By David Gewirtz
Be prepared to give up the next three to four hours. In fact, if you can't spare hours out of your day right now, you probably want to stop reading this article.
Somehow, poking around the Web or reading her email, Denise discovered Worth1000.com (at http://www.worth1000.com), the Connected Photographer Site of the Month for May that's absolutely amazing, incredibly fun, and wildly dangerous to your productivity.
Worth1000, shown in Figure A, describes itself as "the top creative competition and Photoshop contest site on the Web." The site claims to have 4,393 galleries and 153,394 original images. What sets this site apart is that some of the images are jaw-droppingly astounding.
FIGURE A
Worth1000 claims to have 4,393 galleries and 153,394 original images. (click for larger image)
If you click on the Galleries menu, for example, you'll see photos arranged according to topics, like Rejected Transformers, Alternate Transportion, Celebrity Cyborgs, Detouching, Cliche Hell, and, my personal favorite, Vintage Products (at http://www.worth1000.com/galleries.asp?rel=Vintage+Products).
Many of the images contributed by readers are just fantastic. The quality and professionalism and creativity of some of these pictures kept me clicking and viewing for hours. For example, Figure B shows a picture of a semi-automatic handgun with a revolver barrel. Don't try to understand, just look at the picture.
FIGURE B
Now, this is a first-person shooter! (click for larger image)
Figure C shows a picture of an modern cordless power drill in the form of an old-style crank drill.
FIGURE C
More power! (click for larger image)
Figure D shows a hand-cranked DJ mixer.
FIGURE D
This isn't your grandfather's DJ mixer. (click for larger image)
There are so many cool pictures, just in this one gallery, that I want to show you them all. Instead, I'll settle for showing you one last favorite, the Blazing Saddle, shown in Figure E, and send you to http://www.worth1000.com to see the rest.
FIGURE E
Riding this could be a blast, but stopping and starting would definitely require practice. (click for larger image)
If you're still with me, that means you're ready to embark on a completely unproductive (and incredibly fun) journey that'll eat up hours and hours of your day, starting right now. Go visit the site. It'll be a blast.
Product availability and resources
For more information on Worth1000, visit http://www.worth1000.com.
Your site can earn this special banner
Do you know a great site, one that offers great resources for photographers? If so, that site may be eligible for consideration as the Connected Photographer Site of the Month. If chosen, the recipient will even be entitled to display the lovely banner shown in Figure E.
FIGURE F
Is your site impressive enough to be the Connected Photographer Site of the Month? (click for larger image)
If you'd like your site to be considered for Connected Photographer Site of the Month, send email to editor@zatz.com. Please specify "CONNECTED PHOTOGRAPHER SITE-OF-MONTH" in the subject field of your email.