Entries are now being accepted for this month's competition -- make a post in this thread and attach your entry.

The theme for this month's competition has been chosen by the
1st Place WINNER of our January 2008 competition -- Ant

Ant has chosen the theme "Backlight".

I've included some informational links and image links to give us non-pros an idea of what beautiful images can be created by not following the advice on the Kodak film insert - "keep the sun at your back".

article on "Art of backlighting" (http://lightingservice.info/2008/01/29/the-art-of-backlighting/)

stock photo examples of backlighting (http://www.shutterstock.com/s/backlight/search.html)


Each member may submit only one entry for this competition.

Deadline for submitting your image: Wednesday February 27th, 2008 at 12 pm EDT.

The goal of these friendly competitions is to inspire members to grab our camera and actually use it. New photos are our goal, but we also accept recently photographed/recently processed images that fit the topic also.

We'd love to hear any shooting info you have (shutter speed, ISO, f-stop) as well as any regular photographic post-processing -- cropping, levels, saturation, dodge/burn, etc.

What does the winner get? The winner gets to choose the next assignment (this time PLUS gets all the nice accolades that come from being chosen "Winner".

Post your photo submissions in this thread, and we'll have the separate thread for discussion of this assignment and your comments regarding any of the entries that strike your fancy.

All RetouchPro members may take part in the competition and all members may vote, whether they have submitted an entry or not.

Back-light photo shoot.

?? Mining Art -- is this your illustration of back lighting - do you want this in the discussion thread or what? :)

I love backlit stuff!

This is one of my nephew's children. I took the picture with a Nikon D-200 f/10 at 1/250. Alien bee light with a 60" umbrella and a Lastolite HiLite Background with a Nikon SB-800 flash inside.

It was difficult picking this month's picture mostly because I've been experimenting with backlight extensively since autumn of last year. Who knows, I may change my mind at the last minute and post something else.

Eenie Meenie Minee Mo...pick a picture now or no....

Thanks Ant for picking a great topic. It is a good one to stretch skills.

Janet

F4
250th second
ISO 400
28 mm focal length
white balance - custom - 5650
tint +13
Brightness and Contrast 50%
Vibrance at 10

here is my shot.

The third shot of a continous shooting brought out this one.

here's my entry...

2-years ago I did a self-assignment for the State of Florida on police recruits and their statistics. Just so happens that my father is a 40-year veteran of DBPD, and is now in charge of teaching all new recruits how to shoot properly. (They don't call me dead eye for nothin'). Anyways I began to focus on a subject by the name of Darryl Haywood who was a bright young man, squared away and eager to learn. I then learned his motivation was his father, a long time veteran of NYPD along with his mother. After his tour of duty there he moved to Palm Coast, Florida, just north of Daytona for those that don't know. In no time his father was hired by the Florida Highway Patrol and was a great guy and served for many years. One night after getting home from shooting at the range I found the news telling us that Trooper Haywood had been involved in a chase on I-4, blown a tire and died on the scene. I was pretty devastated as Darryl Jr. and I had become buddies, sharing time at his house with his family. I was at a loss but went the next day anyways. Darryl was there before I was. All the instructors and directors basically ordered him home but he refused. They asked me to speak to him but he was having no part of it and knew this would be what his father would want and it made him stronger. His actions made a lot of people stronger. I continued my story and saw a boy become a man quickly and a leader. He graduated with honors and invited me to graduation. The state requested that I continue on with the assignment and attend the law memorial in Washington D.C.. I'll tell you this much, it was a week of hell and what made it worse is that I had lost a partner just two years before and my father a partner on Christmas day 1983. So here is this huge marble wall with names all over it that I knew. I watched that 19 year old boy step from that bus, a pillar of rock, guiding his mother and sisters to the service which if you have never seen one is quite emotional. I took hundreds of photos that week but can't hardly remember any of it. The one thought that sticks with me is me looking across a sea of burning candles in the Dark and my eyes catching Darryls from 50 yards away, he winked at me and a tear fell at the same time. It was time for me to leave. The week that we got home from D.C. he received word of his new assignment, Miami of all places. Several months on the job during a traffic stop he was side swiped and pronounced dead but brought back several times, making a near perfect recovery. 1 month in the hospital and he was back home with his mom, insisting that he would continue in his fathers footsteps. She begged him to the point that he would leave for days. She would tell him, "You are so smart Darryl, you wanted to be a doctor before, let's go back there." Several days later Darryl called to talk to me about a dream he had. His father stood at his bed and said he was proud of him but his mother could take no more loss. Darryl applied for Medical School shortly after and will finish in a year or so. I have never met a boy/man made of such character, such pride and dedication. It's all about honor my friends. always.
If you go to my flickr site you will see a set of photos from that law memorial ceremony. I still shoot it every year for the Teamsters. Being there is painful but leaving feels good somehow.
This shot is of Darryl learning to shoot in pitch black conditions.As the targets turn the lights turn off. The guy had never even held a gun before this class.
Peace to you all and thanks for bearing with my words.

One of/if not my favourite gig shot

Killswitch Engage in Sydney, Australia
Canon 350D w/ 50mm MKII
ISO 800 f2.0 1/125sec

Blue spotlight directly behind his head made for some great hair lighting

Here's my entry..

Paula
http://www.webspawner.com/users/photochanges/index.html

Smokey Snake River Sunrise


Canon Rebel XT w/Canon 18-55mm lens

Exposure Mode: Auto
ISO Rating: 200
Focal Length 27mm
1/800 at f4

Post Processing: Curves

Entries are closed for this month's competition. I'll post a voting thread soon.