About Eric Minbiole

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been absolutely fascinated with anything technical– electronics, computers, cameras, gadgets, etc. Growing up, I loved taking things apart to see what was inside. While I couldn’t always put things back together, I loved trying to figure out how things work. Because of my love for all things technical, I pursued a degree in Electrical Engineering, and currently work as a Software Engineer. I’ve been fascinated with photography ever since borrowing my parents 110 film camera when I was young. It’s been a great hobby ever since: I love experimenting with photos, and trying new things. I especially love technical and/or trick photography. (“Gimmicks!”, as my wife jokingly calls them 😉 ) While I’m comfortable with the technical side of how to shoot, I struggle more with the artistic side of what to shoot in the first place. This is one reason I quite enjoy this group: There are fun, interesting ideas each week. I joined PhotoChallenge as a participant in 2014, and am amazed at how much this group has helped me learn. Each week, I look forward to the fun, creative challenges that Steve, Trevor, Gary, and Jeremy put together. Most importantly, the weekly challenges give me the motivation to get out there and take photos each week. (Otherwise, I suspect my camera might be gathering dust on the shelf.) As well, interacting with the fantastic members of the group– discussing suggestions, techniques, what works, what doesn’t– has been an invaluable help. I am absolutely thrilled to join the PhotoChallenge team– I’ve learned so much from the group, and hope that I can give back a little bit. If you’d like to see some of my photos, please check out my flickr page.

2020 WEEK 52: Kitchen Close-up

This week’s challenge to take a close-up (or macro) photo of anything that you might find in a kitchen: Cups, Bowls, Pots, Pans, Utensils, Spices, Gadgets, Small Appliances– anything you READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 50: Movie Tribute

This week’s challenge is to pay tribute to any portion of a movie. There are a number of ways that you can pay tribute: You can try to recreate a READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 46: Clothing and Fashion

This week’s challenge theme is Clothing and Fashion. Anything that people might wear is fair game: Everyday attire, work clothes, high fashion, or anything in between. Accessories and / or READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 42: Clean or Dirty

This week’s challenge is to take a photo that fits the theme of either clean or dirty. There are a few different ways that you can approach this challenge: You READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 40: B&W in Color

This week’s challenge is to take color photo that appears to be Black and White. As an example, the image of the feather (below) is taken in color. However, because READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 37: Colorful Macro

This week’s challenge is to take a macro photo with bright, bold colors. The subject itself can be anything you like: Natural or man-made, common or unusual, indoors or out. READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 34: Silly, Unusual, or Creative Portraits

This week’s challenge is to create a silly, unique, or creative portrait. The only rule is that you can’t take a normal, everyday portrait. Instead, try to do something fun, READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 30: Light Painting

For this week’s challenge, we’ll play with Light Painting. The basic idea of light painting is to photograph one or more lights as they move across the image. Depending on READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 28: Outdoor – Straight out of Camera

This week’s challenge is to take an outdoor photograph, without performing any image editing. I.e., your image this week must be straight out of camera. Many (most?) of us like READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 25: B&W Curves

This week’s challenge is to take a black and white photo that features a prominent curve. Your subject can be most anything that you like: Natural, man-made, big, small, indoor, READ MORE →