Color Play

This month’s Picture This! assignment was Color Play, where we asked readers to include as many colors as possible within the frame. Interestingly, the large majority of images we received were of subjects of man-made origin, perhaps showing that as humans we are so taken with color that we see it as an essential element in all the things we make. All in all, this assignment was a colorful one indeed.

And just a quick reminder—we’re switching Picture This! to an online submission process. See assignments and specs at the end of this column for assignments still in “print” and those in the future we are only accepting online. Images we select will still be printed in the magazine, of course.

Colorful Entry
Anthony M. Polvere photographed this colorful door in the Barrio Reus section of Montevideo, Uruguay. He worked with a Nikon D200 and a Nikkor 18-200mm VR lens and an exposure of f/7.1 at 1/160 sec.
© Anthony M. Polvere

Merry-Go-Round
Terri Spoon photographed these beautifully crafted horses at the Sonoma TrainTown Merry-Go-Round with a Nikon D7000 and a Nikkor 18-200mm lens and an exposure of f/9 at 1/250 sec at ISO 640.
© Terri Spoon

Patterned Pottery
Stuart Koslov got close to these Talavera pots at the Andean Furniture and Pottery Shop in Boynton Beach, Florida, with a Nikon D800 and a Nikkor 105mm lens mounted on a Gitzo tripod. Exposure was f/22 at 1/20 sec.
© Stuart Koslov

Nine Boards
George J. Reitbauer photographed these surfboards lined up at a Florida shop with a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V with an exposure of f/4.5 at 1/8 sec; he noted having a monopod along that day was helpful.
© George J. Reitbauer

Wood Duck
The duck’s spread wings and plumage play against a diverse background in this photo by Michel Hersen. Camera was a Nikon D300 with a Sigma 150-500mm lens; exposure was f/5.6 at 1/2000 sec at ISO 2500.
© Michel Hersen

Down The Up Staircase
Jim Mitchell found these colorful stairs in Paris, France. Exposure with a Nikon D800 and a Nikkor 28-300mm lens was f/6.3 at 1/6 sec.
© Jim Mitchell

Kayaks
Gerald Swede caught these colorful kayaks in Rockport Harbor, Maine, with a Nikon D50 and a Nikkor 18-55mm zoom. Exposure was f/5.6 at 1/60 sec at ISO 400, with a polarizer mounted to reduce glare and pop the color.
© Gerald Swede

Hanging CDs
Gary Stanzak photographed “hundreds of CDs strung together with fishing line from the ceiling of the Phoenix Children’s Museum.” He photographed with a Nikon D5000 and a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens with an exposure of f/5.6 at 1/180 sec at ISO 1250.
© Gary Stanzak

Garden Boots
Betty L. Saunders caught these colorful boots at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples, Florida. Exposure with a Canon EOS Rebel T2i was f/8 at 1/500 sec at ISO 400.
© Betty L. Saunders

New Color
Kathleen Clapp photographed these pencils ready to draw with a Nikon D90 and an AF-S Micro Nikkor 85mm f/3.5 lens and an exposure of f/14 at 1/13 sec at ISO 1600.
© Kathleen Clapp

Cadillac Ranch
Ronald Davis told us this iconic Route 66 site is always in a state of change due to visitors adding their own graffiti. Here’s a colorful state he caught with a Nikon D7000 and a Nikkor 55-300mm lens and an exposure of f/8 at 1/250 sec.
© Ronald Davis

DIY Color
Gary Rechtin wrote, “Oil drops on glass, then sprayed with Windex. Approximately 18” below the glass were crumbled sheets of metallic origami paper. I placed the table where sunlight hit the origami paper. Focus was on the drops of oil.” Rechtin photographed his construction with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and a Canon 100mm macro lens and an exposure of f/5.6 at 1/320 sec.
© Gary Rechtin

African Bead Art
Soft light and muted colors complement the patterns made by these beads in this photo by Pieter Roelofse made in Cape Town, South Africa. Exposure with a Canon EOS Rebel T4i and an EF 28-135mm IS USM lens was f/5.6 at 1/30 sec.
© Pieter Roelofse

Pittsburgh Fireworks
The exposure of these pyrotechnics over the night city caught the scene perfectly to make for a very exciting and colorful display. Tony Brandstetter shot with a Nikon D60 and an 18-55mm lens with an exposure of f/10 at 1 second.
© Tony Brandstetter

Colormerge
Barbara Lewis describes this abstract image as resulting from the “blurring of colors on a plastic world map.” She photographed with a Pentax K20D and a Pentax 35mm f/2.8 macro and an exposure of f/4 at 1/4 sec.
© Barbara Lewis

Important Notice
Picture This! Submissions Now Online

Beginning with next month’s Picture This! assignment we will only be accepting online submission of images. Please read the submission guidelines carefully.

Picture This! – Our Next Assignment
Twilight Time

Perhaps the most intriguing, and challenging, light of the day is right after the sun sets and there’s still enough light to catch details in some of the shadows and a magical light that illuminates the sky. Part of what’s called the “magic hour” for photographers, it’s an apt lighting condition for landscapes, cityscapes (when the lights in the buildings just come on), and even for portraits. For this assignment we’d like you to stay away from using fill flash, though reflectors are fair game.

This photo was made along the shores of Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park with a Canon EOS 5D and a 24-135mm lens. Exposure was f/10 at 1/250 sec at ISO 400.
© George Schaub

Update Notice For Online Submissions
We will start taking online submissions only for Picture This! for the February, 2014 issue assignment onwards, which means that the Twilight Time assignment should be submitted online. For those assignments remaining from previous issues, here are the topics and their due dates. Please send in prints for these assignments as usual.

• Going Around in Circles: December 2013 issue publication; September 15, 2013 deadline.
• Stacking: January 2014 issue publication; October 15, 2013 deadline.

How To Submit Online
Go to www.shutterbug.com and register. Scroll down the page and on the right side you will see a box for entering your username and your password. If you have already registered and/or submitted images for the Galleries you can skip this step. Respond to the activation e-mail. Registration is free. You will use your username and password whenever you visit or, with some systems, it will automatically load for you when you visit www.shutterbug.com.

Check the assignment and closing dates in the magazine. When the magazine is printed we will create an appropriate gallery for your images. The limit is two images per assignment.

Select and prepare your images. We only accept files at a maximum 5MB size, JPEG format. Save the JPEG at a quality level of 10 or higher. Note that file size in your image folder directory will determine upload size, not the “opened” file size, as JPEG compresses at 1:4 at higher quality ratings. If your images do not load it probably means you have exceeded the file size or have not used JPEG format.

Click on the Galleries tab on the homepage. In the Category section use the drop-down menu to select the Picture This! assignment. Note that images are simultaneously loaded into the assignment category as well as your own personal gallery. When the Picture This! assignment deadline date has lapsed the assignment gallery will be removed, but your images will still reside in your own gallery.

In the Description box add title, camera, lens, exposure information, and your full name. Also add any other comments or anecdotes you think relevant. We reserve the right to edit comments as needed.

Click the Save button at the bottom of the page. This uploads the image.

You retain copyright on the image.

We will choose the images after close of the due date.

Please feel free to comment on images submitted by other readers.

Scorecard
Send your image and information to:
Picture This! Shutterbug Magazine,
1415 Chaffee Dr., Suite #10, Titusville, FL 32780.
Deadline For Submission: Noveber 15, 2013
Images will appear in our February 2014 issue

Our Next Topic: Architecture/Composition
Deadline For Submission:December 15, 2013
Images will appear in our March 2014 issue

Please Note: By submitting you agree to give us the right to show the image(s) on the web and for publication. You give us publication rights in the magazine and on the website(s) of Source Interlink Media.

Please Note: If you submit images with an enhancement through software beyond contrast, exposure, and simple saturation adjustments please indicate the software and “filter” used to attain that effect.—Editor

Want to see images selected for past picture this! Assignments? Go to www.shutterbug.com and click on picture this! In the “more articles…” box on the homepage.

Please Note: If the photograph includes a minor or a recognizable individual or group you are guaranteeing that you have a signed model release form, and especially a parental or guardian release form for minors. You should keep a copy of that release in your files. Scan that release and keep it handy. If an image is chosen for publication, failure to provide a form when requested will eliminate the image from consideration. You can find release forms at http://asmp.org/tutorials/model-release-minor-child.html and other resources on the Internet. By uploading images you attest that the model release form is valid, that any depiction of a person is with their consent, that you have a model release form available on request, and that all images you submit have been made by you.

If you have any questions or problems e-mail us at editorial@shutterbug.com with Picture This! in the subject line.

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