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Vivid Light Photography, digital and film photography online
Self Assignment

What are Self Assignments and Why Do Them?

We all tend to get in creative ruts sometimes. We start assuming too much about what we can and can't photograph, and about the limits of our equipment, our film, and ourselves. These assignments (hopefully) take you out of your comfort zone and get you photographing things you might not normally shoot. 

The only way to really learn is to do, and the more film you put through your camera the better you'll get.  Plus you get the chance to win a bunch of film.  This months winners will get 20 rolls of the Professional film of their choice courtesy of FujiFilm Professional.

This Month - Americana

July will mark the first 4th of July celebration in the United States since September 11th. There will be many remembrances and many tributes to America. But to me its the little things that make America both strong and unique. A whole genre of photography has grown up around capturing these nuances of American life. Its called Americana. 

The examples here vary widely, a flag draped Victorian porch, a 50's Cadillac sporting tail fins advertising a crab restaurant, or just a slice of Caddy tail fin. Other examples to explore include roadside attractions, diners, juke boxes, Harleys, parades, ice cream stands, the grandeur of our National Parks, or people in uniquely American settings (think of a short order cook behind the counter of that diner, or a cowboy riding into the sunset).  

This one is really broad folks so have fun with it. Submit multiple entries. Overflow Chuck's mailbox. Experiment with different perspectives on things that we take for granted. How would that shot look through a 17mm lens? or a 400mm lens? Tip the horizon. Play. But most of all have fun with it.

As for those readers outside the U.S., if you've visited here recently you may actually have an edge in this contest. Someone who doesn't live here is often better able to capture the day to day nuances of life since there is nothing that you take for granted. Good Luck!

Film Types
Negative, slide, or digital are all OK. Images can be color or black and white. 

Lens Types (35mm format used as a reference)
Any lens.

Rules
Each month we pick several photos from the previous month's contest that we think are worthy of publication. Photos should be submitted by email in JPEG format, and should be no larger than 1400x1400 pixels, 24 bit color (1.4MB). Overly large images will not be reviewed. Panoramic images may exceed 700 pixels in one direction but should not exceed 1.4MB in total file size. Photos should be submitted no later than the end of the month. Submission of a photo will be considered a defacto release for publication. 

Please include the following in your email:

  • Name
    email address
    Brand & model of camera
    Brand & focal length of lens
    Brand & speed of film used (or specify digital)
    Scanner and/or scanning method
    How/if the image was manipulated digitally
    The story behind the image
    Enter Now

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