photo exchange

This month's CoPA meeting was a print exchange. The instructions were to bring a "wrapped, matted print for the print exchange. Suggested size 8x10." This sounded like fun, so I scrabled to fix up a photo. I got it printed at Walgreens (not very professional!). I got a cheap mat at the craft store (not very professional!). I assumed that by "wrapped" they meant those clear plastic bags" I always see prints in. I couldn't find any, so I folded a sheet of paper around it and attached it with a binder clip (not very professional!). It turns out they meant gift wrapped! About half the attendees seemed to understand this, so I wasn't alone, but the paper thing was... not very professional. They drew lottery and you would go to the table to choose a print (sight unseen). Mine was the last print chosen.

I first decided to take a picture of a flower. I thought it was a nice, appealing image. Good color. I couldn't really decide on a photo from my trips. But I keep getting compliments on the Alaska mountains, so I decided to go with that. I ended up being unhappy with it, though, because I had to crop it so severely. I shoot in 4x6. That is the equivalent of 8x12. So printing in 8x10 means I have to crop an inch off of each side. I guess nobody else will realize what they're missing, but I really think the shape of the mountain adds a lot to the image. The arch of the mountains in back runs from the edges of of the image, where they intersect with the darker tree-covered hills, which slope in towards the middle of the frame. Oh well.

The print I won in the exchange is this one:

Cool in NOLA, by Ty Maciejewski

I like it. Sorry about the poor quality, I shot the picture of the picture with my point & shoot, zoomed in all the way, in dim light.