Shooting Challenge: Breaking Free… Win An Olympus PEN E-P5 Camera!

Welcome back to Shooting Challenge, where Gizmodo readers test their photographic skills for the admiration of their editors and the chance to win a mind-blowing Olympus PEN E-P5. Entries close Tuesday morning….

But before we get to this week’s challenge…

Who’s The First Nominee?

Last week’s Shooting Challenge attracted some incredible entries, and the Gizmodo editors though long and hard about who to nominate for the first round.

In the end…

Nominee

Sam Irbving!

Photo taken handheld with an Olympus e620 and f/2 50mm lens wide open. ISO 200; 1/4000s.

When looked at from afar, this thistle looked all nice and fluffy, but get a bit closer and it’s obvious that it’s much more vicious than that! I tried to get that in the picture – the bit out of focus is nice and soft, but as soon as the focus is sharp… so are the spikes!

Congratulations, Sam! You’re a nominee, and through to the grand final against the winner of this latest week’s challenge!

Think you have what it takes to beat Sam? Read on: the next challenge is below!


Prizes

Styled to look like the old Olympus Pen F from the 1960’s, the brand-new Olympus PEN E-P5 is a retro masterpiece. Packing the same 16-megapixel Micro Four-Thirds sensor from the beloved Olympus OM-D, the E-P5 is really something to behold. The new Olympus Pen E-P5 is slimmer and smaller than the OM-D, but retains much of bigger camera’s fantastic functionality.

The new, top-of-the-range E-P5 is also packing a high-resolution, 3-inch tiltable touchscreen on the rear with 1.03 million dots so that your image preview looks as gorgeous as the subject matter. Focus peaking on the E-P5 also makes an appearance, showing you exactly where the optimal focal point for your image is before you snap it. It can manage all this thanks to a souped-up new processor inside the camera that makes everything much snappier.

The E-P5 also packs better Wi-Fi connectivity than ever, with an app now allowing you to view, sync and shoot images remotely from a tablet or smartphone, effectively setting your photos free.

The new Olympus E-P5 is the perfect addition to your digital life, and we’re excited to give two away over four weeks to Gizmodo Shooting Challenge faithful. You’ll be playing for an Olympus E-P5 single lens kit, which includes the Olympus PEN EP-5 body in silver, with an Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm II wide-angle zoom lens. The prize pack is valued at $1199, and we can’t wait to give them away!

This Week’s Challenge: Breaking Free

The Olympus PEN E-P5 is loaded with great features, but one of the best is the Wi-Fi capabilities. No more swapping out your memory cards, carrying around card readers or fiddling in your camera bag. With the Olympus PEN E-P5, you can have the images you take upload straight to your smartphone or tablet as you shoot, which makes them easy to share and gives you the freedom to take more beautiful images. That’s what inspired this week’s theme: Breaking Free!

Rusted gates. Broken windows. Bent bars. Abandoned handcuffs. Anything that captures the imagery of breaking free from something. We don’t want stuff too existential or we’ll start to wonder where the brief went, but if you can explain the story behind your image, we’ll accept it.

How Judging Works

  • Over three weeks, we will hold two rounds — one per week. There will be one Olympus PEN E-P5 prize pack up for grabs over two weeks.
  • This time, we’re back to EDITOR’S CHOICE for the best entry! Submit your images and the Gizmodo Editors will pick their favourites and ultimately judge the winner.
  • Entries for the Shooting Challenge — Breaking Free will close at 10am AEST on Tuesday 27 August.
  • The “Breaking Free” round nominee and ultimate winner of the Olympus PEN E-P5 will be announced at 11am AEST on Tuesday 27 August.
  • The Rules

  1. We have altered the terms and conditions [PDF] for the Shooting Challenge. Linking friends from your social networks to the Gizmodo voting page is encouraged, however, the use of vote farming sites is against the rules and those caught will be disqualified. Please be respectful and constructive if leaving a comment about a photo.
  2. The work must be your own.
  3. Photos need to be taken the week of the contest (August 20-27). No portfolio shots please.
  4. EXIF info must be visible to us — check for it before you submit! Photo
  5. Explain (briefly) the photography equipment, settings, technique and story behind the shot.
  6. Include your shooting summary (camera, lens, ISO, etc) in the body of the email along with a story of the shot in a few sentences.
  7. Entries must be submitted via the entry form below.
  8. Don’t forget to name your image attachment properly!
  9. Save your files as JPGs, and use a FirstnameLastnameFree.jpg naming convention.
  10. Please ensure your image is at least 800px wide and no larger than 3MB.
  11. One submission per person.
  12. Don’t skip the story part because it’s often the most enjoyable part for us all beyond the great photos!

Submit Your Entry

Need Inspiration? Check out the previous Gizmodo Shooting Challenges.

This form has been tested and we’ve been receiving great entries — but if you’re having issues submitting, please contact Danny Allen.

[imgclear]

 
[gravityform id=”5″ name=”sGizmodo Shooting Challenge” title=”false” description=”false” ajax=”true”]

Gate image via Shutterstock


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.