Webshots Blog

What are your photography resolutions for 2009? Whether you want to take more pictures of your family and friends or finally try a new technique, the New Year is a great time to set those creative goals. Get inspired with our helpful tips on setting your goals, and see what the Webshots staff and community members are hoping to accomplish this year!

Setting Goals
Reflect on your photography habits in 2008, then ask yourself these questions to help establish creative goals for the New Year:

• Did I learn a new technique? Would I like to take more photos using this technique?
• Did I take pictures of a subject that I’ve never photographed before? Is it a subject that I would like to photograph again?
• Did I try out any new software or accessories?
• If I had to choose a favorite photo, what would it be and why?
• Was I surprised with positive feedback on a photo that you didn’t expect?

Get Inspired: Webshots Members Share Their Goals
A goal doesn’t have to be an enormous milestone. Here are a few of my favorite goals and resolutions from the Webshots community:

• Upgrade my camera to a D-SLR (and learn how to use it!).
• Take a photo a day, week, or month to chronicle an entire year.
• Take more photos of my family and friends.
• When on location in a popular photo spot, I will offer to take group or family photos of others.
• Volunteer my photo skills with a nonprofit organization.
• Visit an art exhibit or read an article about a photographer and then be inspired to create something on your own.
• Take photos of a new subject or destination.
• Take more photos at dawn and dusk.
• Participate in the weekly Webshots Creative Challenges!

When We’re Not Working…
As the staff of Webshots, we have a busy year ahead of us, but we’ll still find time to take photos, try out new techniques and participate in the community. Here are our goals and resolutions for 2009:

Chris, User Experience
Take pictures of our girls (Maddie [4] and Ellie [18 months]) at least once a week. I have a tendency to take photos mostly at special occasions, and I want to try to capture more of the everyday events. I’ve got the same goal when it comes to video!

Dave, Product Development
To actually be in my “group” shots!

Jessica, Brand and Marketing Manager
To upload my photos and videos within one week of taking them. I am good at taking photos…not so good at getting them up and sharing them with everyone. And that’s half the fun, right?!

Melissa, Retail Manager
I am going to try and take more pictures in 2009. I did not do such a great job in 2008, and I feel like a missed capturing a lot of good times.

Sally, General Manager
Get a new camera, and actually carry it in a case so it doesn’t get scratched!

Kevin, Content Editor
My New Year’s photo resolution is to shoot way more! Along with my usual concert photography, I plan to do one major (model/studio related) photo shoot every two to three weeks. My plan is, within the year, to have 10 to 15 new portfolio images to put on to my new website (finishing my website is also part of my resolution). I am also going to make it a point to become more efficient in PhotoShop—I am already signed up to return to school for this in January to help achieve this goal.

Andrew, Manager of Web Development
My resolution is to figure out how to send my mobile photos to Webshots.

Kim, Project Manager
I resolve to be more organized with my photos once I take them: burn them to CDs, catalog them by date, print out thumb indexes for each, etc. I also resolve to take more picture of my daughter myself instead of going to professional studios.

What’s your photo resolution of 2009? Share it with us in the comments section below!

Photo walks, a popular activity among photo-sharing communities, let us all be a part of something no matter where we are in the world. By taking a walk this weekend and sharing the pictures with us, you’re contributing to a global mural of life.

So put on your walking shoes, grab your camera and go for a walk. You’ll be surprised at the photographic opportunities that present themselves. We’d love to see all of your photos as you can submit as many as you like!

Please tag your photos with Weekend Photo Walk 57 and then post your links in the comment section. Your entries won’t be judged—this is just for the fun of it!

With the Holidays here, you have two weeks to shoot and submit your best winter white subjects. From fluffy white animals to crisp white snow, cotton sheets to white sand beaches, get creative during this extended challenge and we’ll look forward to seeing your submissions next year!

OFFICIAL ENTRY RULES
To officially enter the Creative Challenge, you must tag your three submissions with creative-challenge-white. You can then view them and everyone else’s submissions on the DISPLAY PAGE (it updates about every hour). To find out more about this, read the Using Tags on Creative Challenges post.

Submission Guidelines
1. Our editors look for sharp, clear horizontal images that are at a minimum resolution of 800×600 (submissions can have larger resolutions than this). Currently, vertical images cannot fit in the homepage template. Therefore, we cannot publish vertical or narrow panoramic images.

2. Images with added text or images, including watermarks, logos, copyright symbols, graphic borders, frames and time stamps, will not be considered. Collages, however, are acceptable. Images submitted should be your own.

3. Please do not submit pictures that have already been featured on the homepage.

4. The EXTENDED Creative Challenge runs from 12:01 a.m. on December 24 to 3:00 p.m. on January 6 (all times EST).

5. 3 pictures per member tagged exactly (including hyphens) with: creative-challenge-white

*Note:Images that don’t meet the exact guidelines can be submitted and viewed for everyone to enjoy, but please understand that we cannot publish images that don’t meet minimum guidelines on the homepage. Also, now that you’re tagging your entries, you don’t need to post links in the comments section anymore.

NEXT CHALLENGE THEME: Man Vs. Nature When we set out to capture a beautiful scene, we typically spend time framing the shot to exclude things like telephone poles, garbage cans, litter, etc. Turn that thinking around for this challenge and make an image that embraces the change that we humans create in the landscape. Whether you want to make a political or environmental statement, or just switch your viewpoint, the next challenge is sure to make you think.

We saw some amazing shots in the Creative Challenge: Interiors, from dizzying staircases to opulent bedrooms to even our members’ homes. Our top three shots really give us a sense of the interior, but they also included elements like lighting, patterns and scale that enhance the image. We loved so many of the photos, that we’ll be featuring some of them in the category pages, such as Travel, so look for those soon!

#1. Can you feel this photo’s energy? Member bfryxell‘s image of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Santiago, Chile pulls us in with its fascinating perspective, and we keep enjoying the circular patterns abound all the way down to the ground. Congrats to member bfryxell—we’ll feature you’re photo on the homepage tomorrow!

#2.We loved the mix of patterns and reflections that surrounded the lone subject in member ttalbum‘s interesting entry of Malaysia’s National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. Great job!
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#3.The architectural design of the Smithsonian Metro Station captured by member Felkos is only enhanced by the moving train and passengers. We feel like we’re zooming right along!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Challenge and shared their photos with us. We really enjoyed viewing all the entries and hope you had fun as well. To see all the entries in the Creative Challenge: Interiors, visit the DISPLAY PAGE.

We’ve covered a range of photography techniques in the Pro Tips section this year to help you become better at what you love to do. From using burst mode effectively to capturing fireworks to taking portraits, our professional photographers have shared their tips and tricks with you. We’ve pulled all the Pro Tips together in an archive, so you can easily find what you’re looking for—this will be especially handy when you get a new camera this holiday!

Sunrises and Sunsets

Creating Online Photo Albums

ISO Settings

White Balance 101

Photograph Flowers Like a Pro

Recycle Your Camera….To a Child

Cropping

How To Use a Histogram

Color, Tone and Contrast

Photographing Fireworks

Volunteer With Your Camera

Burst Mode

Digital Black and White

Lighting Techniques

Reflectors and Diffusers

Creating Memorable Holiday Cards

Shutter Speed

Focal Length

How to Create Ghostly Images For Halloween

How To Take Great Fall Photos

Photographing Live Music

Food Photography

Camera Care

Photographing at a Wolf Park

Photographing Christmas Trees and Lights

Photo walks, a popular activity among photo-sharing communities, let us all be a part of something no matter where we are in the world. By taking a walk this weekend and sharing the pictures with us, you’re contributing to a global mural of life.

So put on your walking shoes, grab your camera and go for a walk. You’ll be surprised at the photographic opportunities that present themselves. We’d love to see all of your photos as you can submit as many as you like!

Please tag your photos with Weekend Photo Walk 56 and then post your links in the comment section. Your entries won’t be judged—this is just for the fun of it!

After last week’s frosty challenge, let’s stay comfy-cozy this week and focus on interior shots. From lighting and creative angles that evoke a sense of scale, to compositions of tight architectural details and wide angle shots that create a sense of spaciousness, shooting architecture indoors can be challenging!

OFFICIAL ENTRY RULES
To officially enter the Creative Challenge, you must tag your three submissions with creative-challenge-interiors. You can then view them and everyone else’s submissions on the DISPLAY PAGE (it updates about every hour). To find out more about this, read the Using Tags on Creative Challenges post.

Submission Guidelines
1. Our editors look for sharp, clear horizontal images that are at a minimum resolution of 800×600 (submissions can have larger resolutions than this). Currently, vertical images cannot fit in the homepage template. Therefore, we cannot publish vertical or narrow panoramic images.

2. Images with added text or images, including watermarks, logos, copyright symbols, graphic borders, frames and time stamps, will not be considered. Collages, however, are acceptable. Images submitted should be your own.

3. Please do not submit pictures that have already been featured on the homepage.

4. The Creative Challenge runs from 12:01 a.m. on December 16 to 3:00 p.m. on December 22 (all times EST).

5. 3 pictures per member tagged exactly (including hyphens) with: creative-challenge-interiors

*Note:Images that don’t meet the exact guidelines can be submitted and viewed for everyone to enjoy, but please understand that we cannot publish images that don’t meet minimum guidelines on the homepage. Also, now that you’re tagging your entries, you don’t need to post links in the comments section anymore.

NEXT WEEK’S EXTENDED THEME: Winter White With the Holidays here, you have two weeks to shoot and submit your best winter white subjects. From fluffy white animals to crisp white snow, cotton sheets to white sand beaches, get creative during this extended challenge and we look forward to seeing your submissions next year!

Brrrr! You did a great job this week, the display page was filled with chilly images that made us want to grab a cup of cocoa and settle in by the fire while judging the winners. Be sure to view all the entries for this week’s Creative Challenge: Jack Frost. Great job to everyone who entered, and kudos to the the top three winners below!

#1. Member gertsnel captured a solitary scene that evokes a sense of quiet mystery. The icy waters and fog shrouded distant shores encircle a lone swan, causing one to wonder where her mate is. Congrats to member gertsnel —we’ll feature you’re photo on the homepage tomorrow!

#2. Member kidlib1 illustrates the seasonal transition of autumn to winter in this lovely photograph that juxtaposes a delicate leaf and winter’s harsh, icy crystals.

#3. We found member HamDog_SuperExtra‘s chilling image of the Mt Washington cog railway intriguing. The abrupt wooden trestle leads your eye off to the distance coated in mysterious fog.

Thanks to everyone who entered the Challenge and shared their photos with us. We really enjoyed viewing all the entries and hope you had fun as well. To see all the entries in the Creative Challenge: Jack Frost, visit the DISPLAY PAGE.

UPDATE: We have revised this week’s Creative Challenge winners. Our intention regarding challenges is to inspire you to create your own images of the themes selected. The original first place winner was not the member’s photo and was therefore disqualified. We will update the challenge rules to reflect this distinction.

Photo walks, a popular activity among photo-sharing communities, let us all be a part of something no matter where we are in the world. By taking a walk this weekend and sharing the pictures with us, you’re contributing to a global mural of life.

So put on your walking shoes, grab your camera and go for a walk. You’ll be surprised at the photographic opportunities that present themselves. We’d love to see all of your photos as you can submit as many as you like!

Please tag your photos with Weekend Photo Walk 55 and then post your links in the comment section. Your entries won’t be judged—this is just for the fun of it!

With winter fast approaching (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) it’s a great time to shoot the changing weather. There are so many great “frosty” images on Webshots, I thought this would be a fun challenge. For those of you in a warmer climate, you can explore other frosty icons, maybe a frosty beer mug or a chilly drink. Whatever you do, have fun!

OFFICIAL ENTRY RULES
To officially enter the Creative Challenge, you must tag your three submissions with creative-challenge-frost. You can then view them and everyone else’s submissions on the DISPLAY PAGE (it updates about every hour). To find out more about this, read the Using Tags on Creative Challenges post.

Submission Guidelines
1. Our editors look for sharp, clear horizontal images that are at a minimum resolution of 800×600 (submissions can have larger resolutions than this). Currently, vertical images cannot fit in the homepage template. Therefore, we cannot publish vertical or narrow panoramic images.

2. Images with added text or images, including watermarks, logos, copyright symbols, graphic borders, frames and time stamps, will not be considered. Collages, however, are acceptable.

3. Please do not submit pictures that have already been featured on the homepage.

4. The Creative Challenge runs from 12:01 a.m. on December 10 to 3:00 p.m. on December 15 (all times EST).

5. 3 pictures per member tagged exactly (including hyphens) with: creative-challenge-frost

*Note:Images that don’t meet the exact guidelines can be submitted and viewed for everyone to enjoy, but please understand that we cannot publish images that don’t meet minimum guidelines on the homepage. Also, now that you’re tagging your entries, you don’t need to post links in the comments section anymore.

NEXT WEEK’S THEME: Interiors Baby it’s cold outside! Let’s stay comfy-cozy next week and focus on interior shots. From lighting and creative angles that evoke a sense of scale to compositions of tight architectural details and wide angle shots that create a sense of spaciousness, shooting architecture indoors can be challenging!