Photo Challenge Week 3 Recap: Shooting Through

Hi everyone! I’m taking a short break from photographing polar bears in the Arctic; I’m having an amazing time but I’m thinking about you all and I’m enjoying your Week Three photos. We’ve seen some great images so far in the Photo Challenge, and I love seeing everyone push their creative boundaries. Although there are many wonderful images to choose from this week, here are some of my favorites.

This week’s best shots

Shooting through atmospheric effects such as fog can lend a mystical, dreamy look to your photos, such as with this beguiling shot submitted by Louise Moon. I love the staircase leading the eye deeper into the composition, as well as the starburst effect around the sun just peeking through the trees and the fog.

Kirsty McLeod sent in this whimsical photo of a bear, shot through an opening in the forest. The effect puts emphasis on the subject, creates depth in the photo, and adds a dash of creative mystery.

I really like how Keith McConnelly‎ framed this scene using a stone bridge. The stones create leading lines, reinforcing the lines created by the boardwalk. Everything in this composition, including the transition from dark to light, encourages the eye to travel deeper into the scene.

Here’s a really clever use of a framing element, submitted by Ben Wyatt. Each of these jagged pieces points to the background, creating a dynamic and engaging radial pattern.

I like how John Kotz chose an asymmetrical angle here to make the composition more interesting. Also, the bit of colored glass breaks up the pattern. The result holds the eye and encourages visual exploration of the entire scene.

Kolmanskop is a beautiful ghost town in Namibia, and one of my favorite places to photograph. It was only after I selected this image that I realized it was taken by Chris Rusnak, who was with me in Namibia on one of my photo tours! I really like the “frame within a frame” effect created here by shooting through multiple doorways, and the color contrast is stunning. The sand dune invading the abandoned building is the icing on the cake.

Although there were plenty of great photos to choose from, these were just a few which caught my eye. Make sure to check out the Photo Challenge Facebook group to see more of the amazing shots submitted for Week Three.