“Unseeing” Photo Challenge: Wrap Up

We would like to send a big thank you to all those who participated in the Outdoor Photography Guide “Unseeing” Photo Challenge! It has been amazing to see the amount of talent you brought to this experience! Thank you for your willingness to share your work while providing feedback, encouragement and tips to fellow participants.

Following each assignment, Ian Plant, managing editor at Outdoor Photography Guide, highlighted some of his favorite shots. We’ve included a handful of those photos below with feedback provided by Ian. To see all photos shared during this challenge, be sure to join the exclusive Facebook group. Now that the challenge has concluded, this group will serve as a place to connect and share your work with fellow outdoor photographers.

Assignment One: Lenses, Photo by Andreas Kossmann

Andreas Kossmann effectively used a telephoto lens for this photo of a cat watching the sunset. He pinned his subject against a colorful and compelling background, getting low to optimize his perspective with his Sigma 150-600 lens.

Assignment One: Lenses, Photo by Dennis Cheeseman

Dennis Cheeseman submitted this photo which he describes as follows: “I utilized my 100 to 400mm Canon lens to get in close on these juvenile egrets without disturbing them. Their heads were peeking up from the nest looking for their mother to bring them some food. Settings: ISO 500, FL of 400 mm, F5.6, 1/500.” I like how he chose a clean background to showcase the hungry egrets, focusing viewer attention on only what is important to the composition.

Assignment One: Lenses, Photo by Paul Dyer III

I thought Paul Dyer was extremely clever with his use of a pair of sunglasses for his challenge submission, which was taken with his Tamron 16-300mm on Lake Eola, Orlando. Although his focal length wasn’t extreme, he creatively used the curved lens of the colored glasses to add an element of abstraction to the photo.

Assignment Two: Exposure, Photo by Traci Sepkovic

I love how the background completely disappears because of the bright exposure. This technique works only when the background is brighter than the subject (for example, when the background is in the sun and the subject is in shadow). Here are the specs for the photo: Canon 7DMkII + 100-400LMkII, f/7.1, 1/800, ISO125, -1/3.

Assignment Two: Exposure, Photo by Mitch Holthaus

Mitch Holthaus took a double exposure shot in camera featuring his dog. According to him, “You want your main subject (for mine my dog), to be exposed or under exposed like a silhouette and the background to be lighter or overexposed. The second photo whatever you choose will fill in the darker areas of the first.” In my opinion, this is a very creative photo!

Assignment Three: Perspective, Photo by Mark Safran

Mark Safran got low to photograph his own reflection in a hubcap. I like the overall radial patterns which became the basis of his composition.

Assignment Three: Perspective, Photo by Liz Wallis

I like how Liz got low to frame one horse in between the legs of another. I also enjoy the quirky diagonal angle of the scene!

Assignment Three: Perspective, Photo by Scott Broaddus

Scott Broaddus took this photo “under a bridge with sun shining through the grates and a mirror overhead.” I like photos that challenge perceptions, and force the viewer to linger a moment to figure out what is going on. Anything you can do to engage the curiosity of the viewer is a good thing!

Assignment Four: Focus, Photo by Connie Barnett

I really like Connie Barnett’s photo of a burrowing owl peeking out from its burrow. The selective focus on those huge, expressive eyes really helps tell a great story!

Assignment Five: Shutter Speed, Photo by Rita Anthony

Rita Anthony submitted this photo of a cyclist. She panned her camera along with her moving subject, selecting a shutter speed that would freeze the motion of the cyclist but blur the background. Because she moved the camera with the moving subject, it is as if the subject is standing still but the background is moving. It’s a creative way of expressing motion in a photograph, but it requires some practice and experimentation with shutter speed to get it right.

Assignment Five: Shutter Speed, Photo by David Moore

David Moore used a tactic of mixing motion blur with static capture with his photo of a train station. Everything in the scene is tack sharp, except for the fast-moving train. I like his creative use of color and bold diagonal lines.

Assignment Five: Shutter Speed, Photo by Kathy Philbrook

Kathy took a simple subject—a pair of hands shuffling a deck of cards—and artistically transformed it through the creative use of composition and shutter speed. If you can pardon the pun, this photo was my hands-down favorite!

Assignment Six: Supplemental Light, Photo by Mark Gotchall

Mark Gotchall took a shot of Fort Rock Homestead Museum located in Central Oregon. Mark did a 30 second exposure with a quick pass of a headlamp over the front of the building.

Assignment Six: Supplemental Light, Photo by Peter Reali

Peter Reali submitted this shot of the Coquille Light at Bandon Bay in Oregon. He did some light painting to balance the exposure between the sky and the lighthouse.

Assignment Six: Supplemental Light, Photo by AJ Jaeger

I really like this shot by Aj Jaeger of sunflowers at sunset, taken with a Canon 70D and an 18-135mm lens, along with a Canon 430EXII flash to provide supplemental light. The exposure is well balanced, and the sunset colors are stunning!