Post your best shot's of 08' here!

Let's do it again folks. Post your best "NATURE" shot's from 08'. If you can't make up your mind, post more than one. I'll delet the 2007 post after the first of the year.

Tough job to select "best shot" but this is one of my best and may be my luckiest.
No filters and no tripod.
Nikon D40x w/70-300mm VR handheld
1/100s f/9.0 at 70.0mm iso400
See larger version from ESS Post here.

BW conversion, was no color to speak of this day so the choice was easy :)

My all time favorite from '08 - mostly because I enjoyed this sunset with my soulmate..

1D2
70-200L
190mm
ISO-50
f/22
30 seconds

This was my first shoot in the North Cascades and one of my favorites for '08.

Dang! So far, those are all fantastic!

This was a grab shot that really surprised me. I call it Lunar Crystal.

Sony R1, 1/50 @ f/10, 102mm focal length.

Though maybe not the dramatic grand landscape… just seeing this image appear before my eyes was something I’ll never forget. I was coming back, heading home... from the Palouse in the spring and it was one of those rain, hail, sun, showery days in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. I knew I might get some good light but never expected this rainbow to form right in front of me after a brief, but heavy downpour. This was one of things times that I really wanted to capture the image, but just seeing this develop less than a football field away, was to be a picture in my mind... image or not. I got lucky. One minute after this image was recorded; the rainbow disappeared, just as it appeared. Life is really good.
JG

Drew, that shot of Liberty Bell is awesome. I tried getting something similar earlier in the year, but the snow that was still on the ground didn't help the situation a whole lot.

To avoid rehashing on my recent shot from Kerry Park (which I do feel was my best this year) and to keep it more "nature", I'll post my second best (no embedding for me ):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanswan/2885448629/

Great shots everyone. I can't embed either, but here is mine:

My Best 2008 Shot

Daniel
www.EwertNaturePhotography.com

Great shots so far. I didn't get out and do a whole lot of shooting this last year but this is one of my favorites. It was shot early fall at White River Falls by Tygh Valley.

One shot is hard. I was super pumped when I made this happen as it required some planning and patience. Beyond the reward of just witnessing and photographing this nest, it's been great for my photography business. One shot, properly marketed can bring in a lot of income.

The quality of images that preceed my post is unbelievable, without exception.

Happy 2009

All great photos folks, look forward to more posts in this thread! Marc D, I still remember that image when you posted it. I might have to do a print trade with you one of these days if you are interested. Such a great image!

Anyway, not sure what my best is this year but this is one of my favs...stormy sunset at Cape Kiwanda.

Wow, there are some really great photos here already. I can't embed my image, so here's the link:

http://flickr.com/photos/l3roy/2727535718/

From this past August. I was trying to capture a dark moody atmosphere that evening.



(edited to make link clickable. thanks Mark!)

Jesse,
click the "Text Style Menu" link to learn how to make your url clickable.

Here's mine. I was really struggling with getting creative images this year. This one is at least a bit creative, imho.

OMG! What an incredible assortment of images, now i really have to pour thru the files just to find one so I won't feel ashamed. Excellent!!! Bravo!!!

I didn't get out too much this year due to illness so I don't have much to choose from, but it was a hard choice because I did manage to get some good stuff. I have grown as a photographer and still continue to grow so it will only get better too. Here's my shot, an 11 image infrared pano of Mt Hood:



bigger version here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tehnick/2737383904/sizes/o/in/set-72157603980885947/

edit: can't figure out the tag to post an image here, sorry.

Wow, very inspiring stuff! Here's my humble addition. Tatoosh Range, taken from Alta Vista Trail in late August.
Regards, Joe

This is one of my favorite botanical images, i call it Hearts Ascension. It's a garden shot of Bleeding Hearts amongst Spanish Squill. 180/3.5 with tube @ f/4.

Here's my entry. I shot this one during a family camping trip at Trillium. I got up early one morning and was dissappointed by all the fog. Went back to camp and had some breakfast, then went out again. The fog began parting as I made my way around the lake presenting some great moody scenes. This was one of my favorites.

Nikon D80, 18-200mm VR @ 22mm, 1/2.5s @ F/25, CP & GND

I have to embed, but here's my best/fav of this year:

Reflection Lake, MRNP

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Beautiful images, everyone! What talent displayed here!

I also have to embed. I don't post to often, but thought I'd share my fave landscape this year here

As always, the quality of images displayed here is nothing short of excellent..

All the best to everyone in '09
Dave

Dave, really love that shot, very surreal and atmospheric. I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff!

*Last Rays on Crater Lake*

Maybe not my best of 2008 but one of my favorites.

Nice showing everyone. Some really great images here!

"Witness"

Not my best as far as execution but certainly a memorable shot from 2008. This was taken Memorial Day weekend at Ecola.

Yeah, maybe the mods could imbed those photos for those who can't.

All they have to do is pony up and pay the fee and join NPN.

Feel free to post a couple of shots folks. Just post images not links to images. It is a pain and you probably won't get many looks.

Perhaps not my best but certainly one of my favorites from the past year.

Great shots from everyone as usual. Some I remember, and some are new also. It's interesting to see how syle and subject matter has changed for some people.

Here's my favorite from this year. My one decent shot for 4 days of backpacking and getting rained on in Olympic National Park.

Its been a slower year for me photographicly.....but so far this is my favorite and one I have been anticipating capturing with color since the day I found the composition earlier this year.

Roman

I don't want to comment on each shot individually because I don't want to miss anyone, but so far, Dang!

Note: To avoid redundancy I've deleted my first post above, wherein I wondered why folks were posting links instead of photos, and recommended we post two photos instead of one. (Thanks Jim J. for pointing out why. For the non-members, maybe give yourself a Christmas present and jump in with both feet .)

Since I requested it, I'll break the ice and post two photos. Separating "best" from "favorite" is always tough in my mind, and this photo is likely on the favorite end of the scale; it was such a beautiful experience to be there enjoying the dawn. This was taken this spring along Highway 14 in Washington, looking south across the Columbia River east of The Dalles.

And finally, in regards to the above photos, DANG!!

It would be hard to make it through the Best of ’08 without posting a fall photo; this was just a superb year for color. This wasn’t the most colorful fall photo I took, but I really liked how the different elements came together in this dusk shot, taken at Elk Meadows near Trout Lake, WA.

I personally feel this was my best photograph of 2008. It's just indescribably difficult to make an image like this from a place as wild, complex and overwhelming as a Redwood forest. The variety and cohesiveness of the elements in addition to the lighting here is unlike anything else I've ever captured of strictly a forest scene.

This was a personal favorite also, and no doubt one of my most dramatic and captivating images this year. It was definitely the most popular.

Wow, great shots everyone! I have to comment on two - Marc (Dilley), that ice shot is just wonderfully surreal. What a discovery to find and capture that! And Dan, I'm not a wildlife guy generally, but what a great shot. So much more complete than just a close-up of some critter not really doing anything. Congratulations on an excellent image!

And after going through my stuff...here is my second shot. It was an amazing weekend waking up to the geese alarm at daybreak. That makes it my personal favorite.

Roman

Sunrise in Death Valley was probably my personal favorite shot of the year.

If one of the moderators could embed this, I'd be grateful.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2037/2232330807_9bc4693529.jpg

Lower Proxy Falls, Three Sisters Wilderness

Here is a fav BOAS image from "08," Maybe not the most colorful bird in the woods, but I like the spirit and character of this Western Wood Peewee, also a new addition to my birdlist

This "birder" likes to get out on occasion and try and shoot a landscape, just to see if I remember how and to keep my "certificate" current. This, my favorite attempt in Oct 08 of Aspen Colors, shot at Conboy Lake NWR WA area

This is incredible!! What a show - bravo everyone. Dang!

Great stuff, need to visit here more often.

GH imaged near Washington Square.

OK, my second favorite was taken in Tracy Arm from a small boat. I guess I am so pleased with it because of the effort it took to get there and the blue ice reflection.

Interestingly my two favorites this year were wildlife, but in a landscape setting.

See larger improved lighting version in Fauna post Here.

Nikon D40x
70-300mm VR
1/800s f/8.0 at 230.0mm iso200
Handheld on moving boat.

I was pretty intrigued by this Icebow over 18,900' Nevado Tullparaju, while trekking though the Cordillera Blanca of Peru this past summer.

Nikon FM2
Nikkor 17-35
3 stop soft grad

My personal favorite for the year is this image of a hosta plant. I think I am fond of the image in part because I made a concerted effort to keep shooting in a steady rain, resisting the temptation to pack up my bag and head for a warm dry place.

Nikon D200
Nikkor 105mm
1/80 sec., f/6.3, ISO 200
polarizing filter

This was such a magical moment for us! We were at Ridgefield NWR one morning and this young Redtailed Hawk graciously allowed us to get amazingly close for one fine portrait shot!

Canon 1D Mark III
Tamron 200-500mm F/5.0-6.3 @ 500mm
1/500 sec @ F/8.0 ISO 400
Handheld from the driver's seat!

Here is one of my personal favs for 2008. Taken at Bandon in march as a spring storm was breaking up at sunset. I put on a pretty good show for a handfull of folks watching me as i stood out in the surf getting thoroughly soaked for this shot and several others that evening. They all thought I was nuts, but after the light was gone, I showed the onlookers the pics on my LCD, and they then understood what I was doing. I Ended up with a coulple of prints sales in the end!

I'll continue the trend of showing 2 shots...

This one is from Port Orford in early February of '08. I had been set up in this spot photographing the waves breaking in front of me on the perfectly undisturbed sand, when this guy just walked right through the scene. There wasn't another soul around (or probably even awake), and 50 yards of beach behind me, so I was a little pissed that he was going to step right in the way. I clicked a series of shots as he passed anyway, and when I got home to review my days work, this was hands down the best shot - with or without people.

It was a bit of a turning point for me. I had been trying hard to avoid all human elements in my photography, but I then realized the power that a person in the right place at the right time can bring to a nature photo.

New to Nature Photographers, amazing work - I'll be watching and learning from you all!!

Always tough to come down to just one... this is an example of any camera is the right one when that magic moment occurs. I was probably the second person on the scene after a rare snowfall and freeze on Mountain Lake/Orcas Island. Person #1 had fractured the lake surface and built an ice cairn (which Orcasians like to do... up to this point I'd only seen stone cairns) which I came upon just as the sun popped thru the clouds and beamed thru the layers of stacked ice - dried weeds in the background. Canon G9, image stablized, hand held, giddy!
focal length - 30mm, f4, 1/250, macro mode.

My photography year had some great surges marked by some periods of inactivity, stuck in the office. My spring was a bit disappointing, but late summer and fall were very productive. Many of my favorite images came from a trip to Glacier with David Cobb. Both of the ones I'm posting are from that trip.

This one was a particularly tricky exposure/post process which turned out better than expected.

This image of Bear Hat Mountain at sunset was one of those special times when you think the conditions are not in your favor and then the color and light makes a show at the last moment. It was also the first time I successfully pulled off a multiple image pano during rapidly changing lighting conditions.

Dang! The awesome shots just keep coming and coming!

Deb, I'm all over that shot!

This one is just an ordinary sunset. However it's probably the best image I captured in '08 from a very limited pool. It's a view from Spenser's Butte just outside Eugene on July 2nd. Not up to the standard of the preceeding two images, but they motivated me to post. Thanks Sean for sharing all your beautiful work !!

Spectacular.

I'm going to have to drop this moose in here. It's from Alaska, but it's still one of my best/favorites.

Hello all.

I dont have anything to post here, and actually reside in Atlanta, but just wanted to tell you all how humbled I am by your images. I come here once/day at least to look at all of the amazing images you all capture. Your work is truly stunning. Thanks for the opportunity to see it all...

Here's my second shot, I took it at Johnston Ridge, MSHNVM. I liked the forboding mood this one evoked.

Here's my fav shot taken in April of 08, in Death Valley

And my second fav, shot more recently at the coast

I'm jumping in here late, but I'll offer up my 2 favorites from 08...

This first one was from very early summer and was the first shoot I did with the 1ds3 the day after I got it.

And the second is Mt. Shasta taken on a recent trip to the Sierras. I just happened to be camping in the area on my way home and decided to shoot the sunrise for fun, it turned out to be one of my personal favorites of the year!

This image won for me the third prize at the "Catch the Light" contest.

Sorry, I'm late to this party. Stunning work, really very impressive. This group keep getting better and better. I didn't get to shoot as much as I wanted last year, but I did have a great trip to the SW. This was my favorite for the year, and also the most popular image at all my shows as well.

Again, incredible work guys and gals.

Here's my second fav, this series of images helped me to perfect my luminosity masking/combined exposure technique.

Well I only went shooting twice last year. This was with Marc, Zach, and Adrian. I remember it was a great trip and awesome sushi afterwards....oh and that I was sore for days after. Feels good to be getting back in the grove a bit more this year. Great shots by everyone ....really great stuff!

Everybody knows that Colorado photographers are the best, but you guys are absolutely blowing my mind with these incredible shots. Seriously, I'm humbled. I'll be traveling to Washington at the end of this week for only 4 days, and hope to get some shots of the coast, Olympic NP, and Mt. Rainier NP.

I'm in this forum to live vicariously through these photos until I get there.

superb photographs on here
sorry only had a point n' shoot in 08
I had a new favorite almost every time I scrolled down
keep on truckin
-erik

Arch Stone Cove

I'm not a member of the Pacific NW group or a resident but I enjoy visiting. This was the one I liked best along the coast of Oregon in August 08.

Canon Rebel XSi, 18-55mm lens @ 20mm.
ISO 400, @ f10, 1/500s
Handheld