Post THE 2013 Shot that means the most to you.

[IzzieK]

Many thanks for the info...that is very nice to know...I will cc my husband when I send Elizabeth's poem to her.

Hi Izzie,

I should've of said that this is one of my all time favourite poems for the beauty and uplifting meaning of the words. I just edited my post to credit the authour.

Mary Elizabeth Frye (November 13, 1905 – September 15, 2004) was a Baltimore housewife and florist, best known as the author of the poem Do not stand at my grave and weep, written in 1932.[1]

I'm certain that Mary Elizabeth Frye would be delighted to know her poem is shared worldwide...

Just FYI from Wikipedia.

She was orphaned at the age of three and moved to Baltimore when she was twelve. She was an avid reader with a remarkable memory. In 1927 she married Claud Frye, who ran a clothing business, while she grew and sold flowers. The poem for which she became famous was originally composed on a brown paper shopping bag. Because people liked her twelve-line, untitled verse, she made many copies and circulated them privately. She never published or copyrighted the poem.[1]

The identity of the author of the poem was unknown until the late 1990s, when Frye revealed that she had written it. Her claim was confirmed in 1998 after research by Abigail Van Buren.[1]

[Brownbear]

And thank you for sharing your beautiful story.

I have a need to borrow this one from you if you do not mind...it is the first year my dear SIL celebrated Christmas without her husband and I feel bad for her too...Although they have 6 children and 19 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren, when the lights turned off, she feels most alone. I just wish she live near us so I can give her a big hug and cuddle too, at least cry with her sometimes...

Many thanks for the info...that is very nice to know...I will cc my husband when I send Elizabeth's poem to her.

[sjgordon]

Not my "best" photo of 2013, but one that means a lot to me. This is my Father sitting on a bench at the Ludington State Park in Ludington, Michigan this Fall. He is the one who trusted his beloved 35mm camera into the hands of a gangly, clumsy, awkward kid back in the late 60's early 70's and ignited a lifelong love affair with photography. He is in his late 70's now and almost totally deaf, eyesight is failing, and he is now hunched over from a lifetime of work with very poor balance to top it all off. Even now though; everywhere he goes, his camera goes. To put a smile on his face all you have to do is mention you might know of a place where there is a photo or two waiting to be captured and if he wants to go find them. He will grab his Canon 30D and walking cane and be ready to go before you are. The camera is always ready to shoot and just waiting for him to walk out the door. I suspect he will not be able to get out next time I see him due to health issues that keep getting more severe and that this photo very well may be the last one I get to take out and about with my lifelong photography buddy. His images will never be seen by any other than family and friends, his name will never be spoken when great photographers are mentioned, but to me he is the most influential and important Photographer I will ever have the privilege of shooting with and knowing.

[Shadowman]

Not my "best" photo of 2013, but one that means a lot to me. This is my Father sitting on a bench at the Ludington State Park in Ludington, Michigan this Fall. He is the one who trusted his beloved 35mm camera into the hands of a gangly, clumsy, awkward kid back in the late 60's early 70's and ignited a lifelong love affair with photography. He is in his late 70's now and almost totally deaf, eyesight is failing, and he is now hunched over from a lifetime of work with very poor balance to top it all off. Even now though; everywhere he goes, his camera goes. To put a smile on his face all you have to do is mention you might know of a place where there is a photo or two waiting to be captured and if he wants to go find them. He will grab his Canon 30D and walking cane and be ready to go before you are. The camera is always ready to shoot and just waiting for him to walk out the door. I suspect he will not be able to get out next time I see him due to health issues that keep getting more severe and that this photo very well may be the last one I get to take out and about with my lifelong photography buddy. His images will never be seen by any other than family and friends, his name will never be spoken when great photographers are mentioned, but to me he is the most influential and important Photographer I will ever have the privilege of shooting with and knowing.

Nice.

[ShaneS]

What a beautiful sentiment Scott!

His images will never be seen by any other than family and friends, his name will never be spoken when great photographers are mentioned, but to me he is the most influential and important Photographer I will ever have the privilege of shooting with and knowing.

I do hope that you have shared your feelings (as written above) with him. I'm sure that the time that you have spent together with your cameras is just as special to him as it is to you!

[Donald]

... but to me he is the most influential and important Photographer I will ever have the privilege of shooting with and knowing.

And that is what really matters.

[terrib]

It's a beautiful picture with a beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it.

Not my "best" photo of 2013, but one that means a lot to me. This is my Father sitting on a bench at the Ludington State Park in Ludington, Michigan this Fall. He is the one who trusted his beloved 35mm camera into the hands of a gangly, clumsy, awkward kid back in the late 60's early 70's and ignited a lifelong love affair with photography. He is in his late 70's now and almost totally deaf, eyesight is failing, and he is now hunched over from a lifetime of work with very poor balance to top it all off. Even now though; everywhere he goes, his camera goes. To put a smile on his face all you have to do is mention you might know of a place where there is a photo or two waiting to be captured and if he wants to go find them. He will grab his Canon 30D and walking cane and be ready to go before you are. The camera is always ready to shoot and just waiting for him to walk out the door. I suspect he will not be able to get out next time I see him due to health issues that keep getting more severe and that this photo very well may be the last one I get to take out and about with my lifelong photography buddy. His images will never be seen by any other than family and friends, his name will never be spoken when great photographers are mentioned, but to me he is the most influential and important Photographer I will ever have the privilege of shooting with and knowing.

[suenewbie]

Not sure if it's too late to join in this celebration of the joys and memories photographs can bring. Here's mine. We lost our beloved Field Spaniel very unexpectedly to spleen cancer at age 11 this year. We miss him terribly! Thankfully, just a couple of weeks before he died, I set up a portrait session with him to work on my new photography hobby. I had no idea how important these (not so great) portraits would be. We've since had this printed and framed as a 16x20 to match a much better photo of our previous Springer Spaniel. Her photo was taken by a pro, so it makes mine look a little shabby, but I'm so happy to have taken that photo when I did!

P.S. First time attempting to post a photo here, so hope it works!


Dog PortraitsDSC_0627_018 Adjusted by smolnar18, on Flickr

[KCBrecks]

What a super thread Colin. Every picture has been a joy to see. My apologies for being late but we have been to Edinburgh for Christmas with our son and his family - first one away for over 30 years, then sorting out friends computer problems.

I didn't really have to think too much about which picture to post as it is my favourite from 2013. It is of spring blossom in Untersteinbach, Hohenlohe, Germany and reminds me of a magical place and a wonderful family who have been friends for 28 years. It was our first visit after a break of 7 years so there were many changes to all of our treasured places but not this one.

Best wishes to everyone and all the best for 2014.

Keith Cooper

[rtbaum]

I vote that this become an annual tradition

[mknittle]

Not sure if it's too late to join in this celebration of the joys and memories photographs can bring. Here's mine. We lost our beloved Field Spaniel very unexpectedly to spleen cancer at age 11 this year. We miss him terribly! Thankfully, just a couple of weeks before he died, I set up a portrait session with him to work on my new photography hobby. I had no idea how important these (not so great) portraits would be. We've since had this printed and framed as a 16x20 to match a much better photo of our previous Springer Spaniel. Her photo was taken by a pro, so it makes mine look a little shabby, but I'm so happy to have taken that photo when I did!

P.S. First time attempting to post a photo here, so hope it works!


Dog PortraitsDSC_0627_018 Adjusted by smolnar18, on Flickr

Sorry to hear that Sue.

[suenewbie]

Thanks, Mark. It's always hard losing a best friend! Someday, we'll get a new puppy but, for a year or two, we'll probably take advantage of the freedom of not being doggie-parents for the first time in 25 years. Although, I don't promise to actually be able to hold out that long.

[rpcrowe]

The shot that means the most to me is not my best shot of the year, however, it is one in which I have the greatest emotional connection. The shot that means the most to me is this one of, Jasper, our three legged rescue dog.



Jasper is a young Maltese-Poodle mix who had his right rear leg totally shattered when he was hit by a car. There was no way to save his leg and amputation was the only option to save his life as shown in this image shot at the vet after Jasper's surgery.



Jasper went through his rehabilitation in our home and has since been adopted. He is the pride and joy of his "furever" family. He doesn't know that he is disabled and can outrun most four legged dogs of his size.

Jasper's story perfect is a fit for the motto of our Maltese Rescue California organization, "It's all about second chances"

We are often asked if it makes us sad when our foster dogs leave us. Yes it does but, we know that they are going to wonderful homes in which the will be loved and cherished. But, there was more than a trace of a tear in my heart when Jasper left us for his new home...

However, Jasper's new mom keeps us updated on our boy. This is a snapshot of her meeting Jasper taken by Jasper's new daddy...

[RogerCook]

If you look closely you can see a herring in the water that got away and inside the water in its mouth, a one that didn't. I have taken better shots by far, but for me this was the one that meant the most.
Hope you like it because I certainly do.

Thanks for looking.

Peter

Awesome shot I love you can see the water dripping off of the baleen, right now in So Cal there are grey's I went out last week but only seen a Fin whale.

[Jeff S]

This is a photo of Akaka Falls on the Big Island of Hawaii. Actually, it's five images stitched together in photoshop. It's the most important photograph from last year to me because it is the first photograph I ever sold to a member of the public. The idea of selling one's photographs can be a hurdle, and it was to me, but I want to do this when I retire from my current position not too many years from now for a little pocket change and some writeoffs and needed to get over that hurdle.

This water fall is photographed all the time, but I've never seen a one-shot image with so much detail and wanted to make a large vertical panorama. The final image was printed on paper and face-mounted with acrylic. It measures 36" x 18" but could easily be twice that size without losing detail, I think. There was no copyright notice on the original image. It sold for $700 US. I like the picture, although I don't think it is my best work now (too saturated for my taste), but I also like getting over the fear of holding myself out in public. It's so easy to be your own biggest critic and assume others will be even more critical. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. (I also have one on canvas, same size, framed. That one hangs in my office at work.)

Next, I need to figure out the proper price for this stuff...and keep improving, of course.

[Poider]

I


Not too much photos for me as a beginner, But I think this one would be my one of my favorite shots, This was taken during Eid holiday here in Doha, Qatar wherein one of the locals pastime is having fun on sand dune area, Here, They challenged themselves as well as the power of their vehicle to climb up on the desert mountains terrains and steep slopes, well some made it just as they been driving on the asphalt but some are having hard time as they crawling and stuck halfway and literally buried their vehicle wheels on the tricky desert.

I purchased an FJ cruiser last year they are a wonderful off road tool
Peter

[Poider]

This shot is special to me, My 3 yo granddaughter was performing in a day car Christmas show, we were invited to watch so we turned up after i had finished work, we were a little late but got there before the show began.
my wife and i walked in at he other end of the room from where she was, there was so much noise, the kids all laughing and talking the adults clapping and talkig then over the noise I heard POPPY, NANNY and every body hushed as she left the stage and came running to my side to tell me she was going to be in the play I shot this picture as she looked at my wife and told her the same.



Peter

[Magog]

Sorry to be late on parade - I don't know how I missed this thread.

I'm cheating and posting 2 shots which had special significance for in 2013; neither are technically brilliant, but they are important to us:

Firstly, our very happy daughter, having received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Edinburgh University. (If Donald is looking in, she is now working not a million miles from him, with the NHS in Tayside)



Secondly, the bullet-scarred memorial to the fallen of World War 1, in the ruins of the church at Oradour-sur-Glane. (For those unfamiliar with the events of 10th June 1944, the story is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oradour-sur-Glane )



This was one of the most sobering experiences of our lives, yet somehow uplifting. After all, it was only a few years later that France and Germany worked together to bring European nations closer; if forgiveness can be found there, then there must be hope for all of us.

[mvel0062]

Hello Everybody,
This is my first picture uploaded here at CIC. I consider it as one of the best pictures I took whilst on a holiday trip in Paris. Feel free to criticise! Thank you.

[Donald]

Firstly, our very happy daughter, .... (If Donald is looking in, she is now working not a million miles from him, with the NHS in Tayside)

Sorry to have missed this comment earlier. What a lucky young lady ... although NHS Tayside has been getting a bit of a kicking in the media over the last couple of days for their performance.

Secondly, the bullet-scarred memorial to the fallen of World War 1, in the ruins of the church at Oradour-sur-Glane. This was one of the most sobering experiences of our lives, yet somehow uplifting. After all, it was only a few years later that France and Germany worked together to bring European nations closer; if forgiveness can be found there, then there must be hope for all of us.

Beautifully put. It is indeed a place for which the word 'awesome' used in its correct way, is most appropriate. Initially I found it hard to not feel as if I was on the set of a movie. But once you allow the atmosphere to sink in and absorb you, you see it as the real place of work and play that it was up to 10th June 1944.

Hello Everybody,
This is my first picture uploaded here at CIC. I consider it as one of the best pictures I took whilst on a holiday trip in Paris. Feel free to criticise! Thank you.

Congratulations on putting your first image up, Matthew. And it is a very good one.