Will You Play Ball with Me?

.
.
.

Will You Play Ball with Me?, originally uploaded by dphock. All Rights Reserved.

Winning the Hall of Fame this December is a first time player! Diane, from Sonoma County, California (that's in Northern California wine country, about 90 minutes north of San Francisco) blasted ahead of the pack with an impressive lead. Toward the end of the challenge, other contestants were hot on her heels, but Gemma the labby won the day, thus disproving the theory that dogs never win our most prestigious challenge. ;-)

What type of equipment do you use?

I joined Flickr and PFO using a Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ 18 -- a great point and shoot type camera with a great zoom lens. But I rapidly upgraded to a Nikon D80 dslr, and I love it. Mostly I shoot with an 18-200 lens, but occasionally i put on a longer zoom (75-300) , and for macro phototography use a Nikon 120mm macro lens. I'm not patient enough to carry a tripod, so virtually all of my photos are hand-held. I use Vibration Reduction lenses which help a lot!

What's your favorite subject to shoot?

Flowers are at the top of the list, but really I'm drawn to anything with color. I love shooting close-ups of ordinary objects. And dogs and cats -- I could shoot them all day long. I hardly ever shoot people, but I need to develop that.

Tell us the story behind your Brackets entry:

This is our dog Gemma, rescued via a wonderful labrador retriever rescue organization. She's mosty black lab with some Weimaraner in her, we think. She's very expressive, especially with the eye-rolling. When I took that picture, I was sitting on the kitchen floor playing with my camera, to keep my daughter company while she did her homework. I'd been tossing the ball for Gemma but she pooped out and plonked down nearby. I took that shot and while the color version didn't do much for me, I loved her expression. Once I used Photoshop to turn it into black and white, I was thrilled. I think it's the best picture I've ever taken.
[ed.: so do we!]

Any advice for beginners?

Hah -- gutsy for me to say, as I really AM a novice. I'd say KEEP SHOOTING. A lot. Use the "burst shooting" mode if your camera has one and take several shots of everything so that you're more likely to get one good one. And don't be afraid to crop WAY in once you have a picture you like. Perfectly centered images tend to look amateurish. An off-center subject, even with an edge cut off, can be much more interesting. And keep shooting! And keep shooting! And did I mention? Keep shooting!!


Yay -- a big hand for all our entrants this month and especially to Diane and Gemma. Give that dog a bone!

Sunset at Point Dume

.
.
.

Sunset at Point Dume, originally uploaded by segamatic, All Rights Reserved.

Whew - November was a tough month for our challengers as we went to a new format -- one in which everyone competed in one thread with the votes open until we reached 100. Coming out on top of the pile with an impressive 23 votes is our intrepid moderator, segamatic (Amos), from Los Angeles, California with this impressive sunset at Malibu.

-- What equipment do you use and what's your next dream photography purchase?

Currently using a Canon EOS 40D body with lenses covering the 17mm to 200mm focal range. My next major purchase will be a Canon EOS 5D MkII.

-- What do you like to shoot?

To be honest, I like to shoot just about everything. Recently though, I've been focusing on landscapes.

-- Tell us the story behind your Brackets entry:

Good clouds have been very rare in L.A. this year, so when I saw great clouds that afternoon, I drove straight to Point Dume in Malibu without thinking twice.

When I got there, I had about half an hour to find a good spot before the sunset. At first I hiked to the top of a cliff, but from there I saw a flock of birds on the beach below that really got me really excited. Short on time, I decided to climb down the side of the cliff instead of backtracking. Climbing and sliding halfway down, a rock crumbled under my foot causing me to fall and slip, and leaving me with a large cut on my elbow and numerous bruises.

Eventually I made it down the rest of the way, and with blood dripping off of my elbow, I got the shots I wanted. At the end of the day, it was all worth it.

-- Any tips for others as to how to take great shots?

This is all from my personal experience, things that have worked for me. I make an effort to go out and shoot as often as possible, and with some patience and luck, I will get great results. When shooting, I try to be creative and experiment with exposure and composition.

-----

Our challengers who gained 10+ votes are all featured on the front page of PFO Platinum. Check them out, and leave some comments if you're a Flickr member!

Rowing on Lake Lemon

.
.
.

Rowing on Lake Lemon, originally uploaded by jghphoto21. All Rights Reserved.

The October Hall of Fame was won by Jeff Hammond, from Bloomington, Indiana - about an hour south of Indianapolis. The competition was powerful, as always, and many other photos had high scores. But Jeff's score blew the rest away early on, and he maintained the lead throughout the challenge.

This photo is stunning for its timing, color, and composition. We are proud to feature it for the month of October!

How long have you been into photography?

I have been serious about photography for around ten years now and suggest to anyone starting out that they get out into the world around them. I believe that an outstanding image is made up of 20% equipment, 20% skill and 60% "luck." Luck is really about putting yourself in the right place for something good to happen and that rarely happens when you are sitting on the living room sofa.

Get familiar with your equipment so that your concentration is on the image and not the controls, then go put yourself in situations where there is a possibility of a nice image.

What equipment do you use?

I shoot exclusively with Canon DSLR equipment (no offense to very good gear from Nikon and others!). Right now, I'm shooting with a 1D-MarkIII and a 1Ds-MarkIII and an assortment of lenses. Love the gear, but at the end of the day a camera is still pretty much a lightproof box with a shutter.

What is the story behind your Brackets entry?

This image was made while I was shooting a series for a rowing team. I met them well before daylight and they were in two boats (sorry I don't know the technical jargon of their great sport) while I was in a flat-bottomed chase boat with a small outboard motor. I had to keep a little distance between us so that my wake would not creep into the photo and basically run up ahead of them, kill the engine, stand up (probably not my smartest move!) and shoot 6-8 images as they tore past me. Then I would crank the engine and do it again. They are amazingly fast you know.

I saw the sun breaking and immediately went into silhouette mode (a MUCH faster shooting speed to expose for the deep orange color of the sunrise). I got literally four frames of nice composition and exposure as they left the scene...maybe 1-1.5 seconds total. I put myself in a place where something nice could happen and got VERY lucky that it did.


What style of photography do you enjoy -- what do you like to shoot?

Subject-wise, there tends to be a lot of variety in my shooting. I lean toward nature and wildlife on my free time, but more toward commercial/editorial images or portraits and events when it's a paying job.

Mounts Tasman and Cook in Lake Matheson

.
.
.

Mounts Tasman and Cook in Lake Matheson, originally uploaded by Chook with the looks. All Rights Reserved.

Winning the September 2008 Hall of Fame is Chook, from Marlborough, New Zealand (a Kiwi). Wow -- this photo cleaned up in both the qualifying round of Natural Scape/Scene and won a tough fight against our 2nd place winner, posted below. Chook also won the most votes from the Moderation Team!

Tell us a little about what makes you tick:

I have recently brought a Nikon D300, before that a D70, my lenses include, {all nikon} 60mm macro, 70_300mm, 12_24mm, and my main lense, 18_24mm, Manfrotto tripod, and last a very heavy gear bag.

Its my first time in the Brackets and been in PFO since Feb, 08, I'd like to thank Saxon9, as she put me onto PFO.

I take heaps of photos of a subject from different angles, different settings, and different light which means sometimes many visits to the site I wish to photograph until I have a image I'm pleased with. I like photographing scenic/ natural scenes.

Golden Alberta

.
.
.

Golden Alberta, originally uploaded by Su Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Coming in 2nd this month, in a very hotly contested race, is last month's winner, Jimmy, with another impressive landscape. I think he is the master of light and color and sweeping vistas!

How long have you been into photography?

1 year, 1 month and still going. I bought my first dSLR at the end of July, 2007.

What got you started?

I never really thought much about photography growing up but when 2 of my friends attended my brother's wedding back in 2006 and with them, their fancy cameras, I fell head over heels. A camera never felt so right before that. Now photography is a huge part of my daily life.

What is the story behind your Brackets entry?

I did a photoshoot of a friend in Waterton Lakes National Park, near Montana, USA. As we were leaving and the highway rose into the mountains, that scene caught my eye with the sun setting. I quickly pulled over and embraced the warm beauty nature offered me.

Did you know you had a money shot when you were shooting that photo (#1 in Explore; advancing so far in the Brackets)?

No idea. I think my photography is very mediocre and I thought I uploaded just another shot but when I woke up the morning after I posted that image, I had over 100 comments and over 200 faves. I was really dumbfounded.

Sunlight Chasers

.
.
.

Sunlight Chasers, originally uploaded by Su Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CRUSHING the competition this month is Jimmy, from Calgary, Canada, with this impressive, sublime, and unique image taken in Vietnam. He states in the photo description,

"A countryside setting like this cannot be found anywhere else in the world and sometimes we must pause and digest what is in front of us.

Something we tend to overlook in this troubled and fast-paced life of ours."

Indeed. Words are too weak to express the perfection of this photograph, with which he came in 2nd in the People qualifying round and then soared off to the Hall of Fame with a good margin of victory.

What equipment do you use?

- Most of the photos taken on my stream are from a Sony DSLR A100 but my more recent photos were taken with my new Sony DSLR A700.

What type of photography do you enjoy shooting the most?

- I love shooting just about anything and everything. However, I especially enjoy taking pictures of people since I feel human emotions evoke the strongest sentiments.

What is the story behind your Brackets entry?

-Sunlight Chasers was taken just outside Hanoi on my last day in Vietnam as I headed into southern China. Fields and fields of rice paddies dot the Vietnamese countryside and the school children seemed to be coming home from school. The photo gives me the strong sense of discipline, simplicity and culture all wrapped up in one image. The sunset just added a beautiful mood.

Any tips for how to take a great photo?

-Yeah, I'd love some tips on taking great photos as well!! =)

Wing Commander

.
.
.

Wing Commander, originally uploaded by photo_bug1. All Rights Reserved.

Earning 2nd Place this month with a victory in the Macro qualifying round, is Laura, from Toronto, Canada!

What equipment do you use?

My first SLR was an old Canon 3000N I got on clearance from a local camera store. I finally cracked this past Christmas and entered the digital age with a Canon 40D DSLR. I also have a Canon PowerShot A95 as my purse camera… I love the flip-out screen for taking candids.

What type of photography do you enjoy shooting the most?

Whatever gets in the way of my lens ;-)
No really, I used to travel a lot with my job and my camera was the only hobby that would fit into a suitcase, so most of my shots were of tourist attractions or landscapes. I found pictures were the best mementos as they cost little and when you look at them later, it helps to take you back to that moment in time. I am currently trying to expand my repertoire by photographing a wider variety of subjects like we did with the big PFO Scavenger Hunt back in May. Trying to make a shot happen instead of just stumbling across them.

What is the story behind your Brackets entry?

A friend and I went to a butterfly conservatory on a whim and, while trying to take another picture, this little guy was kind enough to pose. Good thing I had a long lens and steady hands as they don't allow tripods in the conservatory and he was a good five feet away.

Any tips for how to take a great photo?

As I tell everybody who asks me that question - always have a camera with you! You can't take that once in a lifetime shot if you left your camera at home.

House of Refuge Shoreline

.
.
.

House of Refuge Shoreline, originally uploaded by jghphoto21. All Rights Reserved.

Winning the PFO Team Pick for the August 2008 Hall of Fame is Jeff from Indiana (or is it Georgia -- we're all confused!), a longstanding member of our group who we just featured in our Spotlight on the Players. The competition this month was astounding, but he pulled off a real margin of victory in the Natural Scape/Scene category -- and gained the most moderation team votes in the final round. Please congratulate him!

What equipment do you use?

I shoot exclusively with Canon equipment, but there's nothing wrong with other brands out there. I've found that you tend to stay with whatever you have been buying lenses for because it is just too expensive to switch over.

What's style of photography do you most like to shoot?

I love photographing people, but the style I am most passionate about would have to be Nature and Wildlife. There is just something about being able to capture an image that some folks would never see were it not for your time in the field.


What is the story behind your Brackets entry?

This image was made on the last morning of a three day trip to Florida for a gallery opening (I was just one of many in the gallery, don't get too excited!). I was there with a photographer friend of mine who told me about something called 'worm rocks' at the House of Refuge area. Knowing that the area would be best lit by very early morning sun, we drove there before daylight and waited. I'm glad we did!

Any tips you have for how to take a great photo?

The one most important aspect to getting great images is to actually GET OUT THERE. I too sometimes get trapped by life and unable to go our searching for images, but I always tell folks that very few beautiful nature or wildlife images are made from the living room sofa!

Hide And Seek

.
.
.

Hide And Seek, originally uploaded by NatashaP. All Rights Reserved.

Winning the July 2008 Hall of Fame with a stunning margin is Natasha P from Israel, a longstanding member of our group and a photographer who frequently makes Explore on Flickr. The competition this month was astounding, but she pulled off a real margin of victory both in the Natural Scape/Scene category and in the final round. Please congratulate her!

What equipment do you use?

I'm using Nikon D40 with a standard lens (dreaming to upgrade some time in the future).

What is the story behind your Brackets entry?

We here hiking Meron Mt. and I told my hubby that we should come back to this spot when the sun will begin to set. We continued to stroll for another hour, then come back to this spot an waited for another hour for the sun to appear exactly where I wanted it. Evidently it was well worth waiting :)

Any tips you have for how to take a great photo?

I truly believe that not the gear, but the person behind the camera is what matters. If you have a passion and your own photographic vision you will succeed. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience, but the important thing is that you should enjoy what you are doing!

Sunrise on the train tracks

.
.
.

Sunrise on the train tracks, originally uploaded by Kathy~. All Rights Reserved.

Wow -- coming in second and receiving the Moderation Team Award in the July Brackets is our very own Kathy, from Ann Arbor, Michigan. This outstanding photo garnered the most Founder and Keeper votes, and it's just a true delight to be able to present it to you on our blog today.

What equipment do you use?

Well this photo was shot with my Christmas present a new Canon Rebel XTI, the day after Christmas, basic kit lens that came with the camera.

What is the story behind your Brackets entry?

The day after Christmas, dying to use my new camera, I got up and noticed everything had frost on it. The sun hadn't come up yet, so I got in the car and raced to the river in our town hoping for some cool river/frost shots. You have to cross the railroad tracks to get to the park..I went and took photos by the river and was going back to the car

... The tracks were an after thought. I thought they looked cool with the sun coming up and reflecting on the metal. The sun is actually rising to the left of the tracks which worked out for nice colors.

Any tips you have for how to take a great photo?

Oh I am such a basic person, I don't have the fancy lenses, most of the time I shoot with the standard kit lens. I shoot what I like, and sometimes it works out and many times the delete button comes in very handy

I wish I knew all the tips, but for the most of my favorite shots were, right place right time. Lighting is everything for the best shots. Get up early get out there for the sunrise. (I need to do it more often )

Even if you don't think something might look good as a photo, take it anyway--- you never know. Some of my favorites worked out that way.

Thanks again everyone for voting for my photo, it is an honor.

Upper Antelope Canyon

.
.
.

Upper Antelope Canyon, originally uploaded by djhinrich, All Rights Reserved.

For our First Anniversary as a Flickr group, we ran a Special Challenge. Players were tasked to find 10 photos for a scavenger hunt within 15 days and to win gold or silvers medals on those photo from our group's competitions. We ended up with over 300 entries. We narrowed that field to 30 and came up with our champion, djhinrich, Dan, from Omaha, Nebraska, USA. We awarded him a free year of a Flickr Pro account. Thanks and congratulations, Dan!

What equipment do you use?

I have a Canon XT with the standard 18-55 lens. What's the story behind this shot? We went to Arizona over Memorial Day weekend, kind of on a whim. I have always wanted to go to Antelope Canyon, so that was on top of our list. I booked the light beam tour, but when we arrived the weather was rainy and overcast. I still wanted to go see the canyon so we went ahead with the tour. This shot was the hardest shot I have probably ever taken. For a brief moment the clouds parted and the lightbeams came in. The canyon was full of people so the guides had to hurry to get everyone out of the way so we could take pictures. When the view was clear the guides then threw sand into the air so we could photograph the beam. I was only able to get two shots before beam went away. I was lucky that the photo actually came out at all! What was it like gathering the photos for the special scavenger hunt? Very tough! I went into the scavanger hunt thinking this was going to be a piece of cake, after all it was only ten photos. I quickly learned how hard it was, especially to shoot in the themes I hardly ever shoot in, let alone play in PFO. Very few of my shots were winning gold in the regular challenges, and after seeing some of the other great photos being posted in the scavenger hunt it was a little discouraging. I continued to take more photos and play challenges until all ten categories were filled. Overall, I had a great time and hope to maybe do it again. This challenge really expanded my range in photography. You scored with 3 entries into the Finals -- how did that feel when you found that out? I was completely shocked. I wasn't expecting to win one let alone three! There were a lot of amazing photos in the different categories, I didn't think there was a chance for one of my photos to continue to the finals. Here is our 2nd place winner, from heritagefutures entitled "Willandra Drought" -- All Rights Reserved

not long for this world

.
.
.

not long for this world, originally uploaded by Five eyes. All Rights Reserved.

Wow -- this is our One Year Anniversary Jubilee Celebration Month -- Happy Birthday, Photo Face-Off Challenges!

In this month's Brackets, Mary easily blew past the competition to gain her slot in the Final. Despite the toughest challengers ever (see the slideshow to the left of this post), she squeaked into 1st place with this capture of a hungry heron. Here's what Mary, "Five eyes", of Holland, Michigan USA, has to say:

What is the story behind your Brackets entry?

I feel like a bit of a fraud, but I’ll just be up front: I watched this Great Blue Heron catch this little white fish, but only because someone tossed it to him. He was a beggar, hanging out near a fishing pier on Anna Maria Island, Florida, where we were vacationing this spring. The human factor aside, though, it was fascinating to watch him work on the poor thing, flipping her into the air and catching her again to get her positioned just right to slide down that narrow throat. It was hard not to feel sorry for the fish, given the evil eye of her captor and the pleading look in her own, but I exploited her demise anyway.

You would have, too.

Any tips you have for how to take a great photo?

A popular saying in the world of writers is, “Apply ass to chair,” which means to get over yourself and just sit down and write already. In photography it could be, “Peel ass from chair,” or just get out there and take photos.

I have no illusions that my photos match the caliber of many of our PFO photographers (the fact that I can win the Brackets means anyone can get lucky with a strong photo), but I think I continue to improve because I take a gazillion shots and then, of course, re-apply my ass to chair and play at PFO, paying attention to what speaks to me in my own work—and in all the phenomenal photographs in our pool.

It's PFO's First Anniversary. Any reflections on the past year of our group you would care to share?

I can’t believe that PFO is a year old and that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of it that long. It’s been a year of dynamic growth—PFO Platinum, new and improved Hall of Fame, Special Anniversary Challenge, Check Play tool, etc—and I unabashedly and unbiasedly believe PFO has evolved into the best group on flickr. Criz continues to introduce ideas that raise the bar, and I see PFO as this wonderful little alternate universe—or maybe university—where people can learn and grow together.

That’s it: PFO University. Guess that would make me one of the deans. How cool is that?

Streetlights at sunset, Southsea

.
.
.

Streetlights at sunset, Southsea, by pompey shoes, All Rights Reserved.

Edging ahead to a comfortable victory in May, pompey shoes wins the May Hall of Fame! This shot sailed through its category, Urban Scene, and got ahead and stayed ahead early in the final round. We interviewed Steve about the shot and his photography:


Where are you from?
I was born in Bristol, but have lived in or around Portsmouth, on the south cost of England, for the past 22 years.

What type of equipment do you use?
I use a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 which my partner bought me for my 50th birthday last year.

What type of photography do you enjoy shooting?
Until I discovered Flickr, I primarily used my camera to record places we visited, so mainly buildings, architecture or landscapes. My friends' holiday photos were always of their family doing things, whereas mine were of the places and things we saw! Seeing other people's subjects on Flickr is encouraging me to broaden my horizons. Have still to master portraiture!

How long have you been into photography?
Too many years to mention! I loved taking photographs as a child, but photography took a back seat for many years while my children were growing up. Travel and the arrival of digital cameras resurrected my interest. I still think of myself as an enthusiastic amateur. There are so many talented photographers on Flickr that I feel I am privileged to be taking part in their master-classes every time I log on!

What is the story behind your Brackets entry?
I was on my way home from visiting my daughter and decided to take a drive along the seafront at Southsea. I parked my car to go for a walk and I was struck by the colours in the sky and how beautiful the streetlights looked against the sky. I then had to get the right angle to capture the lights as they disappeared into the distance and to exclude the other cars that were parked along the seafront and the numerous joggers who were running along the promenade. It was one of those occasions of being in the right place at the right time!

subida a la duna

subida a la duna, originally uploaded by Patounica, All Rights Reserved

Sweeping the new Hall of Fame format in April, Patounica becomes the 1st player in our history to win the Grand Master Champion medal twice! This capture of a desert dunes with the deep blue sky is remarkable on many levels. In our new format, players compete in the Qualifying Rounds against other photos in their category. This entry won the category Landscape and then played against the other 15 finalists. She pulled ahead early, and went on to a 20-point victory.

Where are you from?

I am from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I live with my family 60 kms north of downtown near Pilar city in quieter area away from the bustling city.

What type of equipment do you use?

I use a Canon Rebel XTI with three lenses, 17-75, 70-300, and a Macro 60.

What type of photography do you enjoy shooting?

I enjoy shooting nature, birds, sunsets, silhouettes, candid portraits and now I’m doing macro shots more often.

How long have you been into photography?

Not so long. I started studying photography in March 2007. The main reason to signing up for the course was that my husband and I like to travel as much as possible and he stops all the time to take photos and I was getting bored while waiting!!. So I decided to learn myself and share his hobby. And now I am very passionate about it specially after discovering Flickr a year ago. I’ve just started my second year with the photography program.

What is the story behind your Brackets photograph?

I took this photo last January during my summer vacations in Uruguay. This is a place called Valizas where young bohemian people spend their summer in wooden huts with no electric power. There are huge dunes right by the sea but first, you have to take a small boat to cross a river which leaves you at its footsteps. There was a lot of people at that time, beeing peak season, so it was difficult to make a clean shot. It looks like a desert somewhere in Africa but it’s not, we hope that sometime we’ll have the chance to visit the real thing!!.

paintbrush study 2

paintbrush study 2, originally uploaded by Five eyes, All Rights Reserved.

Wow! An amazing victory from the very first sitting Administrator of our group for the March Brackets. In fact, it was a landslide win, with Mary pulling ahead within mere hours in the final round.

Where are you from?

Holland, Michigan, a smallish city that is lucky enough to be on Lake Michigan

What is the story behind your Brackets photograph?

I was hauling a bunch of stuff down to my basement one afternoon last summer, and my arms were too full to switch on the lights. That turned out to work in my favor because, once down there, I was struck by the beauty of the natural light coming through the ground-level windows. I dropped all my junk and ran back upstairs for my camera and tripod. This was the first shot I took, because I loved the way the light was hitting those paintbrushes strewn there exactly as my husband had left them. After I took a few like this, I rearranged them into more “posed” shots, which turned out sort of cool, too, but I always liked this one best—for both its unplanned arrangement and the natural lighting that seems to give it the feel of a painting.

What type of equipment do you use?

A Canon Rebel XTi. I’m slowly adding lenses—now happy to have both a telephoto and a macro—but this shot was taken with the kit lens.

What type of photography do you enjoy shooting?

I really do love it all—scapes, people, nature, macro—but probably gravitate most toward “simple things.”

How long have you been into photography?

I’ve always taken pictures, but have only become totally obsessed with the art of photography since receiving my Rebel for Christmas in ’06 and joining Flickr shortly after that.

This is the first time in our history that a sitting administrator has won the Brackets. Tell us what it felt like to go from one round to the next.

Absolutely unreal. I’ve had a few votes here and there in former Brackets (different photos), but never made it out of the Qualifiers, so when I did this time, I figured it was just a fluke. Very exciting and humbling to see my photograph advance each time, coupled with an acute feeling of unworthiness because of all those amazing photos out there.

You were the first person to post to a challenge at PFO when we opened, and you were also the first person to ever win a challenge at PFO, before you became an administrator. Tell us something about the early days at our group.

That first day was just wild! I wasn’t on the PFO team, but had been invited over for the kickoff. I thought the PFO concept was really cool and different, and remember sitting there watching Criz count down to start time and having fun being a part of something new. The concept had a sort of “brackets” feel to it, with a winning photo advancing through challenges ‘til it won a Platinum. I was excited, then, too, to have my first entry advance along the way—with no idea how work-intensive that brackets design was for the moderators. They understandably tweaked (overhauled?) the way the game works, and I joined the PFO team just a few days later.

I’ve enjoyed watching it all evolve since that original design, as Criz works hard to take the ideas of team members and players into consideration. It just keeps getting better, I think.

What words of advice do you have for new photographers?

I’ll just pass along the great advice a photographer gave to me: Take at least one photograph a day, even if it’s of your bedside lamp before you go to sleep. Read your manual front to back, always keeping it handy. And join Flickr.

Walk from the castle

"Walk from the Castle (2)" by dead by sunrise [?]

All Rights Reserved.

The winner of the January Brackets is this amazing night shot from dead by sunrise. He survived 3 very tough rounds, yet came out on top in a landslide vote.

Here's the interview!


Who are you, and where are you from?

I'm Dan, originally from a little town called Holywell in North Wales, UK, but last April I moved down to London.

What type of equipment do you use?

I use a Canon 400D. It's my first DSLR which I have owned for about 7 months.... so I'm still very much a beginner and still learning how to get the best from it. My main lens, which was used in this photo, is the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM.

What's the story behind your Bracket's entry?

This photo was taken in Prague on 23rd December 2007, a city I had wanted to visited for many years. I took a lot of photos there of the architecture... some are snapshotty but a few I'm quite proud of. During the walk back to the city centre from the Castle down some very beautiful cobbled streets I saw the opportunity to take some evocative pictures with a sense of mystery. I also like the composition here with the dark-light-dark stripes.... it's one of very few of my photos where I don't think I could have taken it any better.

What types of photos do you like to shoot?

Music photography was the reason I bought my first point and shoot camera and it's still the one of the most challenging and exciting photo subjects for me. I'd love to do it for a living but competition is fierce and you need good kit if you want to get anywhere. Other then that, I like to wander and explore London taking photos of the architecture and of interesting random people.... I just need to boost my confidence and start asking them to pose for me!

From the entire team at PFO, we wish Dan a Happy New Year and congratulate him on his hard-fought victory!