Unique Lighting

Welcome to another Critique the Community contest! Each month, Fstoppers is challenging our community to submit their best photographs for our Critique the Community show, and three lucky winners will win a variety of photography related prizes.  

For the month of May, we want to see your best photographs featuring "unique lighting."  Your photos can be from any genre of photography including landscapes, portraits, architecture, or still life so long as it features interesting and unique lighting. Each image featured in the critique will be picked based on creativity, lighting, subject matter, overall production, final edit, and overall "wow" factor. The community rating does play a small part in our selection but it's not as big as you might think so don't get too wrapped up in what others have to say about your image. 

Deadline

This month we are allowing each participant to submit up to 4 photos.  All images must be posted to this page no later than May 24th, at 11:00pm Eastern time.  

As always, every eligible entry must have at least 3 sentences explaining how the photo was taken, any valuable technical information including lighting, camera gear, lens choice, etc, and any background story that might help our viewers understand why your image is so interesting.  

The Prizes

Each month we are giving away a variety of different photography related prizes. This month is no different and we are featuring a massive collection of Profoto's newest Softboxes, grids, Edge Masks, and diffuser kits.  Unlike traditional softboxes that require assembly using individual pole pieces, the new Profoto Softbox series has an easy to use snapping mechanism that allows you to build their softboxes in seconds.  These can be used with any 100mm flash head as well as the Profoto A series flashes (using an OCF Adapter). 

First Place - One grand prize winner will receive a set of Profoto's 3' Octa and 1x4' silver lined Softboxes. Each of these three softboxes comes with a 1.0 f-stop diffuser, but the first place winner will also include both the 1.5 f-stop and 0.5 f-stop diffuser kit to help further alter the softness of these softboxes.  If that isn't enough, Profoto is also throwing in their Edge Mask systems for each of these softboxes which allows you to completely change the size and throw of the softbox as well. Finally, you will also receive the matching Softgrids to help contain the spill of both of these softboxes.  Total value of $1999

Second Place - Second place will one Profoto Softbox 2x3' silver as well as the 1.5 f-stop and 0.5 f-stop diffuser kit. This softbox will also come with the accompanying Edge Mask and Softgrid as well.  Total Value of $666

Third Place - One third place winner will receive a free tutorial from the Fstoppers Store.  We have full length tutorials on a wide range of genres such as architectural photography, headshots, landscapes, product photography, and of course portrait photography.  Valued at $299

Added Bonus!

And finally, to help celebrate the month of May and get everyone excited about unique lighting, Fstoppers has made a massive sale on Peter Hurley's Illuminating the Face tutorial. It's normally priced at $300 but for the entire month you can get it for just $49.

Peter Hurley is known as one of the world's best headshot photographers. In his other tutorials, Peter explains everything he knows about creating perfect headshots, but in Illuminating the Face, Peter explores every possible light modifier you can use to light a portrait session. So if you are interested in lighting with a single small softbox or bringing out the huge 43" Mola Mantti out for a session, this tutorial is going to help you understand what each modifier does and how you can best use it to light your subject's face.

Good luck to everyone entering and we look forward to critiquing your best images images featuring "unique lighting!"

Featured Image by Sam Portraitsbysam