Webshots Blog

Dear Members,

Some of you have been asking us about the missing photos in your albums. We’ve been investigating the issue and discovered that a server failed, and we are sorry to say that we are unable to recover the images. This is the first time that this has happened in all of Webshots’ 15-year history, and we are taking measures to reduce the chance of this happening again.

We want to take this opportunity to remind all members to back up their photos on a regular basis. As a Premium member, you can use the Desktop Application, our free software, to back of all of your albums; free members can back up only their oldest album. You can also back up your photos on your personal desktop, CD or external hard drives.

To back up your albums using the Desktop, go to the “My Files Online” tab and click on the “Back up your files” link in the bottom-right corner. Click on the screenshot below to see in bigger detail.

We are sorry for the inconvenience that this has caused, and we thank you for being patient with us while we figured out exactly what happened.

Sincerely,

Jessica, Webshots Editor

Update: Please see my recent comment in response to your comments.

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 114 and then post your links in the comment section. Your entries won’t be judged—this is just for the fun of it!

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 113 and then post your links in the comment section. Your entries won’t be judged—this is just for the fun of it!

This challenge will run right up to Groundhog’s Day when the infamous Punxsutawney Phil will pop out of his den to predict a longer winter or the early start to spring! What do you predict? Submit your best Winter or Spring photos to support your theory. Collages or transitional seasonal images would work well if you’re undecided

OFFICIAL ENTRY RULES
To officially enter the Creative Challenge, you must tag your three submissions with creative-challenge-transition. 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 for first place or being featured on the homepage at a later date. 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 January 20 to 12:00 p.m. on February 1 (all times EST).

5. 3 pictures per person (regardless of how many member accounts you have) tagged exactly (including hyphens) with: creative-challenge-transition

*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: Facial Expressions
Explore the interesting faces and expressions they have in the next challenge. When a photographer successfully captures a moment of quite reflection or a rowdy crowd evokes a connection with the viewer. What expression do you want to share with the world?

Good Morning Creative Challenge participants! We always enjoy a peek into your lives, and the latest Creative Challenge: Good Morning gave us just that! From snooze alarms, steaming coffee and glorious sunrises, your images told us what makes your morning great. Here are our favorites:

#1. “An amazing morning, breathtaking beautiful!” by member marionw104102. Congrats! We’ll feature your photo on the homepage tomorrow.

#2. “Sunrise Extraordinaire” by member rjscholten.

#3. “…just 5 more minutes!” by member akla1.

#4. “Daybreak” by member lynnie440.

#5. “Foggy Sunrise” by member Kaeley_Warren.

#6. “A Fresh Mouth” by member DeniseMichard.

#7. “Shanthi Stupa, Leh. Early morning” by member tigerlily5141.

#8. “A Good Morning Smile from Di Milo greets me every Morning!” by member chantalc.

#9. “Daybreak at Lake McDonald” by member roguegenius.

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 112 and then post your links in the comment section. Your entries won’t be judged—this is just for the fun of it!

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 111 and then post your links in the comment section. Your entries won’t be judged—this is just for the fun of it!

What starts your day off right? Is it a glorious sunrise, a hearty breakfast, a brisk walk communing with nature, the smiling face of a loved one or maybe hitting the snooze alarm? Share your best morning moments in this creative challenge.

OFFICIAL ENTRY RULES
To officially enter the Creative Challenge, you must tag your three submissions with creative-challenge-morning. 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 for first place or being featured on the homepage at a later date. 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 January 6 to 12:00 p.m. on January 18 (all times EST).

5. 3 pictures per person (regardless of how many member accounts you have) tagged exactly (including hyphens) with: creative-challenge-morning

*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: Winter/Spring Seasonal Transition
The next challenge will run right up to Groundhog’s Day when the infamous Punksatony Phil will pop out of his den to predict a longer winter or the early start to spring! What do you predict? Submit your best Winter or Spring photos to support your theory. Collages or transitional seasonal images would work well if you’re undecided

Happy New Year to all our Creative Challenge participants! We know 2010 will be a great year thanks to all your inspiring photos in the Creative Challenge: Resolutions. From being healthy to enjoying the little things in life to spending time with loved ones, your photos shared your hopes and dreams for the new year, and here are our favorites:

#1. “Notice the Little Things” by member dlbweb. Congrats! We’ll feature your photo on the homepage tomorrow.

.
#2. “Hike & Explore PA” by member ldeiter78.

#3. “Give more…to the less fortunate” by member iamelmana.

#4. “Take more photos when the weather is bad” by member jtanguay2.

#5. “Rush, Rush” by member AsAbel64.

#6. “I resolve to…ride my bike to work at least once a week” by member akla1.

#7. “This year, I resolve to spend more quality time with my son” by member clarkth.

#8. “RX: Enjoy More Sunsets” by member rjscholten.

#9. “Visit My Son in Hawaii as he serves our country” by member DeniseMichard.

#10. “I Will Go Walking More With Scruff” by member stanpacz.

Essential Tips to Prepare for Winter Photography      

By Kevin McNeal              

Winter is a great time to get out and see some of your favorite locations. Landscapes are transformed into winter fairy tales that make everything look surreal. Landscapes draped in snow can be challenging depending on the conditions present. There are a few essential tips that will go a long ways to improving your winter photography.
       
     Preparation for winter challenges begins with equipment. If your camera equipment is not geared up to handle the demands of winter weather, camera failure is bound to happen. The most important piece of your equipment to be concerned with in colder temperatures is battery power. Some batteries in near zero temperatures will only last a few minutes. To overcome this, keep extra batteries in your pocket close to you. The heat from your body does a good job of keeping your batteries warm. Make frequent changes to swap out the cold batteries for warmer ones.
 

      Another concern in winter is camera condensation. Condensation occurs within the body of the camera and lens when there has been a dramatic and immediate change in temperature moving from different climates. A gradual change however will mitigate the condensation. Extreme condensation can be avoided by placing the camera in a sealed bag for several minutes before changing climates. This allows the camera to gradually acclimatize to the temperature whether indoor or outdoor. If condensation is present, do not shoot through it but wait until the condensation has disappeared.
 

Nothing ends a day of winter photography like not dressing up warmly enough. The clothing you choose to wear depends on the activity you foresee. But generally, it is always safer to have too much then too little when it comes to winter conditions. In terms of photography, the most important piece of clothing is gloves. A camera has many buttons and controls that need to be adjusted to make sure the photographer gets the image. If gloves are worn that prevent access to the buttons, then the photographer is more likely to minimize actions that allow for proper exposure, composition, and technique.  Fingerless gloves allow precise movement of the fingers and allow easy access to the camera’s features.
 

        Capturing an image that has immediate impact when it comes to winter scenes can be difficult. Understanding how light reacts with the snow is an integral part of learning winter photography. Light is a natural reflector and if controlled can really enhance the image. Because snow is so bright, the in-camera meter tries to compensate by underexposing the snow turning it from a bright white to a dull grey. When exposing for scenes with snow always bracket half a stop to two stops over. Luminosity in the scene changes but the constant is the snow that always remains white in all winter images. As each situation presents itself differently, the need to capture several exposures is critical to avoid over or under exposing the image.
 

         Understanding how light illuminates a subject can also be defined in terms of tones. Winter landscapes are generally thought of as high key tones with white being the primary color. But snow when illuminated in different light can often have a number of different colors on the polar opposites of the spectrum. Strong winter images combine warm and cool tones together to really accentuate the subject and give more depth to the image. People are drawn to warmer coolers when they are complemented with cooler colors. The cooler tones of snow in unlit areas contrasts against the warmer lit areas. A scene that lends itself to this can be the colors of sunrise or sunset. Adding color in your winter images will go a long ways to improving your winter photography.
 

         Photography in the winter can be a productive time if you plan ahead. Prepare yourself for all sorts of conditions, and when possible try experimenting out in the snow when close to home. See what works for you and what doesn’t in terms of carrying equipment, clothes, and access. You might be surprised to find out how fun it is to shoot in wintertime when you are prepared.

Click here to view and download the Webshotss Collection of Kevin McNeal’s Wallpapers!