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...

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 “Trees,” and readers responded with an amazing variety of those marvelous life forms from all points of the globe. It’s clear that trees remain a fascinating subject for photographers in their form, the way they catch light, and in how they adapt to the often harsh and many times beautiful places in which they exist. The photographs...

Our Picture This! assignment this month was “Just Black and White (No Grays),” and readers have responded with a wide range of high-contrast black and white images, from architecture to portraits to dreamlike scenes that add a heightened sense of mystery to an already abstract form. Many of the images resemble pen and ink drawings, with others playing into the line and form potential...

To use an old phrase: “Far Out.” That was our reaction to this month’s Picture This! assignment, Special Effects. Readers sent us images made in camera and post-processed to change reality in unique and wonderful ways. While some readers shared their recipes some didn’t, which led us to some interesting discussions on how some of the images we received were created.

While the Picture This! topic this month, "Spring Has Sprung," might seem seasonally inappropriate, the assignment was made during the height of the season so we'd get fresh, new images and not have readers sorting through their files from last year. The result was a profusion of amazing images ranging from florals to landscapes to a good deal of wildlife...

Our assignment for Picture This! was "Personal Portraits," and readers responded with wonderful images of those near and dear to them. Each image we received held something very special for the photographer and for those of us who viewed them here at the magazine. We wish we could publish many more than space allows. Once again, it proves the point that photography...