I'm not sure how long I've done the Photo Quest but it has been awhile.  Each week I search the web and my photo books to find a topic that I think will appeal to all the members.  For this quest I would like you to tell me what you would like to work on for 2010...any thing about photography or your camera you would like to learn or practice.

Do you want to learn about layers in Photoshop?

Would you like to practice cutting out photos and changing the backgrounds?

Are you interested in photo enhancing your photos to improve focus, blur, colors etc?

Do you want to do some collages?

Are  you interested in learning to resize photos, cropping photos?

Tell me what you would like to learn etc. so I can work them into the Quest for 2010.  Have a wonderful New Year and be safe.

See you in 2010!

Oh my gosh the Questers out did themselves for this Christmas Quest!  We have entries from Germany, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Colorado, Utah, Missouri, Oklahoma, Montana, Tennessee, and Georgia!  Sorry Amy Sue I think you are located in a far north state but you don't have it in you profile so I don't know where you are located.

This quest is a new record with 11 entries!  Here are my picks for the Christmas Photos. The photos all tell wonderful stories of family, food, decorations and great times.

• My favorite family tradition was Darcy's children moving the The Journey. 
• My favorite gift was Jacolily's family Cookbook. 
• The most creative photo came from Amy Sue with her photo of Christmas 2009 Taylor's School Performance.
• The best Christmas landscape came from Cap'n Stephel with her wonderful photo Dscn0030 of the Christmas snow and lights.  This should be her Christmas card for next year.
• Best photo of getting ready for Christmas goes to Freedom Smith with her photo of her two Sons making chocolate house.  Great captured of these boys working hard on their house!
• Oh the best photo of Christmas goodies is from Spike of her cookies IMG_7318s.  If you have ever tried to take photos of food you will be able to appreciate the great job she did on this photo.  Nice focus and great presentation of the plates of cookies.  Oh I sure wish I lived closer so I could have a taste!
• We had two members do collages.  My favorite collage from Maiu was Christmas collage with frames and text.  Very creative with the background. 
  Antrogrrls collage of her Christmas ornaments is wonderful Christmas decorations collage, I'm sure she will treasure this collage for many years.  What a great idea for all of us to take photos of our favorite ornaments to keep.
• Then we have Yancunyong who is in a style of his own!  Yan's photos of his Christmas parties are great!  I like the one of the three ladies singing  IMGP9208.  This photo shows great emotion and fun.  All Yan's photos seem to show us what a fun guy he is.  Yan shows us the fun in his life through his photos.
• Best Christmas tree goes to Realworld for his photo of Oh Tannenbaum!  Beautiful tree!
• I'll end with the wonderful photo of the candle  IMG_0217.JPG - Vox and her lovely description of how the photo represents Christmas!

All in all I so enjoyed seeing Christmas through your eyes..thank you all for this year of terrific photos and best wishes for a Happy New Year!

I love Christmas light displays that are well done. This was one of those displays and I got the pictures on Christmas Eve

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26536964-5017858,00.html

FANCY promoting your photographic skills to the world? Have a go at The Courier-Mail's screensaver competition - send us your best shots.

The prize? Priceless - your work displayed on the internet for all the world to see.

Just send us your favourite photograph or two for consideration as one of the free downloadable screensavers we build and make available for our readers. You can see some examples of work by our talented team of photographers at http://couriermail.com.au/savers.

And you can download a screensaver built from amateur images to see if you think you can match the images for quality. (The download file is called "Show.exe". Run it and you can preview the screensaver and then – if you think it's good enouigh – install it on your PC.)

We will publish a selection of the best photographs submitted, then open voting to the public for a final selection.

The winning photos will be included in free screensavers that other readers can download and install on their computers.

The ideal screensaver photograph is horizontal and a bright, high-resolution, JPG. You must certify that you either own, or have publications rights to, any photograph you submit to The Courier-Mail at survey@qnp.newsltd.com.au

Have a go – show off your skills to the world. Then vote on everyone else's work.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26536964-5017858,00.html

FANCY promoting your photographic skills to the world? Have a go at The Courier-Mail's screensaver competition - send us your best shots.

The prize? Priceless - your work displayed on the internet for all the world to see.

Just send us your favourite photograph or two for consideration as one of the free downloadable screensavers we build and make available for our readers. You can see some examples of work by our talented team of photographers at http://couriermail.com.au/savers.

And you can download a screensaver built from amateur images to see if you think you can match the images for quality. (The download file is called "Show.exe". Run it and you can preview the screensaver and then – if you think it's good enouigh – install it on your PC.)

We will publish a selection of the best photographs submitted, then open voting to the public for a final selection.

The winning photos will be included in free screensavers that other readers can download and install on their computers.

The ideal screensaver photograph is horizontal and a bright, high-resolution, JPG. You must certify that you either own, or have publications rights to, any photograph you submit to The Courier-Mail at survey@qnp.newsltd.com.au

Have a go – show off your skills to the world. Then vote on everyone else's work.

Here goes, some photos that Country sent me to post so she can see how they look.  We are trying to find out why her photos aren't posting as clear as they should.

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26532514-952,00.html

Dumbest criminals caught out

THEY may have broken the law but these offenders could never be called criminal masterminds.

Queensland Police have told The Courier-Mail about catching some of 2009's dumbest criminals.

June 11

A police officer noticed a vehicle following him while he drove around Clermont, 280km southwest of Mackay, about 11.45pm. The car followed the police vehicle into the police station's yard and the driver got out to discuss a relationship problem. The man appeared drunk and when tested blew a blood-alcohol reading of 0.26. The 35-year-old man was charged with drink-driving, fined $1800 and disqualified from driving for 16 months.

June 19

A teenager was seen leaving the Harvey Norman store at Warwick, 80km south of Toowoomba, with two video games he had not paid for. Police went to the store to speak with the informant and get a description of the suspect. Instead, they were handed a very useful document. A staffer recalled the thief had visited the store earlier to seek employment and had given them his curriculum vitae. Police went to the address listed on the CV and charged the teenager with shoplifting.

August 18

A woman went to Cecil Plains police on the Darling Downs to report her mobile phone had been stolen the night before. She had left it on her dining room table when a 34-year-old man known to her visited. When he left, she realised her phone was missing. When police visited the man's address, he denied knowing anything about the missing phone. Police then rang the number and heard the woman's phone ringing in the man's bedroom. He gave the phone to police and was given a notice to appear in the Dalby Magistrates Court .

November 5

Two men who allegedly robbed a hotel at Gladstone, 100km southeast of Rockhampton, at knife point did so without the benefit of a getaway car. They were forced to hitchhike away from the scene and were about 30km from Rockhampton when they used a $50 note as bait to flag down a silver Toyota sedan. The vehicle pulled over and the men got in only to find they had been picked up by two plainclothes detectives. One man and one juvenile were charged with robbery while armed and will appear for sentencing on April 1.

Our daughter became engaged to her Scottish partner today. He is a fine young man, and we are very happy for them both. It is three years today since they met in Inverness, Scotland. They came to Toowoomba last April, and plan to make their future home here. We had planned a BBQ for tomorrow night. I wonder if her partner and I will be dancing together like we were at the wedding we attended in Manchester last year. Better not, I suppose. I don't want to make our daughter jealous...