Question for the monthly contest participants:

Just curious how everyone prepares for the monthly contests...

Do you find yourself searching through your archives for photos?
Do you see the theme and know immediately which photo you want to use?

Or do you treat the monthly contest as a month-to-month project in which you shoot specifically for the theme?

Personally, I treat it as a project in which I head out looking to specifically shoot the particular months' theme...

Many things contribute to how I approach the entry.

Some subjects immediately suggests a shot I have long wanted to enter, and then it's all done.

With others I look through the archives because there is a very short time allotted for shooting, or because of inappropriate weather or for other reasons I am not able to go out and shoot.
Then I assemble the possibilities from my archives and the agonizing begins.

Some of my happiest, and also most frustrating times have been when I go out and shoot for the right picture to post.

Last fall contest I did that, and ended up with a couple hundred shots of a specific set up I created, and re-created of reflections of leaves and used none of them. I had spent a tremendous amount of time, over several days, and learned a whole lot.
Used a crop from a photo in my archives.

Then there are the times I am stumped.
Such as for "Black" - and "Storm"
but I am always so surprised how something, somehow, will materialize.

I have a suspicion what I just said holds true for most of us, but I will be curious as always to see the answers.

I love the excitement of learning the theme and then going out and trying to get the right shot...

a new photo for the contest, but there have been times that I've gone back through my archives

And . . . uou'd think with all the snow we've been getting lately that I'd have at least on adequate "winter" photo, but so far I've got nothing! ;-(

Good luck with your entry.

I have over 9k images on one site from the last couple years to pick through, and that's just a piece. 99% of my images have no title and have never been viewed so, I think it could be everything you state.

It's a crap shoot!
Sounds like Fun to me!

out, and I have to go thru the process of searching archives. I am always reminded to get my photos in some sort of order, but alas, it's a slow project. Seems I find it more fun to take pics than to do the dirty work of organizing.

but doesn't always work.

I have years of photos in my folders, but I still go out and shoot something if I think I can improve on it.

The seasonal contests are a bit different since I live where seasons are iffy. I rely on photos that I took when I was in a place that has seasons. For the winter contest I'll have to rely on what I've already shot since I won't be near snow until mid month when I'm going to Yosemite.

I have wanted to enter something, but need more lead time. It seems things are announced, then it's over in a day or so. I am pretty busy and even though I may have some photos already that could be entered, it takes time to process and upload them someplace so as to be able to show them here. It all takes time and like many, I don't have a lot of it.

I find the topics interesting and stimulating. For instance the one about boats still has me looking more intently at boats....in fact I took a few today....but it's over...so...but I did get some nice photos of interesting boats. It gives you new ways to look at things. It is amazing seeing how different people interpret things.

Sometimes I hit my archives, sometimes I go shoot. For the seasonal theme I went out this afternoon, found my shot, and entered it. It was a lot quicker than going through my archives.:rofl: