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Sony Forums Challenges | all galleries >> Challenge 107: Greeting Cards (hosted by MFC & Sonny Asehan) >> Challenge 107: Eligible > edit image
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04-DEC-2005 Helen Betts

Holiday Grandeur
by Helen Betts

Ankara, Turkey

This was taken in the shopping mall in which my office is located. Every December the whole mall is lit up with decorations for New Year's, and this gigantic "tree" is a part of it. The security guards had been keeping an eye on me when I was taking earlier photos in other parts of the mall, so just to be on the safe side for this picture, I made sure I was out of their line of vision. Only when I got home was I told that photography was forbidden; funny, I've been working there for two-and-a-half years and never saw the sign!

Note: This exercise has proved very useful for me since I didn't really have a clue how to make the sidebar for the text, nor how to do a vertical text, or how to center it, or how to add a drop shadow. Taking the picture was the easy part, LOL.

Sony DSC-H1
1/50s f/3.5 at 6.0mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Jerry Curtis13-Dec-2005 01:55
This must be an awesome sight in real life, Helen. I like the monochromatic aspect of this shot, and the impression of size your angle gives it.
Markjay 13-Dec-2005 01:32
Very nicely done, Helen. You framed your card image well and your choice of text and text orientation work really well.
Shu12-Dec-2005 03:22
Sophisticated and elegant! Your color choice for the vertical text is perfect, IMO! shu
Katherine Stanback's Photos12-Dec-2005 00:48
Very cool perspective on all those little lights - I love the red text down the side, also!
Guest 10-Dec-2005 22:09
Neat card, Helen. By now you should be well known to all the security guards in Ankara :-) Your text and drop-shadow really make the card. Nicely done! Bev
mlynn 08-Dec-2005 02:45
What a cool tree Helen, I like the perspective on this. --Melanie
Guest 07-Dec-2005 04:22
There must be tens of thousand of lights on this tree, Helen! I'm always amazed how the professional decorators put up something this grand. This makes a nice holiday greeting card.
Sony Forums Challenges05-Dec-2005 06:27
Wow, that's a lot of lights, Helen. I really like your perspective here and the layered effect of this huge tree. Nice contrast all those twinkles make with the black background. Neat how you chose to place your text vertically off to one side...it mimics the effect of the tree. Well taken, Helen....this makes a grand statement and greeting. MFC