For our last photo challenge, we asked you to experiment with vignetting – using toilet paper tubes! The response to this challenge was excellent. So excellent, in fact, that we have decided to send off Prize Packs to six of our entrants:

helen.2006, who used an empty plastic bottle as a vignetting tube to create this many-layered composition:

raysto, who used a keychain scene-splitter for a kaleidoscopic effect:

SoCalRacePics, who chose a ball endmill as his photo subject:

tamaraandalex, who created a set of floral images with a definite botany textbook feel:

JudyGr, who shot a reflective self-portrait through a tube wrapped in shiny wrapping paper:

And finally, hyper0nimous, who assembled a star-shaped montage of toilet-paper shots!:

Congratulations to all of this week’s winners. We’ll be sending you a Glocal Digital Camera Hack kit and other goodies – get in touch!

Photo Challenge #3: Tunnel Vision
Challenge Ends: Tuesday September 2nd

Brief: Shoot an image using a toilet paper roll as a vignetting device.

Instructions: Tag your image with ‘glocalproject’ and ‘photochallenge’, and add it to this our Glocal Flickr Pool. Need help? E-mail us.

In April, we posted an interview with Irish artist Peter Marley. For the Glocal Project, Peter shot a series of unique images using iris-in and iris-out effects. These images were shot using a surprisingly simple peice of photographic technology – a toilet paper roll. This week, we are asking you to create your own toilet-tube enhanced images.

The technique is simple – hold a toilet paper roll (or a paper towel roll) in front of your lens… and shoot! The resulting image will be not quite whole. As Marley explains:

“I am fascinated by the question and process of, ‘What is being excluded in the frame?’ The goal of this alternate method of taking photos was to playfully twist cinematic methods and as a result challenge the viewer to reassess common scenes and scenarios when they appear with intensified focus.”

The results of toilet-tube photography suggest vignetting, an effect that you may be familiar with from both photographic and film history. Originally, this vignetting effect was not intentional – instead, it was a result of limitations of lens optics, incompatible camera parts, or poor projections. American photographer Emmet Gowin used a 4×5 lens on an 8×10 camera to achieve a dramatic vignetting effect:

Vignetting is also a frequent result in photographs taken by toy cameras such as the Holga and the Diana. Similar to Gowin’s images, this vignetting usually results from the negatives being slightly smaller than the camera lens.

Wonderwall, by Flickr user wlwarner, shot with a Holga

Some of our Glocal Pool photographers are already using tube-vignetting. This photo from Eduardo Nasi uses tangible vignetting to excellent effect:

As always, feel free to post your comments and questions here. We’re looking forward to seeing the results!

 

Navy Pier Ferris Wheel, originally uploaded by peterlo72.

Two weeks ago, we asked people to take photos from unique perspectives – and to submit them to the Glocal Flickr Stream. The artists behind the selected photos would win our Digital Camera Hack Kits – everything you need to hack a digital camera.

Our winner, Flickr user peterlo72, took a photo from a unique perspective indeed: from the top of the 46 metre tall Navy Pier Ferris Wheel in downtown Chicago. The resulting shot is surreal – the saturated colours and sharp edges make the photograph feel more like a miniature scene than a real life setting. Thanks to Peter for a great contribution, and an excellent starting point for our Photo Challenge Series.

Which leads us to Photo Challenge #2! Our first selected submission was taken from a high-up perspective; this week we are asking for your photos taken from the down-low. Under tables, below cars, beneath the waves, from ground-level – be creative! Again, selected contributers will receive a free Digital Camera Hack Kit, and will be featured here on the blog.

So, to sum it all up:

Photo Challenge #2: Down-low

1) Take a unique photo from a low perspective

2) Upload your photo to Flickr and tag it with ‘glocalproject’ and ‘photochallenge’

3) Stay tuned to this blog to see our picks! If you are one of our winners, we’ll mail you your prize ASAP.