2015 Bearded Dragon Calendar images needed!!!

Yes, it's that time again!!!

2015 Bearded Dragon Calendar image submissions!

The deadline for the 2015 Calendar submissions is 11:59pm on Sunday, September 28, 2014. (That's almost 6 weeks from this post).

PLEASE READ THE WHOLE MESSAGE CAREFULLY. The submission process has changed from last year! I know that this is pretty long, but in order to make this process go more smoothly, please follow the info about submission image guidelines. Do not submit more than two images per beardie!

Also, please be sure to also read the tips at the end!!! In past years, I have noticed that many people have really great ideas, but the picture doesn't get taken properly. Either the resolution is too low, or the camera focused on the background, leaving a blurry beardie. The tips below will also help you improve your pictures (I am an advanced amateur photographer, so I feel comfortable giving some basic tips).

Again, the deadline for the 2015 Calendar submissions is 11:59pm on Sunday, September 28, 2014

...

Yes, we're doing another Calendar! And yes, I will do as I have the last 10 years, and do my best to include one image of every beardie sent to me. I will leave it to my own discretion as to which images are used, which will get a "larger" position, and which will get smaller images.

Want to see your beardie inside the 2015 Bearded Dragon calendar? Well, get those images submitted!!!
Please submit images EARLY if you have them ready

What you need to do
1. Find or take the best pictures of your beardie(s) you can. When deciding which ones are the best, please look for the following qualities:
- Sharpness: Make sure the bearded dragon is in focus and sharp
- Composure: Look for an image or shot that has a nice overall aesthetic look, a nice background, good lighting quality, not too "messy", etc.
- Size/Resolution: Set your cameras for the absolute highest resolution and quality that they will take. Only the higher quality images (at least 5 megapixels) will be considered for full page use. Lower resolution images will still be used if possible, but only in smaller form (see samples below for what the smaller ones are like on a page).

When submitting your pictures, please upload a copy of the ORIGINAL (JPG only please). If you shoot in RAW, please convert to JPG. If you don't know what RAW is, don't worry about... your camera does JPG I want the maximum resolution possible. If you export from your photo program, please make sure it isn't resizing it "for email" or some other small size. Additionally, images should NOT have been digitally modified (including resizing to make "larger"). If an image needs improvement, please let me worry about doing that. No designs, text, etc. are to be added to the images prior to sending them to me.

2. Upload the picture(s) using this link. This year we're using a web form to simplify submitting pictures. You must be logged in on the forums before accessing the upload form. That way, it will know your username. Be sure to enter the name of each beardie in each picture. If there are multiple beardies in one pic, please list them as shown left to right.

LIMIT TWO PICTURES PER BEARDED DRAGON. This means, if you have 2 beardies please send no more than 4 pictures for consideration.

COPYRIGHT
Please note that all images that are submitted must be free of any copyright restrictions or at MINIMUM, by submitting an image, you authorize it to be used royalty-free for the Bearded Dragon Calendar to be reproduced, distributed, and sold on the Beardie Stuff Store (hosted by CafePress). Profits from Beardie Stuff products contribute to keeping this site up and running for all. You assume any and all responsibility for any legal repercussions related to the material that you submit, that you did not own, or did not have the right to submit.


Notes / Tips
- In order to even be considered for a full page layout, the image must be at least 5 Megapixels. Set your camera on the maximum quality and size that it can take.

- If you have them, include images that are at least 8 Megapixels ... this is the minimum resolution to be considered for the main cover.

- Shoot in landscape format (wider image, not taller). Portrait (vertically framed) images cannot qualify for a full page spread, as the calendar is landscape format. For images that have been submitted in portrait format, and that I think could have potential for full page, I will contact you to ask if you could retake a similar shot. Otherwise, I will work with what was submitted for one of the many other spots in the calendar.

Photography Tips

- Allow some extra room around the frame of the picture. While I do like images that are up close, don't get TOO close. I will need to be able to crop the image to fit into the calendar (whether a smaller square or a full page image). If there is no room around the image, I won't be able to crop it.

- It can be nice to have beardies with beautiful background scenery, BUT if you choose to do this, be careful not to leave them looking tiny in the image. Try to find a good balance of scenery and beardie.

- Make sure your subject is sharp! The problem many people have when taking pictures of smaller things, is that they get too close! While cameras are getting better at handling this, they cannot focus closer than a certain distance. So, stay at least 18 inches back.

- Use the "pre-focus" option!! Pretty much EVERY digital camera has this these days. Just before taking the picture, press the shutter-button (the one to take the picture) about half way down. Usually you'll hear a beep or see on your screen where the camera is choosing to focus. If the camera's autofocus didn't pick a focus point close to your beardie's eye, let go, and press it half way again until it does. Then press it all the way to snap that picture.

- If your camera has it, put it into Macro mode. That's usually an icon image of a flower, of food, or something you would have to be close to. If you don't have one, try portrait mode (a icon image of a person usually). This tells the camera that the priority is to focus on things that are closer.

- I could write a whole chapter on ways to improve focus. The best thing I can suggest... practice!! Seriously! Put your beardie (or even a model, like a stuffed animal) someplace, and take some practice pictures. Don't expect to use these (although, if you get a good one, keep it). But then load them on your computer and look closely at the eyes of your beardie. You want to see them sharp and in-focus. The rest can be slightly blurry... but if the eye is sharp, the picture will look good.

Sharpness is always the biggest problem which is why I am emphasizing it so much. So, I'll stop my tips here... the rest is practice and artistic preferences. You can see what I tend to like by looking at previous year previews (listed below).


Again, if you have questions, please feel free to reply here. I will be watching the thread for replies.


Below are some screen shots a previous Calendars just to give you an idea of what I did with the pictures that were submitted:

https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-00.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-01.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-02.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-03.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-04.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-05.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-06.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-07.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-08.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-09.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-10.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-11.jpg
https://www.beardeddragon.org/images/site_images/2007-Calendar-12.jpg


After submission, this is how things will go and how you get your calendar!
- I go to work
I will process through all the images and create preview images, and the draft copies of the calendars.

- I will post previews (Estimated to be 2nd or 3rd week of October)
This is so people can check for correctness. I will make a global post, like this one to bring attention to it, and will reply here for anyone "watching" or subscribed to this topic (see bottom left of the page if you want to subscribe and see replies). I will probably leave 1 week for people to see the post for "corrections" being requested. Of course, if a last minute correction is needed, I will try to do so before you order yours. Other people may have the wrong name for your beardie, but at least YOU will have one with the right names. Following the instructions above closely will help.

- I will finalize the calendars on the Beardie Stuff Store (Estimated to be early November)
They will be available for purchase on the Beardie Stuff Store. Pricing works out to be about $20. I need to verify if CafePress has changed their base prices this year or not, but expect pricing to be about that. I will also make a global post to let everyone know, and will post about it on the main home page of the site!

I will also send updates for each of these steps to those added to the "Beardie Stuff Store notifications" group. You can add yourself by going to the User Control Panel and added yourself to it. Or use the following link as a short cut.

ucp.php?i=167

Cheers! I look forward to seeing all the beardies!!!

Very cool! I can't wait to see the final product!

I am trying to upload pictures for the calendar but it keeps saying my images are too small. I can enlarge them but you ask us not to. :? Do I need to take new pictures? Thank you!!

If it is saying they are too small, then they are likely very small (too small for me to be able to use in the calendar). Also, if they're that small, they likely aren't the original files from your camera. 400x400 is the smallest I can use (that allows for printing a 2 inch square for the smallest spots).

I just looked at the logs for the upload form, and I see that the images being submitted were in the "160 x 160" range. This looks like the size of an image where some program would have resized it (for email, or other similar purposes). If you can locate the original copies of those images, or even a reasonably higher resolution copy, then I'm sure the issue will be resolved. 160x160 is nearly "thumbnail" image size. I suspect that you might have a higher resolution copy of those pictures somewhere.

Ahh! Makes perfect sense. Thank you!

Only 3 weeks left to get your photos submitted for the 2015 Bearded Dragon Calendar!!

Alex, I have a question about the settings. To get the sharpest picture, should the camera be set on Super Fine, Fine or Normal?

diamc":n0xs3qld said:

Alex, I have a question about the settings. To get the sharpest picture, should the camera be set on Super Fine, Fine or Normal?

Click to expand...

Super Fine, I suspect. The terminology varies by camera maker. I believe that is basically the non-technical way of them asking the user, do you want, highest, high, or medium resolution pictures. I don't know what resolution your camera chooses for each of those, but the highest is probably best. People with cameras that might be higher than I would like would know (there aren't many, and they're usually expensive).

Thanks Alex. It's a PowerShot SD630, 6.0 Megapixels. Seems like I can take 1 nice clear picture to 5 blurry ones, driving me crazy so thought maybe I had that particular setting wrong.

diamc":2abky7cm said:

Thanks Alex. It's a PowerShot SD630, 6.0 Megapixels. Seems like I can take 1 nice clear picture to 5 blurry ones, driving me crazy so thought maybe I had that particular setting wrong.

Click to expand...

If you already have the macro setting (a flower icon) turned on, be sure to half press the shutter button (you'll hear a beep) to allow the camera to focus on the primary image (your beardie) before taking the photo. Not sure if the SD630 is the same as mine (A570, yeah, I know, ancient), but you should see a "[ ]" around the image that the camera thinks you want to focus on.

I already do that Gina and have it set that way but still get a lot of blurry images & can't really tell they came out blurry until I view my memory card. I think I need to take a computer course. :roll:

diamc":2q1txzvy said:

Thanks Alex. It's a PowerShot SD630, 6.0 Megapixels. Seems like I can take 1 nice clear picture to 5 blurry ones, driving me crazy so thought maybe I had that particular setting wrong.

Click to expand...

When you say blurry, exactly what is blurry and why? Is the whole image blurry, like perhaps from motion while taking it (not having a steady hand), or is the background in focus and not the beardie? The latter is very common, and a big cause it for people to either be too close to the main subject (cameras have a minimum focus distance, often about 18"), or they don't pay attention to the focus point when "pre-exposing".

Pre-exposing, is when you press the shutter down half way. It will typically do the focus and exposure settings, but not take the picture. It will also show you where it focused on the view finder. If it didn't focus in the right place, release the button and try again. If it did, press it all the way down to take the shot.

diamc":3gl5ddvk said:

I already do that Gina and have it set that way but still get a lot of blurry images & can't really tell they came out blurry until I view my memory card. I think I need to take computer course. :roll:

Click to expand...

Amateur photography course would be better to help with those issues.

When coming out blurry, does it seem like the whole image is blurry? Did the focus indicator say it focused in the right area? If you want, send me one of the ones that you thought would come out but didn't. I might be able to advise you on what is going wrong.

When they come out blurry, the whole image is. I always make sure I'm not too close although I do use the Zoom.

Thanks Alex. Appreciate your advice. Will send you a pm.

diamc":29k3f8lk said:

When they come out blurry, the whole image is. I always make sure I'm not too close although I do use the Zoom.

Thanks Alex.

Click to expand...

Try finding a way to stabilize your hand better. Especially with any significant amount of zoom, hand shake can be death for a sharp picture. Bracing yourself, keeping your elbows and arms close to your body... these things help stabilize yourself when you're shooting. Alternatively, try a tripod, if you have one.

Also, if you're shooting indoor or with any lower light levels, try a brighter setting. Lower light requires the shutter to stay open longer, increasing the chance of motion blurry affecting your image.

But if you email me a sample pic, I'll let you know what I think.