Have you taken some time to look back through the pictures you took in 2014? Which ones were your favorite? Why?
Looking back over a year of photographs is good practice at the beginning of a year. Of course it’s always fun to relive walking through the beautiful places you had the privilege of exploring the previous year, but it’s also an excellent exercise in learning through retrospect . . . if, and only if, you ask yourself the question “why” as you browse. Why do I like a certain shot? Why is it better than a similar shot? Why do I not like a certain shot that I thought I liked when I first took it? Why did your top 25 make it to . . . well, to the top 25?
Pretty soon you’ll start to see some common threads. Tack sharpness? vibrant color? shallow depth of field? elements positioned on thirds? Those are the clues to what you were learning last year. Perhaps subconsciously. Perhaps purposely. Whatever the reason, they stand out to you because you probably wouldn’t have noticed them before.
Congratulations; you’re taking steps forward! But don’t stop there. Keep looking deeper. Keep asking deeper. Why wasn’t such and such a shot not pleasing to my eye? Why do my pictures still not look like so-and-so-favorite-photographer’s pictures? How could I have made my top 25 pictures even better? Perhaps you’ll start seeing some common threads here too. Now start a list of things that you wish you could change about your pictures. These are the seeds of the things you’ll probably be learning this year!
Here are my top 25 from 2014. I am planning on writing up the reasons why I like these shots in a special report later this year, but more on that later. For now, enjoy the inspiration and leave a comment at the end with a link to your own favorite shots from 2014!
1. Cowee Mountains Overlook
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
2. Hillside Shadows
Wild Rose Campground, Death Valley National Park, California
3. Unlocking West Virginia
Second falls on Shades Run, Blackwater Falls State Park, West Virginia
4. Konza Gold
Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas
5. Quebec Hospitality
A home in February near Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
6. Watching the Sunset
Coast Dairies State Park, California
7. Window of Light
South Fork Eagle River Valley, Chugatch State Park, Alaska
8. Dusk Over the Dunes
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California
9. Hay Bale Sunrise
Country back-road near Topeka, Kansas
10. Walking Among Giants
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, California
11. Blue Ridge Mystery
Devils Courthouse Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
12. Appalachian Ethics
Country back-road near Clarksburg, West Virginia
13. Rainbow Falls
Devils Postpile National Monument, California
14. The Old Stone Church
Near Maple Hill, Kansas
15. Moon Sets Soon
Country back-road near Clarksburg, West Virginia
16. Door to Solitude
Saint Benedict Abbey, Magog, Quebec, Canada
17. Welcome to Alaska
South Fork Eagle River, Chugatch State Park, Alaska
18. Autumn Impression
Country back-road near Clarksburg, West Virginia
19. Sun Streams
Mammoth Crest above Crystal Lake, California
20. Colorful Effects
Blackwater Falls State Park, West Virginia
21. Contemplating A Crossing
Jim Lake, Palmer, Alaska
22. The Real San Diego Coastline
Torry Pines State Park, California
23. The Point at Lindy Point
Blackwater Falls State Park, West Virginia
24. Just Another Creek
Stony Brook, Harriman State Park, New York
I think my favourite is Rainbow Falls. I am looking forward to hearing why some of them are on your top 25 list!
Do you have a compilation of your favorites yet?
James – Regarding your invitation to leave a comment with a link to our own favorite shots from 2014… what do you recommend for an online photo sharing site?
That is an excellent question, snmiller! I like Google+ because it’s built for sharing and is free and simple (while not being built for sharing pictures specifically, which sites are usually filthy to browse and use.) 500px can also be a good way to display your pictures as it’s built for professionals and has sufficient options for catering to the style of pictures you want to see while you’re using their services.