Technology Explained, Practice
Daniela Bowker
Resolution and pixels and image quality! Oh my! ...

When you hear the term 'high-res' thrown about with such abandon when it comes to images for web use, have you ever stopped to think just how big or how high quality and image meant for the web needs to be?

Resolution and pixels and image quality! Oh my! Saving images for the web
Feature Articles, Photography Theory
Haje Jan Kamps
Low-contrast photographs don't have to be boring

There's an assumption that high-contrast images are more dynamic, more compelling, more inviting. Have a go at some low-contrast photography. You might surprise yourself with the results.

Low-contrast photographs don't have to be boring
Feature Articles, Theory
Daniela Bowker
Seeking balance in your photos

Balance doesn't mean symmetry; it means an internal consistency and tension within your photos. And it's a vital element of composition. 

Seeking balance in your photos
Feature Articles, Photography Theory
Haje Jan Kamps
Training your photographic luck

Great photos might be down to a little bit of luck, but most of that 'luck' you make yourself. Don't believe us? Read on...

Training your photographic luck
Feature Articles, Practice
Daniela Bowker
The ups and downs and ins and outs of ...

Photographing buildings doesn't have to mean wide-angle lenses and fretting about correcting for the keystone effect. Any lens, and angle. Don't believe us? Let us show you!

The ups and downs and ins and outs of photographing buildings

kingdom come

May's other-worldly photo competition

Floating on By

To celebrate the launch of my newest book, Surreal Photography: Creating the Impossible, it seemed entirely appropriate that the theme for May's competition should be surreal.

Whether you construct a meticulous composite of gods and monsters battling it out in an as-yet undiscovered universe, or create a scene at five degrees to the world we know using papier mache, we don't mind. It can be Photoshopped to Kingdom Come or created entirely in-camera, what we're looking for is a strong image.

The Ilex Press, publishers of the book in the UK, are very kindly supplying a copy of the book as a prize. You have until Friday 31 May to submit your entry to our Flickr pool and link the image in May's thread. Please remember: it is one entry per person and the image must be posted to the thread.

I think that just about covers the details, but I have produced The Rules for your reference. Good luck!

The Rules

  • If you decide to enter, you agree to The Rules.
  • You can’t be related to either me, Haje, or Gareth to enter.
  • One entry per person – so choose your best!
  • Entries need to be submitted to the right place, which is the relevant monthly thread within the Small Aperture Flickr group.
  • There’s a closing date for entries, so make sure you’ve submitted before then.
  • You have to own the copyright to your entry and be at liberty to submit it to a competition. Using other people’s photos is most uncool.
  • It probably goes without saying, but entries do need to be photographs. It’d be a bit of strange photo competition otherwise.
  • Don’t do anything icky – you know, be obscene or defame someone or sell your granny to get the photo.
  • We (that being me, Haje, and Gareth) get to choose the winner and we’ll do our best to do so within a week of the competition closing.
  • You get to keep all the rights to your images. We just want to be able to show off the winners (and maybe some honourable mentions) here on Photocritic.
  • Entry is at your own risk. I can’t see us eating you or anything, but we can’t be responsible for anything that happens to you because you submit a photo to our competition.
  • We are allowed to change The Rules, or even suspend or end the competition, if we want or need to. Obviously we’ll try not to, but just so that you know.

If you've any questions, please just ask!

This competition was launched when Photocritic and Small Aperture were still hosted by Pixiq. Unfortunately, it was lost in the transition. This is a re-posted article containing the same details, although the exact content will be slightly different.