More viewers' pictures # 3

Examples of your best works

This stark, striking seashore image was sent in by photographer, Robin Vondrack, whom we think lives in South Carolina. His submission was, to say the least, sparse, accompanied solely by the word "Composition." However, we agree. It is an interesting composition, with strong graphic appeal. Well done, Robin.

If you are interested in improving your photography composition skills, drop into our "Composition" section, and catch a few helpful pointers. If you create a compositional masterpiece of your own and would like to share it with our viewers, or if you have a composition tip that we may have overlooked, send it in and we'll try to find a spot for it.

This picture, entitled "Harry 2," has a timeless Norman Rockwell appeal to it. A low camera angle that captures all the right elements and leaves out the clutter. Expressions that tell the story well. It's a photographic symphony in black-and-white, and we are sorry to say we're unable to tell you the name of the photographer who submitted it. His (we know the photographer is a dad) name is lost in the email jumble that sometimes occurs when you think you're saving a file in the right place and then can't find it again. (Hey! Everyone makes mistakes.) If you are the photographer dad, please let us know and we'll provide you with an appropriate credit for a fine photograph.

February 21, 2003 - We heard today from the photographer, Harry's father, Charlie (sorry - no surnames when children's pictures are involved). Charlie wrote, "I was thrilled and very complimented that you should include my photograph of Harry (aged 4) on your website. This was Harry's first haircut. I'd asked permission to take pictures to record his big day! It was about 4:00 in the afternoon, using natural light and the shop's 'strip lights' (Harry was amazingly well behaved!). I used b/w Kodak film, 400 asa, in my Minolta 404 SLR. Since I last emailed you, I have begun building a 'portfolio of pics' and friends & colleagues are beginning to give me paid portrait and wedding work. Your website has had a great influence on my approach to what is now becoming a paid hobby."

"Know your subjects," writes Marlyn Smith, who says "These are my five golden retrievers. The one on the far right, not standing up, is very old and was just getting over chemotheropy and radiation treatments for cancer. He can't jump up like he used to."

Everyone loves to see pictures of animals, particularly family pets. Animals act naturally, don't care or even know if they are being photographed and have strong visual appeal. For plenty of tips on photographing your pet, visit "Photographing pets."

Marlyn's camera seems to work just as well in the winter snows as it does when the weather is more balmy. This type of photograph can be tricky to expose properly because of the amount of bright snow around the subject that can "fool" your camera's exposure meter. Marlyn did a great job here.

If you wish to learn how to compensate when photographing a dark object in brightly-lit surroundings, check out the paragraphs under the heading entitled "LIGHT" in our Winter Photography section.

"Here is my photo, 'Mexican Tug'," writes Todd. "This photograph was taken while exploring the coastline of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, somewhere near Colonia Vincente Guerrera," he writes. "It was washed up into the sand along the shore, and the ocean waves would leave a thin film of water on the sand, allowing for the beautiful reflection."

Photographer Brad Surette, whom we think hails from Nova Scotia in Canada, writes "Hi there. I just wanted to say that I love your website! It is very informative and also very interesting. I really enjoy reading all the tips and it's fun to experiment with the suggestions. Here's a recent photo I took of some adorable puppies."

Who can resist puppies? Pictures like this help to keep them in our memories.

To see even more Viewers' pictures, click here or on one of the links below.