That's a politically correct question to ask this time of year, it begs a bigger issue, do you have a favorite picture for a whole year? I don't have a favorite picture for more than a week, so either I'm strange, or you are not taking enough pictures. I grow weary of old images, they lose their magic for me, and I move on. Sorta like teenagers and girlfriend/boyfriends.....not going to add more. I like a look, or a lighting set-up, a scene, or a composition, but shortly thereafter, I move on. I enjoy having a favorite while it lasts, but ultimately like the search for a new favorite more. That means I take a lot of pictures, and I do. I love finding pictures, that is discovery just before the camera gets involved. Sometimes it is a place, a person, or anything that makes me say "OMG, get my camera". Sometimes it's even just in my head, I think of an image I want to find. That's the process I go through, so the discovery is special, the outcome has a special but short lived time to enjoy, then I move on to the process again. When I read this, I think maybe I need photo therapy, I should cherish images, love them for long periods of time, it's human nature to do that, maybe I need help. But then again, living in the past is boring, finding new things makes photography interesting to me, keeps my juices going and is what I love most. Even when I repeat photo experiences I'm looking for something new. Often the new is not as good as the "old" but it doesn't matter, because ultimately the search will improve my photography. I know that intuitively, as well as from experience. I'm a better photographer in 2012 than I was any day in 2011 if for no other reason, I have added to my skill set since 12/31. That's right, continuing to learn makes me a better photographer. I learn from everywhere, not just better photographers. I can learn something special from someone who has just picked up a camera, and says something that catches me immediately. It is all part of the process. Now there are images that more people like than others, but I'm likely focused on the next image or one just taken.
So let's start over, "What's your best picture of 2011?". Mine was the last image I took on 12/31, which was the culmination of a years worth of learning. And I really do like it for what it captured and more importantly what it implied. It took a lot of work, experimenting, and failure to be able to light this particular venue and a lot more work to be accepted to shoot freely. If you will recall, it was my personal project from last year. So in a way, I'm still on the journey from last year, but oh, so much wiser and better at what I do.
The end of 2011 is a time to reflect, but keep moving. I will be shooting tomorrow night, this image will fade into the depths of my hard drive, likely not showing up again until maybe Halloween, if ever. But the process will yield it's replacement, maybe an unusual landscape or street scene, and it will be my favorite of all time, for a short time and I will move on.
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