Well this sure got interesting.

I didn’t really know to expect, but as one user said, “this certainly shows the power of Google+”. I started this contest less than 24 hours ago, and so far nearly 300 people have downloaded the original image, and we have just under 100 entries, plus a ton of comments.

And most importantly, the different treatments people are throwing out are blowing me away. From simple B&W effects to turning the image into an ad campaign, making the subject look 40 years younger, and in at least one case, completely replacing the subject with someone much younger (funny!).

I’m loving seeing this, and where it’s going.

If you want to join in the fun, here’s the two links you need:

The contest is done entirely by comment-count, so even if you aren’t submitting, you can still log in and leave a comment on your favorites.

Need a Google+ Invite?

Apparently G+ is in “trial” mode, so you need an invitation to get in. If you need one, let me know in the comments below (I just need your email address). I’ll keep inviting people until they cut me off! If you don’t want your email address public on here, just say so when you leave the content. I have to approve all contents, so if you request, I’ll just delete your comment without publishing once I send you the invite.

I said I’d share too

Since this isn’t a contest that I’m judging, I’m going to post a few of my own as well, just for fun. Here’s a B&W created in my favorite plug-in, Silver Efex Pro II. I started with the custom preset I built and have made available for free, and tweaked slightly from there.

Click to view larger, along with the entries, on Google+