By "History" I mean monuments, buildings that have a history behind them,
artifacts that have a story to tell etc. etc.

I realize "Manipulation" is a theme that may exclude certain mediums, but I promise to push for digital art the next go-around. 8oE This is just to see what everyone's skill level is, what they consider manipulation to be, and to see what sort of comic misadventures people can dream up. I'm pushing you all to be creative. -Nik

Come to think of it... aren't digital art and fractals the ultimate in image manipulation? Or maybe I need to check the expiration date on the mushrooms on my pizza?

Just a thought.

-Nik

Yeah they are Knik. I thought you might come to you senses if I left you to your own devices.

I'm wondering if our topic should be focused to a specific thing? If so, what is ubiquitous enough, that everyone should have little difficulty in finding one to photograph? So I came up with 'car headlight' as a first stab.

My idea is Happiness Is...fill in the blank...applicable to all genres and could be just about anything that makes you think happy, a beautiful sunset, a chocolate ice cream sundae, a pleasureable daydream, music, a pet...well, you get the idea.

That's an easy one for me, Pat... my granddaughters.

;)

-Nik

For anyone wanting to see how long it's been since a particular theme has been used for a contest, simply go to the column on the left side of this page--then find "Navigation" in gray--then "Contests"--and the last 130 or so will be listed right there. But to save you a little time, starting at the top of the list, "History" was last done August 21st, 2014 (and the similar "Vintage/Antique" January 8 of 2015); "Smoke Stacks/Chimneys" have never been used to my knowledge; "Solitude" is also not on the list but "Isolation" is, back on June 11, 2014; "Manipulation" is listed but so far back that none of the placers even exist on the site but "How Absurd!", very similar, was October 6, 2013; "rename the site" is obviously a goof so I refuse to even mention "rename the site" in this comment (really! I mean, what sort of contest would "rename the site" be fer cats sake?); "Car Headlight" surely is a new idea; and if "Happiness Is..." was chosen before, it's not in the current list. The farthest 5 contest themes go back to September and October of 2009: "Black and White" (won by Roland), "Orange (color)" (won by Twinkel), "Night Time" (won by Owd Dunstickin Bob), Symmetry" (won by Jimbobedsel), and "Desolation" (won by coram9 Chris).

Okay, now that I'm done will someone give Tick a shake? He's fallen asleep.

Happy Trails

-Nik

"I'm wondering if our topic should be focused to a specific thing?..." that's a good idea, John...not necessarily car headlights but that we all are given a specific 'thing' and see how we all approach it differently...something to consider, if not this time but at some time in the future....seems to me we used to do that type of contest theme some years ago.

We also did several "What Is It?" themes (that was originally my idea) that involved photos of objects or scenes that were taken in such a way as to disguise their identity. Members were invited to try to figure out what they were and, back then, it would draw a fair number of entries, unfortunately not like today's numbers.

-Nik

Now this should be interesting! considering most think a manipultaion of a photo is just a few filters and sliders away. keep in mind that you can easily find in the "discussion board" under "non-art website issues" (which the title is a bit ironic) however, one dont need to travel far in the pages to find "when does photo editing and processing become manipulations" if my memory serves me correct, coram9 stated it best with: "pixels removed or added is a manipulation" or something on those lines, i wouldnt quote me word for word...but you get the idea.

just because you layer with filters and make adjustments to pixels already present, or smother it on with HDR, color correction, dodge and burn the hell out of it, or make it into a water painting... is not a manipulation! i myself have made this mistake in the category dept and was properly corrected.

so now with that in mind, removal of or taking away pixels "a part of the photo taken away of added to" lets see how many get it right :) i have my doubts!