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Photography Challenge – Showcase Your Best Images and Enter to Win

Photography Challenge – Showcase Your Best Images and Enter to Win

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Welcome to the brand new feature on Digital Photo Mentor – the photography challenge!

You may have participated in photography challenges on other sites. The ones here are going to be a little bit different and challenge you in new ways. You will not have a theme or topic to go photograph and make nice photos. There are tons of challenges out there for that including the ones I post weekly over on Digital Photography School.

Outside the box challenges

No, these challenges will push you to get outside of your normal comfort zone and stretch your boundaries a little bit. They may even push your buttons and cause you to feel anxious. That is the idea! Only by doing something new, and sometimes uncomfortable will you achieve real growth.

How does it work?

Challenges will come on a monthly basis and will be different each time. So you will have plenty of time to work on one challenge, before the next one starts. There may be prizes if applicable, and I will ask you to share your results with us and others doing the challenge in the comments.

This month’s challenge – showcase your best images

Okay, before you start saying things like this:

  • But I’m not a professional I don’t need to have an online portfolio or gallery
  • No one wants to see my photos
  • I’m not good enough
  • I can’t afford it

Let me explain how this can help you move your photography to the next level, also how it can be quite affordable (even some free options)

#1 Sharing your work helps build confidence

When you start sharing your images with others you may find you start getting compliments and good feedback, perhaps you didn’t expect. This helps build confidence when other people tell you they like something you’ve created. That is never a bad thing. You don’t want to get a big ego and go crazy about getting praise but if you never show your work, how will you know you’re on the right track?

#2 Track your own growth

By putting images online and creating a gallery of your favorite images from each year you will be able to look back and see how much progress you’ve made. Sometimes it can feel like you’re just stuck and you’ll never get any better, when in reality you already have gone leaps and bounds from where you started. Only by comparing to your own work from the past can you see your own improvement.

#3 Helps you be more selective and take better photos

This one is two-fold. Putting your work online helps you weed out the rubbish and get to the best of the best, the cream of the crop. You wouldn’t want to share anything but your best work right? So having to pick only 20 images for your main portfolio will really make you think about which are truly your best shots. You may choose to get opinions of others to help you cull the pack as well, but it will force you look at your own work and critique it in an objective way.

This can lead to shooting more selectively as well. You’ll start to think about whether each shot is portfolio worthy or not and you may even stop and think before shooting something where the answer is “no”. Being more intentional and having this mission in sight will help you seek out and take better photos.

#4 Get over fears of not being good enough

I can’t tell you how many of my students have had this fear, even of sharing images in the classroom setting. I can’t conquer this fear for you but I can tell you that most of the time the fears we have in our heads are way stronger, bigger, scarier and harder to overcome than they are in real life. Photographing a stranger is another example and I often challenge my travel photography students to do just that and many come back with stories of “that wasn’t nearly so bad as I had imagined”. The demons in our head play tricks on us and we build it up until it’s almost insurmountable. So sometimes just stepping out past that fear is the only thing that will move us forward and get past it. If this sounds like you – then what are you waiting for? Get working on this challenge!

The challenge – make a 20 image portfolio of your best work

Part one – the first part of this challenge is to pick a platform. There are several free ones you can use including Flickr or 500px, as well as the one I use which is Zenfolio.

Part two – then select your TOP 20 images only – no more, no less – and create your first gallery.

Part three – share a link to your gallery in the comments below so the world can see it!

Take it up a level – the free sites mentioned above are great, but they do have some limitations. I highly recommend Zenfolio because you can do things like:

  • Have locked and pass worded galleries and you decide who gets inside. Share your images with everyone, or just select people – you choose.
  • Make a slideshow that you can share on your social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest or even by email.
  • Customize the look of your gallery with built-in themes.
  • You can even have your own blog and write stories or articles which is great for keeping friends and family updated on your journey if you are traveling.
  • Sell your images as fine art prints if you’re so inclined.

The contest – win a Zenfolio Premium membership worth $140

Update: Winner Chosen. A winner was chosen and revealed on the next challenge here.

I can’t wait to see your absolute best images!

Cheers,
Darlene-1-250x130.png

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Comments

  6. Thanks Jon! I got totally “fixated” on reflections this Autumn! I especially love the use of natural light in the “magic hour”! I could have made a whole portfolio on beautiful reflections! “Nature’s Artistry” is amazing!

    • I, for one, am glad you stopped procrastinating – wow!!! I particularly like your 1st and last photo as well as the incredible shot of the owl. Lovely work>>>

      • Thank you Diane. I just took a look at your beautiful photos. I love the penguin and the bare trees in the fog with a few bright red leaves – made me feel like I was there.

  16. Hi Darlene. I signed up for your free E-Book awhile ago and thoroughly enjoy reading your articles. I saw this challenge pop up in my email and decided to take the plunge, and am trying a 14 day Zenfolio trial. Thanks for the inspiration. I am going to sign up for your 4 week course as well.

    • Lise – beautiful and creative and varied work. Loved the feather on the snow with grass and the white bird and trees in reflection in particular.

    • I can see this comment Jamie and got your email. I’m not removing anything and I don’t see them in spam. Not sure why it’s not showing up someone else had the problem too. Just email me the link and I’ll add it to your comment manually.

    • Hi John – good job – loved the putting the personal on the line. Liked the church against the oh-so-blue background, the dog with the ball and the nature pics.

  25. Jim- Thanks for letting me know, the link didn’t show up on my end I love the owls too, I spent a whole winter photographing them and have hundreds of shots. They were super interesting to study. It’s hard to pick “best images”. I put a bunch of my favorites on from different categories and I thought it would look better with some sort of theme., so changed it to nature/nature’s artistry thematic. The swans are making a strong come-back in our area, I don’t recall ever seeing one as a child. Now I see theme here and there. My favorite new subject as you can probably tell. I was pleased to get some in the morning and the evening. (two different locations)

  35. Geat photos Anna! The macros of course, but I liked the unique group photo and there’s just something about the composition with the guitar and the gate that just works. It clicks, it’s right, correct and perfect.

  40. OK, here’s my October effort: http://rlboston.zenfolio.com/ There are two galleries, ten images each, because I hope to market the winter images this year. I’m trying out different papers, cards, vendors, etc. I have a blog, a massive Flikr acount with 1800 images, an Etsy shop, a blog. I need to integrate my efforts.

  42. Well I took the plunge. Started a free trial on Zenfolio. Just a little nervous. Haven’t completed my total of 20 pictures yet, but there are a couple on there Terry Rawcliffe/ Zenfolio .com

  53. Hi Darlene,

    Many thanks for throwing out this challenge. I’ve spent the weekend learning to use Zenfolio and casting a critical eye over my photo collection. Both tasks have been thought provoking but I’m delighted with the results. The web site is only partially built – lots of text and images still to add – but the skeleton is there and it’s given me the impetus to do something more than daydream about sharing my work with a wider audience.

    All comments welcome. You’ll find my portfolio selection at: http://bit.ly/1unES2H.

    Cheers,

    Leonie

  56. I am sorry. contest or no contest , win or no win. Darlene I am going ahead with Zenfolio. I can’t wait for the results. The app is so user-friendly and you can get help in setting up in so many ways. I am taking the challenge and going full speed ahead. Thanks for your help.
    John

    • Hi Lyn! I am impressed with your landscapes. I realy liked the one of the wood bridge! thanks for sharing! I can realize that, you can see the right moment to take your photos.

    • Thanks so much for your kind words Luis. Believe it or not, with the photo you mentioned, that lake on the left (called Lake on the Mountain) is high above the lake in the right background. They are separated by a huge cliff.

    • Dear Lyn, thanks for complimenting on my pics 🙂 i just checked yours as well 🙂 great stuff :))) i am more into portraits but i am amazed by what you do with landscapes.

    • The owl is a masterpiece – well done. I’ve recently come back from a trip to Norway. Some of your images look familiar. Is that where they were taken? They capture the feel of the place really well.

    • Lyn, first I like the overall feel of your site and your body of work. There’s a cohesiveness there I like. Your choice of locations and animals works well together. Are those reindeer? The brightly colored boats really pop in the overall subdued tones and it’s pleasant.

  68. Hi Darlene, I haven’t commented in a while, but I have been reading your posts. We exchanged emails a while back, maybe you remember, if you don’t no big deal. I thought I would just get in on this challenge and post some of my photos. I don’t know if I’m improving or not, but here is the link.
    http://williampender.zenfolio.com/

      • Thanks Lyn … you’re shots of Newfoundland are stunning. It’s a beautiful part of the world. The owl is such a part of the tree it would have been easy to miss…

    • sooooo, I imagine you all set up to take a series of lovely romantic shots of sunrise over a still lake with a photogenic little boat pulled up on the shore, when suddenly a kangaroo sails in from stage left! One of the things I love about photography is the element of chance is always in play. Amateur or pro, cell phone or top of the line equipment, there’s always the possibility of a surprise

      • On day one I was setting up lovely sunrise shots (I had just finished positioning the canoe) when I heard a splash – by the time I located the source and spun my camera around all I had was a series of blurs! I waited on day 2 better prepared – but he didn’t show … on day 3 it all came together !!!

      • Thanks Lyn. I also had a look at your photos and really like no.1 When I saw the snow shots I thought this has to be Canada, but couldn’t tie in the location using the photo of the boats. Then I saw the Church, where I then Googled Silver Church and sure enough up it popped. Of course had I looked more closely at your photo the first time, I would have seen the Canadian flags 🙂 Nice shots all round.

  88. I use a Canon 50D and post process my images in Photo Shop Elements where I’m able to apply adjustments such as spot sharpening, horizon leveling, contrast, etc.

  91. hi… ok, I’m up for the challenge. I’ve actually picked up photography as another way of artistic expression. I’m a writer, and for a while I felt that I needed an additional art form to express my creativity. I don’t search for beauty when capturing images, but rather for essence, questions, life’s complexities. I don’t yet have a style of my own, still exploring. So here’s my assortment. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for this opportunity. I’ve been putting this gallery together for the past several days. http://throughhereyeskhuludkhamis.zenfolio.com/p16510602

    • Great collection, Jon! I’d love to visit so many of those places, especially the last one of the man in the woods, it looks beautiful. One thing I thought I’d point out for you, the London Eye image didn’t open for me in 500px, I had to right-click and open it in a new page. Thanks for sharing, Helen.

      • Thanks Helen – your comments have given me encouragement and are very much appreciated. I have checked out the London Eye photo and it opens OK. Perhaps it was just a one-off glitch at 500px’s end? Thanks again.

        Jon

      • Hi Connie,

        The sky is actually above a newly planted corn field – I could not resist taking a picture of those unusual clouds. BTW the corn has grown, been harvested and the field has been ploughed up again since then! Thanks for your comments.

    • hello, Luis. I enjoyed looking at your photos. We share a love of taking pictures of birds, but my favorites are the portrait/ reflection in the water, and the lovely girl in purple with the yellow flowers in the background; the complimentary colors seem to frame her beautifully.

    • Hi Sandi! Like yourself, until recently, I’ve showed my photos mostly to family & friends. It’s a bit scary to let folks who aren’t already in your corner see them. I like the juxtaposition between the young ballerina and the old statue in one of yours, and the b&w of the girls peeking out from behind the big tree brought a smile to my face.

  120. I have a question about the 14 day trial. If I join today my trial period ends on the 25th…just before the deadline for this challenge. Is that a problem? Or should I wait to set up closer to the 26th? Thanks in advance 🙂

  122. Hi Darlene. I’ve been hanging out at flickr for a few months (ever since you introduced me to it when I did your beginners course) but Zenfolio looks fantastic!! I’ve picked 20 of my best favourites and have made a little portfolio. I’ll be back here to give some of these other challenges a go. Cheers!

    http://joeaston.zenfolio.com/

    • Right, so remember rule #1 is not to compare yourself to other people. Compare your work to photos you took a year ago – have you improved? If so then you’re going in the right direction. It’s not a contest for best photo so keep that in mind.

  138. Awesome!!! Totally excited about these upcoming challenges! I might not be able to participate on the one for this month since I am going on a trip but, can’t wait what the next challenge will be! Good luck to all participants and looking forward to what I’ll be learning from this experience! Woohoo! ;D

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