Show Me: The 12 Best of 2008

[Jeff Fillmore]

I would like to see the pictures you took in 2008- I said 'Best' in the title but that could also mean the most memorable or the most significant to you personally. Feel free to elaborate on the pictures. I selected one from each month which kind of frustrated me because some months I had a couple shots I really wanted to include and some months it was a stretch to find anything. But here goes:

(Large size files, EXIF and such can be seen in the Flickr set HERE.)

January - Ybor City Florida - My first night photography outing of the year. Always good to get your Tattoo's somewhere that does the removal also.

February - Clearwater Beach Sunset - Photo shoot on Clearwater Beach and Johns Pass with Greg and Jon on Nikon Cafe.

March - Birthday Desert - Dinner at Ohana to celebrate birthdays (both my fathers and mine.) This is one of the best deserts in all of Disney in my opinion.

April - Rock Dove in Flight - Taken at Pier 60 in Clearwater Florida. Taken with the 70-200vr.

May - My Lovely Wife Kelly - One of the few pictures I have taken of her that she actually likes. Also taken with the 70-200vr.

June - Lightning over Tomorrowland - One of my few and far between solo picture taking trips to Disney.

July - Two bucks in Cades Cove - My favorite non-family picture from the week we spent in the mountains.

August - Gustav Fringe - Clearwater Beach Florida feels the fringe effects of Hurricane Gustav which went on to strike Louisiana. Also one of my first D700- 20mm is wide angle again!

September - First Day in Jazz Class - Camryn is happy to be back in dance class after summer break. I really like the B&W on this one.

October - Insulin Syringe - In October we discovered Camryn has Type-1 Diabetes. Needles are now part of our daily routine.

November - William and Jamie - One of my favorite shots from the one and only wedding I shot in 2008. Taken with the 180/2.8.

December - Daddy Daughters Day - Spent the day at the park with the girls while Mom got some things done. My favorite shot of the day taken with the 105mm f2.8 Micro AIS.

 

[annnewjerz]

Great photos Jeff, I really like the one of your dessert and your daughter at her dance class, I agree...the black and white is nice, is adds a little something to it.

Here are some of mine, I've only had my D60 since the end of September, so the pickings were slim...but these were the ones I like best.

1. September - I believe this is the 46th click of the shutter on my first dSLR - the Nikon D60. It is one of our cats, Mr. Winkle who was born under our bed right before Christmas last year. I like the colors of the sheet behind her (yes, it's a her even though her name is Mr.), the curious look on her face and the fact that even though it's just a snapshot on full auto, it's a much better quality photo than I had ever taken with my P&S.

2. October - This is a picture that I took while I was on my first outing with my D60, walking around our hometown in NJ just giving my 18-200mmVR a test run. I'm not sure why I like this one, but I do, maybe the color or maybe the fact that I think he looks sort of lonely and down and out...it's the first photo I got an enlarged print of

3. November - I couldn't decide between these two, so I'm picking both (I hope that's okay). The first is of our Golden Retriever Mickey, the second is of another one of our cats, Toby sitting with my DH. Both of these were taken when I got my 50mm f/1.8 and was playing around with it in the living room.

4. December - Photo taken at a co-workers house during a shoot with them and their first child, a little less than one month old. I'm sure this wasn't their favorite shot, but it was mine! I think it helps depict a little bit of the stress and chaos surrounding bringing home your first baby from the hospital and trying to get into a routine (although I'm not sure, because I have none)

Definitely looking forward to all of the photos I'll get in 2009 and posting my full 12-month series next year!!

 

[YEKCIM]

Great idea and some beautiful shots, Jeff. Here are a few of mine for '08:

Birmingham Zoo, January 2008:

Sloss Furnaces, March 2008:

Softball still life, March 2008:

U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL, March 2008:

Mary Esther, Easter Sunday, March 2008:

Battle of Selma, AL Reenactment, April 2008:

Restored WWII B-17G "Liberty Belle", Bessemer, AL Airport, May 2008:

National D-Day Memorial, Bedford, VA, June 2008:

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, June, 2008:

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, June, 2008:

Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, November 2008:

Christmas Day, 2008 (who needs a bunch of expensive toys to have fun??):

 

[handicap18]

I always look forward to this thread at the end of each year.

Some great images thus far, I'll try and add to it.

Mine aren't in any particular order:

Night shot of Boston as seen from Logan Airport:

American Bald Eagle at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA:

DS' first year in T-ball. I was the unofficial "official" photographer for the team:

Scituate Light in Scituate, MA. Lighthouses were one of my "things" to photograph this year (and probably next year too.... )

Quite possibly one of my most favorite pictures I've ever taken. My DD:

Youngest DS having fun on one of the toys of my childhood that my parents still have. A good old fashion rocking horse:

One of my very first pictures with my new Nikon D300 (shutter click #3 to be specific):

I wanted to try out my new background. Luckily these 2 were in a good mood. For this last shot I just told them to give each other a hug:

Portland Head Light in Portland, ME. This one I had enlarged to 20x30 and printed on metallic paper. Its hanging in our bedroom and looks awesome.

Another Lighthouse shot. This one is Cape Neddick Light in York, ME:

Prairie Dog at the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ:

My 3 kids. Taken just a few weeks ago for our annual "Holiday" photo:

 

[jk and ek]

january - not the best photo, but it's the very first photo i took in 2008, about 5 seconds after midnight. it's me and jk!

february - a photo shoot at a studio with a model. she was sick and had just finished shooting with somebody else and i asked if she would put on a dress i had and let me take her picture for 10 minutes quick in the natural light of the room.

march - this was a hard month to choose, because jk and i went on a roadtrip through kentucky and tennessee. so i just randomly chose one...it's the living room at graceland.

april - another studio shoot! the model's name is sam and she's signed to an agency called major.

may - we took a trip to the bronx zoo. this was taken in the aviary.

june - took a trip to chicago for a friend's wedding. this was the view from our hotel room.

july - i took so many photos this month..i had to cheat and post two. the first is at saved tattoo in brooklyn and was taken while my best friend was getting tattooed. the second is jarvis cocker, the lead singer of my favorite band pulp while he was on tour for his solo album.

august - went to philadelphia to hang out with friends and go to a baseball game. this is our friends' dog named sarge.

september - taken at my fall internship.

october - i did a lot of portrait work in the studio this month..here is one of my favorites.

november - not a real picture...it was taken with my phone..but it's super important!

december - a snowstorm from my bedroom window

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Hey K's. Welcome to the boards.

I won't go strictly by month because I have a couple of months during which I didn't do any significant shooting. I'll just spread out across the year as well as possible.


This one is from a photo club outing to a glass blowers shop.

This one is from a trip we took to the Monterey area. It's a shot of my younger son sitting on the beach in Carmel.

April was a quiet month for me photographically, so I'll post this bug shot I took. I was just mucking about with my new macro lens.

In May, I took this self portrait while riding my bike. It was shortly after I started riding my bike into work a couple of times a week. It was a self-portrait taken with the camera mounted to the handle bars.

This is one of the first shots taken with my new G9. It was at the opening day of our new aquatic park.

Here's a fireworks shot taken on Fourth of July.

I have no idea how to reduce a trip to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain National Park down to one photo. Here's one that I like because it is our home on the trip rather than just another waterfall shot that anyone could have taken.

In September, we got walloped by Hurricane Ike. We were without power for two weeks. During that time, neighbors took turns hosting evening cookouts. This picture was taken at one in which the kids were given glow sticks.

This is a shot from our Halloween shoot. It's my younger son in a costume that I never really understood. It was some sort of Pokemon that can look like anyone. Still, it's better looking than the freaky costume of my older son, who dressed as a leprechaun on a toadstool.

Here's a shot from my fall portrait shoot. I actually did a session with my own kids this time. That was my first studio session with them.

Here's a shot of my son in a really cool tree near where we camped over Thanksgiving weekend.

Here's a shot of my wife and kids at the neighborhood Candlelight Carols celebration a few nights before Christmas. It was also my first real shoot with my new 5D Mark II.

 

[spinetnglr]

Mine certainly dont stack up to others posted here but here is my 12 from the year. I didnt have ones for April and August so I cheated and put in three for October

Sunrise in the field behind my house on a cold January morning

Looking from the parking lot of the auction where I work on Fridays for fun. February

At the boarding farm behind my house. March

Visitor to my yard in May

My neighbor's irises in June

Sunset about a mile from my house I pulled off the road to snap this pic. July

After 3 days of rain in September

Renaissance Barn, Fort Hunter PA in October

Philadelphia PA in October when I went there to visit my son.

Foggy fall morning in October

Sugar maple (I think) burr November

Heidelberg UCC York, PA December

 

[jk and ek]

Mine certainly dont stack up to others posted here but here is my 12 from the year. I didnt have ones for April and August so I cheated and put in three for October

don't sell yourself short! i personally thought your pictures were great. i want to visit where you live, it looks beautiful!

 

[NLD]

Spinetnglr, looks like we're neighbors.

Your shots are very nice, give me something to aspire to and ideas for shooting in our neck of the woods.

 

[Experiment_626]

Sugar maple (I think) burr November

Nice shot -- but that's a variety of Sweetgum. It is one of the relative few sources of serious fall color in Florida.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua

SSB

 

[ElizK]

I'll play. Some of these aren't so artistic, more just what was going on in life at that moment, and I don't have something for each month.

Jan 08: Sunset

Mar 08: SNOW! in TEXAS!!

Mar 08: Butterfly exhibit at the Ft Worth Botanic Garden

Apr 08: DD's 16th birthday

Jun 08: DD16 and DD13

Jun08: Old Key West

Oct 08: Friend's wedding

Oct 08: 1st assignment for NYIP!!

Nov 08: at the Ft Worth Botanic Garden

Dec 08: decorating Christmas cookies

 

[spinetnglr]

don't sell yourself short! i personally thought your pictures were great. i want to visit where you live, it looks beautiful!

Thank you ... we are probably about a 3-4 hour drive from NYC and yes there are lots of beautiful areas around here for taking pictures.

Spinetnglr, looks like we're neighbors.

Your shots are very nice, give me something to aspire to and ideas for shooting in our neck of the woods.

Thank you very much and I know there are some others here on the Dis from the southcentral PA area.

Nice shot -- but that's a variety of Sweetgum. It is one of the relative few sources of serious fall color in Florida.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua

SSB

you are right ... I looked it up when I took the picture in a tree book I have but when I posted the picture I couldnt remember what it was ... I knew it was sugar or sweet something ... thanks for correcting me

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Scituate Light in Scituate, MA. Lighthouses were one of my "things" to photograph this year (and probably next year too.... )

I'll have to show this to DH - he grew up in Scituate. I've only been there one time and didn't see the lighthouse. Great pictures Kyle and everyone else!!!!

 

[MICKEY88]

Thank you ... we are probably about a 3-4 hour drive from NYC and yes there are lots of beautiful areas around here for taking pictures.




Thank you very much and I know there are some others here on the Dis from the southcentral PA area.



you are right ... I looked it up when I took the picture in a tree book I have but when I posted the picture I couldnt remember what it was ... I knew it was sugar or sweet something ... thanks for correcting me

great shots..I drive past Fort Hunter every day, awesome shot of the barn..

 

[Pea-n-Me]

You're right, Jeff. It's kind of hard to pick just twelve. Here are some of mine, not necessarily in any special order.

Around Boston - Mission Church

Zakim Bridge over Charles River

Copley Square

Sun shower on Huntington

Birthday dinner in North End

First pictures using Manual mode

The essence of Fair food

The wildness of youth

A parent's pride and joy (though their baby disappeared the following week )

And my first sunset capture with dSLR

 

[Experiment_626]

you are right ... I looked it up when I took the picture in a tree book I have but when I posted the picture I couldnt remember what it was ... I knew it was sugar or sweet something ... thanks for correcting me

There's a very tall one growing about 30 feet from where I'm sitting. I can't get enough of looking at the leaves in the late fall, especially when they turn such a vivid shade of red. They do look a lot like maple leaves.

But be careful not to step on the "gumballs" in bare feet!

SSB

 

[emmabelle]

I want to play! Not that my stuff is all so great, I really enjoy dabbling with my camera and I feel that I've learned alot this past year.

January - My son's 18th birthday

Februay - My daughter being her usual upbeat self

March - Naples, Florida

April - The Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA

May - Junior Prom 2008 (our daughter)

June - Senior Prom 2008 (our son)

July - Cruise 2008

September - football game. Not sure if I like the sun in this one or not?

October - Boston 2008

November - our Christmas card photo

December - Our trip to Disney, so hard to pick my favorite here.

 

[spinetnglr]

There's a very tall one growing about 30 feet from where I'm sitting. I can't get enough of looking at the leaves in the late fall, especially when they turn such a vivid shade of red. They do look a lot like maple leaves.

But be careful not to step on the "gumballs" in bare feet!

SSB

OUCH ... the one I took the picture of is in our town's little community park and I dont go in barefeet so no worries there.

I am really enjoying this thread and looking at everyone's pictures .. they are all fantastic!!!

 

[crasher11]

What awesome Pictures from everyone. Well I could only come up with 7 that really caught my attention. Not the best photography but still learning the ropes, so these are the ones I liked the most.

Folsom Field in Boulder Colorado

My boys with Cody Hawkins, the QB for the Colorado Buffaloes

My oldest Son after his first 3rd grade football game

The boys playing in the front yard

Friends on a hunting trip

Close up of wildlife

Flowers in the backyard

 

[Dismom+two]

Butterfly in my garden..

Las Vegas

Stone Zoo

Spring in my garden

Salem, Ma

These last two I think you know where they are...