Great Escape Publishing

Posted April 13th, 2011 by Shelly Perry & filed under Travel Photography.

Last month’s photo challenge theme was “The Number 3.” This was a little different type of theme for us, but the idea is to remember the number three when you take pictures, as it makes for a stronger image than an even number. There were such a variety of shots that it made the judging a challenge. Our February winner, deborah_kolb, was the guest judge this time around. See her pick for first place below… ** First Place goes to Dane for “U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.”. ** Second Place goes to abdulhadi for “Modern Day Iron Horse”. ** Third Place goes to KelliRussell for “Free Hugs”. FIRST PLACE — U.S. CAPITOL, WASHINGTON, D.C. “Tough choice… I am going with the Capitol. In the Capitol photo it is a creative use of threes as the reflection is beautifully divided in threes. The strong diagonal lines add interest and it is a beautiful capture of a reflection. Well-processed with a little pop. I have a little concern with the round base in the upper right corner. I would have cropped it out.” I agree with Deborah. This photographer took a very unique and interesting approach to the subject of three, having the capitol split up into three very distinct segments in the reflection. I really like the tones and the texture that this shot has. SECOND PLACE — MODERN DAY IRON HORSE Lori Allen, the Director of the AWAI Travel Division, chose this shot for second place. Here’s what she said: “It could use some processing work in a program like Photoshop or Lightroom, but I’m inspired by the creativity of this photo. I fear for the photographer. This angle really puts the viewer in the photo and the more I look at it, the more it grabs me. I sure hope the photographer isn’t really laying on the tracks for the sake of capturing those three lights for this challenge. Yikes!” THIRD PLACE — FREE HUGS I love the exuberance of this shot; the editorial candid nature of it is great. The crowd of people wandering around in the background is perfect with the shallow depth of field… informative but not distracting. The expressions on the girls’ faces are fantastic; that along with the action makes this a stop action moment in time that you can almost see, hear and feel. I only wish we could actually read the sign. Then the photo would be the whole story in and of itself. Congratulations to each of our winners!! The first-place winner will get a $30 gift certificate to the AWAI E-Bookstore, and all winners will be entered into the Hall of Fame to compete for the $2,000 Grand Prize next month! ENTER TO WIN! Remember, this month is “It Means the World to Me.” Submit your photo by 8:00 a.m. EST, Monday, April 25. If you’re a first-time user, you’ll need to register first on the “register” link on the right side bar. Once you have a username and password, click “Enter to Win” to upload your photo. Only one photo per challenge. [ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shelly Perry from Portland, Oregon, specializes in people photography — what she calls documentary or lifestyle portraits. She is known especially for her imaging of children. Shelly’s concern for people is reflected both in her sense of purpose and the images she produces. Her images have been seen all over the globe on music CD covers and in books, magazines, catalogs, websites, ad campaigns and even on TV. Her work has also appeared in several local exhibits and gallery shows.] [Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel. Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]