Dear Reader,

Here’s your weekly photo dispatch from photographer Shelly Perry with a list of last month’s Photo Challenge winners...

Lori Allen
Director, AWAI Travel Division

P.S. Shelly will be with us at a number of upcoming photo workshops and expeditions in 2010... some in new, exotic locales like Thailand. We’ll announce all our 2010 dates and destinations, with a chance for you to grab a discounted seat, on January 26. Be one of the first to find out where we’re going in 2010 -- and secure an extra $50 discount -- by signing up for our First-in-Line list.

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January 13, 2010
The Right Way to Travel, Weekly Photo Tip
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Bells, Bows and Mistletoes -- Winning Entries

By Shelly Perry in Portland, OR

Last month’s Photo Challenge theme was “Bells, Bows and Mistletoes.” November's winner, Tom Weber, acted as our guest judge, choosing December’s first-place winner.

** First Place goes to redhouston for “Reflections of Christmas Past”

** Second Place goes to Courtenay for “Serving Up Some Holiday Spirit”

** Third Place goes to henryhurry for “Versailles Snow”

Here is what Tom had to say about his first-place pick...

FIRST PLACE -- REFLECTIONS OF CHRISTMAS PAST

 

“The artist’s personal feelings were truly captured in this simple but effective shot. The richly-colored balls and low natural light form a warm combination -- perhaps to symbolize the reflective mood of holiday seasons past when the artist’s family, much younger and all present, participated in the annual tree trimming chore. Crisp focus, excellent lighting, and well-balanced framing all contributed to make this effort the winning selection.”

Here are my picks for second- and third-place winners:

SECOND PLACE -- SERVING UP SOME HOLIDAY SPIRIT

 

While the winning photo above used a subdued, moody tone and pallet, this winning photo pops with crisp, bright colors. The photographer did a nice job capturing the theme in this potential stock shot. And, while it has the brightness and exposure of a photo that was shot in studio, it appears (upon closer investigation) to have been achieved with natural light through a window -- a great source for lighting and free of charge to each of us. I’m impressed with the photographer’s achievement here.

[Note: Turn Your Pictures into Cash owners: You’ll find an entire section on using different light sources, from studio to flash to window light, in session 50 of your Turn Your Pictures into Cash program. If you’re not familiar with Turn Your Pictures into Cash, find out more about how it can help you take better photos and start selling them for easy cash.]

THIRD PLACE -- VERSAILLES SNOW

 

I may need to crank up the heater here at home, but I swear I can almost feel the chill of this scene. It has a nostalgic holiday feel to it. I love the lighted street decorations, the snowy tracks in the street, and the streaks of snow blowing down. Kudos to the photographer for getting good exposure for this snowy night scene.

Congratulations to our winners!!

The first-, second-, and third-place winners will all be entered in the running for the $2,000 Grand Prize in October.

ENTER TO WIN!

Remember, this month's theme is "The Great Escape." Submit your photos by 8:00 a.m. EST, Monday, January 25. If you're a first-time user, you'll need to register first on the "register" link on the right side bar. Once you have a username and password, click "Enter to Win" to upload your photo. Only one photo per applicant will be considered.

[ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shelly Perry from Portland, Oregon, specializes in people photography, what she calls documentary or lifestyle portraits. She is known especially for her imaging of children. Shelly’s concern for people is reflected both in her sense of purpose and the images she produces. Her images have been seen all over the globe on music CD covers, books, magazines, catalogues, web sites, ad campaigns and even on TV. Her work has also appeared in several local exhibits and gallery shows. Meet Shelly and see more of the world this year in one of our small-group photo expeditions. Get on the hotlist and find out where we’re going... and how you can save big on your seat.

Can’t make it to any of this year’s events, start selling your photos at home with our Turn Your Pictures into Cash program.]

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