Weekly Flickr group highlights – Week 6

Group stats

• Group Members: 260 (24 new, +10%)
• Photos: 884 (138 new, +21%)
• Discussion topics: 44 (1 new, +3%)

Neil’s Favourite Photos

Meet a Member

Matt Parker
Kona, Hi, USA
Flickr: peanut_gallery

What got you into photography?
I’ve always enjoyed photography since i was little. Learned to take pictures with an old Olympus full manual camera, which I of course I still own. I also have a close family friend that is always taking pictures that always inspires me to keep shooting.

What do you think are you photographic strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths:
– Detail and close-up shots
– Creative thinking and shooting
Weaknesses:
– Portraits and photographing people
– landscapes and wide angle (getting a little better on this one)

What is your favourite piece of photographic equipment and why?
My Nikon series E 50mm 1.8. I love the depth of field control and is very sharp.
Also my set of extension tubes. I really enjoy close-up and macro photography.

What is your favourite photographic subject and why?
Macro and close-up: love the absolute detail one can get from ordinary and otherwise plain objects.

Tell us a story about a memorable photographic experience you’ve had.
When I was about 10 years old I was in the middle of a field photographing lightning when the storm got to close and started striking within a 1/4 mile and some close enough to make the hair on my neck stand up. It got a little freaky but ended up with some pretty decent photos.

What is the most valuable photographic advice you can give?
It doesn’t matter how good of a camera you have, you can still take crappy photos if you don’t think before pressing the shutter.

Comment Day

The whole point of starting the group is to learn with and teach each other. All of us have things we can improve, and most of us have things to teach that others would find useful. Apart from participating in the discussion, which I strenuously encourage you to do, is to comment on others’ photos. Every week, on the day that I post the flickr group update, is Comment Day.

I ask that everyone who reads this blog to please visit the group’s photo pool and leave a worthwhile comment on at least five photos that you find there.

By “worthwhile” I mean something that clearly expresses why you like or dislike a photo, and if possible, what you can suggest that might make it better. Constructive comments are essential, and carefully thought comments are far better than off-the-cuff ones. Absolutely no “Awesome!” or “I like this photo” comments please. I want you to actually say something. :)

If you have trouble writing comments, then I suggest reading my recent post on DPS on the subject:How to Win Friends and Influence People – A Guide to Commenting on Other People’s Photos

Weekly Challenge

Each week I challenge group members to take photos to a particular theme or topic. Not every photo added to the pool must be to the theme, and you don’t have to participate, but it is encouraged. Try to be creative and imaginative with the theme, and use it as a chance to show off your skills.

Last week’s challenge was reflections. Here are some of my favourites from the photos submitted:

Please tag your challenge photos with the following tags:

• lpncchallenges
• lpncchallenge7
• primarycolours (note: this is UK English spelling with a “u”)

There is some extra information about this challenge in the Flickr group’s discussion of the weekly challenge.

If you would like to be eligible to have your challenge photo selected as one of my weekly picks, then please make sure the photo is added to our Flickr group. I generate the thumbnails above by adding a special tag to those photos, but I can only do this if your photo is in the group (or if we are on each others’ contact lists). So please make sure your photo is in the group, or you may not be selected to show, even though I may love your photo.

Also, if you are able to, it would be nice if you could mention in your photo description that you have submitted your photo to the challenge. This will provide a little publicity for the blog and our Flickr group, and it will also let people know about the challenge which they may wish to participate in themselves. This is completely optional.

Thank you!

You can see the photos submitted to the challenge so far here.

You can join in the discussion of the weekly challenge here.