Judge

Our guest judge for the contest was photographer Kate Hailey. About the winning photo, she said, “What I love about this image is the creativity, the slight smile, the play with light and the flips of the hair. There’s a sense of joy and fantasy in one frame. As if from a book of fairy tales.”

Winner

We connected with equine and portrait photographer Anna Smolens. Learn more about her, below.

How did you get into photography?

Aside from a single photography class in high school, I have not officially studied photography or any other type of art. I went to school for equine studies and criminal justice. My dream was to be a mounted police officer, but after school, I was offered a job working with horses, and I have been doing that, in one way or another, ever since. I dabbled with photography in college, but I started shooting more seriously a few years ago.

Can you tell me about some of your favorite photos you have taken recently?

A few months ago, I upgraded my studio lighting to a more portable setup. Since then, I have been practicing working with them. The series of photos of my daughter, including the one that won this contest, was a fun exercise in mixing different types of light. Some of the shots I took are definitely on my favorites list! Second to that was shooting horses in motion in my studio. It was incredibly challenging, but the results were amazing.

Do you work with an assistant?

I try to work with an assistant as often as I can. Horses require an additional pair of hands to get good-looking expressions from the horse. For me, knowledge of horses is more valuable than photography know-how. If someone can push a horse to its limits without pushing it over, or if they know how to position a horse in the desired way, it is worth its weight in gold. And I won’t have to micromanage, which gives me more time to focus on the photography. It’s impossible to capture the split-second expressions of animals if you’re not ready.

How has Alien Skin’s software changed how you process photos?

I like to use Exposure to finish a lot of my photos, particularly my studio shots. It adds a little something that really makes my photos pop. I typically do basic edits in Lightroom, and I’ll bring the image to Photoshop for retouching if needed, but all the color grading happens in Exposure.

Learn more about Anna Smolens on her website, Facebook, or Instagram.

Runner Ups

There were so many great photos shared last month. Below are just a few of them. Thanks everyone who shared!

 

This is the winning shot for Alien Skin’s latest Photo of the Month contest. May’s photo-sharing theme was street photography. Congratulations goes to Wil Moore.

Judge

This month’s contest guest judge is photographer Robert Hamilton. When discussing the winning photo for the contest Robert said, “I like this shot. It has a good feel to it, and it tells a story that really draws me in. Looking at it makes me think about how the people in the scene are related. I love the reflection in the window because it adds some great-looking context to the scene. The post processing is strong in contrast, which works well for this image.”

Winner

We connected with this month’s winner, Wil. Learn more about him and his work, below.

How did you get into photography?

I fell into photography during art school. I used to pay photographers to take archival photo records of my paintings. Too often they would run off with both the images and the payment. I never officially studied photography in school, but I have learned a lot from a few super-cool mentors using YouTube as my classroom. As of now, I’ve been a photographer for approximately nine years.

What is the importance of personal work?

I feel that it’s extremely valuable to invest time in working on personal projects. Personal work helps me to keep my work fresh, and it gives me the freedom to make and learn from mistakes.

How do you stay inspired and connected?

I find inspiration in a lot of places, such as Joe McNally’s photography website. Joe has been my number one photographer inspiration. I pattern my journalistic photography after his.

How has Alien Skin’s software changed how you process your photos?

Before Alien Skin, my workflow was limited to Lightroom only. Then Miguel Quiles inspired me to try using Exposure. The effects he achieves with the software are phenomenal. Exposure is a one-stop shop for photo editing, and it’s always evolving. Alien Skin adds new features to it all of the time. And I especially love how the software makes my workflow easier.

Learn more about Wil Moore on his website, of on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Runner Ups

The photo shares last month were gorgeous. We have more than just the top ten listed here because there were so many great choices. Thanks to all of you who entered last month’s contest. Now check out these eye-grabbing shots.

Prizes

Photo of the Month award winners receive a few choice items from Alien Skin Software. They get one of our super soft tri-blend t-shirts and all our photography software.

Monthly Theme

The monthly photo-sharing theme for June is Geometry. Enter the contest this month by sharing your best work for this topic before the first of July.

Stay connected with all of the submissions to the contest in the Exposure and Snap Art users groups on Facebook. The announcement posts are pinned at the top of the groups near the first day of each month. There are friendly reminders of the group’s posting rules, which I encourage everyone to take a look at.

Judge

This month’s contest guest judge is photographer and instructor April Milani.

Winner

About the winning shot April said, “This photo has all the right elements to draw you in and keep your eye scanning over the bright and vivid colors. I especially like how the peacock is framed by its feathers. The focus ranges from a tack-sharp to creamy bokeh. And what makes it fantastic is that the peacock seems to have stopped and posed for the photo.”

We connected with this month’s winner, Bruce. Learn a little more about him, below.

How did you get into Photography?

I went to school for graphic design and learned photography in that context. Then never put it to use until I opened an ad agency back in the 80s. My first art director was straight from a 20-year career on Madison Avenue (Madmen era) – so he was instrumental in mentoring me. I was on the acquiring/directing photography side of things as Creative Director for the next 25 years… We picked up some regional and national accolades along the way; so I feel like my “design eye” is okay. I seek out more technical training now…

I’ve always traveled with a camera, even for work – but a friend got me back into serious hands-on camera work several ago. I still have a lot to learn technically.

What’s your favorite lens shoot with?

I use Nikon’s 105mm f2.8 a lot. I love using primes, but they are cumbersome for travel obviously. I am salivating over the Sony A9, but since I’m deeply invested in Nikon, that’s probably something on the back burner…

How do you keep current with industry trends?

I read a LOT of trade publications, but really enjoy PDN. It keeps me up with not only creative, but current business trends. It resonates with my background, I guess.

How has Alien Skin’s software changed how you process your photos?

I typically start in Lightroom, and then take the image over to Exposure. Sometimes I’m familiar with the film look I want; other times I will do a little research on film for look/mood, and find that one in Exposure. Other times, I’m simply using the tools to fine tune the image, like Color Focus.

Participating in the beta program was fun. I’m also enjoying the tutorials! They’re a great resource for learning.

–

Learn more about Bruce Cotton on his website, or follow him socially on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Runner Ups

There were loads of eye-catching images shared last month, some of them are listed below in this article. Thank you and congratulations to everyone who submitted. These are brilliant!

Prizes

Photo of the Month award winners receive a few choice items from Alien Skin Software. They get one of our super soft tri-blend t-shirts and all our photography software.

Monthly Theme

The monthly photo-sharing theme for May is Street Photography. Enter the contest this month by sharing your best work for this topic before the first of June.

Stay connected with all of the submissions to the contest in the Exposure and Snap Art users groups on Facebook. The announcement posts are pinned at the top of the groups near first day of each month. And, there are friendly reminders of the group’s posting rules–which I encourage everyone to take a look at.

Tomasz shares great-looking photos in the Exposure Users group on Facebook quite often. As the monthly winner, he gets a bunch of great stuff, including a promotion on the blog. Here’s a little more about him.

How did you get into photography?

Well, I can honestly say I was born in a darkroom. My father’s career was photography, so he taught my mum and when I was old enough me, all about it. After primary school, I took three years in basic vocational school as a photographer. For about ten years I worked in a small photo studio and shop in my hometown in the south of Poland as a minilab operator. I spent most of my time processing & printing analog film. After that, I took a break from photography, while I moved to the UK, found the love of my life, got married and had a kid.

My wife wanted newborn photo session our baby, so she called a photographer to capture the moment. That was when I decided to go back to photography. Tired by labour-job and inspired by talented newborn photographer Sylwia, I started to brush up on the basics and learn the new world of digital photography. I bought a camera, a few lenses and that’s how it started for me. There is so much to learn. Photography has changed a lot since I was back in Poland.

Do you have a favorite photo that you took?

My favourite image is the one that just won me this competition. It’s of my wife and my son in the Haldon Forest in Devon, England. There is such a loving connection between mother and son, which goes well with the look and style of the editing. I loved the way it turned out.

Other than your camera, what is your favorite photography accessory?

I love using lighting equipment. Right now, I shoot with 3 Canon 600EX-RT Speedlites. Eventually I’d like to own good strobe like Profoto B1 or B2.

Tell us about how you process your photos?

I don’t use a lot of Photoshopping on my images. Usually, I touch it only to remove an unwanted object or do some complicated retouching. I start in Lightroom, then apply a preset from Exposure. My favourite is Fuji Pro160 or Kodak Portra 160 and few B&W’s. I like the look of an orange filter in midtones, and sometimes I’ll add a sun flare.

Prizes

Photo of the Month award winners receive a few swanky items from Alien Skin Software. They get one of our super soft tri-blend t-shirts, a laser-engraved 16GB thumb drive loaded with all of our photography software, and best of all, they are featured here on the blog. What more could one want?

Monthly Theme

The monthly photo-sharing theme for October is shadow. If you’d like to enter, get your best choice shot for the topic posted before the 1st of November. Stay connected with all of the happenings in the Exposure and Snap Art Users groups over on Facebook. The announcement posts are pinned at the top of the groups on or around the first of each month.

Runner Ups

There were a bunch of great-looking photos shared last month, some of them are listed below. Congratulations to everyone who submitted. These are amazing!

—

 

Paula routinely shares great-looking photos in the Exposure Users group on Facebook. As the monthly winner, she gets a bunch of goodies, including a little promotion on the blog. Here’s a little more about her.

How did you get into photography?

During my third year of graphic design school, where we still used darkrooms!

How would you describe your style?

I don’t think I have a set style. I typically edit based on the lighting and mood of every shoot.

What piece of equipment would you most like to get your hands on?

I would love to try shooting with an 85mm Petzval lens. I love the idea of working with a fully manual lens and the bokeh it produces is unbelievable.

How do you stay current with industry trends/happenings?

I do lots of web surfing, reading, and I learn from tutorials to keep current. And, of course, I put in lots of practice.

How has Alien Skin’s software changed how you process your photos?

I love Exposure! The ability to save my own custom presets allows me to edit my work beautifully and it’s easily repeatable. The possibilities of working with this software are endless!

Learn more about her on Facebook.

Prizes

Photo of the Month award winners receive a few swanky items from Alien Skin Software. They get one of our super soft American Apparel t-shirts, a laser-engraved 16GB thumb drive loaded with all of our photography software, and best of all they are featured here on the blog.

Monthly Theme

The monthly photo-sharing theme for May is Abundant. If you’d like to enter, get your best choice shot for the topic posted before the 1st of June. Stay connected with all of the happenings in the Exposure and Snap Art Users groups over on Facebook. The announcement posts are pinned at the top of the groups on the first of each month. Unless of course I forget, then they may come a bit later.

Runner Ups

There are plenty more top choice shots, some of them are listed below. Congratulations to everyone who submitted last month. These are bangin’!

 

Miguel Quiles has talent for making great-looking stuff. As part of being the monthly winner, he gets a bunch of goodies, including a blog feature. Here is a little more info about him.

How long have you been a photographer?

I’ve been into photography for 17 years, with 4 of those years working professionally. I started dabbling in photography when I got a job at a camera store right out of high school. The position gave me a lot of opportunities to play with a bunch of different cameras, which helped me learn how they work. I’m self-taught and have never studied photography formally in school.

How would you describe your style?

My style is all about mood and expression. I love working with people and making them look and feel their best through the art of photography. One of my recent favorites is from the Sony G-Master lens announcement event in NYC last month. The set helped me produce some of my most unique images to date. Personal work is crucial for artists! It’s the key to staying inspired. I have been shooting personal assignments at least once a week over the past 4 years. This practice let’s me discover what I like creatively and what I don’t.

If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why?

I love lenses, but if I had to choose just one it would be an 85mm. The majority of my work has been shot using one. My favorite non-camera accessory is my Wacom tablet. That tool transcended my post production efficiency.

Do you work with an assistant? What do you look for in them?

I currently don’t work with an assistant all of the time, mainly because I haven’t had the need. I’m giving it more consideration lately. My shoots are getting complex, so it would be nice to have another set of hands. Punctuality is one of the most important attributes for any assistant in my opinion. They also need to be sociable and friendly. There’s nothing worse than spending time with someone who is negative all the time, so I would only consider candidates that are full of positivity.

The hardest part of your job?

The hardest part of my job would have to be post-production. The more I’ve learned about retouching, the more time I spend doing it. It’s hard to find a balance between quality and time, which is one of the main reasons I like Exposure. I love the speed. If the software can give me back editing time to spend on other business, it’s making me money. I like that.

Do you offer workshops and if so, tell us a little about them?

I teach one-on-one workshops at my studio in NJ, but my main education channel is Adorama. I host their show, “The Breakdown” on AdoramaTV.

How has Alien Skin’s software changed how you process your photos?

Exposure changed my process entirely. It produces the ‘high end’ look that I’m after without sacrificing quality or time. Every minute spent in post production could be spent building my business in other ways, so I appreciate the speed it gives me the most. My typical photo workflow is RAW processing in Capture One, and then I clean up the image and remove distractions in Photoshop, and Exposure adds the finish.

Learn more about Miguel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or his website and blog.

Prizes

Photo of the Month award winners receive a few swanky items from Alien Skin Software. They get one of our super soft American Apparel t-shirts, a laser-engraved 16gb thumb drive loaded with all of our photography software, and best of all they are featured here on the blog.

Monthly Theme

The monthly photo-sharing theme for April is Positive. If you’d like to enter, get your best choice shot posted before the 1st of April. Stay connected with all of the happenings in the group on Facebook.

Runner Ups

There are plenty of fantastic shots posted last month that we’d like to share. A few of the top liked shots are displayed below. Congratulations to everyone that submitted. These are amazing!

Miguel Quiles has talent for making great-looking stuff. As part of being the monthly winner, he gets a bunch of goodies, including a blog feature. Here is a little more info about him.

How long have you been a photographer?

I’ve been into photography for 17 years, with 4 of those years working professionally. I started dabbling in photography when I got a job at a camera store right out of high school. The position gave me a lot of opportunities to play with a bunch of different cameras, which helped me learn how they work. I’m self-taught and have never studied photography formally in school.

How would you describe your style?

My style is all about mood and expression. I love working with people and making them look and feel their best through the art of photography. One of my recent favorites is from the Sony G-Master lens announcement event in NYC last month. The set helped me produce some of my most unique images to date. Personal work is crucial for artists! It’s the key to staying inspired. I have been shooting personal assignments at least once a week over the past 4 years. This practice let’s me discover what I like creatively and what I don’t.

If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why?

I love lenses, but if I had to choose just one it would be an 85mm. The majority of my work has been shot using one. My favorite non-camera accessory is my Wacom tablet. That tool transcended my post production efficiency.

Do you work with an assistant? What do you look for in them?

I currently don’t work with an assistant all of the time, mainly because I haven’t had the need. I’m giving it more consideration lately. My shoots are getting complex, so it would be nice to have another set of hands. Punctuality is one of the most important attributes for any assistant in my opinion. They also need to be sociable and friendly. There’s nothing worse than spending time with someone who is negative all the time, so I would only consider candidates that are full of positivity.

The hardest part of your job?

The hardest part of my job would have to be post-production. The more I’ve learned about retouching, the more time I spend doing it. It’s hard to find a balance between quality and time, which is one of the main reasons I like Exposure. I love the speed. If the software can give me back editing time to spend on other business, it’s making me money. I like that.

Do you offer workshops and if so, tell us a little about them?

I teach one-on-one workshops at my studio in NJ, but my main education channel is Adorama. I host their show, “The Breakdown” on AdoramaTV.

How has Alien Skin’s software changed how you process your photos?

Exposure changed my process entirely. It produces the ‘high end’ look that I’m after without sacrificing quality or time. Every minute spent in post production could be spent building my business in other ways, so I appreciate the speed it gives me the most. My typical photo workflow is RAW processing in Capture One, and then I clean up the image and remove distractions in Photoshop, and Exposure adds the finish.

Learn more about Miguel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or his website and blog.

Prizes

Photo of the Month award winners receive a few swanky items from Alien Skin Software. They get one of our super soft American Apparel t-shirts, a laser-engraved 16gb thumb drive loaded with all of our photography software, and best of all they are featured here on the blog.

Monthly Theme

The monthly photo-sharing theme for April is Positive. If you’d like to enter, get your best choice shot posted before the 1st of April. Stay connected with all of the happenings in the group on Facebook.

Runner Ups

There are plenty of fantastic shots posted last month that we’d like to share. A few of the top liked shots are displayed below. Congratulations to everyone that submitted. These are amazing!

Let’s give you a little info about Russ and his wonderful talent for creating high-caliber photography. As part of being the monthly winner, he receives a bunch of goodies, including a blog feature. So here is a little more about him.

How long have you been a photographer?

I’ve always had an interest in photography. I’m mostly self-taught. I have been a professional photographer for 15 years and have long plans to continue. It’s been a passion of mine since I was a young teenager.

How would you describe your style?

I like a natural feel to my photography. I love organic colours and textures and hope to capture real expressions. A beautiful children’s portrait is much more than just a smile.

If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why?

I am absolutely in love with my 50mm F1.4 Sigma Art lens. It is absolutely sublime.

What is your favorite photography accessory, other than your camera?

It’s kind of silly but by absolute favorite accessory is my owl. I have one that works great to get eye contact with young children. It fits snug to my lens.

The hardest part of your job?


I find it most difficult to cull images for a clients gallery.

Do you offer workshops and if so, tell us a little about them?

I offer workshops and 1:1 training for newborn photographers at our studio in London. We keep them small, at just four attendees. We will cover everything an aspiring photographer needs to learn about newborn photography.

How has Alien Skin’s software changed how you process your photos?
I love Exposure and the way it adds an organic, earthy feel to my images. It gives my work extra wow factor!

Learn more about Russ on Facebook, Instagram, or his website.

Prizes

Photo of the Month award winners receive a few sweet items from Alien Skin Software. They get one of our super soft American Apparel t-shirts, a laser-engraved 16gb thumb drive loaded with all of our photography software, and best of all they get are featured here on the blog.

Monthly Theme

The monthly photo-sharing theme for February is Story. Make sure to get your best choice pic for that topic posted before the 1st of March.

Stay connected with all of the happenings in the group on Facebook. The announcement post for the new monthly theme will be made on the first of each month.

Runner Ups

There are plenty more top choice shots, some of them are listed below. Congratulations to everyone that submitted last month. These are beautiful!

April has won the monthly photo award plenty of times, so where we normally would share their profile, a quote from our correspondence reads:

I am honored to win Alien Skin’s Photo of the Month award. Thank you all for the supportive likes and sweet comments. The Exposure Users Group has been a fun, safe learning place for me.

While I’m here, I’d like to share my thoughts on Exposure X. I picked up a copy just as it came out and I totally love it. Here is why: I would have been totally happy with a small update, but the Aliens did so much more than that. Brushes!! O M G

Now it’s a tool I can use all of the time!

I no longer have to pop back and forth to add a little clarity to the eyes or dodge and burn, or other retouching tweaks. One of my favorite new abilities is layers, which lets me add multiple textures and gives me extra control to place effects to a specific area. This saves me a ton of valuable time. I use it as a standalone more than not because of how easy it is to drag and drop. Exposure X is life made easy.

I feel that I have barely scratched the surface of what X has to offer. It is totally worth the upgrade!

Prizes

Photo of the Month award winners receive a few clutch items from Alien Skin Software. They get one of our super soft American Apparel t-shirts, a laser-engraved 16gb thumb drive loaded with all of our photography software, and best of all they get are featured here on the blog.

Monthly Theme

We are kicking the new year off by paying tribute to what we created last year. From now until the 1st of February, the monthly photo-sharing theme is your best shot of 2015. Everyone is encouraged to dig back through the archives and post their absolute best shot shared between January and December of last year.

Runner Ups

There are plenty more top choice shots, some of them are listed below. Congratulations to everyone that submitted last month. These are beautiful!

Winners of the Photo of the Month award receive a few items from Alien Skin Software. They get one of our newly designed Alien Skin t-shirts, a laser-engraved thumb drive loaded with all of our photography software, and they are featured right here on the blog.

And, there’s more…

Again this month, our monthly photo contest prize package has been kicked up a notch by our friends at Lookslikefilm and their Fine Print Studio. They will be sending an 8×12 print on Baryta paper of the winning shot right to the photographers door.

There are plenty more top choice shots listed below. Congratulations to all of you as well. These are beautiful!

Winners of the Photo of the Month award receive a few items from Alien Skin Software. They get one of our newly designed Alien Skin t-shirts, a laser-engraved thumb drive loaded with all of our photography software, and they are featured right here on the blog.

Wait, there’s more…

Again this month, our monthly photo contest prize package has been kicked up a notch by our friends at Lookslikefilm and their Fine Print Studio. They will be sending an 8×12 print on Baryta paper of the winning shot right to the photographers door.

There are plenty more top choice shots listed below. Congratulations to all of you as well. These are beautiful!