I often find myself drawn to the rejects in photography—the frames that didn’t quite make the cut. The ones that are slightly off, imperfect, or overlooked. Sometimes it’s in these discarded moments where the real story lives: a raw expression, an honest haze, a feeling that wasn’t planned. They may not be technically perfect, but they’re real—and that’s what makes them special. So here is my take on the challenge from Egidio with the theme of Rejected.
2018. My first day in Prague left me disappointed. I had seen countless photos on Instagram—miraculously lively, colourful, and full of magic. But when we arrived, the city was wrapped in fog. It felt quiet, almost lifeless. To the naked eye, the place was still magical, but every photo I took seemed like a reject, and almost deleted. So I told myself it didn’t really matter—I still had the memories etched in my mind.
Yet with a little tweaking here and there, those images found a second life. What once felt dull and disappointing slowly revealed a different kind of beauty—one that was subtle, moody, and real. Still not the beat but I guess it turned out alright.
Teresa, what a great to rescue the original images from dull to magic. You did an excellent job by showing us a more intimate and also vibrant side of Prague.
Great challenge Eigidio, thanks for that. Glad to do this theme with you.
Great work on these photos. Your artist’s eye did it.
Thanks Nes, what a nice thing to say.
So glad you didn’t delete these. They are definitely worth keeping.
I find it hard to part with photos even though they are just bad copies. So good that it can be of use like for this challenge.
It’s surprising how a little tweak of colour can rescue and otherwise dull photo, and these were certainly worth saving.
Thanks so much Eunice. I don’t do much editing to my photos just because I don’t know how and because I don’t have the patience. But a little tweak is alright. so I am just happy that it did the job.
I’m the same, I don’t do much editing to mine. I can’t get my head round Photoshop, it’s far too complicated for me so I just use a simple editing programme which does just what I want with no hassle.
I totally agree with you about the memories. I keep photos that are not necessarily meant for public consumption but they remind me of the time I took them. In you case – your rescue effort worked!
Thanks so much Elke. Glad you think so. It is so fun to look at reject photos sometimes.
I know what you mean about the disappointment of visiting somewhere and not getting what you were hoping for. I like what you have done with this, and you have put the colour into them. Great job Teresa.