The best of 2008

Holowlegs · 01-01-2009, 1:36 PM

Hello there

Thought I better start this thread as it seems one else is going to do it.

Going to post some of my best I feel of 2008, and if you want you can follow suit.

Picking these three as they done very in camera club competitions last year and they do look good in print I feel.

| 1/320 | f/10 | 126 mm | ISO 800 |

| 1/500 | f/5.6 | 300 mm | ISO 200 |

| 1/1250 | f/5.6 | 280 mm | ISO 800 |

Could off picked others but always find this sort of thing hard to chose from.

Happy New Year all.

Cheers Holo

**Dave** · 01-01-2009, 1:43 PM

Great shots Holo, the detail in 2 is superb and number 3 is a brilliant capture.

Here's what I would say are my best of 2008. If I had to pick one it would be the swan because I still don't know how I got so much detail in the shot.

AVTEZ59 · 01-01-2009, 2:02 PM

Superb shots !!

For me, these three...

Cheers

Terry

Pieeater · 01-01-2009, 2:26 PM

Is it a requirement to have a picture of a bird?!

**Dave** · 01-01-2009, 2:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pieeater

Is it a requirement to have a picture of a bird?!

It would appear so.

I just find it easy to nip down the local nature reserve and water birds are relatively easy to shoot as they move slow and are not that scared of humans.

Tobers · 01-01-2009, 2:30 PM

Great idea. I'm copying someone else's approach and I've grabbed a picture a month for 2008. All sorts of stuff in here - variety is the spice of life etc. Sorry - no bird included.

January - Playing with shadows and getting used to my new 1D mk III

February - Shooting a freestyle snow & ski competition in Val d'Isere

March - AVForums Scottish meet in Skye - still one of the best photo experiences I've ever had - brilliant work by Dave & Ally and I long to go back.

April - Playing with long exposures with my newish ND110 filter.

May - First polo match - led to a busy summer covering polo and much more besides. Quite a turning point in my photography.

June - Up in the French alps on a motorbike tour, with some spare time in the schedule for a bit of photography.

July - First ever runway fashion shoot.

August - Highland games in Granton on Spey.

September - Commercial catalogue shoot for a US mens outfitter.

October - Has to be the helicopter...

November - Starting to understand what I'm doing with Premiership rugby

December - Wet shot that was printed in the Surrey Advertiser

All in all, a hugely varied and highly enjoyable year where I've been priviliged to shoot a huge variety of different subjects in different ways, and taken advantage of every opportunity to push the envelope. Bring on 2009!

Tobers

jomike · 01-01-2009, 2:32 PM

Some nice shots there folks

My favourite macro shot, and overall favourite:

Landscape from Cheshire last summer:

Candid, my daughter in Madrid, scoffing chocolate and churros.

B&W, Paignton Pier.

booyaka · 01-01-2009, 2:51 PM

loving the snowboarder Tobers - cracking shot! (all of them are but that one is superb)

Hopefully will have some pictures to add to a similar thread in a years time.

This year has been a learning experience for me with my D40 and starting to really enjoy it.

Pieeater · 01-01-2009, 2:56 PM

Mike, I know you love photography but you've named your daughter Candid?!

jomike · 01-01-2009, 3:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pieeater

Mike, I know you love photography but you've named your daughter Candid?!

I meant candid of my daughter, but you knew that

Yandros · 01-01-2009, 3:07 PM

Nice idea

Here's my year in pictures...

First colour of spring in our garden - a crocus in February

A bitterly cold Dover Castle in March

Hiding from the cold in our local butterfly house in March

From Kew in May

Kew Bluebell woods in May

Leeds Castle in May

June is peak flowering time for my cacti...

A gorgeous wildflower meadow at Harlow Carr near Harrogate in July

Our fledgeling bluetits leave the nest in July and discover our feeders...

Dragonflies hunting in our nearby nature reserve in July

Amazingly cute baby Fennec Fox at Colchester Zoo in August

Rome in September

The view from St Peter's in September

tasman · 01-01-2009, 3:31 PM

That one of Rome is outstanding. Is there any post processing done with it or was it all in camera?

Gordon @ Convergent AV · 01-01-2009, 3:43 PM

Yandros: Lots of really beautiful shots there.

Like the Tobers idea of 12 months...off to find some to post myself

G

Tobers · 01-01-2009, 3:54 PM

Yandros - super shots. The first butterfly is amazing and I love the bluebell shot too.

Yandros · 01-01-2009, 4:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasman

That one of Rome is outstanding. Is there any post processing done with it or was it all in camera?

Thanks

It's an HDR from a single RAW file, which gives the punch to the stuff in the foreground. It was taken at sunset, so it's a bit murky otherwise. The view incidentally is from the road that winds up the Capitoline Hill, looking east over the Forum. The road running diagonally from the bottom left is the Via Sacra - the High Street of ancient rome. This is the route that the 'triumph' took, when victorious heroes returned to Rome.

granty_ · 01-01-2009, 4:04 PM

Here are my few faves all took on an A200 (which ive only had since september sooo...)

My friend rock climbing on boxing day:

My first ever sunset:

My personal fave from this year, and again from the first sunset shots i ever did:

This just summed autumn up for me:

And last, from my first day I ever used a DSLR, and still my fave landscape shot:

Hope you like!

tapzilla2k · 01-01-2009, 4:12 PM

I think these are the best photgraphs i've taken in 2008 -

Gordon @ Convergent AV · 01-01-2009, 4:58 PM

January 08 I didn't do much photography due to havng to be in Scotland most of that month looking after my mum as my father was very ill in hospital (he's great now though!

Jan:

Feb: Still got this thing about dummies....

March: Saw two forum meets. The guildford one and the Skye one too. This is from Skye

April: Was the month I actually went on a little studio lighting/portrait course. This is one of the safe for work shots from that day...and I like it

May: I set out to do a stylised portrait of Holowlegs...and sort of managed it but this was my favourite image from that session.

June: I went out to Brighton with specifically to try to take portarit of a random person I'd never met before...and this was the end result.

July: There was a bike race around Guildford town centre and the Guildfrord posse went to "do" it. I got this shot for my collection of images of things going in or out of the frame

August: Went on a charity photo shoot in Brighton and also did quite alot of other photo's throughout that month including the Bristol meet up...but this is from the charity shoot. Portrait of a model

Sept

retty quiet but I took my G9 to Jersey when I went over on business

Oct: Again a good month. Took alot of stuff. This was on the helicopter photo shoot Tobers asked me to assist him at.

Nov: Another good month. I did my first studio photo shoot with a model and I actually achieved the image I had in my head. It's possibly not safe for work though so you'll need to click THIS LINK TO SEE IT

Dec: Well not much doing in December. Here's a still life of something I came across while out for a walk.

Yandros · 01-01-2009, 5:50 PM

Gordon/Tobers - love the helicopter shots.

Gordon - Random person really leaps off the page, but my fav has to be 'portrait of a model'..very striking.

Tarmoo, you create a dilemma for me by posting hordes of beautiful young ladies, but I'll vote for your Wisley rose as #1

Granty - that rock climbing shot is stunning. Is that blue from a polariser or PPed?

tonkie · 01-01-2009, 6:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon @ Convergent AV

June: I went out to Brighton with specifically to try to take portarit of a random person I'd never met before...and this was the end result.

I was more than happy to pose although you didn't pay me

viffer · 01-01-2009, 8:11 PM

Took this one back in February, drive past these boats everyday on the way to work.
Everything was right on one day in Feb.

My Daughter Charlotte, growing up quicky!!

Radiohead · 01-01-2009, 8:21 PM

Wedding shots:

Portraits:

Oh, and a landscape!

ryanyboy · 01-01-2009, 8:46 PM

Hi gang.

I'll post some pics soon but for now I just wanted to say how impressed I've been with the quality of the pictures so far. These really are great images folks and I'd certainly be happy to hang most of them on my wall.

Holo - the image of the lad with the cap is superb - love the processing too.

Tobers - The helicopter is something else!! I'd love to see it larger and to zoom in to see into the cockpit.

Mike - the b&w of Paignton pier is brill - I love the composition and the portrait framing works a treat.

Yandros - Love the Kew Garden shots - great colours.

Avtez - the colours in your first shot are great

Granty - the rock climber is stunning - I'm sure you'd get that published in some climbing magazine.

Tapzilla - the lighting and expression in your first image is fab.

Tarmoo - the puma is a great capture.

Gordon - the studio model is amazing and even better considering it was one of your first.

Viffer - I saw this one before - I still think the lighting makes this a cracker.

Guy - load of rubbish.

I'm no expert but I know what I like and I like to comment on decent pictures after you guys have gone to the trouble of posting them up for all to see.

Cheers all - can't wait to see more and (the best of 2009)

Ryan

granty_ · 01-01-2009, 8:54 PM

Thanks for the comments!

The sky really was quite blue that day and I used a polariser which did boost it a bit, I did enjoy that shot. Trouble was that day the sky was blue, but the sun soo soo low so I struggled for landscapes

Garf · 01-01-2009, 9:06 PM

There are some amazing shots on here - fantastic

Tobers · 01-01-2009, 9:50 PM

Some excellent pictures - it's great to see a summary of everyones' year. Great wedding pics Radiohead - that one of the blurred couple in the foreground on either side with the crowd behind nice and sharp is excellent - a whole story in a picture - top stuff.

ryanyboy · 01-01-2009, 9:53 PM

I started 2008 as I finished 2007 - as an in-patient at the Addenbookes Hospital Eating Disorders Unit in Cambridge. I had a total of over 5 months there and came out nearly 50 pounds heavier.

This has nothing to do with photography of course, except that while in hospital I was allowed home (on good behaviour) occasionally and thus spent much of my free time with my camera. By the time I was discharged over 20 of my prints adorned the ward and the staff were pleading with me to pursue photography as a career (rather than return to the stress of financial services recruitment).

And so as I embark on 2009 with the intention of turning pro I look back on a year ago and remember that 5+ months in Addenbrookes more than saved my life, it also changed my life in more ways than I could possibly imagine.

So I'll dedicate this selection of faves to the staff of Ward S3. And to my other half Sarah who I met in April - she has more belief in me than I'll ever have. Cheers dear.

Animals:-

Weddings:-

(I've known her since she was a baby)

Places:-

Grand Arcade Cambridge

Cambridge Market Street

People:-

Joshua & Kieran

Ellia-Mae (my little princess, niece, and best reason to get well a man could have)

Mr Cool

Candids

I'm sure I'll think of another later that I wish I'd included but hey-ho.

Thanks for reading and looking. Hope you like 'em

Ryan

psenior1 · 01-01-2009, 11:26 PM

Some of my favourites since starting out with my first DSLR in June...

Blackpool Beach

My little girl

My beautiful niece

My boy

Beer Drops

Biscuit761 · 01-01-2009, 11:28 PM

Ryanboy, go for it, your stuff is superb

All of you who have posted the quality is astounding, makes me proud to be associated with the forum, better get my top twelve sorted !

Bill

AVTEZ59 · 02-01-2009, 12:42 AM

Ryanboy....well for me, the one that rises to the top is your last one....I commented when you first posted it and I will again....this is a perfectly composed, has great colours, and ...well I could go on. Superb !!

Terry