I hope to start some discussions on people's favourite photos and why they think so, just to promote a bit of banter and get to know the workings of folk and their favourite images.

Feel free to join in this thread or start another. It can be one of your own favourites or by another photographer.

My current favourite of mine is North Glen Shiel Ridge.

I had planned this shot for a long time as part of an ongoing project, I had very strong preconceived ideas what I wanted it to look like and I had attempted this shot on a few occasions before but had been disappointed with the weather conditions on the previous visits.

On this particular morning all my expectations were exceeded so from a planning and execution point of view it is a very pleasing and satisfying image.

But this isn't the main reason why I like it so much. There is more to this image than just the visual aspects of it, the composition might not be the best and some might feel it is awkward or a bit incoherent, the lack of contrast might not appeal to many and there may not be enough interest or impact for some but it is the feel and mood I had at the time I took this photo which makes it special for me.

I had woke and started the climb in the dark to ensure I was at this vantage point before sunrise, there was no wind and no sound from anything apart from my footsteps cutting into the snow and my hard breathing from the steep climb. I had an excited air of expectation as the dawn grew and I neared the bealach, I reached this vantage point with about 20 minutes to go before sunrise. After getting my breath back and calming my heartrate down I started setting up my gear and scouted for a composition that combined my intended view but also tried to capture as much as possible the mood of the exquisite quality of the dawn light. Fresh, dry but hard crusted snow lay everywhere so I chose some frosted grasses as the foreground element and to provide some contrast to the expanse of white, the mountains on the right is the ridge I wanted to capture with a backdrop of the mountains on the opposite side of the glen.

The composition and the scene isn't the major factors why I like this image so much though. Once I had taken this image I just stood, listened and absorbed the atmosphere. It was bitterly cold but without any wind there was a serene silence that is rarely appreciated in the normal hustle and bustle of life. The light was so delicate and soft with the most subtle luminence and reflection off the snow even though the Sun had not yet risen. The sky showed a band of pastel pink hues that aren't normally seen throughout the daytime. I was alone and felt detached from the rest of civilisation for a brief few minutes while the Sun was rising and bringing the start to a new day, I could have stopped time there and remained in this idyllic state for a long time. In summary these types of experiences are life enhancing and this photo provides a direct record of the memory I had of this particular morning.

 So, do you have any favourite photos you want to share and describe why?

Not all of us are lucky enough to have landscapes in 1x, John, so I give you

My current favourite isn't a 1X image....  :-)

This thread is not limited to landscapes either but I'm getting the impression folk don't want to share their favourite images. Oh well, I'll think of something else to drum up some stimulating discussion soon....

.. or perhaps not.

:-)

Hi John,

A wonderful idea John, The what image is easy, but as time is rare I will work on the why and add mine than. However, I wanted to tell You how much I like Your idea Christoph

Which is your favorite child?  Who is your favorite friend?  I love all my photos, especially my next one.

It alternates depending on which one is behaving.I don't have any real ones, they are all internet based ships in the night..I don't, some mean little to me, others much more. I have heard the phrase " My favourite photo is the one I haven't taken yet" but this sounds awfully pretentious so I may as well choose one from my current crop.

So, I take it you don't have any favourites King and if you did you wouldn't be telling us.

:-)

Not at all, John...I was just yanking your chain while procrastinating about going through my portfolio to pick one or two shots.  And you know me, John, humble and unpretentious to the core.  I merely hope to take another photo someday.

Yes, the 1X reject pile is often a good place to look, many photo that was once deemed a masterpiece was instantly forgotten about upon the cruel decree of "rejected" from the omnipotent word of a Curator.

..... :-)

My current favorite is this one, and it has been this one for almost a year now.

Why:
To see wild Golden Eagles mating is a rare scene. To get a shot at it is even more rare. To get one good shot at it is something I could only dream of. To get a good shot in the last 3 - 4 minutes before the sun disappears, in that wonderful light that gives, and get one of the best shots ever taken of such situation is something most nature-photographers would trade their wife for ;-).

Still it ended up in the mentioned pile of rejections.
But I don´t care ................







..... not any longer ;-)

My favorite photo is this one, taken back in 2006.

It's not one that i ever considered uploading to 1x for screening simply because the image quality is too poor and suffers from way too much noise to be recoverable with software like Neat image etc, without loosing the limited amount of detail in the shot.

Why?
Sentimentality really, because it is a reminder of the wonderful feeling i had when this Marsh tit and it's mate came to feed from my hand.

 I built a level of trust with the pair over the course of about 4 years. I fed them regularly, gradualy bringing them closer to me during the first year until they would both take peanuts and other treats from my hand. I then had to get them used to the noisey shutter on my 20D which took quite a bit longer. They became so used to my presence that they would appear as soon as i turned up in their territory in the ruins of a manor house.
They gave me some wonderful opportunities to photograph them up close and personal and in return, i made sure they were well fed during the cold winter months and in the spring and summr when they were feeding chicks. Their favorite treats were the squished bugs that i scraped from the front of my car like the one in this shot, i got some strange looks from the neighbours when i was scraping bugs off my car into an old film container :-))

Sadly they are not long lived and the last time i saw them was in the autumn of 2007 and no new pairs have taken up the territory since.

A touching story and a delightful (although technically weak, as you said) photo, Vic.  Thanks very much for sharing. 

I'll start with one of my fav's from the 70's:

http://www.clydebeamer.com/2008/09/san-simeon-sunset/

My real fav from the 70's is on the wall in my bedroom and I cannot find the slide to scan.

The why part is really simple and if you've been paying attention over the years you know what's coming...

I like that sky a LOT when I saw it driving along the road from Furnace Creek north towards Mesquite Flats. I stopped along the road and took the photo. When I saw the slide developed I liked it a LOT. When I got my scanner a few years ago I picked this one out to scan and share.

I really try not to analyze my photography any farther than that.

Quite often my favourite photo is the one I just took... or does that sound just as pretentious?

I would have to say, that this one is my favorite. 

I've heard you nature photographers would trade for much less...... :-)Lets have a look at it then we'll see............ :-)

A very good one indeed! Thanks for that Mark. 

Hi John,

my favourite photo is always the one that waits to get developed and printed. then it stays my favourite until i do the next one... 

My favourite photo is always the one that I've just taken, but haven't started working on it's development. By this time I get the feeling "damn... why didn't I do it in another way". :/

Hi John

That's a hard question. Right now there is one (or two) I particularly like because of the abstract blurry quality I like so much and the enormous sense of motion and alignment. One is the image that made it through screening a couple of days ago, and another one landed on the much loved pile of 'not selected ones'

I'll attach both to this message.

The one with the beach sailing competition I'm using as a business postcard (double folded)  with a fitting motto for my business. The other one features speed skaters (the one that has been published)  I've had that one printed on canvas and I framed it today. I think both sort of mark a transition in my work, but also in the direction I'm going right now with my photography. Painting with light intended for printing on canvas to get the maximum amount of umpf out of them.

Personally I have a slight preference for the one that hasn't made it through screening....

But I really find it a tough question, because there is so much more I'm rather pleased with...