For the past year or so we've been encouraging those of you who are dexterous with photo manipulation to send us some of your best work. To that end we've run a couple of Photochop Challenges where we give you a photo and invite everybody to have a go. In our first Challenge, we gave you an official photo of the new GTI courtesy of VWoA. In the 12/06 issue we printed 24 of the 50 high quality entries, the rest appearing at eurotuner.com.
This time we approached BMWNA for a photo of the new 335i and were inundated with over 100 superb works of art. So we've got a few more pages here to squeeze in our top 30 selection. Sadly, we can't get every entry in the mag, so the top 30 and remaining 75 illustrations can be found at eurotuner.com. For those who aren't in print, don't consider this a rejection because there are some great photochops online. We'd like to give a hearty slap on the back to everybody who entered. As we've said all along, this isn't a competition. However, we like to reward excellence, so our favorite entry receives a $120 Oakley Adaptable Payload Backpack.
We chose Sergei Khadjiev, who got his illustration to us one day before the closing date. We're glad he did because we really liked his combination of adventurous bodystyling, color change and overall execution. According to the maestro, "the major changes to the car include my own front bumper design and widebody flares. It has new angel eye headlights plus wide HRE wheels. The car was finished in aqua paint to give an overall image change." Congrats, the AP backpack's in the mail. The rest of the top ten are astonishingly good, as well. There's some real talent out there. If you think you have the same, don't miss next month's issue when we'll have a new Photochop Challenge.
Congratulations to everybody who entered. Thanks for taking the time, including those who didn't take it too seriously: Thomas Lawrowski from NYC told us, "I got bored and created a monster truck for fun."
Tommy sent in four cars, including an orange racer that's on the website, and an interesting E46/E92 hybrid that's in our top 30 selection.
We also liked the humor in Daniel Yepes' John Deere-sponsored racecar, and Cesar Graulau's "Pimped Bimmer" with its gold trim and jeweled wheels. Don't miss next month's third et Photochop Challenge. It's another chance to take home a prize and cover yourself in geeky glory.
If you missed this Challenge but would like to send us your Bimmer photochops anyway, email them to eurotuner@primedia.com. We'll print the best ones on the Letters pages.
Here's the original E92 photo we gave you to manipulate, courtesy of BMWNA
1
Sergei Khadjiev. He added a new front bumper and widebody with HRE wheels, custom angle eye headlights and aqua paint. The list is short but simple works. .
2
Elliot Olson. When we told him he'd placed second he was "very excited - it's the first photochop I've done!" Clearly the Lake Oswego, OR native has talent. His mods include shaved handles, bser hood, frenched lights, BBS LMs, lowered, debadged, removed chrome window trim with added Schnitzer front lip, plus the color change.
3
Milosz Zubel. Finished in red, the car has Audi TT DTM fender flares, front valance and side exhaust. The bumpers and headlights are from the BMW M6, while it sits on widened Audi RS6 wheels
4
Roger Mondragon. Using Photoshop CS2 he created "subtle refinement of an already successful design execution by BMW." The list of mods includes shaved handles and markers, the front apron, skirts and rear valance were stretched vertically, while the body was lowered onto staggered Hamann wheels. It also has M5 gills, red tails and was painted Lambo orange