Mini Challenge #179 - The Greatest Gift

slpollettslpollett Registered Users Posts: 1,189 Major grins
edited December 27, 2013 in The Dgrin Challenges
Welcome to Mini Challenge #179 - The Greatest Gift

This theme is photographs of "The Greatest Gift". This can be a 'thing' such as something you gave, something you received, or maybe something on your wish list. This can be representative of something intangible such as a feeling of love or the gift of time or the gift of a talent or the contentment of having family together during the holidays. You can be serious or silly. I struggled between naming this mini "Things We Want" or "Joy" (as in things that make us happy) and finally decided that I don't really want this to be a "greedy" theme, but instead representative of something we have given to someone else or been given that truly makes us happy and brings joy.


This mini will run from now until December 26th 9:00 pm Texas time (US Central Standard Time).

Hopefully this gives everyone a chance to share what made them happy this holiday.



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OUR UN-OFFICIAL GENERAL RULES
1. Have fun sharing and seeing what others share!
2. The host supplies a topic and YOU POST 1-3 IMAGES. The host judges the winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd) and is not eligible to enter. The 1st place winner becomes the next host, chooses the next topic and becomes the next judge.
3. Any photo you’ve taken is eligible, regardless of when taken or camera used.
4. Any amount of post-processing is allowed. However, it is helpful if you list your camera and lens along with your photo.
5. You may comment on other contestant's images. If you want someone to leave you some critique or criticism, just ask within your post.
6. The winner has up to three days (72 hours) to begin a new mini-challenge, or the honor goes to the #2 finisher and so forth.

IMPORTANT: ENTRIES DUE NO LATER THAN 9PM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME ON THURSDAY, 26 DECEMBER!!!

Guidelines:
1. Enter 1-3 photos and put them in a single post.
2. Either embed your image in the thread or, if you must, supply a link to it. Keep in mind, however, most people don't want to click to open photos hosted elsewhere (i.e. on your website).
3. Also try and resize your photos prior to posting so they're sized appropriately for viewing without having to scroll (~800 pixels on the longest side works best.)
4. Give each image you enter a title.
5. Enjoy discussion with members about their images, don't let this just be an entry thread!
6. When quoting a post, change the IMG urls to a 200x200 size picture so it is clear your post is feedback and not another entry. (See here for help).
7. Don't be hesitant; share 'em and enter!

Mini-Challenge pointers:
1. Upon winning a mini-challenge round, your first step is coming up with a new theme and starting a new thread using the same format as others have used.
2. Make sure to notify the admin of this thread to update the main thread links with your entry thread.
3. Feel free to watch the thread as it grows or wait to the end time and look at all the entries all at once.
4. After the time/date has passed, then officially close the thread with a single post notifying everyone of the fact.
5. After you're finished judging, start a new thread (again using the prior formats) and post your Winner and runners-up. It is important to have runners up in case the winner does not show within the 72-hour window.
6. PM the winner with this info above and let them know they have 72 hours to set up the next mini-challenge.
7. If the winner does not show/start the next mini-challenge after 72 hours, notify the next runner-up and post a message on the Winner thread of the fact.
8. Remember, if you're the Winner, you run the next mini challenge!

Now for the really hard part--sharing some of my examples. I'm not sure I have anything great for this topic, but here are a few to maybe to get you thinking about it. My greatest gift is my daughter (well, ok, and my husband too :rofl), but mostly it's the memories of the fun times we've had together. The 'thing' that would be my greatest gift would be my first dSLR camera--which my husband gave to me for our 25th wedding anniversary. I don't have any pictures of that though (except those that I didn't take). Most of these are just snapshots (not even edited), but I know you can do better!


"Just what I wanted" - This is my daughter with her favorite gift last year.
pc252923-1_pp%20%282%29-M.jpg

Gift of Snow or Gift of Fun Times
P2233368%20b-M.jpg

Gift of Grandchildren - This is my mother in law with her great-granddaughter.
P7215264-1-M.jpg

Laughter
IMG_0059-2-M.jpg

The "inside joke" gift from Dad (my father in law and my husband)
PC252614-M.jpg

A phone call to Grandma
KK-OnthePhone.jpg

Friends
pc211334bweb.jpg

Memories
i-4JXqv98-L.jpg

I wish I had better examples to show you, but maybe you get the idea.

Please have fun with this one and make my job to judge them very tough!

Comments

  • grandmaRgrandmaR Registered Users Posts: 1,942 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2013
    The problem I see with this is that when I get a great gift, I'm not the one who takes the photo of it. So I have no photos of me that I have taken like this one I took of my daughter on her birthday in 1967 when she was 6. (I think that she actually got two of these)

    00120018.JPG

    This is not by any stretch the greatest gift she has ever gotten, but the expression is priceless.

    This is a photo I was able to take of a gift - my husband took a Polaroid that we had sent him of Easter 1964, and while he was on cruise in the Med, he commissioned a picture to be painted from it as a surprise. The Italian painter made myskin a little darker than it is in life (I think the original was black and white), my older daughter doesn't appear to have blue eyes, and the baby who was only about 7 months old now has a full set of teeth, but otherwise it is pretty accurate.

    2688-00550007.jpg

    Resisting the urge to submit some of my own paintings as a 'greatest' gift, I will submit the gift given by my great uncle (whose name was Sam and he always said he was our Uncle Sam and gave us money - usually a dollar or so when we went to visit) gave to my son when my son was five. When I went through the stuff in my mother's safe deposit box after she died, I found this - the note was written by my mother.

    IMG_0148.JPG

    I give my granddaughters a ring of their birthstone, so I now also give my grandsons a similar gold coin. (which costs more than $2.50)
    “"..an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered." G.K. Chesterton”
  • TravelnLassTravelnLass Registered Users Posts: 87 Big grins
    edited December 23, 2013
    Just a quick pop-in here as I've been out of the MC loop for a longish while (have now moved from Vietnam to Thailand and been traveling a good bit - to Nepal, Borneo, Brunei and most recently Myanmar). But I MISS you all and these challenges, so hope to jump back in again.

    Could it be? Just one entry for this brilliant "Greatest Gift" challenge??? slpollett, you've done a fine job with the examples - perhaps folks are just too busy with the holidays?

    Needless to say, not too very much "Christmas" stuff going on here in the Land of (Buddha) Smiles, so maybe I can find something in my archives to enter before the 26th deadline.

    Happy Holidays, and hope to see all my ol' MC chums here soon.

    Dyanne
    "I am not the same, having seen the moon rise on the other side of the world."
    TravelnLass.com
  • slpollettslpollett Registered Users Posts: 1,189 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2013
    Thanks, TravelnLass. I was beginning to think nobody liked this topic.

    My intent was not just to limit photos to a 'tangible' gift the photographer received, but instead to show a representation of what brings joy to the photographer. I read somewhere that the greatest gifts were Hope, Joy, & Love but also wanted to add Friends and Family to that. Surely everyone can find some images that truly represent something (or someone) that they Love, or something that signifies Hope, or something that represents Joy????? Doesn't even have to be something you have already received--maybe it's something you want or wish for....

    Also, "The Greatest Gift" is the title of the short story that became the basis for the film "It's a Wonderful Life". That's really what I was thinking about when I decided upon this theme. That it happens to be around Christmas was just a bonus. :D

    So...what images do you have that represent YOUR wonderful life??? Please post them!!!

    I really want more than one person to participate. Make my judging job hard!

    Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings......

    Sherry
  • lifeinfocuslifeinfocus Registered Users Posts: 1,461 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2013
    Grandkids Gifts
    Three Christmas gifts for grandkids. At our age they are our greatest gifts.

    1. Grandkids' gifts under outdoor tree.

    20121225%20Walenga%20Family-6597%20v2-XL.jpg


    2. Christmas gift for our grandson. He is our greatest gift this year after surviving heart surgery this Fall.

    20121225%20Walenga%20Family-6491-2%20v2-L.jpg


    3. Grandchild pondering gingerbread house gift she just made with her grandma. "Hmm, can I eat this?"

    20121225%20Walenga%20Family-6553%20v2-L.jpg
    http://www.PhilsImaging.com
    "You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
    Phil
  • TravelnLassTravelnLass Registered Users Posts: 87 Big grins
    edited December 24, 2013
    Glad to see a bit more action here - nice ones LIF! Now then, not sure I even remember how to post pics here. Lesseeee:

    Well Duh-UH! Guess I've really lost it here - in my enthusiasm and haste to add some entries here to slpollett's most interesting challenge - I utterly failed to realize that the pics must of course - be taken by me!

    Sorry, I've now deleted all, and respectfully remove myself from this competition.
    "I am not the same, having seen the moon rise on the other side of the world."
    TravelnLass.com
  • ShootingStarShootingStar Registered Users Posts: 145 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2013
    1. Freedom
    IMG_3722-L.jpg

    2. A child's smile
    IMG_0164-L.jpg

    3. Chocolate rolleyes1.gif
    IMG_0750-L.jpg

    I hope you all had a great Christmas

    Claire
    Nature can be so different around the world but it is always amazing!

    Travel Blog English: http://www.zigzagonearth.com
    Travel Blog French: http://zigzagvoyages.fr
    Infoproduct Creation Blog : https://structurinfo.com
  • kdotaylorkdotaylor Registered Users Posts: 1,274 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2013
    #1 Sisters
    i-6pDk5Lm-L.jpg

    #2 Finding True Love
    i-2CLS9S7-L.jpg

    #3 Promise of Spring
    i-Bh5PcFW-L.jpg
    Kate
    www.katetaylor.smugmug.com
    "You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." Mark Twain
  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2013
    Service to Country (and Music!)
    Marine%20Band-XL.jpg


    Art and Grace
    Graceful-XL.jpg


    A Father's Love
    Kidz%20at%20Play%202-XL.jpg
    Eric ~ Smugmug
  • grandmaRgrandmaR Registered Users Posts: 1,942 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2013
    Glad to see a bit more action here - nice ones LIF! Now then, not sure I even remember how to post pics here. Lesseeee:



    1. Greatest Gifts: My dear (though -still - often annoying!) siblings (I'll let you guess which one is me, but will give you a hint: can you spell P-O-O-D-L-E S-K-I-R-T?):
    i-3tT9NZJ-L.jpg
    I thought this had to be photos we took (?)
    “"..an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered." G.K. Chesterton”
  • slpollettslpollett Registered Users Posts: 1,189 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2013
    Yes, should be a picture that you take yourself.


    10 more minutes...still a little time to submit an entry.

    Sherry
  • slpollettslpollett Registered Users Posts: 1,189 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2013
    OK...entries are now closed. I surely wish there were more entries, but I understand that everyone is busy with holidays. Maybe I should have made this one longer than 2 weeks (maybe at least through the weekend), but it's too late to change it now.

    I will have the results posted tomorrow and pass the torch.

    Thanks to all who entered.

    Sherry P.
  • TravelnLassTravelnLass Registered Users Posts: 87 Big grins
    edited December 26, 2013
    grandmaR wrote: »
    I thought this had to be photos we took (?)

    Ah yes, it's been so long since I've popped in here - I forgot. Will delete my first entry forthwith!

    btw, lol - I keep waiting for the challenge to close - it's already nearly noon ON THE 27TH here in Thailand! ;)
    "I am not the same, having seen the moon rise on the other side of the world."
    TravelnLass.com
  • grandmaRgrandmaR Registered Users Posts: 1,942 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2013
    slpollett wrote: »
    Welcome to Mini Challenge #179 - The Greatest Gift

    This theme is photographs of "The Greatest Gift". This can be a 'thing' such as something you gave, something you received, or maybe something on your wish list. This can be representative of something intangible such as a feeling of love or the gift of time or the gift of a talent or the contentment of having family together during the holidays. You can be serious or silly. I struggled between naming this mini "Things We Want" or "Joy" (as in things that make us happy) and finally decided that I don't really want this to be a "greedy" theme, but instead representative of something we have given to someone else or been given that truly makes us happy and brings joy.

    I had a hard time with this as being sentimental makes me uncomfortable. I would not ever want to say out loud (or in photos) that my children and grandchildren (and husband of 54 plus years) are what makes me happiest. And to have it be the GREATEST gift is also a problem for me as I would not want to say that any gift that I got from anyone was the GREATEST as that seems to disrespect the efforts of others.
    “"..an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered." G.K. Chesterton”
  • sapphire73sapphire73 Registered Users, Super Moderators Posts: 1,942 moderator
    edited December 27, 2013
    Hi Sherry,

    Great theme for a mini! Lots of great entries here.

    Knew I wouldn't have time to enter before the deadline but thought I'd share this image because it is what first came to mind when I saw your challenge. The clasped hands are those of good friends who are approaching 50 years of marriage.

    Growing Old with Your Best Friend
    i-WLQF6hx-L.jpg

    Looking at this title, "Growing Old" may not seem like a gift but spending a lifetime with one's best friend fits the criterion in my mind.

    Thanks for taking on running a mini at such a busy time of year!

    Gretchen
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