"Show Me!" - Inside Out/Outside In

Background: It's out! My latest book, Photography Your Way: a Career Guide to Satisfaction and Success – published by Allworth Press, is in the bookstores or, you can purchase it on line at allworth.com, bn.com or amazon.com. I've done my best to put everything into the book that I know about how to get started in photography and how to create your own breaks in the field. I hope it helps you.

But, NYI Students know that I would never "sell down your throat" and push my own book, unless there was a good reason to do so. And there is a good reason. I had so much fun writing one chapter, entitled "Show Me!", that we decided to turn the concept into an ongoing digital contest, an on-line exchange between us, here at NYI World Headquarters and all you wonderful Web visitors out there wherever you are – all around the world.

The general idea is simple – I pick a topic that I think would provide interesting photographs that I would enjoy looking at. Often I try to pick a topic that doesn't get as much coverage as I would like to see. Other times, we'll ask for something relatively simple. The idea is to help you hone your skills finding new ways to tell an unusual story or a common one.

If you're a first-time visitor to this feature and want to learn how "Show Me!" works, see the "Show Me!" Information and Rules of Engagement, Release 3.0 at the end of this article.

Have you ever walked down a street at night and been intrigued by brightly lit windows, saw a beautiful still life on someone's windowsill, or looked out of a door or building and found a perfectly framed view just outside? That was the premise behind our "Show Me!" Inside/Out contest. We asked you to photograph scenes looking out doors or windows, or looking into doors or windows or any object or subject you can look into or out from. This was one of the most popular "Show Me!" contests we've ever held. We received a tons of photos, many of which intrigued or surprised us. Before we show you some of the wonderful entries we received, let's check out the "Show Me!" contests you can still enter. Remember, you've got to be in it, to win it!

CLOSED CONTEST: – Early Morning – Deadline June 20, report in the September issue.

Assuming you're not completely bleary-eyed at 6 or 7 or 8am, grab your camera and take some pictures for this contest. "Show Me!" who is out and about early in the morning — the newspaper delivery guy, the sanitation trucks, your neighbor walking the dog, the kids waiting for the school bus, the barristas serving up your morning coffee. There's plenty of people wide awake at the crack of dawn, just ready to have their pictures taken, so "Show Me!" early morning.

SOON TO CLOSE CONTEST: – Wheels – Deadline August 20, report in the October issue.

Whether it's public transportation, your own car, bicycle, skateboard or a Segway, wheels are a necessary part of everyone's day. So, "Show Me!" the wheels in your life. Don't limit yourself to transporation either, if you encounter wheels of a different sort, send their photos on in. And, remember, the "wheels on the bus go round and round" so feel free to illustrate movement in your photos of the wheels you encounter.

NEW CONTEST: – Summer Events – Deadline September 20, report in the November issue.

Summer is the perfect time for this contest. In communities all over the world, summer means street fairs, craft shows, parades, county fairs, baseball games and outdoor concerts. So, "Show Me!" the events that get you out into the world this summer. Hop on a hayride, jump on a float, hang out on the sidelines or in the middle of the fray, but bring your camera and "Show Me!" your favorite summer event.

Inside Out/Outside In

Christine Armitage of Tobyhanna, PA entered this image she took of while touring the museum on Ellis Island. For those of you who may not know, Ellis Island is in New York harbor, and was the port of entry for many immigrants to the U.S. for decades. Christine says you can see the Statue of Liberty in the background, though it's only faintly visible in the top of the photo. That's not what intrigued us with this photograph. What we liked are the interesting reflections of lights (or possibly lens flare) which created those wonderful circles throughout the image. Notice the silhouettes of people within the museum on the bottom right of the photograph. All these different elements combine to make this photograph unusual and quite painterly in effect. Congratulations!

Vanessa Martin of Pensacola, FL sent in this lovely picture taken from inside a barn looking out through a window. Vanessa chose to give the outside landscape a sepia tone, which we think works quite nicely. The limited color in the landscape helps to draw attention to the black frame around the window. That's crucial for this contest, since it makes the window much more important in the photograph and therefore emphasizes the theme of our contest. With a naturally colored landscape outside, chances are that the image would not have been as strong. Nice job!

Here's a terrific photograph of a London phone booth by Mark A. Paulda of El Paso, TX. Mark used a fisheye lens to photograph both the inside of the phone booth and the London street scene outside. Fisheye lenses are fun to use because of the ultra wide angle of view that they capture. Unfortunately, that is also the reason why few photographers have them in their camera bag. They are more of a boutique lens than an everyday workhorse. Regardless, Mark found a perfect use for his fisheye, creating an imaginative photograph that perfectly with our contest theme.

Dave Loomis of Spring, Texas took this photograph at the former headquarters of Enron in Houston. It shows the circular walkway connecting two buildings and a garage in the complex. Dave composed this photograph so that you can see the curve of the glass wall and also see the sky and the ground below. Since the scene inside isn't very interesting, Dave made a wise decision to limit how much of the hallway is visible, choosing instead to concentrate on the view outdoors. As Dave put it, "the photo is an interesting mix of straight lines, curves and shadows." We agree!

Robert Egbert, of Waldorf, MD submitted this moody photograph taken from inside the entrance to Ely Cathedral in Ely, England. Part of the reason that this photograph succeeds so well, is the inclusion of the two people silhouetted on the bottom right. This might have been an even more dynamic photograph if Robert had taken the image vertically, though it's likely that the touches of red seen on the eaves of the church would have been lost. Good work!

Jim Greene of Hudson, NY chose a rather unique subject for his interpretation of our contest theme. Jim got creative with a simple cardboard tube and his son, and his son's friend on the other end. The result was this interesting photograph. We're not sure how Jim managed to create that ring of light at the end of the tube — it may have simply been serendipitous — but the picture surely would not have worked without that little bit of light to illuminate the end of the tube. Our only little quibble is that we'd have liked to have seen a bit more of the second boy's face in the tube. Cool picture and a great idea!

Here's another interesting photo this time taken by Wes Aven of Marietta, GA. Wes took this picture through a glass window from outside a cemetery mausoleum in South America. He says that he "only noticed the stained glass window and candles until I got home and viewed the picture on my monitor and much to my surprise the roof of the mausoleum across the path were reflected in the dark ceiling of the crypt an my wife's face is reflected in the lower left  in the shadows under the stained glass window as she is looking in the window of the door." Wes swears that no digital manipulation was used in creating this picture, and we're inclined to agree. It appears to be one of those happy "accidents" that sometimes results in wonderful photographs such as this one. Congratulations!

Bob Gates of Jamesville, NY entered this photograph he calls "Summer House" into our photo contest. We received lots of pictures taken from outside looking in, and felt that Bob's was one of the best we received. That's because the lighting and the large picture window allow us to clearly see what is inside this scene. Many of the other entries we received either were good pictures of the window, or good pictures of what was indoors, but few actually had both elements working together like Bob's photograph has.

Here's a beautiful picture taken from the reverse direction, inside looking out. Mary Lou Johnson of Longboat Key, Florida took this picture from her hotel room in Mexico City. Mary says she had just gotten back to the hotel when a gorgeous rainbow appeared above the cathedral. We loved that post-storm orange light that glows on the church and the fact that Mary chose to frame the photograph by including the sheer curtains in the image. Notice how you can see the cathedral through the drapes. Rainbows, by themselves are beautiful but always benefit from being photographed in a scene that compliments their beauty such as here. Congratulations!

Finally, we have this photograph taken by Stella Brown of Minneapolis, MN. This picture made us laugh, though not for the reasons you might think. Way back when, the NYI Complete Course used to include a mannequin head nicknamed "Shirley" which was given to students to use when they did their lighting assignments. Stella's mannequin head, which she found looking into a wig shop window, looks remarkably like our Shirley. In fact, I've never seen her look better! In any case, Stella found an interesting scene to photograph. We're not sure why the building in the background has a musical score on it, but we liked the way the mannequin seems to be puzzled about it too. Stella also did an good job in composing the picture so that the mannequin appears both from the side and full faced.

Thanks to all the photographers who shared their camera phone images! Next time we'll feature the winning photos from the "Show Me!" Early Morning contest. Continue to send in your entries for all of the open contests!

Good Luck. We hope you enter and we look forward to seeing your submissions.

–Sharon Gumerove

What is "Show Me!" ?

The "Show Me!" chapter in my book is designed to offer some suggestions for self-assignments. These are photo subjects that I don't think I've seen fully treated, or at least not in recent times. I've been thinking up assignments for years, and I often share them with students since I know I can think up a lot more subjects that I would like to photograph than I'll ever be able to get around to in the coming years. Hence, I'm happy to share them with you.

How "Show Me!" Works:

Each month, there's a new subject put into play and we close out and review the subject that was announced 2-1/2 months before. That means you have about 80 days to make photos and e-mail them to us. Where and how to send them is explained below.

Why do we give you 80 days?

Why not, in this rush-around world, give you 8 days, or for that matter, 8 minutes? Well, it's because we've found that it still takes you some time to get it together. Lots of you want to actually think about the subject and then go out to make some photographs. That's excellent. Then, since lots of you are still using film, you need some added time for processing and scanning. That's fine too, and that's why we give you 80 days.

The month after a contest closes, we post the most interesting images we've received. Sometimes we offer up some comments and suggestions, along with a new "Show Me!" assignment. Prizes are awarded at the discretion of the Dean.

What are the Rules?

Glad you asked. Here are the Official "Show Me!" Rules of Engagement, Release 3.0"

1. Photos may be e-mailed only as jpg files no larger than 800x600 pixels, 75 d.p.i. only. Send the file as an attachment to your e-mail to . DO NOT send them to any other school e-mail address.
   Include your name, address and any other information in your e-mail. This could include additional comments or data about your photo, along with release information.
2. Files submitted for this contest that don't meet the requirements in rule number 1 will not be considered.
3. You can also enter ONE photo print per contest. It must be received at NYI by the close of the contest period. No prints will be returned. DO NOT send originals. Make sure your name, address and telephone number are included on the back of the print. Prints larger than 8x10 won't be considered.
4. By submitting an image to "Show Me!" you agree to the following terms and conditions
   1. You certify that the image you submit is an original image that you created.
   2. You allow us to use your image on the Internet anywhere on www.nyip.com or www.photocourses.com, and for use within NYI educational materials in printed or electronic form.
   3. You can supply releases if required for anyone shown in the image, or a property release if necessary.
5. A new topic will be announced each month. Entries for each contest will be accepted for eighty days after the topic is announced on our Website, unless the deadline is modified by the judges.
6. Prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the judges. The decision of the judges is final.