Photography "GURU"

For over a year, I have been submitting photos to the “Gurushots” Photography Challenges. It seems that I started on the challenge in the system’s infancy. In that time, the number of submissions have skyrocketed and the number of my achievements have tapered off. That says that I hit most of the requirements early in the history of the challenges.

When I started the challenges, I was not so much interested as “winning” by submitting my best photos. Instead I tried to submit the 4 (usually – some challenges had other requirements) photos that highlight the breadth of my skills for each of the challenges.

There are about 900 photos that I have saved/archived on my web site. Most are not view-able by on the web site. While selecting photos for the challenges, I ended up participating 160 challenges. For each challenge, my entree collections started hitting the “Popular”, “Skilled”, “Premier”, “Elite” and “All-Star” levels. Others participating in the challenges vote for the better photos. There were 3 winners in each of the challenges – Most Votes, Best Collection, and Guru’s Pick. Participants started as “Newbie”. Progressed to “Rookie”, “Challenger”, “Advanced”, “Veteran”, “Expert”, “Champion”, “Master”, and finally “Guru”.

Here are the requirements for achieving “Guru” status:

GuruShots Points – 150,000

Achieve “All-Star” level - 30 collections

Win the challenge – 1

Selected as “Guru Pick” - 5

As a “Guru” I will be able to create challenges. Not sure that I will do that. When I won the “RAW” Challenge, I was sent at camera trigger for smart phones.

It has been an interesting exercise. I looked at and judged thousands of photos. There were a lot of photos submitted, many are good, few are awesome, and some were not worth posting. Each time my collections hit the “All-Star” level, I posted my entrees on my photography blog.

I am not sure that I would take advantage on the opportunity to run a challenge. I am happy that I achieved “GURU” status. Think its time to spent the time in writing my memoirs and updating my web sites.

Striking Compositions Challenge

Was not sure my photos would reach "All-Star" level in Gurushots "Striking Compositions Challenge".  With a day left in the challenge, my group of photos reached that level.  My selections are shown below.  As usual, photo files can be ordered by clicking on the "download" button beneath the photo.

AshlandOreDock             Now dismantled ore dock in Ashland, WI

TheWindow                Monument Valley Tribal Park, AZ/UT

ManyGlacierView                   Glacier National Park, MT

TetonBikeView                     Grand Teton Mountains view from the park's bicycle trail

Guru's Picks

Many of you know that I have been entering photos in the Gurushot's challenges.  Early on I won a camera trigger system for smart phones being one of the 3 winners in the challenge.  Often, my selections have reached "All-Star" level. 

When selecting photos for the challenges, I select those that show the diversity of my photography, not the ones that I think that are the best.  The photographs and ranking are based by votes from other photographers in the challenge.  And, I can tell you they have diverse interests and likes!

Today, 2 of my photos were elected my "Guru's Picks", meaning the pro-photographer running the challenge selected my photos for recognition.  Here are my photo's that were "Guru's Picks".

ManyGlacierView                  Many Glaciers area of Glacier National Park
Guru's Pick in "Scenic Mountains"

DTBarHarborBW        Downtown Bar Harbor, ME           Guru's Pick in "Shades of Gray" challenge

Shades of Red

This Gurushots Challenge surprised me.  I did not expect to reach "All-Star" level in the "Shades of Red" Challenge.  Alas, my selections made it.  Here are my entrees.

CabooseNbike                   Caboose and bicycle along Santa Fe's Rail Trail

RedsonLakefront                  Art and the light house on long  Kenosha, WI port

RedVet                          Red Corvette at outdoor car show

RedRoses                              Red roses in the garden at Washingtom Oaks State Park, FL

Black & White Outdoors Challenge

When any Black & White Gurushots challenge comes up, I have a problem selection which of my photos to enter.  I honed my skills as the publicity officer and photographer for the VFW in New Hampshire.  Any outdoor photographer aspires to me like Ansel Adams.  There are my "All-Star" entrees in the Gurushots Black & White Outdoors challenge.

NiagaraFallsBW                          Niagara Falls from the Skylon Tower

TetonView-bw                      Grand Tetons from the bicycle trail to Jenny Lake

EndlessTrail                           Paseo del Bosque south of Central Ave in Albuquerque, NM

JennyLake2-bw                        Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park

Iconic Locations Challenge

On the last day of the challenge, I selection in the Iconic Locations Challenge reached "All-Star" level.  As usual, photo files of these photos are available for download from this blog.  Just clink on the "download" button.

4Presidents          Mount Rushmore, SD

DevilsTowerTG   "Electrifying" photo of Devils Tower in Wyoming

Bridge-Falls         American Falls and Rainbow Bridge from Niagara Falls, Canada

OldFaithful                Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Orb of Night Challenge

I did not expect this collection to reach "All-Star" lever, but it did.  Here are my photos in the "Orb of Night Challenge on Gurushots.

Digital file copies are available by clicking on the "download" button under the photo.

MoonOverSantaRosaMtns2

HarvestMoon

JulySuperMoon

Lets Get Rocking Challenge

Gurushots changed their scoring and levels.  It's now 3 photos that can be entered into a challenge.  Votes required to hit "All-Star" level was also change.  With more folks entering photos, it has been more difficult to achieve that level.  My collection "Lets Get Rocking" challenge recently reached "All-Star" level.

As usual - all of these photos are available as a photo file  - click on the "download" button.

CamelRock               outside Santa Fe, NM

DevilsTower        Devil's Tower National Monument, Wyoming

CannonBall            Cannon Ball rock from the cliff in Theodore Roosevelt National
Park, North Dekota

Luxury Challenge

Gurushots changed their voting totals needing to reach the various levels.  My selections in the "Luxury" Challenge reach "All-Star" level.  Here are my selections.

RyeBeachMansion    Mansion in Rye Beach, New Hampshire

Wentworth    Wentworth-by-the-Sea hotel,  Portsmouth, NH

RedVet                       Red Corvette at the Private Malone Car Show

BarkerHouseTG      Barker House in Manitou Springs, CO

Stores, Shops & Market Challenge

My collections of photos of stores, shops,  and markets have reached "All-Star" level in the Gurushots photo challenge.  Photo files of these photos are available by clicking on the "download" button under the photo.  Here are my entrees.

NigerdaSuk    Goods for sale in a suk in Ibadan, Nigeria

CerrillosTurquoise    A colorful shore in Madrid, NM along the Turquoise Trail

GeneralStore       Old general store and cafe in the "ghost town" of Hillsboro, NM

Bikes2     2 racks of bicycles for sale in Xtreme Wheels Bike & Sport shop in Council Bluffs, IA

Snow & Ice Challenge

My selections of photos in the "Snow & Ice Challenge" reach "A''-Star" level in the Gurustors photography challenge.  Copies of the photo files are available for purchase using the "download" button.  Here are my submissions...

FrostyMorning  was taken along the road in Iowa front of my house.   

SnowIceBranches      Taken in my Iowa front yard after a frosty/snowy morning

IcyBranches    This photo was taken in my Iowa front yard after freezing rain

SnowyBench     This bench was in the back yard of a house I was renting for a month in Albuquerque

Iron Horse Challenge

My selections in the Gurushots "Iron Horse Challenge" reached "All-Star" level.  This happened even though I did not have my best train photos available since I was away from home when the challenge started.

" RailRunner"  New Mexico RailRunner, photographed in the Santa Fe station.

"AnimasCanyon" Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad traveling though Animas River canyon

"CabooseinSugarCity"   Union Pacific caboose on displace in Sugar City, CO park.

"ManlyLocomotiveCaboose"  Locomotive and caboose on display in Msmly, IA along highway 9

World of Cars Challenge

Once again one of my photo collections has achieved "All-Start" level in Gurushuts "World of Car's" challenge. The photos were all taken during the auto show at Operation LZ in Forest City, IA.  Here are my submissions.

Photos Taken on Railroad Tracks

While reviewing and voting for photos in GuruShots and other photography web site, I am amazed with the number of photos taken on and around active railroad tracks.

There have been portraits taken between the rails. There have been folks walking railroad trestles; photos taken where people are just walking down the tracks.

My customers were several railroads. I developed a healthy respect for railroad equipment and tracks. They are NOT places for a casual photo shoot!   Photography around active railroad tracks is dangerous. 

As such, I will NOT vote for photos taken on or around active railroad tracks, and you should not, either!

Landmarks & Historic Sites Challenge

With less than 8 hours left in the challenge, my selections for this Gurushots challenge reached "All-Star" level.

CadesCoveMill, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina/Tennessee

RushmoreatNight - Mt Rushmore Memorial, South Dakota

NubbleLight - York, Maine

PecosRuins   Ruins of the mission at Pecos National Historical Park, New Mexico

Signs and Billboards Challenge

Another of my Gurushots collections achieved "All-Star Level".  These are my entrees into the Signs and Billboards Challenge

MainStreetAmerica2 -- Route 66 in Southern California

WelcomeEcho -- Welcome Home sign for Echo Company, 2/3rd Reunion

DecorahFishHatchery --  Sign for the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa

SeawayDistances --  Sign showing distant to various ports from Welland Canal HQ and visitor's Center