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What is your proudest photographic achievement of 2013?


dan_south

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<p>I have trouble with the word "proudest" because I'm not sure I am proud of anything I accomplished with photography this year. I'm proud that I captured so many great moments in my family life. I am happy that my photography enhances my family time rather than detracts from it - we go on more hikes and go see more things, because I enjoy taking pictures, than we would otherwise. I'm proud too that I've learned not every moment has to be a photo op. Some things are better left un-photographed.</p>

<p>The most important piece of gear this year is a toss up, and again, not a "proudest" thing but more a "it made me happy" one. I really enjoyed getting a Mamiya RB67 and love the great negatives it makes. So sharp! Grainless enlargements are sweet. I also really really like how my Pentax K-50 works with the Eye-fi card. I've never had a camera do what it does - it always, reliably, sends the photos for upload. Every other camera I've used with that card times out and goes into power save mode before all the pics are transferred. Kudos to Pentax for their implementation. It's so nice to come home from a day's shooting and set the camera down, turn it on, and voila! All my pics get uploaded to my Smugmug account. Lastly, really tickled with my Nikon F6 and Tamron 70-300mm OS lens. It's revitalized my film photography because I can hand hold more shots. Took a ton of really nice vacation slides this year that wouldn't have turned out as well without it.</p>

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For the purpose of discussion, please feel free to set aside any cultural stigmas concerning pride. There is nothing wrong with taking

pride in the fruits of honest labor. Doing so does not make you socially unacceptable. You are simply a person who appreciates the

quality of your own work.

 

I would guess that everyone here is pleased with some photo or collection that they created in the last year, or with some skill that they

have developed or improved. Else, why bother?

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<p>Interesting question, Dan, however one chooses to phrase it!</p>

<p>I am particularly pleased with the results thus far of my first genuinely serious (i.e., for-publication) photographic project, documenting the wildlife (chiefly birds and lizards) that occupies or visits a garden on the University of Arizona campus. I hope to interest a commercial or university press, but will self-publish if necessary.</p>

<p>Regarding the photographic gear that has, thus far, been most important, it's difficult to decide whether it is my trusty Nikon 70-300 (mine seems to be a particularly good specimen, sharpness-wise) or a more recent acquisition, the D7100, that I've used to take most of the photographs, after I retired the D300.</p>

<p>I occasionally post photos and links of related interest on the project Facebook page, but the very best photos I am generally holding back for closer to publication. (I may change that tactic--and post more, period--next year, when I hope to have more time.)</p>

<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeneathTheBoojumTree">https://www.facebook.com/BeneathTheBoojumTree</a></p>

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<p>I think what I'm proudest of is getting my wife more interested in photography and seeing her pursue it with interest. She's already a gifted artist with a really good eye for composition, but hasn't shown much interest in photography until now. We've both sold prints out of the same gallery this year. How romantic is that?</p>
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<blockquote>

<p>For the purpose of discussion, please feel free to set aside any cultural stigmas concerning pride. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in the fruits of honest labor. Doing so does not make you socially unacceptable. You are simply a person who appreciates the quality of your own work.<br /> I would guess that everyone here is pleased with some photo or collection that they created in the last year, or with some skill that they have developed or improved. Else, why bother?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Thanks for saying this, Dan. On the few occasions when I do achieve something, I feel like I am being an obnoxious braggart if I call attention to it. Or I feel that anything short of a retrospective at MOMA or the AIC is not worthy of mention!</p>

<p>I occasionally do freelance coverage of local news events and had some flood photos and extreme weather photos make the front page of a local newspaper in the Spring of this year. More recently, I had a photograph published in the February 2014 issue of Black and White Magazine. Oh! And having one of my photos be selected by the PN elves as POW.</p>

<p>I don't know if this exactly falls under the term "proud", but I have learned to become a little more consistent in achieving the type street photograph I am pleased with, and which falls within what I consider to be my "style". This doesn't mean anyone else likes it, but I think we can all relate to being personally pleased with our work.</p>

<p>I have also tried to take a longer and more considered view of the work of other photographers (as in peers and colleagues on PN, or flickr, or Google+), and spend more time commenting on their work. I also try to make mention of other photographers and share work I appreciate on various social media, as well as provide links to their websites on the "blogroll" on my website. Photography is not "all about me" and I want to remember to share and give praise where I can. It's not that I'm proud of this, it's a conscious effort to not become selfish or too insulated.</p>

<p>A nice event that occurred in 2013 was being able to meet up with fellow PN member Louis Meluso. Louis is a great guy, very knowledgeable, a good photographer, and fun to talk with.</p>

<p>Important photo gear? Well, without being sarcastic in the least, my Pentax K5 and possibly my 35mm prime. Also Lightroom and Silver Efex Pro are an integral part of my black and white photographs.</p>

<p>Happy New Year to all my fellow PN members, and I hope 2014 brings us all closer to our life and photographic goals!</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>I'm pleased that in 2013 I started to explore an entirely new photographic perspective. Never mind which camera or lens, the big deal for me was putting a camera on a drone and getting up a couple hundred feet for shots that would otherwise simply never happen. This doesn't displace shooting from the ground, but it absolutely augments it. It's caused me to re-evaluate how I think about certain projects, and has stimulated lots of little grey cells as I take on a wildly complex new suite of technologies in the interests of maintaining safety and creative control. It's been a lot to digest, and the learning curve makes taking on digital photography seem like child's play. <br /><br />Speaking of learning curves: 2013 was also the year I started getting serious about video along side the stills. I'll still be muttering about <em>that</em> learning curve a year from now. If flying cameras overhead means adding to my photographic vocabulary, video is like learning an entirely new visual language. Here's to the prospect of completing a multi-media project or two during 2014.</p>
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<p>I am happiest with a decision to link some of my photographic projects with a cultural landscapes and heritage buildings group initiative aimed at conserving and valorising our local traditions and also in interfacing in the new year with secondary school students on a similar project of cultural perception. Connecting on this subject with our local professional artist group was also a source of pleasure and having one of my heritage related images acquired for season greetings card by the regional economic development committee and two other images (one a photographic requiem for a disappeared site) respectively cited by a heritage journal and a heritage association in the province helped to reinforce my approach and a parallel decision to develop my activity as a professional artist. It won't put much bread on the table but it should aid in concentration on the photographic art possibility.</p>

<p>These developments are accompanied by some absence of pride in being obliged to ignore other photographic projects and my procrastination in improving my lightroom capabilities and in returning to more concentrated darkroom work for which I should make time in the slow season (winter and absence of other wage earning activity). Pride and doubt (about priorities) seem to go together at times. I am seldom in a situation so static as to avoid that.</p>

<p>I've invested little in photographic tools in 2013 and have divested myself of some that weren't seeing daylight very often. A used Nikonos was acquired to allow rainstorm, snowstorm and blizzard photography. Attending a number of courses on art and photography (Photoshop) have allowed an economic investment in the full Adobe suite, which should provide much challenge to apply well in 2014. I will also order in new chemicals and papers for the darkroom work.</p>

<p>I'm pleased I acquired an ipad gift for my life's partner. She has become a very natural and good video creator, excellent with human subjects and she often out-perceives me on static subject matter. Maybe I can become part of her team?</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>I put together on- line photographic trail guides for the 8 mile trail system where I work. During the Fall of 2012 I photographed all the trails and did so trying to anticipate the needs of a first time visitor. During the winter of this year I did all the editing and put together slide shows for each trail. I used 3 photos from other photographers for one location, but the rest are mine. It was a lot of work, but has been a solid addition to visitor services. It is particularly gratifying when folks come up and say how useful these are. I'll make some "phase 2" amendments made this year, but the foundation is there and I'm pleased with it. I've had other accomplishments this year, but the trail guides serve a greater good and seem the most important.</p>

<p>My trusty Canon XSi continues to be the workhorse. The alpaca socks from my husband might be the best addition to my gear.<br>

<a href="http://www.hawkmountain.org/visit/hiking/pictorial-trail-guide/page.aspx?id=3786"> http://www.hawkmountain.org/visit/hiking/pictorial-trail-guide/page.aspx?id=3786</a></p>

<p> </p>

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<p>My proudest achievement was being able to print some of the stuff I like most in 13x19 size with my new Canon Pixma Pro-100 printer and hanging them on the wall in my den, then having some folk ooo and ahhh at them (one of them is below).<br>

My most significant piece of equipment, other than the camera, was the Tamron 18-250 lens.</p><div>00cH73-544565784.jpg.cc909ffb4a47772b0319eced00dbe265.jpg</div>

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<p>I tend to be hypercritical of myself and at the moment can only think of the unfinished projects and inconsistencies on my 2013 resolution to give away more copies of photos to people I meet when I do candid portraits. But I did manage to at least get emailed JPEGs to most folks, and prints to some folks who don't have web access. I'll try to improve on that in 2014.</p>

<p>But my primary accomplishment was taking seriously a rather <a href="/photodb/member-photos?user_id=172915">harsh critique</a> I received in 2012, and acting upon it:</p>

<hr />

<blockquote>

<p>"I have to agree with Boris. Looking over these snapshots I can't understand why you even take photographs. Perhaps there was something when you were young, but whatever it is died a very long time ago. On this evidence your photography has no passion, insight, taste, not even the most basic artistic reflex, and the few visually interesting images come across as flukes. The majority are technically competent only in the sense that the exposure and focus are generally accurate; beyond that, nothing at all.<br /> "Ordinarily this would be unexceptional, not worth commenting in. Lots of Photo.net members are terrible photographers. Lots of experienced Photo.net members are terrible photographers. The site's founder wasn't particularly good. Now he flies his plane and leaves the photography to other people. But you've decided to present yourself on Photo.net as a photographic guru for the ages, which is either a terrible mistake or evidence of bad faith. I mean, I'm a really good photographer - really, really good - and I see straight through you. Who else are you trying to impress? Weak people? The easily-led? Are you trying to hoover up a posse of naive youngsters who don't know better? There's a fine line between trying to help a lot of people out of the goodness of your heart, and trying to assemble a congregation of sycophants.<br /> "And there's a bunch of you, uniformly untouched by talent or genius or inspiration, who nonetheless post in thread after thread after thread. Hangers on from Photo.net's early days. The rest of the runners have reached the finish line, or moved to a different event, but you're still running around that track, round and round. The crowd has gone home, now you're just running for nothing. Perhaps it's your passport to immortality; you're not going to achieve that through your art."<br /> --February 10, 2012</p>

</blockquote>

<hr />

<p>The rather presumptuous personal invective in that critique did honestly make me laugh. And frankly, my dear boy, I don't give a damn whether he likes my photos or not, and I couldn't care less about fame, infamy, notoriety or being famous on the web.</p>

<p>But I took seriously the core of the message. He was absolutely correct about one thing - I had been treading water for far too long, not pushing myself, not taking any risks, not exploring concepts and themes. He was only saying publicly what I'd been saying to myself - I'd become complacent. And I'd said for years photo.net was too plagued by sycophants fawning over everything that accidentally fell out of one another's cameras, and everything was "Well seen! Great capture! 6's and 7's, my dear friend!". If I seemed guilty of anything remotely close to that sort of mentality, then you're damned right I was going to pay attention.</p>

<p>From 2008-2012 I was plateaued, in terms of photography. Sure, I was doing other creative things. But I'd go for months without snapping a shutter, and when I did the results were often forgettable. Perhaps once a year I'd get a few good candid photos at street fairs, which are pretty easy pickings.</p>

<p>Worst of all, I'd neglected to follow through on a family documentary project begun in 2006, documenting the progress of my cousin's little boy, Stewart, who'd been born with a serious heart defect and had needed open heart surgeries every year or so to continually repair and modify his heart to keep pace with his growing body. In late 2012 I finally got caught up again on that project, photographing Stewart after his October 2012 open heart surgery, and hope to use the photos and narrative as a fund raiser for the children's hospital that has helped keep Stewart with us, at little or no cost to his family.</p>

<p>Since then I've added another personal documentary project on issues related to aging, disabilities, and the challenges these folks face. But it's a slow process and demands more time building trust than snapping a shutter release button. I've learned a lot from the work of folks like Jim Mortram and Zun Lee, and read every word they write about their own documentary projects. They're inspiring.</p>

<p>And I try to get out at least once a week and mash the shutter release button a few times, if only on whatever catches my eye while I'm out walking.</p>

<p>Regarding gear, I'm using mostly compact film and digital cameras, mostly P&S types. Portability and responsiveness are more important to me than eye-cue or any of the other stuff usually embraced by gearhounds. My dSLR has left the house only two or three times in the past several years. Responsive and capable P&S and mirrorless models are ideal for my preferences. All that matters to me is capturing that fleeting expression and gesture. I don't even particularly care if the photo is "sharp" or any of the other stuff that some folks obsess over.</p>

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<p>Amateur here, though I've been doing photography for most of my life, and like to think I have improved with age.</p>

<p>My biggest achievement, and the one I am most proud of this year, is to have taken photos for the wedding of the son of some close friends. I did try to get out of it, suggesting that they would be happier with the results from a professional, but they insisted. So, I read up, bought a few things to make sure I had backups for all my gear, and visited the venue with our friends and the couple. With the help of my wife (and a "second shooter", the MOB!), we were successful, as measured by the immediate response of our friends and the bride and groom to the images I delivered. Our friendship is intact, the couple is happy and I learned a good bit (including why professionals deserve the money they charge), though I have no desire to repeat the experience!</p>

<p>Happy New Year, all!</p>

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<p>Interesting post, Dan. I am particularly pleased (thanks Noreen) with my decision to go from the safety of shooting jpegs to raw, even though I didn't really understand the whole ACR thing. Along with challenging myself to learn more about shooting in raw, I have also set my self on a steep learning curve with Landscape and Nature photography. I have learned about tides and wind, have ventured very early in the morning, and really expanded my ability to 'explore' the environment. In terms of gear, I have really just been focusing on improving my understanding of my OMD Em5, not using auto white balance etc., and buying a flash (which at first seemed way more complicated that the flash I had for my film camera). So overall, I guess I have challenged myself to get out of my 'macro' rut, taking in more of the context, and stretch myself as a person in the process. I have been fairly happy with the results, but I know there's always room for improvement.</p>
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