# April 08 Photo Challenge - "Favorite Album" - sponsored by Quik Pod



## TwistMyArm

Hi everyone,

This month things are going to be a little different so let me explain what "Favorite Album" means. What we're looking for is a photo that fits with the title of one of your favorite albums. 

Please note that when submitting a photo this month we require the title of the album and if you wish the name of the band or artist.  When submitting a photo just rename it so it clearly indicates the album title (ie In_Through_the_Out_Door.jpg).   

We'd also like to say thanks again for our sponsor Quik Pod. The Quik Pod DSLR is the world's first monopod with a grip handle at the base. It is lightweight (9 ounces), has a quick release camera clip and a built-in wide angle mirror for viewing overhead shots or self-portraits. The handle at the base doubles as an extendable handheld grip for cameras, camcorders or lighting holder and provides a low center of gravity foot for support when used as a monopod.

Comes with a carry bag, hiking clip, wrist strap, aluminum end cap and rubberized monopod adapter tip. Extends to 53" and contracts to 18". Recommended camera weight limit of 2 lbs.

For more info visit www.quikpod.com/dslr.asp


For all those who wish to participate in this challenge please take a moment to read through the following: 

- The deadline for submissions is April 31
- The image can be no larger then 150KB*
- Include your forum username when submitting
- The submitted photo must be in the form of a .jpg
- Please keep your photo anonymous (no distinguishing watermarks, and no photos that have been posted previously on the forum)
- Submit no more than one photo
- If you wish you may include a title when submitting your photo (please use no special characters)
- The form must also be included when submitting the photo
- The forum Admins and Moderators reserve the right to exclude or remove any photo solely at their discretion
- The forum Admins and Moderators reserve the right to decide the winner of the photo challenge

.........Copy and Paste this into your submission email...........................
*ThePhotoForum.com Username:*
**Photo Title (REQUIRED):*
*Is the photo 150KB or less? Y/N*
*Is the photo a jpeg? Y/N*
*Has this photo been posted before? Y/N*
*Please submit only one photo per challenge.*
*Please enter your email subject as "April '08 Challenge Submission"*
*Please ensure that the attached photo is named the title you wish it to have otherwise the title will not be used.
.......................................................................................................

Please email your photo to photochallenge@thephotoforum.com and remember to enter the subject as indicated.

All photos must include the form when submitted. Just copy and paste it into your email. This will ensure that no mistakes are made when photos are submitted and therefore, hopefully, no photos are excluded. If the form is not included in the submission email the photo will not be included in the challenge gallery and voting process. 

There is more important information regarding rules and procedures located in the FAQ section. We highly recommend that you take the time to read these FAQs. 
Good luck to everyone and have fun with this challenge!

*150KB will be taken as the size on disk and not the actual file size. Also some email programs consider 1KB=1000Bytes as oppposed to 1KB=1024Bytes. When these programs calculate attachment size they will often read larger then they actually are. To be safe we recommend a target size of about 140KB so that once sent it does not go over 150KB.


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## MarcusM

Sounds good!

Just curious...when is Canon going to sponsor the Photo Challenge and put up a 40D or 5D for the prize??


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## jasonkt

wow with 81 entries in March, I can't wait to see April's turnout!  What a great subject idea, too.  This is going to take me all month...


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## schuylercat

Hmm.  So one might shoot a "Beggar's Banquet" (Mia?)or an "Appetite for Destruction" or some "Bitches Brew."  This is going to be cool.  I gotta go listen to Pink Floyd or something...


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## logan9967

this is gonna be fun. so many different artists. i can't decide what i'm gonna do!


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## MissMia

schuylercat said:


> Hmm. So one might shoot a "Beggar's Banquet" (Mia?)or an "Appetite for Destruction" or some "Bitches Brew." This is going to be cool. I gotta go listen to Pink Floyd or something...


 
Why would anyone think I would pick "Beggar's Banquet"? :lmao: Thanks for outing me SC! 

Can't wait to see the results of this challenge.


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## BostonBrother

These themes are starting to get really interesting.  I like it.


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## Sirashley

Seriously you guys, GREAT Challenge, this is going to be fun...


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## GTHill

I am going to send in a picture with the lens cap on. "Dark Side of the Moon."

Gene


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## kundalini

What if your favorite album never hit the mass market, but underground was one of the best ever....in someones' opinion?  Should we also provide the original album cover as a point of reference?


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## Sirashley

kundalini said:


> What if your favorite album never hit the mass market, but underground was one of the best ever....in someones' opinion?  Should we also provide the original album cover as a point of reference?



I don't think the original cover matters... It's the title of the album that your picture should be influenced by...


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## Antarctican

What a clever assignment!!!


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## astrostu

I'm thinking photo titles would be key here ... should this be like designing the front insert for a jewel case (or I guess record album), or more a photo with a title in the caption?  Also, if it's a toss-up and it's okay to effectively make "album art," is it alright to put the artist's (artists') name on (since I can't think of an album where they wouldn't have the name of the band)?


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## SBlanca

man this one is really nteresting,  i dont have a favourite album as such, but like my music a lot...having ideas already


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## TwistMyArm

astrostu said:


> I'm thinking photo titles would be key here ... should this be like designing the front insert for a jewel case (or I guess record album), or more a photo with a title in the caption?  Also, if it's a toss-up and it's okay to effectively make "album art," is it alright to put the artist's (artists') name on (since I can't think of an album where they wouldn't have the name of the band)?



We aren't looking for a redesign of the cover, but rather a photo that fits the title of an album. The title doesn't have to be in the photo either just as long as you include the title of the album in the form when submitting. Note that the form this month indicates that a title is required.


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## astrostu

TwistMyArm said:


> We aren't looking for a redesign of the cover, but rather a photo that fits the title of an album. The title doesn't have to be in the photo either just as long as you include the title of the album in the form when submitting. Note that the form this month indicates that a title is required.



Thanks for the clarification.


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## Tennessee Landscape

GTHill said:


> I am going to send in a picture with the lens cap on. "Dark Side of the Moon."
> 
> Gene


 

That would also fit for Metallica's "black" album as it is most often refered to. It's not the title, but that's what everyone calls it.


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## Tennessee Landscape

logan9967 said:


> this is gonna be fun. so many different artists. i can't decide what i'm gonna do!


 

no doubt, I agree.  I'm looking forward to this month.......


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## SBlanca

Tennessee Landscape said:


> That would also fit for Metallica's "black" album as it is most often refered to. It's not the title, but that's what everyone calls it.



it would also fit Jay-Z's  - The Black Album


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## Tennessee Landscape

I wish I could visit China this month...........that's all I'm saying......


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## GTHill

Tennessee Landscape said:


> I wish I could visit China this month...........that's all I'm saying......




That's cool... I like Pink Floyd too. 


Gene


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## ChickenFriedRyce

OOOH!

I guess April will be the month I'm going to enter! It's going to be my first.... but I need people....


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## mdcrisp2000

What if your favourite album is ( ) by Sigur Ros?


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## GC Jr

OH MY GOD! I AM ALL OVER this theme!


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## Dradd

Im having trouble implementing my Idea, but I'm sure I'll manage.

But I'm having more trouble finding something to post about 10 more times without resorting to spam


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## SBlanca

ive had two great ideas, tomorow im off to the shops to try and make one happen, im so excited


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## Dogmatic

I'm really excited for this! Glad I joined up.


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## PerrieBelle

I love this theme idea! So cool!


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## er111a

well I have summited mine hope it wins


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## Dradd

Can your entry be Photoshopped... Or does it have to be a Nude Photo, with only minor tweaking?

Cheers


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## Tennessee Landscape

Dradd said:


> Can your entry be Photoshopped... Or does it have to be a Nude Photo, with only minor tweaking?
> 
> Cheers


 

I was wondering the same......


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## Dradd

yeah... My Idea involves fairly heavy photoshop, nothing over the top, but it will still be plainly obvious it has been shopped.

Can we get a little clarification on this?

Cheers


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## SBlanca

i wouldve thought people would wait longer to submit a photo as you might have a better idea later on in the month


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## Village Idiot

I have an idea for this. I've really been thinking about it for the past few days. I think I'm actually going to try and tackle this one:

highway to hell


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## Dioboleque

Village Idiot said:


> I have an idea for this. I've really been thinking about it for the past few days. I think I'm actually going to try and tackle this one:


 
Might not want to say which album u intend to do... might get ur pic disqualified... supposed to be anonymous. :sillysmi:


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## dangergoinoff

lol @ all the confusion. Seems people prefer really ambiguous themes so that they can just enter any pic.


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## astrostu

Yes, anything can be submitted that's been put through Photoshop or other graphics software.


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## jasonkt

I'm shooting for this theme tomorrow and I'm really excited.  This month I'm getting a vote!  But as previously mentioned, I'm certainly not submitting my entry until the end of the month.


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## SBlanca

hey guys, this week i shall be shooting my photo for this comp., i'm not very clear on one thing though, is it OK if the album is a self-titled one, so like the same name as the artist?


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## TwistMyArm

SBlanca said:


> hey guys, this week i shall be shooting my photo for this comp., i'm not very clear on one thing though, is it OK if the album is a self-titled one, so like the same name as the artist?



That's fine, but make sure you include the name of the artist for the title.


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## elking

WOW !!
that sounds TASTY !!!
lookin forward for the entries !!
Stunning


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## DarknGorgeous

Coolies, cant wait to see what everyone comes up with!


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## abuccanero

I entered mine.  =)


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## Do'Urden's Eyes

Badly over exposed for the white album...


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## Tennessee Landscape

Question about the photoshop, how far can someone take their picture in photoshop beyond simple touch up, and still be part of the contest.  It seems to take it past a "photo contest" and into the realm of "manupulation skills challenge".  National Geographic rejects pictures it believe to be chopped and edited in such programs for their contests.  I bring this up because it seems a bit unfair to me as someone without such a program, and is trying put more effort into a good picture.


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## dleblanc

Tennessee Landscape said:


> Question about the photoshop, how far can someone take their picture in photoshop beyond simple touch up, and still be part of the contest. It seems to take it past a "photo contest" and into the realm of "manupulation skills challenge". National Geographic rejects pictures it believe to be chopped and edited in such programs for their contests. I bring this up because it seems a bit unfair to me as someone without such a program, and is trying put more effort into a good picture.


 
It seems unfair that some have 3mp P&S cameras while others have D3's with five lenses. Life's unfair.


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## Dioboleque

dleblanc said:


> It seems unfair that some have 3mp P&S cameras while others have D3's with five lenses. Life's unfair.


 
Not exactly the same thing... he's not saying he has an older version or photoshop or a crappy version... I think the real question is would TL use photoshop if he had it or does he believe that what comes out of a camera is photographic art and what comes out of photoshop is digital art?

I never photoshop my submissions for 2 main reasons:
1) I prefer people to see what I can do with my camera rather than my computer
2) I don't have photoshop or the slightest idea how to use it! (hehe)


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## dleblanc

Dioboleque said:


> Not exactly the same thing... he's not saying he has an older version or photoshop or a crappy version... I think the real question is would TL use photoshop if he had it or does he believe that what comes out of a camera is photographic art and what comes out of photoshop is digital art?
> 
> I never photoshop my submissions for 2 main reasons:
> 1) I prefer people to see what I can do with my camera rather than my computer
> 2) I don't have photoshop or the slightest idea how to use it! (hehe)


 
Sort of the same thing. If one is trying to take a picture in low light, they can't do it without bumping up their ISO to 800 or 1600. The picture could very well be noisy. Unless you have a camera like the D3, then noise won't be a factor until you hit higher ISO's like 25,600. Now Photoshop can help fix that.

Or how about not having a lens that allows you to control the depth of field the way you like. I know when I used my P&S, I couldn't get a narrow depth of field unless I was inches away from my subject. You could always bring that picture into Photoshop and create a narrow depth of field. (Or you can just go spend thousands on lenses.)

If you really want to be fair, have everyone go out and buy the same camera with the same lens. 

Some people have Photoshop. Some don't. 
Some have nice cameras. Some don't.


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## SBlanca

to be honest if your camera couldn't do all the stuff you wanted it to do then you shouldn't have tried to do it, know your camera's limits, the only time i use a program like photoshop is to either add a vignette, to crop and resize and sometimes to bump up contrast....anything beyond that, apart form the fact that i don't know how to do, i dont do it, it seems to me like cheating...if i were a pro at photoshop i wouldn't need to buy any more equipment or think of the subject im shooting...its silly in my opinion

for this months entry im hardly using photoshop (for a vignette maybe) might not get any votes  but its the effort put into taking a good photo that counts.


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## Tennessee Landscape

dleblanc said:


> If you really want to be fair, have everyone go out and buy the same camera with the same lens.
> 
> Some people have Photoshop. Some don't.
> Some have nice cameras. Some don't.



Okay, first of all....It's a PHOTO contest.  You can still take an excellent composition with a P&S despite the limits of your P&S.  The issue I have with photoshop is the limits posed by the best of cameras or the most skilled photographer are absolutely dwarfed by the capabilities of photoshop.  If this is truly a photo contest, major photoshopped images, ( and I mean images, cuz it's not a photo any more ) should be disqualified. ( Majorly photoshopped = anything beyond basic touchup ) If folks want to have an "image" contest than this is a new discussion.


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## Sirashley

I have to be honest on this issue, I am torn. I do feel that Photoshop does somewhat diminish the value of the artistic integrity and talent of using the camera as a tool. Having said that, I feel that with a photo challenge such as the one that is this month, there lies room for the creativity of photoshop. I look at it like this, if the topic were landscapes, I'd agree that photoshop should not be allowed and that it should be up to the photographer's talents. I think however that with a challenge such as this month, Photoshop really opens of the door for creativity and to be truthful, I'm anxious to see what everyone will come up with... Just my two cents...


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## 391615

Hmm I have to go through the albums. April 31 you say!!! typo?


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## Miaow

Have a couple of ideas for this but have no idea on how to pull them off LOL


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## DarknGorgeous

I feel the same way Miaow, but I think I may have found one Finally! Good luck with yours.


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## Miaow

DarknGorgeous said:


> I feel the same way Miaow, but I think I may have found one Finally! Good luck with yours.



Good luck with yours also 

I think i may have finally found THE idea now - but yes still trying to think on exactly how to do it


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## Miaow

YAY finally got something I think's pretty original and reflects the album title well


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## jasonkt

Just because you photoshop a picture to add extra creativity, it doesn't mean that you are "cheating".  Indeed, is it cheating when it is so hard that so many of you don't know how to do it?  I think that poorly photoshopped pictures are obviously going to get fewer, if any, votes.  

I also think that just because you are using photoshop, it doesn't mean you get to ignore the limitations of your camera and lighting.  If you don't pay attention to the basics, the end result will suffer.  

It's a shame, too.  I had a nicely photoshopped picture that I was about to submit, but I might enter one without the edits instead since so many of you seem biased against them...(I am glad I waited until the end of the month, though)


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## Miaow

IMO, I don't think _excessive_ photoshopping should be allowed in a photo comp - It really should be a test of skill/creativity of the photographer rather than how well they can edit a pic.

Of course sometimes colour and contrast often need to be fixed up in a pic which isn't a problem but, for example, adding images and effects that can't be done with a camera really shouldn't be permitted.


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## SBlanca

i submitted my entry yesterday, and to be honest i wouldn't want someone who took a half arsed photo but spent 6 hours on photoshop to win after i spent a long time looking for stuff for my photo and buying stuff and even on the day of shooting put my mums cooking at risk of burning as i switched off the kitchen lights and left everyone in the dark haha


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## TamiyaGuy

Very, VERY interesting idea for a theme! It would be interesting to see the photos. I've got an idea for a shot, although it's from a kind of unknown band...


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## SBlanca

in the first few posts someone mentioned something about an album that could be somewhat unknown, you should just go for it because it's not how popular the band is but how you portray the album title in ur photo..


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## SBlanca

isn't today the last day for this? when will they be up, im so excited!


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## Sirashley

Just sent mine in...LOL... Nothing like waiting until the last hour and a half... Well had papers and finals due all this month, went and shot my photo today, so I don't expect to win, but at least I got my entry in...


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## SBlanca

sorry for the crazy posting but.....WHEN ARE THEY GONNA POST UP PHOTOS!!  i can't wait haha


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## PerrieBelle

SBlanca said:


> sorry for the crazy posting but.....WHEN ARE THEY GONNA POST UP PHOTOS!!  i can't wait haha



I feel your pain!!! I keep checking back too! Haha!  :lmao:


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