My best (?) photos of 2023

[heleninwales]

I follow a few photographers on YouTube and a day or so ago I watched a video where one of them explained how he always looked back over the photographs he'd taken during the year and chose his 10 favourites. I thought I try the same exercise and I've put them in a Flickr Album (Link here...)To be honest, looking back through them in this way, I

Comments

[lab_jazz]

That's a good idea to go back and pick the best 10 photos that you had taken that year. I might do that, just for my own satisfaction.

These days my photo are mainly just of my local environment, as I no longer do the road trips through Western Australia that I used to do.

[heleninwales]

It was an interesting exercise. I can't use the excuse that the surroundings are boring because we live in a beautiful national park. But I haven't been consciously looking for good photo opportunities and perhaps that's something I should do in 2024.

[curiouswombat]

I think my favourites are the first and last ones.

My favourite landscape photographer is James Brew who mostly takes his photos here on island - with occasional trips to more exotic places. And I know he will hike up the hills for hours in all sorts of weather to be at a specific place at a specific time to get the picture he wants.

We are actually related - to prove the similarity between the Manx and Hobbits I can tell you, without even looking it up, that my great-grandmother's brother was James' great-great grandfather and so he is my third cousin once removed!

[heleninwales]

The ones I follow are based in the UK. Two up in Lancashire and one in North Wales. Two of them do go to much more exotic locations sometimes, but the youngest sticks pretty much to the UK. But as you say, he'll hike for miles in the pre-dawn gloom to get the sunrise or he'll be chasing the sunset.

I do have amazing scenery, but it's the dedication I lack. But perhaps occasionally I should focus on going out just to take photos, rather than going for a walk.

[sartorias]

I think those are just lovely.

[heleninwales]

Thank you! They're not bad photos, but apart from perhaps the first and the last they lack... something. Perhaps occasionally I should focus on going out just to take photos, rather than just going for a walk and hoping something appears?

[eve_prime]

Well, I think they're beautiful. I see you've mentioned the first and last, and I also especially like the third.

[heleninwales]

Thank you. The third one is my husband's favourite tree with the bright green new leaves of late spring, early summer. I ought to go and wander round those woods on my own some time because there could be some interesting compositions to be found if I took the time to look.

[eve_prime]

I'm looking forward to seeing them, if you do.

[ext_5432509]

Remote cottage and Into the light both look professional to me, though all of them are beautiful.

Getting up early to go for a walk can have its benefits beyond catching the perfect light for photography. I once got up very early in summer and cycled part of the Leeds-Liverpool canal. Apart from the summer stillness, I paused on the towpath for a while and looked across the water to a deer looking back at me. It's been a almost a decade since then, but it's one of those moments that stays with you.

[heleninwales]

I have occasionally gone out early, though round here I find that you're not alone because all the dog walkers are out before they have to go to work.