I had a lot of time this year (though not as much as I would have liked) to play around with my Nikon 50mm lens which I bought in Spring. It has certainly proved by be an excellent lens and it's given me a number of opportunities to experiment taking different sorts of photos than I did with just a zoom lens. I think for 2009 I'm going to buy a wide-angle lens to take some more landscape photographs. But now, on to my Best Photos from 2008:
It was the rich greens of this frame that caught my attention. The shallow depth of field also made for an interesting composition in Portland's Japanese Gardens.
The range of temperatures you can have on a single Yosemite day is staggering. Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared for the frigid early mornings before the temperate afternoons. I took this photo on the way to Mirror Lake before my hands were frozen.
I really need to buy some better photographers gloves because this trip out to take photos around the UChicago campus left my hands mere minutes away from frostbite. Luckily it was worth it, I got this photo out of that trip. What I most like about it is the S curve that the branch makes.
I was attracted to the contrast between the bright reflective snow on the branches and the deep purples of the background. In Portland, this is a rare scene to behold. In a once in a lifetime event, we had snow for two weeks which allowed me to perfect this shot.
Portland's Rose Garden features not only Roses. In fact I delighted in posing this bunch of flowers before a background whose bokeh presents some interesting swirls complementing the circular patterns of the blue and white petals.
On my trip to Lafayette, CA over Thanksgiving weekend I took some of my best photos of the year. For about an hour in the morning, the sunshine was unobstructed by clouds and the colors in my cousin's backyard were simply stunning.
With a long exposure, the scene featuring Lower Yosemite Falls became ever more intense. For some reason, the foliage in this photo turned a shade of orange through my neutral density filters.
Classic Autumn colors still shone stronger than ever in Lafayette's early Thanksgiving morning light. Having traveled from Chicago where Winter was already in full force, I was amazed to see these colors so near to the end of the season.
After experimenting for a while with shots that I thought would have captivating compositions, I finally found one I liked. It's always difficult to generate with a camera the exact emotion present in the scene, but I think this sunburst does just that.
Another shot from my Thanksgiving trip to Lafeyette. Here the background so vibrantly enhances the foreground that it's almost surreal.
The 2007 Graduation Ceremony at UCSB featured, to the sides of the stage, more color concentrated in one place than I'd ever seen before. I used my Nikon 50mm (Amazon link) lens to focus on one of the nicer flowers as the others provided a flattering bright magenta sea to complement the flower's violet.
Of course, I continue to be inspired by the travel and nature photography of Jim Goldstein of JMG-Galleries. Take a look as his Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008.
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