Yesterday the results for the „Best of 2010“ Blog Project were published by Jim and I thought I’d share them here with you, too, like I did last year. Enjoy!

You can find them after the jump Reade More...

Tags: Photo, Project, Best of 2010, Links

Another year has come and gone and it’s time to for another look back at the photos I have taken in the last year. Like last year Jim is doing a Blog Project called „Best of 2010“ in which I want to participate again (My entry last year).

As last year I could not decide on one best photo - especially since I took so many photographs, both at home and during my Roadtrip last summer (for which I still have not wirtten a blog post...). So like last year, I will have several categories in which I will show you my best photos. My favorite for each categorie is larger than the rest - you can see larger versions of all of them by clicking on an image.

Macro

Macro photography has been one of my favorite topics for years now but this year I did not have much time to go to a botanical garden or to spend time shooting in our own garden but still I got some new images I really liked. The thing for me with Macro shots is that I have become very, very picky in my images, since photos can be very similar some times - I’m looking more and more for the unusual than for simple depictions of the flowers.

Insects

Years ago, I wrote a blog post about how hard it is to get a good shot of an insect - it still is but I am getting better and got lots of practice this year with three visits to butterfly gardens.

Animals

I only visited two zoos in 2010, which is almost nothing for me but I got some pretty pictures (I think) - as with the flower Macros I was looking a bit more for the unusual than in the last years.

HDR

Okay, I’ll admit it, I was obsessed with HDRs this year - this was heightened even more with the new versions of Photomatix and HDR Efex Pro, which gives my HDR shots a lot more different looks. I used HDR mainly when I was on vacation, so the photos in this category were taken in the USA (Atlanta, New Orleans, Columbus, MS, Natchez, MS, Vicksburg, MS) and in Germany (Meersburg, Konstanz, Dreieich, Frankfurt). And yes, this is a best of and not all pictures I did take - I just had a hard time deciding, since a lot of memories are connected to these images.

Miscellaneous

These photos did not fit into any one of the categories - either because they are single exposure photos or because I was experimenting at night.



So here they are, my best pictures of 2010. Besides the ones shown, I took a lot of iPhone photos this year (some of which I highlighted in my last post) and started taking photos with a film camera (I got it for christmas, so not much to show yet). So next year there will probably be an even wider range of photo subjects.

Tags: Best of 2010, Photo

I just wanted to add a quick post telling you about the results of Jim Goldstein’s „Best of 2009“ Blog project. It got 123 entries, which is a crazy amount - and includes some very great photos (and I’m only at entry 10, really need to get through the list ).

So here is the link to the list at Jim’s blog

Tags: Project, Blog, Best of 2009, Photo

It’s the time of the year again to look back at the photos I have taken this last year and choose the best ones and present them to you again. Like the last two years, Jim Goldstein is making a photo blog project out of it, collecting entries from all over the globe from photographers.

Last year, I made a Top 10 list and added some honorable mentions. This year I’ll give it a different spin and divide the photos by subject: Flowers, Animals & Insects, Architecture, Panoramas, and Miscellaneous things. Since I don’t want to tax your internet connecting with tons of high resolution images, you can click on any image to see a larger version.

Flowers

Like most years I spent a lot of time doing flower macro shots. Since I spent part of the year in Atlanta, GA, and part in Frankfurt, Germany, I have tons of photos both from the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the Palmengarten in Frankfurt. Both are very much worth a visit and beautiful places to forget that you are in a big, metropolitan city. My favorite of the year is the single rose shot, which is a pretty wide shot for my usual macro photography but I absolutely love the bokeh in the background and the processing that makes it look like an old, maybe hand-colored, photo. The slight blur, by the way, is due to the Lensbaby with which I took this photo.

Animals & Insects

I always love to go to the zoo and photograph animals, their beauty and behavior always fascinate me. Insects can also be very fascinating because you can see much more details with a photo lens than you could with the naked eye but they are a pain to photograph. This year I was only able to fit in thre trips to the zoo, one to the Zoo in Atlanta, one to the Opelzoo near Frankfurt and one to a small zoo specialising in reptiles called Reptilium. Oh, and the jellyfish is from the Georgia Aquarium, of course.
My favorite is the photo of the fly because I think it’s pretty unusual to have the fly looking directly at you while taking a photo - plus the traces of bright yellow pollen.

Architecture

I’ve only really started to get my feet with with architectual photography this year and I am still learning a ton. Most of the time I am drawn to unusual details or unusual perspectives but then I will also have a ton of pure tourist shots. Most of my city photos have been HDRs, I think that a subtle HDR is closer to reality than a single exposure shot of the same scene most of the time.
My favorite of the year has to be this powder tower in Prague. Like the ghosting suggests, it started out as an HDR and then I converted it to a black & white with a lot of contrast. I love how ominous it looks this way - you keep thinking about the evil power of it.

Panoramas

Sometimes you really need a panoramic shot to give a true depiction of the scene before your eyes. I think these panoramas really highlight that. The first shows a small percentage of the graves in the Oakland Cementary in Atlanta and its beautiful old trees. The second is the skyling in Frankfurt during a festival, third is one in Prague and the fourth one is again Frankfurt as seen from one of the skyscrapers (it’s the second skyscraper on the upper panorama - the round one with the antenna on top - the direction of the photo is the same area, too). I love all of them because they are so immersive when you look at them in high resolution. Most were done with 6 or more photos.

Miscellaneous

These photos do not really fit in a category - but I love them nonetheless, especially the photos I took of the fire artists. The light given of by the fire is so super interesting, I think. Those photos are some of which I am most proud of this year, too, since I did not have a tripod or monopod with me, it was the middle of the night and the available light changed suddenly, depending on the tricks they were doing. Two years ago I would have been unable to get any got shots but now I have the knowledge to get photos I like. That’s probably my biggest take-way from photographing this year.

Which one is your favorite? Are you also participating in Jim’s project?

Tags: Project, Photo, Best of 2009

One of my favorite bloggers, Brian Auer, is doing another Photo Project. He asked users to send him photos they would be willing to share for another "Edit my Photo" contest. I wanted to participate in this part of the project - but of course, I forgot about it... But I did remember to vote on which photo should be used for the editing part of the project (You can find all entries here).


The winning entry by John Huson

I really liked the photo that got chosen, because I was drawn to the structure in the wall. I really wanted to focus on the wall for my entry for the project because I think it has a higher draw to it than the person pictured. Brian supplied me with the RAW version of the photo so I had a whole range of options at my disposal to play with the photo.

I started out by opening the photo in Photoshop CS3 and the Camera RAW editior. Next I tried the different outputs for changing the white balance. I decided to go with the results from the tungsten light, which gave the whole photo a nice blue tint.


The photo with white balance set to tungsten light

Next I decided to use a Lomo action for Photoshop I had downloaded some time ago and had gotten really great results from in the past (You can find this photoshop action here).


The photo with the Lomo action applied

I really liked the direction this was going and also how that yellow thingy on the ground was standing out of the photo but the guy in the photo had become too dark and the texture in the wall did not jump out at you, either. Due to this, I decided to keep playing with the photo.
My next idea was to make a new layer with the original photo on top of the lomo-rized version and try different blending modes. The one I decided on was "overlay"

The guy in the photo is looking even worse but the wall had gotten a really nice texture. Now that I liked the wall, I decided to see what I could do to bring the guy in the picture back to a look where you can see his face. For this I made two additional layers on top with the original photo. In the lower one I used the masking tool and only left his face visible and used the blending mode "Lighten", which brought back the details in his face but he still did not have enough contrast in comparison to the rest of the photo, so I selected the whole of him in the next layer and masked this and used Overlay again. This increase the contrasts in his clothes and his skin a lot. Lastly, I decided to use a curves adjustment layer and played around with it until I was satisfied. The result of this I liked to much, that I decided to enter it as my entry into the project:

My final edit

If you want to partcipate in the project, you can do so until October 16th

Tags: Photo, Photoshop, Project, Entry

Another blog project: This time the project initiator, Phil Price, asks participants to edit his photo, which you see pictured here, and to submit their results to him. In this post you’ll find most of my edited versions of this photo, including what I did and what I liked and disliked about each one. Of course, at the end of the post you’ll also find the photo I am submitting to his projectReade More...

Tags: Photo, Photoshop, Processing, Project

In my last post I focused on my favorite pictures from 2008 and I also told you about the project I was participating in with that blog post. Well, the results of the project are in and 93 photographers participated in the project! Since Jim was kind enough to share the HTML of the list with all participants, I want to share the whole list with you, too. So go and check them out (I know I will) and tell them about how you like their photos.

Once again 2008 proved to be an incredibly productive year for the many photographers who read the JMG-Galleries blog. The results of this "Best Photos From 2008" blog project puts a twist to the normal "Best of Photo" list by aggregating links to the work of 93 photographers from around the globe who are passionate and dedicated to their craft.

The results from "Best Photos From 2007" by JMG-Galleries Blog Reader's were impressive, but this year not only did the number of participants exceed expectation the quality and vision of those who submitted were exceptional.  This year participants ran the gamut of experience from enthusiasts to professionals.

Enjoy and good luck picking out your favorite from these great submissions

   
1. "My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008" - Jim M. Goldstein

   
2. My Favorite Shots of the Year - View from the Little Red Tent by Edie Howe

   
3. 2008 Favorites - Photine by Laurie Ballesteros

   
4. My Nephew - Amit Goyal
   My nephew woke me up in the morning and was in a very chirpy mode when this was clicked

   
5. Another world (+Vorher/Nachher) - Visuelle Gedanken by Martin Wolf
   

   
6. Boy, Hanoi - The Sun Shines & The Igloo Melts by Jon Gresham

   
7. Best Photos from 2008 - Abraham Neben

   
8. Apocalyptic Capitalism - Sultana Sandwich by James Hill

   
9. Top 10 Photos of 2008, My first year in Wisconsin - Sierra Visions by Steven Bourelle

   
10. My Best Photos: 2008 - Shutter Photo by D Travis North
    This past year was a huge growth year for my digital photography skills which I feel is exhibited quite nicely in my photo favorites of 2008.

   
11. Best Photos From 2008 - G Dan Mitchell Photography

   
12. Protesting Prop 8 - Quan Photography by John Quan

   
13. Bir y?l böyle geçti... - Caglar.ca by Caglar Tukel
    Most of Photos taken during our traveling around Turkey and hiking around our hometown, Izmir.

   
14. My best shots of 2008 - Jonesblog by Bryan WIlliam Jones

   
15. Flamingo and  Desert Landscape - pl?dys's photoblog by Mike Reys
    Both pictures are from one of the most beautiful places on earth: Chile's Atacama desert. The salt lakes there provide for some stunning colours and beautiful wildlife.

   
16. Suspended - Mark Groves Photography

   
17. My Favorite 10 Images from 2008 - IM Digital by Ivan Makarov

   
18. My Best Photo of 2008 - Matt Ward Photography
    This photo was taken in Oct at 7am after a cold night in Atlanta, GA.

   
19. Highlights of 2008 - Lori Jackson Photography
    In 2008, I picked up my camera again after a year long hiatus following pregnancy and my son's birth.

   
20. Favorites from 2008 - Adventures Through The Lens by Rebecca Jackrel

   
21. Top Ten Photos of 2008 - Chris Moore Photography

   
22. My Photo Record - Kriz Cpec Photo Blog

   
23. Best of 2008 - Catavino by Ryan Opaz

   
24. Looking Forward and Back - Graf Nature Photography by Mark Graf

   
25. Lloyd's Favorites of 2008 - L.D. Cross

   
26. My Favorite Photos from 2008 - Epic Edits by Brian Auer
    A selection of my favorite photos from 2008, broken down by each month and supplemented with a few thoughts.

   
27. Derryclare Lough - Focus Pocus by Albert MacSweeny
    My best photo of the year was when I was lucky enough to get a still lake in the usually turbulent west of Ireland

   
28. Best of 2008 - News and Views by Dave Wilson

   
29. Needle - Andel's Photoblog by Andel Früh
    This photo has been shot with the kit lens (18-55mm f/3.5-5.6) in retro position (front lens to the camera)

   
30. Year in Pictures - Marcin Retecki

   
31. 2008 Top Ten - Lois Elling

   
32. My Best Photos of 2008 - Out of My Mind by Steven L. Mullen
    These are travel and nature shots taken in Michigan, China, and locally.

   
33. One from 2008 - Hockley Photography by Aaron Hockley
    It's a photo taken at night, looking across a bridge towards another photographer also taking a picture of the same ferris wheel as I was.

   
34. 2008 in Pictures -  Sawlani Photography by Hitesh Sawlani

   
35. My Top 10 Photos for 2008 - by Neil Creek Photography

   
36. Best of 2008 - The Quiet Picture by Minna Kinnunen
    My 10 favourites from 2008, everything from flower closeups to landscapes and starry nights!

   
37. Best of 2008 - by Stig Nygaard
    Just a quick little mixed selection of what I consider my best photos from 2008

   
38. My Top Ten Photos from 2008 - Korn on the Blog by Justin Korn
    Of the 1,800+ images I uploaded to Flickr this year, these are what I thought were my top 10.

   
39. Blog Project: "your Best Photos from 2008" - Jim's Photography by Jim Wheeler

   
40. My Best Photos from 2008 - TrevorCarpenter.com by Trevor Carpenter

   
41. Best Photos of 2008 - by Dave Reichert

   
42. 2008 Favorites - by Beth Madison

   
43. 01/01/2009 Best of 2008 - Brad Barton Photography

   
44. 2008: My Favorite Photos - My Digital Life by Jeremy Brooks

   
45. 2008: The year in photographs - Katie the Scrapbook Lady by Katie

   
46. Gotham. Or maybe London - SFT Photography by Steve Thomas
    I love the dark and moody feel, combined with the futuristic look of the building. I really enjoyed shooting it!

   
47. My Best Photos of 2008 - Malphoto.com by Andre Maltais
    I'm particularly proud of these submissions this year, as it seems I've made some great strides in my photography from the beginning of the year.

   
48. Best of 2008 Project - Photos From The Top Floor by Carsten Fischer

   
49. La Arcada seating on a rare rainy October morning - gZphotoGraph

   
50. Jaguar - by Jarrod Erbe Photography
    This jaguar image was taken at the Milwaukee County Zoo.  The background was generated using a combination of Aperture, Photoshop Elements, and DFT Light.

   
51. Best of 2008? - Suzy Walker, Underwater Photoblog
    My top ten fav travel, underwater and macro photos taken in 2008

   
52. My best shots of 2008 - TemujinPhoto Blog by João Almeida

   
53. Best of 2008 - by Rick Goldwasser

   
54. My Top 10 Images of 2008 - The Jim Stamates Collection by Jim Stamates

   
55. #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 - Mannedspace: Photographs by MT Fanders

   
56. Best 10 of 2008 - by Duffy Knox

   
57. Future Christmas Card - by Massimo Belloni

   
58. Best Photos of 2008 - MIZSPONTANEITY: A Girl With A Camera by Elaine
    I got a Nikon D40X for Christmas 2007, and although some of these photos were with my trusty Sony W70 point-and-shoot, these are my favorite 10 results of my first year with a digital SLR.

   
59. Best of 2008 - Changing Perspectives by Jenni Brehm

   
60. My Best of 2008 - by Eliya Selhub
    In 2008, I have found myself increasingly drawn to animals as subjects, and a slight cartoonish absurdity always appeals to me.

   
61. My Best Photos From 2008 - Lilahpops - Plunging into Photography by Anthea Brown
    Looking back over my photos for the past year shows my increasing interest in post-processing experimentation alongside my favourite macro format.

   
62. My top 10 favorite photos of 2008 - The Taeleman's Blog by Kris Taeleman

   
63. My Favorite Photos of 2008 - Coulter Photos by Scott Coulter

   
64. Favorites of 2008 - XGray Vision by Stephen Gray

   
65. My Top 10 Favorite Images of 2008 - Cornforth Images by Jon Cornforth
    Spectacular nature and wildlife photography, photos, and pictures by award winning professional photographer Jon Cornforth.

   
66. Sitting Backwards on My Horse - latoga photography By Greg Lato

   
67. Top ten images of 2008 - Enlightened Images by Gary Crabbe
    These are some of the image I took in 2008, and which rose toward the top of the - I Like - pile.

   
68. Best 10 photos of 2008 - Have Camera Will Travel by Paul Dymond
    Images from professional Australian travel photographer Paul Dymond which ironically were all taken pretty close to home.

   
69. Best of 2008 - Heidi Donat

   
70. Best Photos of 2008 - by Luca Filigheddu Photography

   
71. Favourites of 2008 - by Chris Brown

   
72. Best of 2008 - by William Kahn

   
73. Pics of the pops 2008 - fotoVoyager by William Fawcett

   
74. My Top 10 Photos of 2008 - Always Breaking by Gary Hegenbart

   
75. Best of 2008 - by Trevin Chow
    This is a set of my best photos that I took during 2008 which is a combination of Flickr's "interestingness" meter and my own selection.

   
76. Best of 2008 - Hotel Yankee Foxtrot by Alex McGeagh
    A collection of the better images captured in a progressive and productive year for me.

   
77. Top 10 Photos of 2008 - Digital Kloc Photography Blog by Brian Kloc

   
78. Burrard-Lucas Top Ten Photographs of 2008 - Burrard-Lucas Photography by William Burrard-Lucas
    We are brothers from the UK with a shared passion for wildlife photography – in 2008 we followed Meerkats in the Kalahari, stalked Jaguars in the wetlands of Brazil and waded through swamps at night to photograph Caimans...

   
79. My best 10+3 pictures of 2008 - All Day I Dream About Photography by Antoine Khater

   
80. Best of 2008 on Highway 89 - Ann Torrence Photography
    Transecting the west from Mexico to Canada on US89.

   
81. Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance - by Dave Fitch
    A railway bridge in Leith [Edinburgh] that was restored and then left to rot. It's not perfectly symmetrical, but then neither is the bridge

   
82. My Top 10 Photographys of 2008 - Nuwomb Bits by Scott Webb

   
83. Best of 2008 - Matt Sallee Photography

   
84. My 10 best photos of 2008 - Stephen Trainor Photography
    Mostly landscapes, mostly of the Southwest, but with a hint of other anglophone countries.

   
85. 10 in 2008 - k|d loftis photography
    My favorite images from 2008 which include weddings, maternity and newborns, families and babies and a few personal images from the year.

   
86. My 10 Favorite Images of 2008 - Della Huff Photography
    My ten favorites from 2008 include California landscapes and cityscapes, with a couple of extra goodies thrown in for fun!

   
87. Best Photos of 2008 - by Dave Schumaker

   
88. Best of 2008 - by Jay Goodrich Photography

   
89. My best photos from 2008 - All Narfed Up by Bryan Villarin
    Choosing my best photos from 2008 was really hard to narrow down, especially since it was my first year with a SLR camera.

   
90. Mein Flickr Photostream 2008 - Best of - by Stefan Neuweger

   
91. My Best Photos from 2008 - Why Yet Another Photo Place by Rafa

   
92. Best Photos from 2008 - by Daria Sukhanovska
    Only until i created this set of 13 photos, i realized how much progress i have done this year: I have traveled a lot, got one photo printed in the magazine and had my first own personal exhibition in the university library and simply had fun with my photos

   
93. My Best of 2008 - by Phil Price Photography

[tags]Best of 2008, Photography, Blog Project, Photographers[/tags]

Tags: Project, Photo, Best of 2008