What's YOUR favorite shot that you've taken this year?

[SwissJon]

Ok, we all have good and bad shots in our portfolio, but of all the shots you've taken in the past 12 months, which single shot stands out to you and why? It doesn't need to be your "best" shot, just the one you like the most.

For me, it's this one. I was standing waist deep in sea water among the mangrove trees watching the sunset with my camera wedged in the branches because the waves were making the camera move on the tripod, I was about to pack up and go, thinking I wasn't going to get any colors, when the sun shot a huge burst of red across the sky. It's my favorite because my dad was standing on the shoreline watching me. That night we ate in a restaurant to celebrate his 70th birthday, and he proudly introduced me to the other guests "This is my son. He's a professional photographer" doesn't matter if that's favoritism from him and not true, he had a real gleam in his eye, and that's why this is my favorite photo, it reminds me of that night.

So what's your favorite and why.. It has to be one of yours. (Sorry mods, posting on my iPad, I can't resize)

[PixSixSix]

I can't decide between a few from vacation this year since it brings happy memories for me but this one is just funny to me.

My husband and I were on a shortish hike in a pretty remote area of BC that happens to be wonderful bear habitat. We had even chased a bear out of the camp ground a few km away that morning. Nobody else was in the area at all, it was just us and the raspberry bushes so I was really on edge.

We got to the waterfalls we had gone to see, I only snapped a few quick pictures and said lets go back, I don't want to be out here any more.

On the way back we could hear something in the bushes so we stopped to listen, I nearly had a panic attack thinking we were going to come face to face with a ferocious, hungry, rawring, man eating bear when this little guy popped out on to the trail in front of us.



Ferocious little toad.

I did not lick it.

The end.

[paiges]

I'm changing mine! My most favorite it is this one...



This was shot at a placed called Stratigraphy Viewpoint near Mt. St. Helens. I went camping at out there with a couple of good friends end of the summer. The weather was beautiful and I had a really great time that weekend.

I also love the DOF, the detail on the flowers, and the blue shadow background.

[SwissJon]

I think this is my favorite...

And why???

[paiges]

And why???

Missed that part!

I really like the "end of summer" colors, the lighting (almost, but not quite backlighting), and the composition.

[Ian Mackie]

This one ranks as my favourite of the year. I took it on Jan 2nd and have had a full year to do better! However, I like this because it shows my daughter and her horse having fun at the end of a training session taking him back to his paddock ..... or is he taking her I wonder?

[Bruce A]

I went to take some surfing photographs that morning. I organised my camera and lens while still at my car then went across the street to the beachside park. Not many people around, but this girl had taken her position on the pillar and was looking sombrely out to sea. This is certainly not my best shot technically, but it is my favourite shot (or any one the three I took of her) as although totally unaware of my approach, she had almost posed perfectly for me. I only shot three images of her and to this day she never knew it happened. The pose, the sombre expression, the light all came together purely by accident. Each of the three images draw me in. Even my wife agrees.



Settings: 1/250 ƒ/5.6 ISO100 102mm

[Tzetsin]

I really had to sit an think about this one. I've had an absolutely amazing year photographically speaking, and have more than a few supremely unique and exciting shots... but I coming down to brass tacks, this one is my favorite.

This one is my favorite because of the impossibility of its existence.

I was in Turkey for 30 days, of those 30 days I had only ONE day to get off the rig. There were only 2 vehicles for all the men (myself included) on the rig and I'd befriended the only one with the power to take one, that also spoke english. He just happened to not be busy that day and agreed to take me to Hasankeyf, were we happened uppon this old man, who still lived in a cave and actually agreed to give me a tour, and allow me to take his photo.

I did not use his washroom.

[ajax_andy]

I think this is my favourite... it's of a British Superbike motorbike racer a few minutes before the qualifying session at Oulton Park in the North West if England.

He's called Peter Hickman and I'd managed to get access to his pit garage that day. He said to meet him there at 9am and he'd be getting on the bike at 9:20am so I'd have 20 mins to capture him getting prepared and the mechanics working on the bike etc. However I couldn't enter the pit garage without him (or i'd be thrown out) so to wait outside for him to arrive.

We pulled up at the track at about 8:55am (not my fault but the stupid sponsor who got lost en-route) and there was a mile long queue of traffic which made my heart sink... how could I get to the pit garage in 5 minutes when it's a mile to the track and another half a mile then to the garage?!! I jumped out of the car (I wasn't the driver) and didn't even bother to put my back pack on and just sprinted with the bag (very heavy) in one hand and the camera in the other... I got there at 9am on the dot (dripping in sweat and my heart feeling like it would explode).

I stood there for about 18 mins before Peter Hickman zoomed up on his scooter and said "sorry I'm late"... jogged in the pit and grabbed his helmet, sat down to compose himself for 10 seconds then jumped on the bike and was gone in a cloud of tire smoke.

I got one decent shot... and this is it. My big moment to capture something I'd never had the chance to before and I got about 5 seconds to get something usable, something that would be memorable... Although I've probably taken better shots this year I think this is my favourite as the odds were stacked against me getting anything at all and yet somehow I got what I feel to be a really strong image

[windrider86]

The biggest reason, it made it to National Geographic daily dozen