One of the reasons why I'm a big fan of compact cameras is because they're perfect for candids. The odds of having a camera with me when something interesting happens are much higher when it fits comfortably in my pocket. As a result, I'm capturing more "slices of life" pictures these days than in the past.

Grab Shot: Missing letters can lead to humorous compositions. Photo by Derrick Story.

Thinking about all of this has inspired me to create a new feature on The Digital Story called Grab Shots. Basically, it works like this.

I'm looking for interesting "grab shots" that you're willing to share with the rest of us. On our Submissions page, I've spelled everything out so you can refer to it at any time. But the bottom line is, if you have a cool candid, size it down to 400 pixels wide or less and send it to derrick@thedigitalstory.com. Be sure to put "Grab Shots" in the subject line. I'll pick one a week, or run one of my own, and keep them all grouped together in a special "Grab Shots" area of the site so you can check them out via the "Jump To" menu in the upper right corner of the page.

I'm looking for clever, humorous, heart warming, or just downright unusual images. I'll keep them all in my photo database with your contact information. So if I don't run it right away, that doesn't mean you won't see it later on. I'm the final judge on all of this stuff... so no complaining!

If you send me your website url with your name, and your photo gets published, I'll hyperlink your photo credit so folks can go see more of your work. And if that isn't enough ;) I'll ship you an ultra-cool custom carabineer keychain as a thank you. Does it get any better than that?

Technorati Tags: candid, photography