Our Picture This! assignment this month is “A River Runs Through It,” where we asked readers to submit images of the cities of the world where rivers played an important role in the founding of the city and continue to serve as both working and recreational centers of activity. As we looked through the hundreds of images we received we felt like we were taking a trip around the world;...

Our Picture This! assignment this month was Abstracts in Nature, and readers responded with a beautiful assortment of images from every type of environment and in every season. Each framed the world in a very special way, recognizing the divine in life as something the inspired eye can capture through the informed lens of a camera. In fact, this assignment probably brought in...

Our Picture This! assignment for this month was Background Blur, creating a sense of dimension in the photograph by playing a sharp foreground subject off against a blurry, or unsharp background. Readers sent in a wide variety of subjects, from flowers to statues to birds and carnival rides, all using this time-honored technique. Many used telephoto lenses to enhance the shallow...

This month’s Picture This! assignment was “Bokeh,” the character of out-of-focus parts of the frame. Bokeh, Japanese for “fuzzy,” has been interpreted photographically (and philosophically) in many ways, but our take is how circles of confusion can be an enhancement when used to highlight and reinforce the main subject. Some claim that lenses with more blades form a...

This month's Picture This! call was for "Colorful Carnivals" and readers responded with a wide range of shots from the midway. In many of the pictures you can almost hear the delighted screams of those on the rides and the barkers calling to the crowd to try their luck. Many of the shots were made at night, the time and light being the most complimentary to the...

Double Exposure
Our Picture This! assignment for this month was Double Exposure. The challenge was to create multiple exposure images that combined various images in a way that enhanced the storytelling or created a new reality. Readers responded with a host of imaginative pictures that spoke to the newfound visual freedom of in camera and software and...

Our Picture This! assignment this month was festivals and parades, and we asked readers to submit images from gathering spots and events where people dress up, fly in hot air balloons, and generally experience things that are quite out of the ordinary. We received images from festivals all around the country that delved into all sorts of cultures and holidays, all of which...