BPN Newsletter 24 October 2017

BPN Newsletter 5, 24 October 2017

• Image of the Year 2016
• Our Sponsor
• Q&A and BPN Support
• On Critiqueing
• An Elegant Way to Solve Your BPN e-Mail Problems
• Please Help Support BPN
• Unsubscribe

Image of the Year 2016




Work on selecting the 2016 Image of the Year (IOTY) is finally done and was long long overdue. Apologies to all who were waiting. The overall winner is "Food transfer" by Glenn Conlan. This image was selected by the jury as 'Avian' category winner. Congratulations Glenn !








The following stunning images were selected as winners in the other categories:

• Charged -UP!, by Haseeb Badar in Wildlife
  

  Commented by Steve Kaluski: Great to see a Tiger in the Wildlife winners 'showcase - well done Haseeb.

• Smoke, by Ovidiu Cavasdan in Out-Of-The-Box
  

  Commented by Steve Kaluski: Simple, but very striking with a strong 'graphic' feel, congratulation Ovidiu.

• Magnolia, by David Cowling in Macro and Flora
  

  Almost as if the wasp is humbly asking for a bit of nectar in this Magnolia temple.

• Sea of Colors, by Luis Patacao in Landscapes and Cities
  

  Commented by Arthur Morris: This is lovely in every way from the soft light to the great colors to the image design to the moving water blur. That yellow is to die for.

• Horned Grebes pose, by Michael Thompson in Eager to Learn
  

  Commented by Marina Scarr: Wonderful frame, Michael and huge congratulations. You have learned a lot here, and it's great to see your photography progressing so nicely!.

All of the category winners will receive a one year subscription voucher. Congratulations everyone !
Note to the winners: your free one year subscription is applied to your BPN expiration the date has been extended by one year.


Our Sponsor




Our main sponsor is B&H Photo Video. Support our site by clicking on the link below. Using the BPN affiliate link will not cost you a penny but will be greatly appreciated.








Q&A and BPN Support




In case of user, posting or other BPN problems, contact me on my BPN email address: peterkes@birdphotographers.net.




Subscription and payment problems: staffbaa@att.net.




On Critiquing




BPN was founded on a single principle: folks learn best from honest critiques done gently. The more folks who comment on an image, the more everyone learns. We ask that folks comment on at least five images for every image that they post. Far too many folks are telling this story: “I am not, or do not, feel qualified to critique.” Even if you are a beginning photographer and have never critiqued a single image before, you are eminently qualified to post a substantive critique. Look at the image. Ask yourself, “What do I like about this image? What don’t I like about this image.” Then type it in the next pane. Please, at all costs, avoid those empty “Great shot!” comments …




It’s that simple. If you have any suggestions on how the image could have been improved in the field or in post processing, you can add those but doing so is not mandatory. If you have an idea for a repost, take a crack at it.; you will often find folks reciprocating. In the same vein, the more images you comment on, the more you become part of the community, and the more folks will comment on your images. In addition, when you take the time to study other’s image carefully and take the time to comment, you become a better photographer.




Please remember that a critique does not imply criticism; negatives are not a required part of the package. If you think that an image is great, say so, and be sure to let folks know exactly why you like it. On the other hand, if you are less than honest in an effort to “be nice,” then you are doing everyone a disservice. Honest but gentle. Particularly helpful is to post a critique to an image with 50 or more views and zero or one replies. When and if you come across a really poor image find at least one positive if at all possible and then be as gentle as possible. And do consider directing the poster to the Eager to Learn Forum.




What’s my advice? Shoot a lot. Post a lot. And critique a lot. You can help make BPN a better place.


An Elegant Way to Solve Your BPN e-Mail Problems




As some of you likely know by experience, att and more than a few related e-mail providers (such as sbcglobal and bellsouth), have been black-listing the sending IP address for BirdPhotographer’s.Net for a very long time. I have tried unsuccessfully for many years to have our IP address de-blacklisted. If you have some pull with att or have a good customer service number and would like to try, that IP address 199.193.247.14.




I forgot who turned me on to this simple and elegant solution but whomever you are, thanks! I have been using it for two months and now and have been receiving every single BPN Reply to Thread notice in my samandmayasgrandpa@att.net Inbox in a timely fashion from the moment that I tried the work-around. That despite my black-listed att address.




You can learn how to implement this simple solution by following the simple, clear, step-by-step instructions here. While you are there, feel free to surf the BIRDS AS ART Blog and learn a ton about bird and nature photography most every day. My record is 480 days in a row with a new educational blog pot. Second best was 366. My current streak is at 88. Lots of work for me and lots to learn for you.




Please Help Support BPN




If you are going to make a purchase from B&H – and I we know that many of you do to take advantage of their great service, their great prices, and their dependability, please click on the BPN B&H affiliate link at the top of each and every BPN page. It will not cost you a penny more and helps us to pay the bills for our top notch server.




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best,
artie & peter