YOUR favorite/best image of 2015 goes here

[DanOstergren]

2015 was a pretty quiet year for taking photos. Still not sure if I have the energy to pursue it further.

View attachment 113583

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Please don't stop. You're one of my favorite photographers.

Well thanks Dan. You're one of my favorites as well. It's mostly just that I've moved and I'm not really that great with people or very creative overall. A lot of the photos I've taken over the past year and a half have been more happenstance than anything I consciously developed and put out into the world. I feel a bit stalled, and not in the "This will pass" sort of way that everyone blogs about.

Try to be an optimist about it; get out of that mindset that tells you that you can't do this anymore or that you aren't creative (your photos have inspired me multiple times in the past, so that tells me you actually are creative and your photos are beautiful) or good enough with people. If you love photography and it brings you bliss, just try to keep taking pictures. You don't have to tell yourself that this could be the end of it all, and I think putting those words out there makes you believe they are true.

 

[tirediron]

My best? Who knows, but definitely my 2015 favorite...

 

[jcdeboever]

My best? Who knows, but definitely my 2015 favorite...

Where is that?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[ByronBrant]

 

[rexbobcat]

2015 was a pretty quiet year for taking photos. Still not sure if I have the energy to pursue it further.

View attachment 113583

View attachment 113584

Please don't stop. You're one of my favorite photographers.

Well thanks Dan. You're one of my favorites as well. It's mostly just that I've moved and I'm not really that great with people or very creative overall. A lot of the photos I've taken over the past year and a half have been more happenstance than anything I consciously developed and put out into the world. I feel a bit stalled, and not in the "This will pass" sort of way that everyone blogs about.

Try to be an optimist about it; get out of that mindset that tells you that you can't do this anymore or that you aren't creative (your photos have inspired me multiple times in the past, so that tells me you actually are creative and your photos are beautiful) or good enough with people. If you love photography and it brings you bliss, just try to keep taking pictures. You don't have to tell yourself that this could be the end of it all, and I think putting those words out there makes you believe they are true.

I'm sure I probably won't stop taking photos. I like the possibility of opportunity too much, even if it's in the distance. However, in terms of taking photos with the intent of putting them out there, I'm not sure I will focus that much on it. I've come to the realization that, while the photos I take and are drawn to aren't necessarily bad, they're rather forgettable, which is worse in some ways. If you take bad photos, there will be engagement at least insofar as telling how to improve. The progression is linear. However, it's much harder to satisfy the need for accomplishment when you're on a plateau with no real support network.

Photography is about the only thing I have any sort of noticeable proficiency in, so the fact that I'm where I am both technically and professionally after 7 years makes me a bit disappointed in myself.

 

[jhowman]

3 taken in 2015 only really started out in Photography in 2015 so lots too learn

First Eclipse

A couple of Fireworks Nov

And finally my favourite

have a great 2016 everyone

John

 

[ByronBrant]

Not the best. Christmas card practice shots. Trying to test flash strength, bounce angle, proximity from tree, angle, etc and then they just started hugging. Off course it knocked them out of my focus area and it's soft as hell, but it's by far my favorite. Couldn't get them to replicate that again, of course
Untitled by JAPAMM, on Flickr

My second personal favorite shot.
Untitled by JAPAMM, on Flickr

The second one is very powerful. Something special. It is engaging & moody,. Belongs in a Gallery.

 

[nerwin]

Lots of great photos here.

Now...according to Flickr, this is my most viewed, most interesting, most popular photo of 2015



But I personally think this was one of my favorite photos of 2015 because I had lots of fun playing with my brothers dog trying to get some cool shots of him.



Hope everyone had a great 2015 and wish you all the best of luck for 2016!

 

[cdryden]

 

[tirediron]

My best? Who knows, but definitely my 2015 favorite...

Where is that?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

That's the Sta-Puft Marshmallow Toasting Test Facility in North Gumboot Junction!



It's the Royal Canadian Naval Fire Fighting Training Facility just outside of Victoria, BC.

 

[MRnats]

Not the best. Christmas card practice shots. Trying to test flash strength, bounce angle, proximity from tree, angle, etc and then they just started hugging. Off course it knocked them out of my focus area and it's soft as hell, but it's by far my favorite. Couldn't get them to replicate that again, of course
Untitled by JAPAMM, on Flickr

My second personal favorite shot.
Untitled by JAPAMM, on Flickr

The second one is very powerful. Something special. It is engaging & moody,. Belongs in a Gallery.

wow, thank you!

 

[DanOstergren]

2015 was a pretty quiet year for taking photos. Still not sure if I have the energy to pursue it further.

View attachment 113583

View attachment 113584

Please don't stop. You're one of my favorite photographers.

Well thanks Dan. You're one of my favorites as well. It's mostly just that I've moved and I'm not really that great with people or very creative overall. A lot of the photos I've taken over the past year and a half have been more happenstance than anything I consciously developed and put out into the world. I feel a bit stalled, and not in the "This will pass" sort of way that everyone blogs about.

Try to be an optimist about it; get out of that mindset that tells you that you can't do this anymore or that you aren't creative (your photos have inspired me multiple times in the past, so that tells me you actually are creative and your photos are beautiful) or good enough with people. If you love photography and it brings you bliss, just try to keep taking pictures. You don't have to tell yourself that this could be the end of it all, and I think putting those words out there makes you believe they are true.

I'm sure I probably won't stop taking photos. I like the possibility of opportunity too much, even if it's in the distance. However, in terms of taking photos with the intent of putting them out there, I'm not sure I will focus that much on it. I've come to the realization that, while the photos I take and are drawn to aren't necessarily bad, they're rather forgettable, which is worse in some ways. If you take bad photos, there will be engagement at least insofar as telling how to improve. The progression is linear. However, it's much harder to satisfy the need for accomplishment when you're on a plateau with no real support network.

Photography is about the only thing I have any sort of noticeable proficiency in, so the fact that I'm where I am both technically and professionally after 7 years makes me a bit disappointed in myself.

Well for what it's worth, I don't think your photos are forgettable.

 

[mmaria]

2015 was a pretty quiet year for taking photos. Still not sure if I have the energy to pursue it further.

View attachment 113583

View attachment 113584

Please don't stop. You're one of my favorite photographers.

Well thanks Dan. You're one of my favorites as well. It's mostly just that I've moved and I'm not really that great with people or very creative overall. A lot of the photos I've taken over the past year and a half have been more happenstance than anything I consciously developed and put out into the world. I feel a bit stalled, and not in the "This will pass" sort of way that everyone blogs about.

Try to be an optimist about it; get out of that mindset that tells you that you can't do this anymore or that you aren't creative (your photos have inspired me multiple times in the past, so that tells me you actually are creative and your photos are beautiful) or good enough with people. If you love photography and it brings you bliss, just try to keep taking pictures. You don't have to tell yourself that this could be the end of it all, and I think putting those words out there makes you believe they are true.

I'm sure I probably won't stop taking photos. I like the possibility of opportunity too much, even if it's in the distance. However, in terms of taking photos with the intent of putting them out there, I'm not sure I will focus that much on it. I've come to the realization that, while the photos I take and are drawn to aren't necessarily bad, they're rather forgettable, which is worse in some ways. If you take bad photos, there will be engagement at least insofar as telling how to improve. The progression is linear. However, it's much harder to satisfy the need for accomplishment when you're on a plateau with no real support network.

Photography is about the only thing I have any sort of noticeable proficiency in, so the fact that I'm where I am both technically and professionally after 7 years makes me a bit disappointed in myself.

I'm posting in this thread just because of you.

I was surprised when I saw you wrote all of this. Don't Stop!

I agree with @DanOstergren and there are many of us here who would agree too. You're one of my favorite photographers and please don't think your images are forgettable because they're totally not!

Your images are playful and happy sometimes, sometimes nostalgic and sad but always honest and engaging. You showed that you can capture a plethora of different subjects and situations and that capturing them is so easy for you, it comes so naturally... The way you compose scenes, shoot people, the way you edit and the themes you shoot, everything... is memorable.

In a way, I understand you because I feel similar, but you are in a place (you said: "so the fact that I'm where I am both technically and professionally after 7 years makes me a bit disappointed in myself") where many of photographers who called themselves pro won't be able to reach, and I really mean that. It's good you have set your goals high because you'll only get better but don't think people are indifferent about your photography because that's impossible.

I vividly remember the portrait of your father, the dancer, even your selfie/body..and more... because they're emotional, honest, pure...

Anyways... if you need a kick in your but, I'll be happy to do it

 

[TCampbell]

Wow! Lots of fantastic images here!

Here's my contribution. As is the case with nearly all astrophotography images, this single image is actually the result of combing many exposures.


Andromeda Galaxy & Companions by Tim Campbell, on Flickr

This is the Andromeda galaxy (aka Messier 31 or just "M31" for short). It's located in the constellation of Andromeda (hence the name) about 2.5 million light years away (so we see it as it used to look 2.5 million years ago). A light year is measure of distance, not time... it's the distance that light can travel (at about 186,000 miles/sec) in one year and works out to just shy of 6 trillion miles. So in rough round numbers... this galaxy is 2.5 million x 6 trillion miles away. The galaxy is much larger than our own (more than twice as wide) at 220,000 light years across. It contains about 1 trillion suns (a little over 3x more than our own Milky Way galaxy.)

We think of objects like our full moon as being very large objects in the night time sky... but even with the incredible distance to this galaxy... it is STILL more than 6 times wider than the full moon. (The full moon is about 1/2º from edge to edge... this galaxy is 3.1º from edge to edge.) We usually do not even notice it due to light pollution but it is visible to the unaided eye if you are observing on a moonless night from a dark sky location.

The image above required more than 1 hour of exposure time (8 exposures, each of which were 8 minutes long - using a telescope mount that is able to precisely track the movement of the sky.)

 

[Ron Smith]

What a great thread - inspiring photos on here. I shoot bikes for my local builders - so I have a motorcycle photo that I really like.