'Light into the Dark' Contest

♦ Description

_{Now that the days are getting shorter, darkness begins to take over. People stay in their appartments, lighting candles or a fire against the cold creeping in. There's going to be coffee and tea and soon enough even Christmas cookies. But this contest is NOT just about this kind of darkness and that kind of light - it's about ANY kind of darkness and any kind of light you can think of: magical glow, moonlight, sunsets, planets exploding,... you name it.}

• Theme: Light into the Dark
• Medium: Photomanipulation (with additional digital media if you want - but the main part has to be a manip)
• Deadline: The contest runs from 01.11.2010 until 01.01.2011 23:59 CET
• Judges:
  
• What we will be judging on: Of course your entry needs to fit the theme, bringing light into the dark in some fashion, using photomanipulation (with additional digital media if you want). We'll be looking at creativity and technical skills (like blending, use of light and shadows in a logical mannor, etc).

• The entry has to be a photomanip, crediting all your stock sources* is a must (if you use your own images, please say so)!
• You can enter as many times as you like, but you can only win once. If you want to avoid competing against yourself, you might want to choose just one entry, your best.
• The entry has to be made for this contest and this contest alone - uploaded after the start date (soon to be reveiled) and before the deadline (also soon to be reveiled, most likely just after New Year's)

_{* It should go without saying that the stock sources have to be legitimate stock, but it seems I have to point it out anyway. If you are unsure about which stock you can use and what is not stock at all, please read this blog entry (the group may be in a coma, but this is still very useful info).}

Upload your image on dA and specify in the artist's comment that it is for this contest. Then note me on my main account kuschelirmel with your entry so I can add it to the Contest Collection.

...so far...

1. First Place
   
   • 1500 Points from kuschelirmel
     300 Points from miskis
     200 Points from Elandria
     100 Points from Grinmir-stock
   • 1 month sub from MelanieMaterne
     1 month sub from littlewillow-art
   • one journal and one gallery css from GinkgoWerkstatt
   • A set of 5 postcards of the winner's choosing from this collection from GingerKellyStudio
   • A photomanip or retouche request from MelanieMaterne
   • 3 backgrounds from FrozenStarART's PNGtubes store
   • Exclusive stock from GoblinStock, Kechake-stock, Grinmir-stock, Elandria and kuschelirmel-stock
   • Feature in dArtzine sponsored by BeehiveStudio
   • Journal features from VampireCrazy, littlewillow-art, MelanieMaterne, OwlInTheMirror, NHuval-stock, miah-art, miskis, dhik-a, Elandria, CearaFinn, GingerKellyStudio, GoblinStock, kuschelirmel-stock and kuschelirmel
2. Second Place
   
   • 1000 Points from kuschelirmel
     200 Points from miskis
     200 Points from GinkgoWerkstatt
     100 Points from Elandria
     100 Points from Grinmir-stock
   • 1 month sub fromMelanieMaterne
   • 2 backgrounds from FrozenStarART's PNGtubes store
   • Exclusive stock from GoblinStock, Kechake-stock, Grinmir-stock, Elandria and kuschelirmel-stock
   • Feature in dArtzine sponsored by BeehiveStudio
   • Journal features from VampireCrazy, littlewillow-art, MelanieMaterne, OwlInTheMirror, NHuval-stock, miah-art, miskis, dhik-a, Elandria, CearaFinn, GingerKellyStudio, GoblinStock, kuschelirmel-stock and kuschelirmel
3. Third Place
   
   • 500 Points from kuschelirmel
     200 Points from Grinmir-stock
     100 Points from miskis
     100 Points from Elandria
     100 Points from GinkgoWerkstatt
   • 1 month sub fromMelanieMaterne
   • 1 background from FrozenStarART's PNGtubes store
   • Exclusive stock from GoblinStock, Kechake-stock, Grinmir-stock, Elandria and kuschelirmel-stock
   • Feature in dArtzine sponsored by BeehiveStudio
   • Journal features from VampireCrazy, littlewillow-art, MelanieMaterne, OwlInTheMirror, NHuval-stock, miah-art, miskis, dhik-a, Elandria, CearaFinn, GingerKellyStudio, GoblinStock, kuschelirmel-stock and kuschelirmel

There will also be journal features for honorable mentions.

Thank you so much to all who have donated so far! You make me wish I could participate myself . If anyone else still feels like donating, please contact me via note!

Here are some tutorials that may be able to help you on the technical side of lighting a scene and choosing colours - not all are specifially for photomanips, but the principles are the same: