With the calendar flipping over to a New Year, I’ve taken on the personal challenge of reviewing my photos from 2016 with a critical eye and selecting a dozen that represent my most satisfying work. I’ve limited myself by picking from only three genres: nature, people and impressionistic. As well, I’m not including any photos that I’m hired to take or any family photos. It’s much harder to be objective about family photos because there are such strong emotional ties.
It’s no easy task to go through 25000 photos and pick a dozen. So, I had to settle on some criteria for selection. First, there needs to be a strong emotional connection to the photo. Even though I may have a perfect image of an apple, if it isn’t meaningful to me, it doesn’t make the cut. Second, the image needs to be successful in terms of meeting my goal for the shot. Third, the image needs to tell a story. So here goes.
Nature




2. People




3. Impressionistic




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Thank you so much for the beautiful collection of images. I love them all! And it makes me think of going through my images and reflecting on them, particularly those that create an emotional connection. Of your images, I think I am most drawn to the first and to the last. Thank you again.
Joan, thank you so much for looking and commenting. It definitely is a challenging and worthwhile task to go through them.
Really nice set of photos you chose for your best of the year Dennis, although, not having seen the other 24,988, I’ll bet there are still a few more good ones there!
Thanks, Forest. I think there might be one or two in the bigger pile! When you decide to leave one out, it’s almost like abandoning a family member. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks Dennis,
Your photos as well as being beautiful are an excellent motivator for me to develop a 2017 challenge.
Happy New Year and may 2017 be filled with extraordinary photo opportunities.
Hi Terry! Glad to hear from you. And if my blog post encouraged you to photograph more, especially with a project in mind, great success. You might also want to join a bunch of us on Photo Journey, the Facebook group I told you about. Keep shooting!
Thank you for this brilliant diversity of image and imagination, Dennis.
Your stellar work takes my breath away. You have added meaning and deep beauty to my day.
May Light continue to find your lens responsive and reverent; alive and amazed !! Shine on!!
Laura, you and your sister are such a gift to me with your friendship and words. To add meaning and deep beauty to your day is the pinnacle of what I would hope for. Thank you, good friend.
Diversity, colour, subject matter, technique, vision, and of course, artistic talent all play a role in your wonderful and inspiring selection of images. I just can’t figure out how the hell I got in there! 12 out of 25,000 – no easy feat. I’m in the process of doing mine and I am hitting the wall! Congratulations Dennis. I can’t wait to run another creative vision workshop with you!
It’s just your magnetic charm and good looks, Chris! Plus, of course, great memories from two wonderful weeks at Bella Coola! There has to be an emotional connection, remember? Thanks for your encouraging comments.
Dennis I can only guess that there were 100’s of photos that called to be included as one of your favourites. You have inspired me to sort, delete and choose. Thankyou!
I hope that sometime soon I will be able to become one of your students.
For now I settle for being inspired!
Thank you, Susan, for the gift of your kind words. I’m sure we will get to work together in the future. I also look forward to that.
I somehow missed this earlier. Just a lovely collection of images Dennis. I particularly love the “impressionistic” and People images. You continue to be an inspiration even when I am not shooting, Dennis.
Hi Chris. Your words are always welcome with your thoughtful perspective. Thanks so much. Glad we can keep in touch.