And the winner is....

I have been sitting here for a while trying to decide on a winner. I am having THE HARDEST FREAKING TIME! Everyone's entries were awesome and made me laugh. I honestly cannot believe the lengths some of you went to to get this done. lol

So do you want to know who the winner is?
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How about this one image first?

No? Okay...onto the winner then...

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The winner will receive a free spot in the program!

Second place will get $50 off the price

Third place will get $25 off the price

and Honorable Mention will also get $25 off of the price.

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So are you ready?

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First Place

Valerie!

I loved how creative you got with this but I think it was the "toe socks" that got me! lol

Second Place-Deb

Third place - Danielle

Honorable Mention - Tawnya

Congrats ladies!

Registration is now open to all! It's a first come first serve sort of thing, so if you want to be part of the program you may want to register soon. To register simply shoot me an email at byerleyphotography@earthlink.net. Your registration is complete when you have sent your tuition and returned your agreement form (which is pretty basic stuff, ya know, signing over your first born, yada yada yada).

Winners, don't forget to email me as well!

Time's UP!!!!

The contest is officially OVER! I am in the process of reviewing all the entries and I will post the winner soon! Check back later to see the results and the official opening of registration!

YEHAW!

Almost time!

It's almost time to open registration. And I will do so as soon as the contest is over! I'm loving all the entries so far! You all ROCK! You have less than 48 hours to get all your images in, so get busy. Remember, you do not have to have all of them, but the more you have the better your chances.

As soon as all the spots have filled I will send everyone information on how to access the forum. This will be where you share your images, and where I will post critiques and other fun things, including my actions I use on my work. These are action I have created myself and have not shared ANYWHERE else, not even on other paid forums!

So, I don't know about you all, but I am getting EXCITED! And I also want to thank everyone for all the emails I've received about this program and about my work. All of your kind comments are extremely appreciated! So THANK YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!

I will post again REAL soon! So keep checking back. :)

Contest for FREE spot!!!!

YEEHAW!


Yep, you heard me right! I'm holding a FUN and SILLY contest for a free spot to my program. How do you all like scavenger hunts? Ahh, me too! So that is what we are doing. A Photo Scavenger Hunt! Yippee!



The Silly Rules:

• You must pick either odd or even numbers on the list below and complete them all. Yes there are many! It's meant to be challenging. If you include an image not on the list you choose, you lose points.


• You will need to upload the images to a site, like photobucket, for viewing. http://www.photobucket.com/ This is so I don't receive a horde of images emailed to me. Photobucket is a free service. Go to the link above and sign up. Please put them in a separate folder so I can see them easily. Then you can either email me the link or post a comment on the blog here with the link. If you post the link on the blog for all to see you will get EXTRA points! :)


• You have until FRIDAY August 31, 2007 @ 5PM CENTRAL time to complete the hunt.


• The person that has the most creative and funny images (I'll be the judge) will win a FREE spot to the program!


• You will get points for each image you get. So try to get them all. You will get extra points for a creative or funny image.


• You can have other people helping you (up to 5 people). But try to take as many images as you can yourself. Remember, I want to see how creative and funny YOU are.

Now, on to the hunt list!!

1. A strangely shaped tree.
2. The local hospital ER entrance.
3. A staff member of a tattoo parlor.
4. The landscaping in front of your house, or apartment.
5. A funky blue shirt.
6. A Mini Cooper.
7. Pose someone you know in a very cheesy way.
8. Your family brushing their teeth.
9. The shoes in your closet (or wherever you keep them).
10. A picture of you on the ugliest piece of furniture you can find, wearing the ugliest outfit.
11. Picture in a hardware store wearing hunting garb.
12. Photo of you and your family with a lawn chair, a bowling ball and cake.
13. Adult strangers playing on playground equipment.
14. You in red shoes.
15. You with a piece of farming equipment.
16. The funniest sign you can find.
17. A lamp.
18. A spoon.
19. Your car.
20. Your Bedroom.
21. Your Bathroom.
22. Picture of you with a cow.
23. Picture of you standing in front of a McDonald's holding a sign that says "I wanna win!"
24. Picture of you with a Wal-Mart greeter.
25. A golf course.
26. A pink car.
27. Photo of you with the biggest slab of meat you can find in the grocery store but promoting vegetarianism somehow.
28. Picture of you with the largest stuffed animal you can find in a retail store.
29. Photo of a friend wearing the strangest outfit in the middle of the mall.
30. Picture of yourself with a funny outdoor sculpture.
31. With your friends help, use your bodies to spell out YMCA.
32. A sign that has the number 1974 on it.
33. A photo of a Starbucks (or similar) employee handing you your coffee.
34. A photo of $4.44 all in change. None US currency gets extra points.
35. A movie marque sign.
36. A movie poster.
37. Your office.
38. Your desk.
39. A photo of a big juicy cheeseburger from a local (not chain) restaurant.
40. A photo of you getting money out of an ATM.
41. A school bus.
42. A city bus.
43. A big truck (the more axles the better) going down the highway.
44. A squirrel in a tree.
45. A purple flower.
46. A glass object.
47. A candle.
48. Something older than you are.
49. The cover of a local magazine.
50. A green vegetable.
51. Someones hand giving a peace sign.
52. A friend trying on clothes for the opposite sex in a department store.
53. A public bathroom.
54. A stop sign.
55. A friend trying on new white shoes at a shoe store.
56. A convertible car.
57. An old house.
58. A barn.
59. A truck.
60. Your couch.
61. A slide.
62. A bike.
63. A ticket stub from the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
64. A bucket of chicken.
65. The Alaska state quarter.
66. A high school class ring.
67. A diamond ring.
68. A photo of you or a friend sitting in a movie theater.
69. A box of Nerds candy.
70. A photo of you buying a box of tea bags.
71. Magic 8 ball.
72. A piggy bank.
73. A coon skin hat.
74. A Ouija board.
75. A paper clip.
76. An American $2 bill.
77. A Spongebob Squarepants electric toothbrush.
78. A plastic plant.
79. An alarm clock.
80. A bow tie.
81. A funky picture frame.
82. A brown paper bag.
83. A USPS stamp.
84. Something that says "Made in Canada" on it.
85. A tent.
86. One Lego piece.
87. A yo-yo.
88. A dill pickle on a paper towel.
89. A used dryer sheet.
90. A Flintstones vitamin.
91. Toe socks.
92. The Headline from your local newspaper dated August 25, 2007.
93. The candle stick from the board game Clue.
94. A pack of "Vicki Gum" from Victoria's Secret.
95. A whoopee cushion.
96. A bald man wearing brown shoes.
97. An old lady at a bus stop.
98. A Ken doll.
99. A green umbrella.
100. A Lazy Susan.

And one last thing that you MUST have. A good self portrait to use as your avatar on the forum. If you don't have this then you WILL NOT WIN!!!!

So, gather up your friends and get out there. It's not meant to be easy, but it is meant to be FUN! The more I laugh at the images the better your chances. Remember, I've got a weird sense of humor. lol

And remember, you only have until NEXT FRIDAY to get this done!!!!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!!

Welcome to Foundations!

I would like to welcome you to the Foundations Blog.

What is Foundations you say? Well Foundations is a sort of learning/mentoring program for those just starting out in the photography business. It is open to anyone wanting to improve their work.

The 411

The program is designed to help you grow as a photographer. It consists of 8 weekly lessons and 8 assignments. Within the program we will cover topics such as Composition, The Rule of Thirds, The Golden Hours, Natural Light, Flash, Backlighting, Clothing, and many, many other topics. We will also learn how to use the manual controls on your camera. I'm a firm believer that you should not be in this business if you are using Auto controls. Therefore, we will work hard at learning manual. It's not as painful as it looks. I promise you. We will also discuss post processing in detail. I will share my tricks of the trade. I will also share my actions I use during my post processing. I will not share that information anywhere else, expect during this program.

My main goal of the program is to get everyone shooting in manual and to understand the basics. I want you all to get the image correct in camera as much as possible so it only takes you a few minutes to post process each image. The lessons will not be too long, because I understand that everyone has other things to do. I will touch base on all the info and then will discuss things further in the forum. I want everyone to have a firm foundation so you can build your business successfully.


You will also receive a membership to the Foundations Forum. This is where we will continue to discuss topics and where I will personally critique your assignments. Membership to the forum will be good for one (1) year and you can ask me any questions you want while you are a member. I will also hold contests within the forum for prizes!

The Stipulations

As with anything, there must be a few rules.

• The main one is that members MUST have a SLR camera, preferable a DSLR. It doesn't matter which brand, Nikon, Canon, whatever, but it needs to be a SLR.
  
• There is only a limited number of spots available per session. Once the current session is over, more spots will become available.


• No one within 150 miles of Springfield, Missouri may become a member. That is simply because it's the area I market my photography business.


• You must give your all, 100%, to learning the lessons and completing the assignments on time. You don't have to be a working professional to become a member but you do have to take photography seriously. Hobbyists are fine.


• Payment is due in full when signing up. No partial payments will be accepted. I only accept PayPal payments for the program.


• No refund will be giving after the start of the program.


• I reserve the right to make changes to the program at anytime.

The Rate

I will be offering an INTRODUCTORY rate for the first session of $250. This includes everything, the lessons, the assignments, the personal image critiques, my personal actions, the forum, etc. The rate will most likely go up after the first round.

This is truly a STEAL!!!! Don't pass it up!

About Me

My name is Vicki Byerley and I have been into photography for many, many years now. I run my own photography business out of Springfield, Mo. I specialize in natural light portraiture of children and teens.

To view more of my work please visit my site at http://www.vickibyerleyphotography.com/

Or visit on my blog at http://www.vickibyerleyphotography.blogspot.com/

For more information please feel free to contact me either by email at byerleyphotography@earthlink.net or by simply leaving a comment here on the blog.

The first session will begin soon so keep checking the blog for updates.

Have an AWESOME day!

Vicki