- I am happy to announce I have the privilege of hosting the Travel Photo Roulette contest for the third time. Â Having previously won rounds #3 and #43 means IÂ hosted the “festival” theme for round #4Â and the “once in a lifetime” theme for round #44. Â My most recent win was for round #91 with the image above for the “Inspire” theme hosted by Hannah and Adam of GettingStamped.com. Â If you don’t know what Travel Photo Roulette is, here’s an idea of the contest:
An Overview
The contest migrates from blog to blog based on the idea that the winner of the previous contest hosts the next one.  I get to host round ninety-two because I won round ninety-one.  As host, I get to choose a theme for the next round and bloggers can submit a single entry based on how they interpret the theme.  The time frame for submissions is generally one week.  At the end of the week, the host blogger will chose the winner for that round and said winner will then repeat the process on their own blog.  Readers can always try and sway the host via comments during the contest, but the host is free to give as little or as much weight to people’s opinions as they wish.
New Theme: Viewpoint
I went back and forth quite a bit on what to go with for this round’s theme and decided to go with something a little more interesting photographically.  This week’s theme is going to be “Viewpoint – Up and Down“.  The idea is to share an image where you had to alter your viewpoint and think differently to get the shot.  I feel one of the concepts that really helps photographers grow is to think outside the box and look at things from a different viewpoint, particularly when it comes to subjects that are heavily photographed.  For this theme specifically, I’d love to see shots that were taken straight up or straight down. Check out a few of the examples below for what I’m talking about.
Shooting straight down into a succulent at an aboretum in Monte Carlo.
Shooting straight up into an alternative christmas tree display at a hotel in Sri Lanka.
How to Submit
Entering the contest is super easy.  Just leave a comment below with a link to the image with an up or down viewpoint you’d like to submit and a caption or description of the image to help flesh it out.  Tell us what you were thinking about when you took the shot.  Was this just an experiment that went right or something meticulously planned out? Once you’ve added your comment, I’ll add the image to the submissions.  Don’t forget to check back in during the week to see the other submissions and join the conversation by leaving comments for others.
The contest runs for 7 days starting December 15th and ending December 23rd at 12:00 PST. Â The winner will be announced within a few days of the end of the contest and the selected blogger will then host round #93. Â Please do your best to keep your images to a nice, medium size and be aware that anything too wide will be reduced in size.
Feel free to share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Trover and StumbleUpon so more people can join the contest – make sure to use the hashtag #PhotoRoulette
The Rules for Travel Photo Roulette
1) One submission per Blog (so sites that have 2+ authors only get one entry).
2) No photoshopping allowed unless specifically called for! Cropping and correction for red-eye or camera flaws are ok, however.
3) Abstract submissions welcomed as long as it fits within the interpretation of the chosen phrase. Remember, the hosting blogger chooses the winner, so if they cannot understand the submission, you might not win!
4) Keep phrases general so that all bloggers can participate. Specific items like “Eiffel Tower†should be avoided but rather made open-ended like “monuments.†For variety, it is ok to say focused things such as “monuments at night†in which most of us have pictures of.
6) Abstract thoughts are appreciated, but keep it within the realm that all readers will understand. No “Kafka-esqueâ€, but “Overlooking Creation†is able to be interpreted by all.
7) No obscene pictures or phrases allowed. Suggestive phrases and photography can be accepted, but please keep it within reason.
8) After a sufficient period of time, phrases can be reused, however new photos must be submitted. Keep the ideas and photos fresh!
9) Pictures from your entire portfolio are fair to submit. You do not have to take the photo within the week of the contest period to submit it.
10) Most importantly, ALL PHOTOS MUST BE YOUR OWN.
The Winner Is:
After a lot of consideration, I’ve decided to go with Greg’s image of the Virgin Mary statue holding the sun.  There were many great images submitted for this week’s theme, however, I kept coming back to the way Greg had to shift his perspective to position the two different elements in the image.  Congratulations to Greg!  I can’t wait to see what he’ll pick for the next theme!
It seems that ever city in South America now has its own version of Brazil’s famous Cristo Redentor statue. In Santiago, Chile, they have erected a 22 meter tall statue of the Virgin Mary. While it’s a beautiful work of art, the statue is very difficult to photograph. I knew it had to be done “straight up;” but, after several different angles came out looking flat, I was ready to give up. Then, as I was walking away from the statue, I noticed the sun shining through Mary’s hand and decided to give her an energy orb to hold. Finally, I had my shot :)
Entries:
From Suzanne of The Travelbunny:
Istanbul’s Sultan Ahmed Mosque known as The Blue Mosque because of the exquisite blue-tiled domed ceilings. The best way to view them would be to lie on the floor and look straight up – I didn’t quite have the nerve….
From Josh of Peanuts or Pretzels
Here is a unique view of the St. Louis Arch. Many of us have seen the Arch, either in person or in photos, so you are familiar with it’s shape. But have you ever seen it from this view point? It looks totally different up close. You discover the shape is slightly different, and can appreciate the craftsmanship to lay each piece together. It’s kinda crazy to think you can ride an elevator up inside to the top!
From Alexandra Pucherelli of Fluent in Frolicking
Beauty really is everywhere. I was recently at the dump and right there next to the trash loading dock was this banana tree. It was in bloom and the flower was just so bright and colorful. So alive! Such the harsh contrast to the surrounding area that I had to grab my camera and capture it! I stood below the banana flower and was mesmerized by the intricate details of the blooms. How they were protected by the harder pink petals. Their lips curling back too revel the banana nectar.
From Jeremy Jones of Living the Dream RTW
This one is one of my favorites from Amsterdam. Look up at the statue of Anne Frank in-front of the Anne Frank House / Museum. This was my first photo taken at an extreme angle and taught me the importance of looking at things differently with a camera.
From Laura and Lance of Travel Addicts
This was taken on the travertines of Pamukkale in central Turkey. We visited this section of the travertines twice that day. In the afternoon, the sun was too high and we couldn’t capture any of the rich texture of the ridges and folds. Later, on our descent, the sun was setting and casting enough shadows for us to catpure the moment.
From Brent of Brent’s Favorite Photos
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My options were limited for this unique topic. This shot is from Oceanside, California. After a long day playing at the beach, my wife pointed out to me how beautiful the sand was when the sun hit it and it turned gold. The next morning, I ran out to take some photographs before we left.
From Denise of Life As A Bus Stop
The picture I am submitting today was taken in Budapest. Famous for its Art Deco buildings, I managed to get inside one of them. The building was filled with Art Deco furniture and decorations, one of them being this ceiling lamp. I remember looking up and thinking that it would make for a pretty picture from a different perspective.
From Melissa of Linguist on the Move
This one was taken from inside the Pantheon in Rome and, because there were what what seemed like millions of other visitors there and it’s a heavily photographed building, I knew I wanted to get a unique shot and therefore had to change up my viewpoint. For this shot I had to lie down entirely. My friend stood over me so my head wouldn’t get stomped on by any of the other visitors, and I definitely got some looks. As anyone who has visited knows, the ceiling to the Pantheon is open, so I had some nice, natural light streaming in – the aspect I love about it the most.
From Suzanne Fluhr of BoomeresqueÂ
This photo is of the mural “Morning Star†which is painted on a domed ceiling over the stairs in the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, across the river from Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The mural is by artist Alex Janvier. Leaning back on the stairs in order to be able to shoot straight up at the mural was a little scary.
From Greg Goodman of Adventures of Goodman
It seems that ever city in South America now has its own version of Brazil’s famous Cristo Redentor statue. In Santiago, Chile, they have erected a 22 meter tall statue of the Virgin Mary. While it’s a beautiful work of art, the statue is very difficult to photograph. I knew it had to be done “straight up;” but, after several different angles came out looking flat, I was ready to give up. Then, as I was walking away from the statue, I noticed the sun shining through Mary’s hand and decided to give her an energy orb to hold. Finally, I had my shot :)
From Emily and Scott of Twelve Countries
While in Paris I tried to take pictures of well-known places in different ways. This shot ended up being one of my favorites, directly underneath the Arc de Triomphe. I had to lay down to get this shot just right—thankfully there’s not much tourist traffic at 8am. The symmetry in this building is incredible, and hopefully this picture captured it well.
From Yasha and Juergen of Dare 2 Go
Taken in the Tatacoa Desert in Colombia. The stick, a dried bit of cactus, was just laying there = it’s not an arranged photo.
Past Photo Roulette Winners and Hosts
The following is the winners table list from the past four years of photo roulette. As mentioned above, the host of each round won the previous round and continued the game with their chosen theme.
- Nov 2010 Living the Dream Animals
- Nov 2010 Skinny Backpacker Road Signs
- Nov 2010 Dream a Little Dream Street Art
- Dec 2010Â Flashpacker HQÂ Festival
- Dec 2010 Over Yonderlust Landmarks
- Dec 2010 Don’t Ever Look Back Beaches
- Jan 2011Â ThePlanetDÂ Portraits
- Jan 2011 Travel with a Mate Motion
- Jan 2011 Johnny Vagabond Water
- Feb 2011 Ken Kaminesky Urban
- Feb 2011 Travels of Adam Friday Night
- Mar 2011 Itchy Feet Chronicles The Journey
- Mar 2011 Brendan’s Adventures Changing Seasons
- Apr 2011 Shutterfeet Storytelling
- Apr 2011 10 Times One Piousness
- Apr 2011 Beached Eskimo Learning
- May 2011 Travel Junkies Architecture
- Jun 2011 Destination World Transportation
- Jun 2011 Living the Dream Paradise
- Jun 2011 Vagabond Quest Clothes
- Jul 2011 The Unframed World Symmetry
- Jul 2011 Beached Eskimo Home
- Jul 2011 BackPackerBanter Inspiration
- Aug 2011 WanderingTrader Darkness
- Aug 2011 Finding the Universe Tranquillity
- Sep 2011 Fearful Adventurer Food
- Sep 2011 Adventures of a GoodMan City
- Oct 2011 Globe-Trekking.com Reflection
- Oct 2011 Scene With A Hart Framing
- Nov 2011 Vagabond Quest Silhouettes
- Nov 2011 Hecktic Travels Music
- Dec 2011 Globetrotter Girls Love
- Dec 2011 Man on the lam Humor
- Jan 2012 My Walkabout Winter
- Jan 2012 The Art of Slow Travel Blue
- Feb 2012 Ten times One Depth of the Field
- Not Hosted Anymore
- Mar 2012 Nomadbiba Sunshine
- Mar 2012 Travel With Kat Local Character
- Apr 2012 The Travel Bunny Street Scene
- Apr 2012 Adventure Crow Spirit of the Country
- May 2012 Food Travel Bliss Evening
- May 2012 Matt Gibson Adventure
- May 2012Â Flashpacker HQÂ Once In A Lifetime
- Jul 2012 Skinny Backpacker Surreal
- Aug 2012 2away Smile
- Aug 2012 Bridges and Balloons Excellent Splendour of the Universe
- Sep 2012 The GypsyNester What the ?!
- Oct 2012 Runaway Juno Sweet
- Nov 2012 GQ Trippin Play
- Nov 2012 Life’s Little Victories Friendship
- Dec 2012 Breakaway Backpacker Face
- Jan 2013 Fly, Icarus, Fly Serendipity
- Feb 2013 Travel Transmissions Lost in Thought
- Feb 2013 Wanderlusters The Natural World
- Mar 2013 Travel Junkies Patterns
- Apr 2013 Living the Dream Your First Time
- May 2013 Getting Stamped The Sun Goes Down
- Jun 2013 The GypsyNester Cheesy Tourist Diversions
- Jun 2013 Boomeresque Revolution
- Jul 2013 Breakaway Backpacker Colorful
- Aug 2013 Around This World Mountains
- Aug 2013 Passports and Pamplemousse Hands at Work
- Sep 2013 TurtlesTravel Dance
- Sep 2013 Keep calm and travel The Sea
- Sep 2013 Travel Photo Discovery The Market
- Oct 2013 Am I Nearly There Yet? Travel Fails
- Oct 2013 The GypsyNester Weird Regional Foods
- Nov 2013 Sophie’s World Trees
- Nov 2013 SHOuTography Party
- Dec 2013 Adventures of a Goodman Ruin
- Dec 2013 Have Blog Will Travel Light
- Jan 2014 This World Rocks Crowds
- Jan 2014Â Travel Past 50Â Competition
- Feb 2014 The Working Traveller Working
- Mar 2014 Travels with Carole Umbrellas
- Apr 2014 Independent Travel Help Quirky
- Apr 2014 Quit Job Travel World Statues
- May 2014 Nomad is Beautiful People Sleeping
- May 2014 Backpack Me Mouthwatering
- Jun 2014 20 Years Hence The Face of A Nation
- Jul 2014 Two for the Road Into the Wild
- Jul 2014 TurtlesTravel Summer!
- Aug 2014 Adventures Around Asia Candid
- Aug 2014 Travel with Kevin and Ruth Hiking
- Sept 2014 Till The Money Runs Out Transport
- Sept 2014 The Crowded Planet Wild World
- Sept 2014 ZigZag On Earth The 4 Elements
- Oct 2014 Travel Addicts Heritage
- Oct 2014 Living the Dream Your Grand Adventure
- Oct 2014 Getting Stamped Inspire
- Nov 2014 Flashpacker HQ Viewpoint
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