Photography

Berlin Illuminated

This year, between the 14 and 26 of October, they had something called the Berlin Festival of Lights. No, it’s not quite like the festival of lights in the US which consists of Christmas trees in a warehouse that have been decorated and auctioned for charity. Instead, here in Berlin, they haul out spotlights in different color and put them onto their most favorite buildings. They also host specialty “art” competitions that deal with the use of light in their works.

The local group that I try to participate in is trying to get a photography group organized, and this caused me to get out and make a bunch of photographs, at night, while fighting through the crowds. Night time photography is difficult, to say the least, but I’ve now gotten my photographs posted in a set on flickr.

Gendarmenmarkt
Gendarmenmarket in Berlin

Alexa
ALEXA shopping plaza

Brandenburger Tor
Brandenburg Gate

Berliner Dom
Berliner Dom (those are palm fronds)

Abstract Kites
Abstract Kites (they color changed)

Light Bright 3
Light Bright (these also color changed)

Bars of Light
Pick Up Sticks

Karl Marx park - clock
Karl Marx Park – it’s a clock where the “TV Tower” would be one of the hands.

TV tower 2
Mariankirche spires, TV tower, the bottom of the clock

You can see more on the Berlin Festival of Lights here: http://www.festival-of-lights.de/

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Photo Contest Update…

Good Morning!

If you remember in my blog a couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I was a Semi Finalist for the Photography contest at work. After nearly two weeks of voting amongst my colleagues, I found out the results this morning.

I didn’t win for my category or the overall.

I’m a bit bummed, but then I rather expected it since my personal photograph wasn’t my favorite. Instead, the one that won in my category was the leaf on a rock with water droplets. That’s cool to me though – I really liked that one and the one of the lotus reflected in water. I figured after seeing the competition (and the fact that I really didn’t like mine all that much) it wasn’t a sure bet.

On the brighter side, however, I had entered a different contest for

http://www.worldofgood.com

and promoting it as a Fair Trade website. I was entered into a drawing and won $50 US to spend on that website (I found that out today too).

Since I was planning on doing a fair trade themed Christmas anyhow this really makes it that much easier for me to order from this site (and a couple others) and get the items I wanted as gifts while purchasing items that are eco-friendly AND bettering the welfare of some of the people in rural communities.

I suppose if I had to choose, I would have liked to win the photography contest – but in the end, I’m pleased that something else close to my heart (and even more so – the people and communities I’ll be helping by purchasing fair trade items).

So, in some small way, I’m a winner – and a so are a whole bunch of others.

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I’m a Semi Finalist!!

I always have said if I could figure out how to make money from my photography, I would love to do it. It’s something I love to do – and I am practically obsessed with it.
A couple weeks ago, they had a contest at work – and I decided to enter a few photos in the competition. This was one of them:
Sunflower

I found out this week that my sunflower got noticed… under “seasons” and is being voted on as a semi finalist. Cross your fingers for me !

Day 180: I'm a Semi Finalist

Some stats on the contest –
Over 6,000 images were submitted to
8 Different Categories
which leaves 48 pictures that made it into the semi finals;
or less than 1% chance that my photo would make it that far.
I’m pleased as punch to have one of mine picked – and even if it doesn’t win (my favorite above isn’t my picture – it’s the lily pad and lily) I’m just darn happy.
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