Another month means another four weeks, which means another four photography challenges. Hurrah!

So, what did we do?

14. Fast Shutter

Ironically, a lot of the images I took when I prepared for this challenge were ones where I should have used a faster shutter speed than I did. The need to quickly grab a shot in the heat of the moment, though, meant that I had no time to stop and think about camera settings.

The photo I went with was this one:

I had been out and about taking pictures of birds near the unfinished housing developments, when out of nowhere a deer careened through the landscape. I followed with my camera, and was pleasantly surprised to find I had managed to take some usable, in focus images. This is one of them (though I would have benefitted from a higher burst rate and faster shutter speed.)

It’s ironic, but virtually every candidate photo or opportunity I had in mind… was one where I inadvertently had too slow of a shutter speed. I also took a decent image of a fisherman shotgunning a beer can, but failed to catch the critical moment of spray shooting out the side of the can. Certainly, the deer was more picturesque.

15. Trapped

I don’t regret my choice of concept for this week, but I think I have some alternate photos that would have worked better as pictures.

Basically, not long after I saw the theme, I also noticed some trees growing in unfinished foundations in the unfinished/half-abandoned housing development. I thought they suited the concept perfectly.

I think this shot is too busy. I like the house. I like the tree. But, if I had chosen one where I had less stuff jumbled on top of each other, e.g. a shot of a different tree without the house, I think it would have been a stronger composition. A wider angle might also benefit the location.

I would have worked more on framing, but I was feeling a bit woozy. Such are the aftereffects of certain shots in the arm.

16. Edited By Someone Else

I really enjoy going for walks with my mom through Valley Forge National Historic Park.

It’s a good place for birds, landscapes, and history, and one which I will almost certainly devote more writing to in the future.

This is a snap that I took while out for a walk.

The challenge was to have someone else edit my photo. In this case, the “someone else” was my father, who toned down some of the colors, emphasized the black a bit more, and cropped the shot. I’m quite happy with how this one looks.

17. Nature

Virtually all of my photos have to do with nature.

Unfortunately, none of the ones I took this particular week were among my best. This is a photo of a robin, which certainly has better lighting than some of my other robin photos.

I did my best to emphasize the robin’s colors in editing, but may have left the grass a touch too unnatural as a result.

Ah well, it’s another week done. :)