Tag Archives: Theme Challenge

April Theme Challenge – A Lone Tree

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For this month, April 2024, the theme challenge is “A Lone Tree“. This month’s challenge requires you to get outdoors and search for a location that has a lone tree. This challenge is an initial exercise to introduce “Minimalism” in your photography, essentially learning to reduce your composition to make your subject, in this case a lone tree, to stand out typically in a landscape by using weather, light, focal length, and/or position to exclude elements that you do not want within the frame.

Colour or Monochrome: You can create your image as colour or monochrome (black & white) depending on how you want your final image to look. If you choose “Monochrome” you can either create it using post processing software or in camera by choosing a monochrome picture style setting on your camera. Note that you can also edit the settings in any picture style, specifically in this case contrast to help make your monochrome images more dramatic. This time of year, the start of spring, the trees are void of or have minimal leaves so monochrome could help.

It is important to understand that if you shoot in “Jpeg” with a monochrome picture style setting on your camera, the image saved to the memory card will not have any colour, so remember to change your picture style camera setting back to a colour style such as; standard or landscape or portrait, when finished shooting in camera monochrome images.

Use of Light: One example, the following image uses the light from the fire to show the tree as a silhouette. Also the surrounding darkness effectively separates/softens the surrounding trees from the image to help make the tree silhouette stand out.

Use the Fog: Make use of the fog is a technique used in woodland photography to help soften or remove distracting elements from the frame to help make your subject stand out. You will notice the background is very soft due to the fog essentially removing the distant trees from the image. Although not a complete minimalistic image the fog has significantly helped the subject, tree, stand out.

Share with us the images you create this month.

We try with our monthly theme challenges to seek out additional instructional resources, below are a number of YouTube video links to help with some hints and ideas. Taking Photos of Iconic Locations instructional aids:
■ How to photograph lone trees and golden eagles: by Photography Online (36min 59sec)
■ Stormy Minimalist Landscape Photography: by Mads Peter Iversen (13min 41sec)
■ 5 STEPS to INCREDIBLE MINIMALIST photography: by Mads Peter Iversen (17min 27sec)

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles. Also do some research and include the story behind your iconic location.

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.

March Theme Challenge – Iconic Location

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f/11, 6 sec, ISO 1000, @24mm

For this month, March 2024, the theme challenge is “Iconic Location“. Go out and make photos of some of the locations in your area that are most famous and many tourists come to visit each year. The hard part of this challenge is to try to take a photo that shows the location differently than anyone has photographed it before. Below are just a small sample of iconic locations in Nova Scotia. This month share some of your iconic location images.

Peggy’s Cove; Nova Scotia has many lighthouses, and one of the most well known is Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. Many tour companies bring many tourists from around the world to see this lighthouse and local fishing community. The Lighthouse was originally established in 1868 which was subsequently replaced in 1914 with the existing structure, automated in 1958, and it is one of the most photographed lighthouses in Nova Scotia. A recent Revitalization Plan implemented an upgrade to the walkway, surrounding road and parking area as well as an accessible viewing area completed in the fall of 2021. Out of season is the best time to get images at Peggy’s Cove, providing the opportunity to take images with less people around. The images shown in this first gallery were taken in 2022.

This following image was taken in 2012. Remember to be safe in these types of locations, be aware of the water levels, tides, and stay away from black rocks which indicates the water has reached that level.

Halifax Town Clock; The Old Town Clock, Halifax Nova Scotia, is one of Halifax’s iconic locations. This clock was erected in 1803, survived the Halifax explosion of 1917, and had many restorations over the years, 1960, 1990, 2005, & 2018. To find out more take a look at the “Halifax Town Clock Wiki”. This image was taken during civil twilight to include the backdrop of some of the downtown of Halifax as well as the dramatic clouds in the sky and the light trails from the traffic.

Three Churches, Mahone Bay; The town of Mahone Bay , founded in 1754, includes three prominent churches along it’s shoreline, St James’ Anglican 1887, St John’s Evangelical Lutheran 1869, and Trinity United 1923. There are many angles to take images of these century old churches with reflections when there is little to no wind and are lit by the light at sunrise and are basked in colourful sunsets as the light disappears behind. Mahone Bay hosts many shops and celebrations throughout the tourist season and the fall.

St. John’s Anglican Church in Lunenburg; (Wiki) Was the first church established in 1753 Lunenburg Nova Scotia which suffered significant damage from a fire in November 2001 and was restored and rededicated June 2005. This image was taken using a tripod and multiple exposures.

Chester Yacht Club; A drone image of Chester Yacht Club, incorporated 1902, is the home of Chester Race Week known as Canada’s largest keel-boat regatta in which racers come from across Canada and New England to complete.

Share with us the images of your iconic locations you create this month.

We try with our monthly theme challenges to seek out additional instructional resources, below are a number of YouTube video links to help with some hints and ideas. Taking Photos of Iconic Locations instructional aids:
■ How to get Unique Photos in Popular Locations: by Nigel Danson (20min 14sec)
■ In The Field: Photographing Iconic Places: by Scott Davenport (7min 11sec)
■ Making Unique Photos of Iconic Photography Spots: by Brendan van Son (11min 8sec)

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles. Also do some research and include the story behind your iconic location.

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.