A Year of Beauty- Photography Challenge- Year 2

[Samtian]

June- What you see vs. what I see- These are super fun things for photographers to share. Sometimes it is mindblowing! I'll update with images soon. Had a accident at work and it hurt one of my eyes. But anyways! What they like to do is take an image, like what a parent would take at their kids shoot (behind the scenes) or what is called a pullback. A pullback is where you show the whole area around where you are taking the picture. And then you compare the pullback vs what you actually captured. For now you can Google this phrase- what you see vs what i see photography and look at the images to get an idea of what the theme this month is. 

I was originally going to do another theme but with it not being as hot as July gets I figured best to do this one, in case anyone wants to try outdoor things! These are really fun to do because they make you think about your surroundings. From people portraits to landscapes and everything in between. You can take incredible images no matter where you are! One of my mentors recently captured senior images at a line of bushes on the outside of a small park/car chop shop and you never would have guessed it with how amazing they looked.

Your challenge this month is to think outside of the box, unless you are already doing that! Show your behind the scene (bts)/pullback and your final image. 

What a great first year we had!! Even if I dropped the ball sometimes! I decided to change things up this year with the themes. They will be a little more challenging this year.

2023-

April- DOF 2 images.

May- Flash/Artificial Light.

June- What you see vs. What I see

2022 challenges-

April- Lipstick

May- Eye Shadow

June- Primer/Foundation/Concealer/CC/BB

July- Highlighters

August- Brushes

September- Sheet Masks

October- Hair Care

November- Fragrance

December- Nail Polish

January- Blush/Bronzer

February- Candles/Wax Melts/ Diffusers

I've been thinking for a while now about creating a challenge. And why not mix my two favorite things in life!? Beauty and photography. As some of you know I am a photographer on the side. But my creativity for things like this are horrible! Each month we will have a different theme, and your challenge is to incorporate the theme into a creative photo!

This challenge is going to be a little different, because you won't be creating looks! Starting in April, but I'd love to get your input and if this is something you would be interested in participating in. I thought about doing prizes and voting, we can still vote for the best if you guys want. But with all the legal jargon needed for prizes I decided I didn't want to mess with that. I might send  unicorn mail throughout to those who participate often though 😼 PS- They make for great filler posts on your social media too. And active participation in the forum, reviews, and gallery ( don't forget to post your challenge photos there too!) can possibly help your chances of getting gratis...like those two beautiful perfumes I got as a gratis below *wink wink*.  

The challenge and "rules"-

1. Flat lays and staged photos only. I'll post examples below. But no faces or people allowed in your photos. (Though you can include photographs).

2. All photos you take must be your own. 

3. Post as many images as you want, you have a whole month to get creative with each theme. Post one, post everyday, doesn't matter.

4. Let's talk gear and products! Tell us about your image. List the products and colors, talk to us about your concept and how it came to be, taken with your phone or DSLR? 

Here are some helpful reads- digital-photography-school dot com/flat-lay-photography/  and digital-photography-school dot com/tips-for-getting-started-with-still-life-photography/

Here are some of my example images I've taken in the past-

Gucci Bloom Eau De Toilette 1 oz/ 30 mL eau de toilette spray 

Floral Street Sunflower Pop Eau De Parfum Travel Spray 0.34 oz/ 10 mL 

[Saradestin]

Wow! Just WOW @fatimamummy ! 😵❤️

[itsfi]

@fatimamummy, there’s a lovely contrast to this frame that is just beautiful and fascinating - it’s casual and elegant at the same time. 😍 I love how you captured  colors of the polish, the lettering, the top, the interlocking C’s - each element of the bottle  stands out without competing with each other. ♥️ 

[CynthieLu]

This is a great photo @fatimamummy the angle, the shine,  the shadow ✨️👌 

Well done!

[Samtian]

@fatimamummy I love how you included the info, that is very interesting for me to read. Love this shot!

[Titian06]

This is so pretty, @fatimamummy !  I love the angle and lighting.  It's such a modern look. 🥰

[Saradestin]

These are not too artistic but sweet @itsfi reminded me that this amazing thread, that I have neglected for so long, had polishes as the current challenge. 

I will be checking all the previous months challenges and pictures @Samtian! I promise! 

[CynthieLu]

These are totally artistic @Saradestin 

You choose a back drop, product layout and interesting angles. Give yourself some credit 💖💖💖 these are really lovely 📸 

[Saradestin]

Thank you do much, sweet @CynthieLu ! I took these pictures for the December haul so I didn’t pay much attention to esthetics and more to show the products 😁

[Samtian]

@Saradestin Ooh I love them! Those colors are so pretty too. Glad to see you popping in!

[Saradestin]

Thank you so much beautiful @Samtian! I am terrible! I have missed so many months! But I am back! 💪

[Samtian]

@Saradestin Good!

[fatimamummy]

Absolutely beautiful @Saradestin Love your collection and placement. Nature as a back drop is so refreshing

[Saradestin]

Thank you so much @fatimamummy gorgeous! Aren’t the polishes pretty? I am so anxious to try them all!

[itsfi]

These are beautifully artistic @Saradestin! 😍 Love the set up of the polishes atop the boxes and the background. Such great natural light too! 

[Saradestin]

Thank you so much @itsfi beautiful! I was trying to show the names of the polishes for the December haul and nail threads but the end result came pretty beautiful with the geometric effect

[itsfi]

@Saradestin, that intention came through!! I love that about both these frames. They gave both form and function as well as being easy on the eyes! 😍 I’m so happy you shared these photos here. 

[Titian06]

@Saradestin - I love both of these pics! 🥰

[Saradestin]

Thank you @Titian06 ! You are so sweet! 🤗

[itsfi]

December Photography Challenge - Nail Polish 

Photo Details:

Spoiler

Product(s):	Veque Nail Polish (this collection was inspired by the San Francisco fog)
Camera:	iPhone X
Background:	Table / counter
Prop(s):	Tray/dish, Voluspa candle and faux foliage
Other Material:	N/A
View / Position:	Flat lay
Lighting:	Natural, indirect light on a rainy day filled with grey skies
Editing:	Adjusted for brightness to compensate for it being grey and overcast outside

[CynthieLu]

I love the colours you picked for the polishes in this picture, they all belong togeather so effortlessly 😀

@itsfi very lovely photo, well done!

[itsfi]

@CynthieLu, thank you. 😀 I have to give credit where it’s due and that’s to Veque for putting together such a cohesive collection of polishes. They really do work well together. It’s funny, when I saw them on the site, I thought they all looked so similar but taking the photo and then making the adjustments to compensate for the lack of natural light really highlighted both the grey undertones that tie the collection together and the varying base colors.