Submit Your Best City Photography to #TravelRoulette

And the winner is…..

Man, this was a tough decision. So many great photographs highlighting so many different aspects of life in a city. Manyu – of Shutterfeet – had a wonderful and colorful shot of the Bhaastan Haahbah (Boston Harbor), while Globetrotter Girls appealed to the New Yorker in me with a sick reflection pic from 5th Avenue.

Claire – from Beached Eskimo – showed the tranquility of a snowy city, while Raymond, of Man on the Lam – wowed me with a great sunset over the Bangkok skyline. Tall buildings, blue skies, graffiti, reflections, ships, rivers and more rounded out the rest of the amazing entries…but in the end, I had to give the prize to the most unique of the bunch…

Congratulations to Daniël, of Globe Trekking, who took his shot of an Amsterdam Canal and turned it into a sweet postcard. I’m a sucker for creative takes on an old classic, and Daniël won out because of it.

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Hooray…I won last week’s Travel Roulette!

In this weekly competition between bloggers, the previous week’s winner chooses a category and we all scramble to find a photograph that we think will most impress the host.

Last week the theme was food and I figured, go shocking or go home. Looks like it was a good strategy, because Torre DeRoche of the awesome travel blog Fearful Adventurer chose my photo of a bowl of chicken head soup from Laos as the winner.

Cities – (Travel Roulette Round #27)

So now it’s my turn to host this prestigious competition and I choose CITIES as the theme.

Why that? I was born and raised in New York City, lived in Washington, DC for seven years and now am a proud resident of San Francisco, California. So yes, one can safely call me a “city guy” and urban scenes are my favorite to photograph.

Follow the competition on Twitter, hashtag #photoroulette.

<– Help get the word out on your favorite social media sites

Official Rules

The photo contest will run from September 23th – September 30th 2011. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I’ll announce the winner on this page on September 20th 2011.

The rules of the game are simple. The hosting blogger is the chosen winner of the previous week’s (7 days) game. The new host chooses a generic keyword or phrase that other bloggers submit photos to during the course of the week. Phrases can be as generic as ‘signs’ all the way to abstract thoughts like ‘religion’ and everything in between. At the end of the week, the hosting blogger chooses their favourite photo that fits the chosen phrase and moves it to the top of the post as the winning entry with direction to the new host’s site for the next round.

Readers can attempt to sway the author into picking a certain photo via comments, but the author (that’s me!) can ignore comments as they see fit. The game is repeated with the winner hosting the following week’s game and choosing a phrase for new photo submissions. The following is a list of the previously played rounds of the game and the hosting blogger for each. This list also doubles as a winner’s table as each topic host won the preceding round! Click the host’s link to go directly to that entry to see some stunning photographs from the chosen term/phrase!

Here’s the list of previous hosts and topics:

• Nov 4–10, 2010 Living the Dream– “Animals”
• Nov 17–24, 2010 Skinny Backpacker – “Road Signs”
• Nov 29–Dec 6, 2010 Dream a Little Dream– “Street Art”
• Dec 8–15, 2010 Flashpacker HQ – “Festival”
• Dec 17–24, 2010 Over Yonderlust– “Landmarks”
• Dec 26–Jan 2, 2011 Don’t Ever Look Back– “Beaches”
• Jan 5–12, 2011 ThePlanetD– “Portraits”
• Jan 15–22, 2011 Travel with a Mate– “Motion”
• Jan 26–Feb 3, 2011 Johnny Vagabond– “Water”
• Feb 8–15, 2011 Ken Kaminesky– “Urban”
• Feb 21–27, 2011 Travels of Adam– “Friday Night”
• Mar 7–13, 2011 Itchy Feet Chronicles– “The Journey”
• Mar 19– 25, 2011 Brendan’s Adventures– “Changing Seasons”
• Apr 4–10, 2011 Shutterfeet– “Storytelling”
• Apr 13–21, 2011 10timesOne– “Piousness”
• Apr 26–May 4, 2011 Beached Eskimo– “Learning”
• May 21–27, 2011 Travel Junkies– “Architecture”
• Jun 1–7, 2011 Destination World– “Transportation”
• Jun 8–15, 2011 Living the Dream– “Paradise”
• Jun 21-28, 2011 Vagabond Quest– “Clothes”
• Jul 4-11, 2011 The Unframed World– “Symmetry”
• Jul 16-25, 2011 Beached Eskimo– “Home”
• July 31 – Aug 7, 2011 BackPackerBanter– “Inspiration”
• Aug 14 – 21, 2011 WanderingTrader– “Darkness”
• Aug 28 – Sep 4, 2011 Finding the Universe – “Tranquillity”
• Sep 12 – Sep 19, 2011 Fearful Adventurer – “Food”
• Current: Sep 23 – Sep 30, 2011 Adventures of a GoodMan – “City”

Photoshopping

Photoshopping gets a bad wrap. I say unless you’re moving things around and changing the scene itself, using photoshop is just as much a part of photography as the darkroom.

Computer images contain the same types of hidden details and color as a film negative: the darkroom has just gone digital. Instead of using an enlarger and chemistry, I can now stack layers and masks in Photoshop to achieve the same result.

…taken from my About page…

And some small print you need to know…

1. One submission per Blog (so sites that have 2+ authors only get one entry).
2. No photoshopping allowed unless specifically called for! Cropping and correction for red-eye or camera flaws are ok, however.
3. Abstract submissions welcomed as long as it fits within the interpretation of the chosen phrase. Remember, the hosting blogger chooses the winner, so if they cannot understand the submission, you might not win!
4. Keep phrases general so that all bloggers can participate. Specific items like “Eiffel Tower” should be avoided but rather made open-ended like “monuments.” For variety, it is ok to say focused things such as “monuments at night” in which most of us have pictures of.
5. Abstract thoughts are appreciated, but keep it within the realm that all readers will understand. No “Kafka-esque”, but “Overlooking Creation” is able to be interpreted by all.
6. No obscene pictures or phrases allowed. Suggestive phrases and photography can be accepted, but please keep it within reason.
7. After a sufficient period of time, phrases can be reused, however new photos must be submitted.
8. Keep the ideas and photos fresh!
9. Pictures from your entire portfolio is fair to submit. You do not have to take the photo within the week of the contest period to submit it.
10. Most importantly, ALL PHOTOS MUST BE YOUR OWN.

How to submit your entry:

Don’t forget you need to be a blogger to take part, because if you win you’re going to need to be able to host the next round!

To take part, provide links to your images in the comments field below, with a short description, and a link to your blog. Once your photo is submitted I will add it to the post below along with a link back to your site.

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Finally, once you’ve submitted your shot, I’d love it if you could take a moment to share this post on the interwebs using the sharing buttons to your left, which will give more folks a chance to take part!

And now, here are the entries for CITY…

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Adam, from Travels of Adam, submitted Varanasi – A City Like No Other

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Dustin, from Skinny Backpacker, submitted – The Sky Glows as the Night Markets Rise to Life in Sibu, Sarawak
“My entry is from Malaysian Borneo. This was one of my first shots with my ultra wide, with some cool reflections off the window.”

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Veronica, from GypsyNester, submitted – Tyne Church in Prague’s Old Town Square
“I was so captivated by Tyne Church in Prague’s Old Town Square, I must have taken a billion shots of it. Maybe it’s my Bohemian roots, but I used to dream of this building as a when I was younger. It’s the fairytale castle of my childhood. Thanks to our recent trip, I’m dreaming of it again.”

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Deej, of the World of Deej, submitted The New York City Skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge
“Appropriate for this month, Lower Manhattan through the wires of the Brooklyn Bridge.”

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Jeremy, of Living the Dream, submitted Shanghai Skyline
“Shanghai has one of the nicest business districts and skylines anywhere in the world, and is one of my favorites!”

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Amanda of A Dangerous Business, submitted Wellington, New Zealand
“Here’s a photo from my favorite city in the world (so far): Wellington, New Zealand.”

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Daniël, of Globe Trekking, submitted A Postcard From Amsterdam
“OK. I am making my submission a little bit more interesting. I have taken a traditionally Dutch city and made it into a city postcard. Everyone knows Amsterdam to be the city of iconic narrow houses built along the canals.”

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Pete, of Hectic Travels, submitted Skaters in the Heart of Brussels, Belgium
“This was shot in the heart of Brussels, Belgium. Each Saturday the experienced skaters come out and teach the up-and-coming youth how to skate. This area always seemed to be buzzing with people either watching or taking part. Everyone was having fun including myself watching and photographing. It gave me a feeling of community in this city.”

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Manyu, of Shutterfeet, submitted Couple Watching a Boston Harbor Sunset
“love photographing Boston’s waterfront area. The buildings are beautiful, the water is calm and the sunsets are majestic! There is always a throng of tourists and locals who gather there around sunset to admire the beautiful colors.

This was one such instance. A couple on their date was enjoying the event. For me, it was a perfect scene where I could add the human element to a gorgeous urban landscape. Of course, the sunset did not disappoint. The colors were intense.”

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Mike, from Travels of Mike, submitted Tourists Flock to the Forbidden City

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Samuel, of Nomatic Samuel, submitted Petronas Towers – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Audrey, from That Backpacker, submitted Buenos Aires as Seen From Above
“I was leaving the capital. I was fascinated by the straight avenues and boulevards running as far as the eye could see.”

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Globetrotter Girls submitted Reflections of 5th Avenue in a Skyscraper
“A shot I took last month in New York City, showing the reflection of 5th Avenue in a skyscraper”

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Stephen, of Bohemian Traveler, submitted Public Art in Singapore

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Scientika, of A Crazy Little Thing Called Blog, submitted Torun Poland: One of the Most Beautiful Cities in Europe
“I find old cities more charming and fun to photograph than the modern ones. My submission is from Torun in Poland–one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Torun is on the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list for having preserved almost intact its medieval spatial layout and character, as well as many Gothic brick buildings”

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Claire, from Beached Eskimo, submitted A Warm Coffee Shop During a Toronto Snowstorm
“This was a tough one… because I love cities and trying to photograph the different sides of them. I chose this one because it’s really my philosophy on city life. A good coffee shop with a window out on the world. I took this in my first weeks in Toronto, with the first decent snowstorm of the winter. Worth dropping by if you’re in Toronto – coffee’s good and the baking is awesome!”

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Rebecca, from Travels at 88 MPH, submitted The Bean in Chicago
“I could have spent all day at “The Bean”, but of course, fog settled over the entire city of Chicago all day. Typical spring!”

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Bianca, from Nomadbiba, submitted A Rare Blue Sky Seattle Day
“This summer I spent a couple of days in cool Seattle and was lucky to get the beautiful blue sky over the city instead of the usual rain clouds.”

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Iva, of Secret Zagreb, submitted Ghostly Playground
“The city of Zagreb, Croatia, is a uniquely green capital. But the antique soul of its numerous parks combined with the fact that life is obviously going on elsewhere, sometimes make even a children’s playground appear ghostly.”

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Raymond, of Man on the Lam, submitted Bangkok Rooftop Bar
“This is from the Red Sky rooftop bar in Bangkok.  It certainly lived up to its name the evening I was there.”

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Todd, from Todd’s Wanderings, submitted A Quiet Moment in Tokyo
“For me cities can be impersonal when viewed from a distance so I decided to zoom in. My photo is a quite moment found in Tokyo, Japan.”

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Steve, of Photo Fly Travel, submitted Burano Italy – Near Venice

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Leah, of Leah Travels, submitted a view of San Francisco’s Bay Bridge from Nob Hill
“Obviously I’m playing up on your love for San Francisco. Here’s a shot from Nob Hill. It was my first trip to San Fran, and I fell in love with this view and the city.”

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Aaron, of Aaron’s Worldwide Adventures, submitted our final entry: The view above Madison Square Park in New York City.

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Now, let’s see your take on the word CITY…

though the competition has ended, I would still love to post any future entries on this page and continue to grow this amazing collection of city photos from around the world.

and after you submit, please use the Stumble icon to the left to help get the word out about the competition.

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