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.

2019 WEEK 10: Single Subject

A big thank you to Cheryl Joy for suggesting this week’s challenge topic! This week’s challenge rules are simple: Photograph one, single subject. The subject itself can be anything– big, READ MORE →

2019 WEEK 7: Interior Architecture

This week’s challenge is Interior Architecture. You can photograph any architectural element that catches your eye: Floors, ceilings, windows, doors, stairs, chairs, woodwork, metalwork, something new, old, big, or small. READ MORE →

2019 WEEK 5: Music

This week’s challenge theme is “Music”. You may choose any subject you like, as long as your photo has a strong musical theme: Musicians, instruments, radios, singing, and dancing are READ MORE →

2019 WEEK 3: Square Crop, Centered Subject

For this week’s challenge, you’ll need to do two simple things: Take a photo with a square crop (i.e. same width and height), and center your subject within the photo. READ MORE →

WEEK 50: Symmetry

This week’s challenge should be a fun, simple one: Photograph anything with strong elements of symmetry. The choice of subject is up to you– it can be architectural, natural, man-made, READ MORE →

WEEK 46: Faces without People

This week’s challenge should be fun, creative, and perhaps a bit silly. The goal is to photograph a face (or anything that looks like a face) with only one restriction: READ MORE →

WEEK 42: Selective Color

For this week’s challenge, we’ll experiment with one of my favorite photographic effects: Selective Color. (Also known as Selective Desaturation.) With this effect, most everything in the photo appears black READ MORE →

WEEK 40: The Wheel is Back!

This week, your PhotoChallenge admins are out scouring the globe, looking for new and exciting photographic opportunities. As such, we will once again let Lady Luck decide our photographic fates, READ MORE →

WEEK 38: The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars

This week, we’ll have a bit of astronomical fun as we photograph the Sun, the Moon, and the stars. While looking through my old photos, I noticed that these types READ MORE →

WEEK 34: Food and Drink

For this week’s challenge, we’ll photograph something that is a part of all of our lives: Food and Drink. There are several reason why I love photographing food: Firstly, delicious READ MORE →