great DC photos but they were taken before the assignment started, and I had the good cameras so the pics are wayyyy better then with my point and shoot.