Photography scavenger hunt…yes please!!

When a Groupon for this came into my inbox a few weeks ago from Clock Tower Images I immediately knew I wanted to go.  Photography + opportunity to learn and practice + me day = I’m in. 

I went with Ashley and we had a great day!  The weather was beautiful, there were lots of photographers of all levels, and the clues were challenging.  It was fabulous!  Seriously, can you think of a better way to spend a Sunday?

This was the second annual scavenger hunt hosted by Clock Tower Images and this year the theme was Urban Fabrics.  You could register for on one of two days, we chose to go on Sunday, with all percipients from both days being eligible to win some fantastic prizes.  A Canon T2i, Queen Victoria Hotel package, wellness package, photo field trips, photography workshops, LowePro camera bag, etc.

This is how our day played out:

·         At 8:30 we arrived at the Marriott Harbour Hotel

·         9:00 Mike from Clock Tower Images held a 2 hour presentation on photography basics; IOS, aperture, shutter speed, etc.

·         From 11:00 to 11:30 Mike went over the rules of the hunt.  Basically, this was meant to be a fun day and the only real rule was that no photo editing was allowed.  This was to help ensure that everyone remained on the same playing field. 

·         Then everyone had the remainder of the day, until 4:00 pm, to capture photos that solved each of the 10 challenges.

·         At the end of the day we upload one image for each of the challenges (I got 9 out of the 10) and then, once the photos have been placed in online galleries, each precipitant votes on our favorite from each category. 

The challenges were harder than I thought.  It was all about composition and it forced me to see Downtown Victoria and photography in a way that I don’t usually view either.  When I take photos I usually (always!!) prefer to photograph people.  There’s something about photographing people that draws me in…I don’t get the same feeling or desire when asked to capture images of urban material that excludes life; a brick wall, a alley way, Zen fitness…

This uncomfortable feeling was good though as it forced me to look at things differently and try composing shots in such a way that I would never have done otherwise.  This is a great way to train your eye in seeing vs. viewing.  It’s also something that anyone can easily do anytime by themselves!

Some of my favorite images from the day are: