My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008
It’s been a great year for photography, perhaps even better than last year, and as 2008 nears its end I thought it would be fun to select my favorite photos from the year. I had a tough time narrowing things down so here they are…
Honorable Mentions:
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Honorable Mention #5: Pike Place Market One thing I love about taking travel photos is the constant challenge to find a new perspective. While I got odd stares from passerbys I knew as soon as I set up for this photo it was going to work. With a little creativity even a location you’d think can’t yield a new perspective can surprise you. |
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Honorable Mention #4: Sea Otter Portrait (Enhydra lutris) This year I’ve made it a project of mine to photograph California Sea Otters and introduce as many photographers to them as possible through my photo tours. This particular otter was enjoying a rare spot of sun with a dry and groomed face. The foreground is his slick wet stomach. It just goes to show you how different their fur can be wet and dry. |
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Honorable Mention #3: Zip Line Adventure – Maui, Hawaii Maui proved to be full of photographic opportunities. Documenting the Maui Zip Line Adventure was a blast and one of the major highlights of the trip. As if the zip line wasn’t enough to get the adrenaline flowing, securing a 1Ds Mark III to your chest in addition was a guarantee to get the heart racing. |
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Honorable Mention #2 Bobcat (Lynx rufus), Yosemite II I’m not sure I could have coached this wild Bobcat to pose any better for me. To be honest it was hard work tracking this cat and getting into position well before it would reach me… all while not disturbing it. This was definitely one of the best wildlife encounters I had during the year. |
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Honorable Mention #1 Bring Your Own Big Wheel 2008 – Happy Easter Adventure seeking adults + plastic wheeled tricycles + a very steep and winding San Francisco street = hilarity This event has proven to be one of my favorite to photograph. I can’t wait for BYOBW in 2009. Featured in Bring Your Own Big Wheel 2008 Photo Highlights |
My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008:
#10: Cable View Panoramic, Golden Gate Bridge
Featured in EXIF and Beyond: Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography this panoramic photo taken with a 24mm Tilt-Shift lens has proven to last the test of time. I find myself drawn to this image as much today as I had been the day I took it. The fresh perspective, textures and scale of the scene are elements of the photo that continue to draw me in.
#9: Say Cheese!
Portrait of a Swiss Cow in a Pasture with Mount Eiger in the background.
For the record no tongue ever touched my lens, but it was close. Fortunately for me this bovine was quite docile and didn’t push me down the hill or pull me into an electric fence I was straddling.
#8: California Sea Otter & Pup (Enhydra lutris)
This quick bonding moment between mother and sea otter pup occurred shortly after an over amorous male tried to “divide and conquer”. The female otter was able to simultaneously fend off the male otter while protecting her pup. It was high drama with a happy ending.
#7: Bobcat (Lynx rufus), Yosemite
The sight of wildlife in the snow at Yosemite always amounts to dramatic imagery. With out a care in the world this Bobcat was trekking through a snowy meadow. As mentioned this was likely the wildlife encounter of the year for me. While I got much tighter photos of this cat I find this environmental photo to be my favorite of the set.
#6: California Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
The last California Sea Otter photo of my Top 10 set is a portrait of a feeding Sea Otter. This otter made fast work of this crab, but seemed to pause momentarily (in reality a split second) so as to pose for me. What makes this photo special to me is the detail of the otter’s features including the fur, ear, whiskers and paws.
#5: Heron Pond Reflection – Grand Teton National Park
Morning hikes at Grand Teton National park are among my favorite both for the ethereal beauty of the landscape and the awe inspiring encounters with elk. If you’ve never been, Grand Teton National Park should be on your short list of places to visit. The mountains are incredibly beautiful, but the surrounding lakes and rivers are rich with life and intimate nature photo opportunities. This pre-dawn photo attracted my eye both because of the pastel hues of the fog filled sky and the layers of vegetation filling the frame.
#4: Mavericks Surf Contest 2008 – Long & Sterling
The biggest wave of the day at the 2008 Mavericks surf contest was no doubt the most dramatic. The sheer size of these waves is amazing, the surfers are incredibly skilled and the event is a blast to photograph. While this photo highlights the scale of the wave to an individual surfer, it will unfortunately never relay the earth rattling roar of the water.
#3: In Time
Taken in Switzerland this past fall I found myself irresistibly attracted to the fall color of the trees. The jagged form of the bare tree branches juxtaposed against the backdrop of fall color was one that I enjoyed exploring. This particular photo is one I find myself returning to view over and over again.
#2: Matterhorn Reflections, Switzerland
Unequivocally this day was the most beautiful of all my days spent in Switzerland. High above Zermatt I enjoyed taking in the morning light as it illuminated this alpine lake. This scene was too beautiful to confine to one frame so I created a 3-photo panoramic using my 24mm Tilt-Shift lens.
Note: For those in the U.S. unlike North American conifers those in Europe turn golden before their needles are shed. This took some time getting used to this. I kept thinking the trees were being killed by a bark beetle.
#1: Behind the Veil, Snake River – Grand Teton National Park
When Mother Nature puts on a light show in Wyoming she goes all out. This photo was taken after a substantial storm moved through the area. As the storm began to clear a hole opened in the clouds far beyond the horizon. This opened a path for the last rays of sunlight to paint the clouds and peaks of the Grand Tetons with amazing red light. Even more impressive to me was the unusual phenomenon of low lying clouds creating a thin veil conceiling the mountains. All around this was a magical scene to take in and one I’ll cherish for a long time to come.
Technorati Tags: landscape, photography, wildlife, stock photo, travel, photo, best of 2008, favorites of 2008, best of, Mavericks, surf, Grand Teton National Park, Switzerland, Matterhorn, San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, Seattle, Pike Place Market, Sea Otter, Enhydra lutris, Maui, Hawaii, zip line, Lynx rufus, bobcat, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park, BYOBW, Bring Your Own Big Wheel, fall color
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Lovely souvenirs of your life journeys during the last year, Jim.
Thanks for sharing your memories with us. I really also enjoyed your commentary on each also.
I hope 2009 proves to provide many more wonderful excellent opportunities for you and everyone to experience and share.
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Beautiful photos all. It looks like you have had a lot of great adventures in 2008!
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great post, thanks for sharing. I love number 9 and 10.
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Excellent series, Jim. But the bobcat shoulda been #1.
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[...] looking long and hard at my photos from the past year and posting My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008 I couldn’t resist putting together another blog project with the theme of “Your Best [...]
Amazing work Jim. I think #9 or the Sea Otter were my faves. I could only wish to have ten images worthy of a top ten list for 2008.
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I love how the Seattle market and the San Fran bridge have been shot to death, yet a change in perspective makes it all new again!
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These are some of the most stunning composition I have seen. I would be really happy if I could reach the level of your honorable mentions. It will take me “some” effort though.
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Wonderful shots Jim, and a great look back. My personal favorites are the #7 bobcat and #3 In Time – though the sea otter portrait is right up there also!
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We love your photos. You are so talented.
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#4 and #1 are my favorites among this great collection.
I always wanted to see the Mavericks live (I hope to this year), but never had the experience or proper zoom to capture it quite the way you did here. Were you on the boat?
And #1 is simply out of this world. I’ve seen hundreds of pictures from this location, but never one with this kind of sky and fog. You can come back there 100 more times in your life, but I bet you’ll never walk away with an image like this.
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@Nelcha Thanks! I hope 2009 is a great year for you as well. Glad you enjoyed the post.
I think you’re being far too modest. I’ve really enjoyed seeing your photos from India. You’ve got some amazing wildlife photos on your blog. Truly awe inspiring work.
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@laanba Thanks. 2008 was kind to me. I hope that 2009 is nearly as good. BTW thanks for taking part in the on going “best of” blog project.
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@luca Glad you enjoyed #9 and #10. Keep me posted when you’re in town next. It’d be great to see you again.
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@John I knew you’d say that. I’m looking forward to returning to Yosemite and I’ll be happy if I run into any wildlife. The next time you’re heading out that way let me know.
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@Richard Wong Thanks. I’ve had fun photographing the sea otters. I hope they never grow old on people. They’re a blast to photograph. When you get your best of post for 2008 let me know. It’d be great to see. You’ve been posting some great work on your blog this past year.
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@Michael Warf Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the Seattle photo. Amazing what a change in perspective can do.
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@Thomas Thanks
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@Mark Thanks for the kind comment. It’s always interesting to hear what photos resonate with others. Thanks for taking part in the “best of” project. You’ve got some great photos in your best of post on your blog.
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@Zach & Lisa Thanks! It’s great to see family commenting on the blog
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@Ivan Makarov I was on the media boat for the Mavericks photo. It makes a world of difference but to be honest to experience the competition from any location is a treat. I agree I’d be surprised if I see the Grand Tetons in the exact same fashion in my lifetime. Iconic locations like Yosemite, the Grand Tetons, Glacier National Park, etc. are like this. You could show up every day for a year and never see the landscape in the same way. Have a great 2009 and thanks for commenting.
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Gorgeous pictures! I believe the trees you were seeing in the Matterhorn picture (the pine trees that shed the needles) were larch trees. Only the larch, the bald cypress and the dawn redwood lose the needles each year, but only the larch is found in the Alps.
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@Cynth Thanks for commenting and thanks even more for the information on the Larch trees. This has helped me a great deal in my research on them.
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[...] fellow photographer Jim Goldstein posted his 10 Best images for 2008. To top it off, he created a great Blog Project called “Your 10 Best Images of 2008″ [...]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
Beautiful! I just surfed over here and am thankful I found your site. Just gorgeous… off to the subscription button now. Thanks, Karen
[Reply]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
Plenty of wildlife and landscapes, I can see the pattern
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[...] my best or favorite photographs of the year and share them with others (see my blog project: “Your Best Photos From 2008″ results [...]
[...] my best or favorite photographs of the year and share them with others (see my blog project: “Your Best Photos From 2008″ results [...]
[...] my best or favorite photographs of the year and share them with others (see my blog project: “Your Best Photos From 2008″ results [...]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
You are an amazing photographer and an inspiration to me. You passion for the shot is apparent!
[Reply]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
Lovely set of photos. I would make the sea otter my number one, great picture and really cute.
Regards
Adrian
http://www.weddingphotoshot.com
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Good work nd keep it up:)
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A marvelous collection of photos.Keep it up.
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[...] my best or favorite photographs of the year and share them with others (see my blog project: “Your Best Photos From 2008″ results [...]
[...] my best or favorite photographs of the year and share them with others (see my blog project: “Your Best Photos From 2008″ results [...]
Beautiful pictures. Really liked numbers 4, 6 and 8.
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I love the cow. Nature and wildlife are my passion.
You capture them well. Thank you for sharing.
Tou are unique!
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An excellent selection. Love the Mavericks shot and the Golden Gate.
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Wonderful set of images. I find #3 about the most creative. Appreciate your explanations of your choices.
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WOW. You seems tobe a great photographer…..
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[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
Beautiful pictures. Really liked numbers #9, #3
it';s very beautiful pictures I like it thanks to you.
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Beautiful pictures. Really liked numbers #9, #3
it';s very beautiful pictures I like it thanks to you.
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[...] opportunities. Selecting my best photos from this past year was much more difficult than choosing my best photos of 2008 and 2007. After taking the time to review the best of the tens of thousands of photos I took this [...]
[...] “My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008” – Jim M. Goldstein [...]
[...] where he invited many of his readers to submit their best photographs of 2008. In addition to his own 10 favorite photographs, he aggregated the results to form a list of the best of from 93 photographers. Jim asked us to [...]