Discussions Maevita took part in

Hello everyone!

The September contest “Making a Living on the Street” was won by Philippebrg, followed by Xrctn in second place, and I, the happy bronze medal winner, get to organize October’s challenge.

It’s hot—really hot—caliente! Protect yourselves!

Parasols, umbrellas, sun hats, caps, shemaghs, tents, awnings, curtains, pergolas, sunglasses, sunscreen, trees, bits of cardboard... anything goes to shield yourself from Helios’ rays. Your photo must be taken in a context related to heat (a simple hat out of context won’t cut it).

The rules:

- Photo submissions until Sunday, October 25 at 11:59 PM (Paris time). You can post up to 3 photos, numbered and shared in separate messages, ideally with a short description of the location and the story behind it.

- Voting from Monday, October 26 at 12:01 AM to Saturday, October 31 at 11:59 PM. After the deadline, it’s too late! Please indicate the photo number, the username, and the points awarded: Photo #1 = 3 pts Photo #2 = 2 pts Photo #3 = 1 pt

- All VF members can vote (even those who didn’t submit photos).

- In case of a tie for first place, the winning photo will be the one with the most first-place votes, then second-place votes!

- The lucky winner will earn the admiration of all photo contest participants and the privilege of choosing the theme and organizing November 2026’s photo contest.

For discussions about the theme, check here.

Happy shooting!

Good evening to all you photographers and photo enthusiasts on VF,

This is the place to exchange, debate, chat, philosophize, nitpick, ramble, bicker, and congratulate each other on this month’s theme: "The Street as a Livelihood."

Just a reminder that the photos expected in the contest thread should depict street scenes showing people using the street as a place to earn a living—whether it’s legal work, informal jobs, illegal activities, or begging. In the discussion thread, feel free to be much more open-ended.

Good evening to all you photographers and photo enthusiasts on VF,

So, I’ve chosen this month’s theme: "The Street as a Livelihood". The photos we’re looking for are street scenes showing people who use the street as a place to earn a living—whether it’s legal work, informal jobs, illegal activities, or begging.

The rules:

- Photo submissions until Thursday, September 24 at 11:59 PM (Paris time) You can post up to 3 photos, numbered and posted in separate messages, ideally with a short description of the location and the story behind it.

- Voting from Friday, September 25 at 12:01 AM to Tuesday, September 29 at 11:59 PM. After the deadline, it’s too late! Please indicate the photo number, the username, and the points awarded: Photo #1 = 3 pts Photo #2 = 2 pts Photo #3 = 1 pt

- All VF members can vote (even those who didn’t submit photos).

- In case of a tie for first place, the winning photo will be the one with the most first-place votes, then second-place votes!

- The lucky winner will not only earn the admiration of all September’s photo contest participants but will also get the privilege of choosing the theme and organizing October 2026’s photo contest.

For discussions about the theme, head over here: Discussion thread for September 2026’s theme: "The Street as a Livelihood"

Wishing you all some amazing shots!

Since I don’t have time to come up with an original theme, I’m suggesting a broad, international topic: religious buildings around the world. Given how vast the subject is, I’d like us to focus on photos of exteriors—wide shots or details. Interiors, which are just as varied, could be the subject of another contest.

A few of my own photos, just to give you an idea:

Hello,

It might not be very original, but I see it hasn’t been suggested—or at least not for a very long time. I’d like to invite you to discover the beauty of the great outdoors through landscape photos. Whether they’re desert, sea, countryside, or mountain scenes—with or without other elements (people, buildings, animals, etc.)—they should make us want to dive right in without hesitation.

To participate: Photo submissions until Wednesday, June 24 at 11:59 PM You can post up to 3 photos, numbered and shared in separate messages, along with a short description of the place and the story behind it.

To vote: from Thursday, June 25 at 12:01 AM to Monday, June 29 at 11:59 PM After the deadline, it’s too late!

Please include the photo number, username, and the points awarded: Photo #1 = 3 pts Photo #2 = 2 pts Photo #3 = 1 pt

All VF members can vote (even those who didn’t submit photos). In case of a tie for first place, the winning photo will be the one with the most first-place votes, then second-place votes! The lucky winner will get to organize July 2026’s photo contest.

For discussions about the theme, it’s here: Discussion thread for June 2026’s theme: Such a Beautiful Landscape

Good luck to everyone!

Philippe

Chumphon, Thailand: Doi Tapang

Hey there!

This is the spot where we can chill and chat about fishing at sea worldwide 😊

Here are two charming fishermen taking a well-deserved break near Zanzibar!

The 140th (wow!) edition of the contest is now live!

Since it’s April Fools’ month and I’m a diver at heart, I had to pick a theme around the sea and fish.

This month’s theme is: sea fishing 🙂. Deep-sea fishing, rockpooling, shore casting, shellfish & crustaceans—anything remotely related to sea fishing fits the bill 😉

Photos of fishing boats, fishing ports, fish auctions, seafood stalls, nets and trawls, lobster pots, fishermen, your kids collecting cockles, even those New Year’s oyster shells 😏—no limits as long as it ties into the theme 😛 And of course, a special shout-out to anglers worldwide! 🙂

I’m traveling right now, so I don’t have many photos on hand. To illustrate the theme, I’ve chosen this shot of a small Vietnamese fishing boat I spotted near the Cham Islands, returning from a dive.



Contest rules: You can post up to three photos, each in a separate message, clearly numbering them (1, 2, or 3) and including the location where the photo was taken. Any explanations about your photos are welcome.

When voting, you’ll choose three photos, clearly stating the participant’s name followed by their photo number. The first photo in your vote gets three points, the second gets two, and the third gets one.

The winner will be the person whose photo earns the most points. In case of a tie, the winner will be the one with the most first-place votes, or if still tied, the most second-place votes. If it’s a perfect tie, the person who reached their score first wins. The winner then gets the honor of choosing and organizing May 2026’s contest theme. Ties for any other position won’t be broken. Finally, you don’t need to enter the contest to vote, but participants (and I hope there’ll be lots of you!) are *strongly* encouraged to vote!

Please only post contest photos in this thread. Starting Saturday, April 25 (00:01 Paris time), only votes should be posted.

Key dates: You can submit your photos from today until Friday, April 24, 2026 (23:59 Paris time—Xavier, you can do the math for Perth 😏). Voting starts the very next minute and ends on Thursday, April 29 (23:59 Paris time). Results will be announced on Thursday, April 30, 2026... The next host can take over on Saturday, May 2 (yeah, May 1 is a no-work day 😛)

Ready, set, shoot!

The 139th edition of this contest is now open, and this month’s theme is: « Metal, Metallic».

From ore to rockets, wire to the Eiffel Tower—or in a pinch, even a self-portrait at the bottom of a spoon—the theme is broad enough that you should be able to come up with at least three ideas pretty easily! Sure, things might get tricky when it’s time to vote, but that could just be a sign of a successful contest, right?! But we’re not there yet.

Contest rules: You can post up to three photos, each in a separate message, clearly indicating their number (1, 2, or 3) along with the location where the photo was taken. Any explanations about your photos are welcome.

You’ll vote for three photos, clearly stating the name of the participant you’ve chosen, followed by the photo number. The first photo in your vote will receive three points, the second two points, and the third one point.

The winner will be the person whose photo earns the most points. In case of a tie, the winner will be the one with the most first-place votes—or, if still tied, the most second-place votes. Finally, if it’s a perfect tie, the winner will be the one who reached their score first. The winner will then have the pleasure of choosing the theme for the April 2026 contest and organizing it. Ties for any position other than first won’t be broken. Lastly, you don’t need to participate in the contest to vote. However, participants (and I hope there’ll be lots of you!) are strongly encouraged to vote!

Please only post contest photos in this thread, and starting Thursday, March 26 (00:01 Paris time), only votes.

Key dates: You can submit your photos starting today, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, until Wednesday, March 25, 2026 (23:59 Paris time). Voting will begin the minute after and end on Monday, March 30 (23:59 Paris time). Results will be announced on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 ... if all goes well!

A discussion thread for this contest is open HERE: The photorama can be found HERE

Let’s stick with the water theme—it’s definitely the season (maybe a bit *too* much for some of those dealing with floods 😕). After the flowing waters (with varying energy levels), let’s take it easy with still waters:

Lakes (Annecy)

Ponds (near Moustiers Saint Marie)

Lagoons (Bacalar)

If you’ve got nice photos of a pond—or even a puddle—why not? Natural bodies of water only: no pools or fountains (reservoir lakes are accepted… because they often look like natural lakes ).

The contest rules are the same as always 😉: Up to 3 photos per member, one photo per post (a little explanation is better), and past winning photos from other VF contests aren’t allowed. You have until Sunday, February 22nd at 11:59 PM (Paris time) to post your photos. Voting starts Monday the 23rd at midnight—rank your top 3 photos in order (3, 2, and 1 points). Voting ends Saturday, February 28th at 11:59 PM. Results will be announced on March 1st. The winning photo is the one with the most points (in case of a tie, the photo ranked first the most times wins). The lucky winner gets to organize March’s contest 😎.

Dig into your archives…

Hi there, Can you share your experiences about Bilbao with us? We're planning to go during the last week of April, with our main goal being to visit the Guggenheim Museum. Despite our research, we're not sure if a week is too long or what there really is to see and do in Bilbao. Should we rent a car to explore the surrounding areas? For San Sebastián, it seems there are pretty convenient buses. Would a day trip there and back be doable? Any advice would be welcome regarding the itinerary, local transportation, hotels, and how long to stay. Thanks in advance! Maevita

The first theme of 2026 is: "Waterways Around the World".

Water is present almost everywhere on our blue planet, so I’ve narrowed the theme down to waterways—rivers, streams, brooks, and the like.



Seas, oceans, lakes, or other stagnant waters won’t be considered for this month’s theme 😅. However, waterfalls and cascades are very welcome 😊!



Practical details:

**Participation** Each VF member can submit up to 3 photos, until Sunday, January 25th at 11:59 PM Paris time. Each photo must be posted in a separate message, with its number (1, 2, or 3). Don’t forget to add a little explanation (commentary, location, etc.).

**Voting** Each VF member can vote for the 3 photos they consider the best, based on their own criteria and the theme.

Voting will take place from Monday, January 26th to Saturday, January 31st at 11:59 PM Paris time.

Photos should be ranked in order of preference: - 1st photo: 3 points - 2nd photo: 2 points - 3rd photo: 1 point

The winner is the photographer whose photo receives the most points.

Results will be published on February 1st. In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. The winner will have the honor of organizing February 2026’s contest.

Photos that have already been nominated (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place) in another contest are not eligible to participate in this one.

This thread is exclusively for contest photo submissions. All discussions, comments, and chit-chat should take place in the thread: here

I suggest we compete with photos of towers. No magic tricks or potter’s wheels—we’re talking about "tour" as in the feminine noun. So, a kind of tall building, round, square, or polygonal, or a high structure that could be metallic, or a flat-topped bell tower (campanile), or a high-rise building (building)... You can find them almost everywhere in the world and from all eras. The tower(s) must be the main subject of the photo. Examples: The first photo, which is Saint Mark’s Square (with the Campanile), won’t be accepted. The second one, where the Campanile tower is the main subject, will be accepted.



Have fun and surprise us! Photos of computer towers are excluded 😏

For the contest, it's here !

The theme for June is: A SERIES "A series is a set of coherent images that share several common points while still being different from one another."

In 3 photos, posted simultaneously in the same message, I’d like you to tell me a little story with a few words. You’re allowed 2 series.

They can be narrative or thematic. For example: 3 shots representing 3 professions, 3 places of worship, 3 market stalls, 3 trains... the ideas are endless—whether in the same place or in different countries... or 3 images of the same place, photographed from 3 different angles, under 3 different lights... or 3 images where the predominant color is the same... Narrative and theme can, of course, overlap.

Practical details:

Participation Each VF member can submit up to 2 series, until Saturday, June 21 at 11:59 PM Paris time. Each series of 3 photos must be presented in a single message, with its number indicated (series 1, series 2).

Voting: Each VF member can vote for the 3 series they consider the best, based on their own criteria and the theme.

Voting will take place from Saturday, June 21 at midnight until Saturday, June 28 at 11:59 PM Paris time.

The selected series will be ranked in order of preference: - 1st series: 3 points - 2nd: 2 points - 3rd: 1 point

The winner is the author of the series with the most points.

Results will be published on June 29 during the day. In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. The winner will have the honor of organizing July 2025’s contest.

Photos that have won (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place) in another VF contest are not eligible for this one.

This thread is exclusively for series submitted to the contest. All discussions, comments, and other chatter should take place in this thread.

...................................................................

Narrative: In Bali, I took a cooking class. We went to the market to shop with the teacher. We cleaned and prepped the ingredients to make, among other things, a lovely salad.







...........................................................................

Narrative and thematic: I really loved this place 30 km from Essaouira. A little souk "just as it is," as they say. The souk of Ida Ougourd.







...........................................................................

Thematic: Green in nature. The green of tea plantations in Munnar, a bamboo forest in Les Landes, and a park in Tokyo.

Here’s the theme for the lovely month of May—no worries, it won’t be lilies of the valley! 😄

This month’s theme is: “Reflection(s)” This leaves a pretty wide scope: reflections in water, of course, but also in windows, on buildings... I’ll leave it to your imagination, but the reflection should be clearly visible.

If this theme has been used before, it doesn’t matter. It’s getting tricky to find new themes that can attract as many participants as possible.

I’m currently in northern Finland and don’t have access to my hard drives, so I’ll add a few photos when I return to France. Here’s just one I took with my smartphone yesterday late afternoon:



Practical details:

Participation: Each VF member can submit up to 3 photos, until Monday, May 26 at 11:59 PM Paris time. Each photo must be posted in a separate message, with its number (1, 2, or 3). Don’t forget to add a little explanation (comment, location, etc.).

Voting: Each VF member can vote for the 3 photos they consider the best, based on their own criteria and the theme.

Voting will take place from Tuesday, May 27 to Saturday, May 31 at 11:59 PM Paris time.

The selected photos will be ranked in order of preference: - 1st photo: 3 points - 2nd: 2 points - 3rd: 1 point

The winner is the author of the photo with the most points.

Results will be published on June 1. In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. The winner will have the honor of organizing the June 2025 contest.

Photos that have already been nominated (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) in another contest are not eligible for this one.

This thread is exclusively for photos submitted to the contest. Any discussions or comments should be posted in the following thread: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10707526;a=10707526

It’s all in the title 😛

And nowhere else...😉

Le Japon se vit mieux qu'il ne se raconte.

Mais je me lance, prudente car je vais avancer humblement et à tâtons sur les chemins de cette rubrique peuplée de japanophiles 😉

L'année dernière nous avons décidé, Mariane et moi, d'aller passer quelques jours au pays du soleil levant. Nos motivations sont proches : nous sommes complices et amies depuis ... ouh là là... très longtemps... Mariane souhaitait se lancer sur les traces de Murakami pour retrouver l’ambiance de ses romans (elle vit Murakami, mange Murakami, dort Murakami). Pour ma part, j’ai été stimulée par les lectures moins célèbres mais bien vivantes des carnets de voyage et par la photo et le cinéma.

Avec un enthousiasme à la hauteur de nos rêves nous nous sommes envolées à la découverte de Tokyo et Kyoto en passant par Kanazawa.

Bonjour à tous, Après avoir lu et relu carnets et guides papier, je n'arrive pas à établir un itinéraire de 16 jours pour la première moitié de novembre surtout à cause de la météo. Quels/les sont vos avis, expériences, conseils pour ce mois? La grosse pluie devrait être terminée, mais les routes saturées d'eau et difficilement praticables à certains endroits. C'est notre première visite au Costa Rica et nous aimerions dans l'idéal voir des parcs nationaux, éventuellement un volcan et aller à la plage. Ma première idée était de commencer par la région de Tortuguero, Puerto Vijeo, puis j'ai pensé que la Peninsula de Osa était moins touristique et avait beaucoup à offrir. Les deux endroits étant trop, ou pas? Le lac de Arenal aurait aussi été une destination car je vais au CR avec une personne qui fait de la planche à voile. Là aussi, j'ai lu que le volcan était normalement dans la brume. J'ai donc l'impression qu'il vaut mieux prendre d'avantage égard à la météo et de demander de l'aide à celles et ceux qui connaissent les conditions en novembre. Est-ce que vous pourriez me renseigner et me parler de vos expériences? Merci beaucoup à l'avance. Maevita