Sunlight Chasers

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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

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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

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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!