Spontaneous Combustion by Todd Tobey

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
I used a Canon 5D mark ll with a Canon 16-35mm f 2.8L lens. My tripod is a Gitzo 3530 LS and I use a Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead.

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
I used the live view function on the camera to help compose and focus the shot. I also used the real time histogram, via the live view, to confirm the proper exposure for the shot. The ISO was set to 50. I used a cable release with the camera in continuous shooting mode in an effort to minimize cloud movement in the sky. The aperture was set to f 16. I took three different exposures for the shot. One for the highlights, one for the mid-tones, and one for the shadows. Shutter speeds differed for each shot, 0.7 seconds for the highlights, 3 seconds for the mid-tones and 10 seconds for the shadows.

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
The three exposures were tonemapped in Photomatix. I loaded the tonemapped image along with the three original images into the layers palette in Photoshop CS4. I used the tonemapped image as a base layer and blended portions of the three originals back into it. Once I was satisfied with the blend, I flattened the image and made final adjustments for color, contrast and sharpness.

Q4. What is the location?
The shot was taken at Eufaula Lake in Pittsburg County Oklahoma.

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
I am always looking for dramatic lighting conditions and interesting subjects in nature. I thought the combination of water, the dead tree and the gorgeous light might make for an interesting photograph. On a side note, I did get really wet making this shot. It was necessary to wade into waist deep water to get the shot that I had envisioned. The wet ride home was worth it!

Donde habita el Alma by Ruhey

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
Canon 450d

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
1/800, f/8, 55 mm

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
PhotoShop CS 4

Q4. What is the subject of the photo?
It is a landscape with a field of sunflowers. (it is the truth)

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
Seen photos of Alfonso Dominguez

Untitled by Phil Peterson

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
I used a Canon 5D with 16-35mm f2.8 lens. I used a beauty dish on a White Lightning X1600 for the main light with the sunset as the background.

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
I have no idea what my camera settings were other than the shutter speed was probably 1/160th because that's the best sync speed for my strobe.

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
I used Photoshop CS3 with Adobe Bridge and I think I might've used a couple of Nik Efex filters but I don't remember what I did. Honestly, the important thing to me is trying to do everything I can in camera and with the stobe(s) and/or ambient so that I don't have to do much post processing.

Q4. Who is the model?
The model is Angie Sansone, a very talented and beautiful dancer with the Kansas City Ballet and Quixotic Fusion. This was a photo session for Quixotic Fusion (www.quixoticfusion.com)

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
I've wanted to do this image for about a year although, I didn't know it would be with Quixotic and Angie. The idea originally came to me when photographing a model for a friend of mine who is a clothing designer who hand makes gorgeous and unique clothing. I love to work with fabric because it flows gracefully and compliments the shape of the female form. It also can add to the drama of the image like it did with the one chosen.

Extra Q: Please share an interesting or funny fact (if any) that happened while working on this photograph.
Angie was standing on a narrow steel beam on the roof of my building. Most people might be a little intimidated being 6 floors up but Angie has a ninja-like sense of balance and body awareness so she rocked it.

Ben More Assynt by Dietmar Herzog

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
I used a NIKON D300, polar filter and a Tripod

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
5 shots with differnt settings

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
Photomatix (very moderate HDR) and Photoshop CS4

Q4. What is the location?
Ben More Assynt in Sutherland/Scotland

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
I like those lonely trees and I have made that shot many years ago, but I wasn't satisfied at all so, I wanted to make it again in winter and I had luck as there was new fallen snow that time

The Other Kind by Jun Zhu

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
I used Nikon D40x with Neewer super wide angle adapter

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
I think it was automatic

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
Gimp

Q4. Who is the model?
My fiance James

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
Oh this is hard! James was walking in front of me towards the beach and I thought how small he looks against the vastness of the sea and the sky! I always like backlit photos and playing with light and the moment was perfect for that so I shouted 'Stand straight!' and pressed the shutter :-)

Seasons change, friends move away, and life goes on from day to day... by Jennifer Rachelle

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
I used a Nikon D5000, 18-55mm lens and a SB900 Nikon Flash.

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
The f stop was f/6.3 , ISO 200, Exposure 1/160 sec.

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
I used CS3 for post processing.

Q4. What was the subject of the photo?
The subject of the photo was a leaf on a rock bench at a park.

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
I was looking for something to resemble Autumnal Equinox due to a challenge in another group. It was quite difficult being in South Texas because most leaves have not started to change. I drove for about an hour trying to figure out how I wanted to show the seasons changing. I was about to give up when I found this leaf and was amazed at the two sides reflecting the Autumnal Equinox better than what I was originally visualizing for the challenge.