As a graduate student of something other than photography, I don't have time to learn in the "proper" way. (I cringe at even writing that.) So taking part in challenges has been my way of learning. Learning new techniques with the camera and with post processing. Some of the challenges have been very rewarding, not because of how well I did, but how much I learned. Some of them have down right pissed me off. I tire of trying to please people whose artistic tastes are nowhere near mine. But, I learn from that. It's important to learn how to get what you want in a photograph, even if that "what you want" is really what someone else wants. It's still educational.


Here is a gallery of the photos I've entered in challenges.


The best performers are at the top, so to save your eyes, don't scroll down because the farther you go, the worse they get!