I've gotta say, your response to Close to Home: Finding Great Photographs in Your Own Back Yard has been overwhelming. If it's possible to be proud and humbled at the same time, I am. Lots of great comments and reviews from a lot of people, and I'm very grateful for all of them. I'm very happy that many of you have found something in it to inspire you to explore your towns, neighborhoods, and back yards. Okay, now it's your turn.
I want you to show the rest of us those places near you where you've found great photographs—where you've found the extraordinary. So here's the deal. I've set up a Flickr group called "Close to Home eBook" (sadly, "Close to Home" has been taken) and I want you to post the best image you've taken close to home. I'd like to see a recent image, preferably after you read the book, so we can see how you might have applied the principles described in it. One image per person, so be sure it's your favorite. (You'll be able to replace your image if you change your mind, but you'll be able to have only one image at a time in the group.) I've added the one above, just to get us started. (You'll need a Flickr membership, too. The free one will work.) You have until until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 21 to post your image in the Flickr group.
Each person who submits an image to the Flickr group and has purchased the Close to Home ebook will be registered to win one of three great prizes. Yes, you must do both of these to be eligible to win. On Monday, November 22, I'll randomly draw 3 winners from the Flickr pool entrants and the folks at Craft & Vision will verify that you have indeed purchased the ebook. If the stars align, here's what you can win:
- The first randomly-selected winner will receive a free Craft & Vision ebook of your choice
- The second randomly-selected winner will receive a signed 10" x 15" print (on 13" x 19" paper) of your choice of any photograph in the ebook, ready for matting and framing.
- The final randomly-selected winner will receive an 16" x 24" APC Pro canvas of your choice of any photograph in the book.
So take a good, slow walk around your neighborhood or town. Find that extraordinary moment and show us how it felt to you. Remember, great photographs are about life, and life happens everywhere.
UPDATE: There's been a little confusion about when the photographs should have been/be taken. My original intent, which was communicated badly, was that you would upload images taken between October 28 and November 21. Unfortunately, that wasn't clear in my original post, so I'm going to waive that as a requirement. I'd still prefer that you do that, because the point of it was to apply what you might have learned from the book to your photography close to home. So feel free to upload any image you want to share, but I'd really like you to share your more recent work. Sorry for the confusion.