March 14, 2015badfish

Explore the Elements Photo Challenge: Earth, Air, Fire, Water

Thomas Cook has created a photo challenge, the Thomas Cook Explore the Elements photo blogging competition. It’s all about capturing and expressing the four elements through travel photography.

They are looking for bloggers to publish photographs they’ve taken which best represent one of the four elements. All the categories are open to your interpretation, so you can be free to take a picture of anything you feel showcases your chosen element.

As part of the blogging challenge, entrants are required to do the following:

  • Entrants must follow the online ‘Explore The Elements’ instructions found http://www.thomascook.com/blog/holiday-competitions-deals/explore-the-elements/   to create their own blog entry.
  • Only one entry per person is permitted.
  • Entries must be received by Thomas Cook by no later than 23.59 on 16th March 2015.
  • To qualify for entry, entrants must also nominate 5 of their fellow bloggers within their blog post.

I was nominated by Jithin, the very disciplined and prolific travel photographer at PhoTrablogger. Below are my entries, my interpretations for the four elements. I may include some photos that you may have previously seen in a post (a guy only has so many photos of elements).

AIR

5 CloudsReem 2176 E11 RedHouse 9545
2 boys-kite_9024 E13 BalloonMON 4952

EARTH


Bike+Milkcans Sepia 7322SM

Green bananas growing in the wild

FIRE

1 PUNEHome2 7394 E1

2 Katmandu drum monks E1

WATER

1 AMS3HOUSE 9674


Canyon de Chelly

3 RED & BLUE BOOBIES1

Since I am such a procrastinator (don’t ask a Libra!) and have procrastinated once again, the bloggers I will nominate have only a few days to enter. Sorry guys. I nominate the following:

Alison 

Lucile

Leanne

Victoria

Donna

27 comments

  1. Thanks for the nomination. You’re the second person to nominate me. Thought about it, even chose a few photos, but don’t really have time since it’s due in 2 days and I’ll be out exploring all day tomorrow and travelling the next day. I see you can put in more than one photo per category. Your first photo for air is stunning! As is the one with the hot air balloon. Also love the motorbike one, and the sepia bicycle.
    A.

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    • Hey, I just realized. You could enter just one category…from the photos already chosen. It doesn’t take that long really. You don’t even have to think of anything to write. Copy/paste the rules, insert a few photos, links to five who really won’t have enough time to enter(!), and BAM, you’re in. You know you SHOULD. It’s not really about winning for me (I’ve seen what people can do in LightRoom!

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    • You think? The one of the canyon with my shadow at the top and the little ribbon of river flowing at the bottom…kind of stretch for “water” though, eh? But hey, they said it was “my” interpretation. So scr*w em if they can’t take a joke is all I’m saying. I need to learn Photoshop because I would like to put a sky (like in the first shot of air) into the canyon shot with the balloon…instead of the washed-out white sky, so blah. In was a cloudy day. No blue.

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      • A ribbon of water is still water. And, interpretation, as you say, is what it’s all about. A for instance… Water, as an element, is one of the four elements represented in Tarot. Water is where emotion resides. On the putting in a sky, why don’t you pick out the sky you want to put in. Try to make it the same width as the original photo so you don’t have to stretch it… I can take a look and see if it works, if you’d like.

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    • Thanks. I like most of these shots, and their colors. But I’m going to need to learn some Photoshop or LightRoom, I think. And yeah, one by the Ganga!!! Truly amazing to be there during Kumbh Mela in Rishikesh. You still in UAE, or outta there?

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      • Yes, PS & LR can do wonders. But somehow I believe if you can achieve such effects with your camera, that is better. Maybe because I am not good at these software 😀

        I was talking about the picture at the mountain, having your shadow in the frame. That is awesome. I missed the kumbh mela!! 😦
        Nope, I just got home. Are you in AD?

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    • Hey, I thought I responded to this, I remember doing it. But it’s not here??? I like that shot too: a blue-footed booby and a red-footed booby as some would say. It’s interesting how different people like different shots.

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    • Yeah, those monks didn’t speak English, and I felt a little weird taking their photo, but they allowed me, so I did. It was actually pretty dark in there with only natural light from a couple windows. The drum he was playing was awesome, sent vibrations through you.

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  11. I started reading the post and found this challenge very interesting. I would have loved to participate. But hey, then I saw you nominated me. Too late for me now to join. I was immediately upset with me because I haven’t read this post yet, and also with WordPress as I saw that you had a pingback to me, which I wasn’t notified of. Ok, I’m not really upset.
    The best part was in fact your token of appreciation. Thank you so much for the nomination….
    And good luck with the challenge. Your selfie was great. You have very good and strong photos here.

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