My Favourite Photos of 2012

For me, 2012 was inspiring. My love of photography was renewed to a point where I now carry my camera bag practically wherever I go.

And when I don't have my D-SLR, I have my iPhone. And judging by the number of photos that I chose as my favourite of the year, the iPhone ruled in 2012. Eight of the following photos were shot with my iPhone 4: can you tell which ones they are?

I took thousands of photos this year. I led and attended three photo walks, and I joined a photographers' meetup group that allowed me to gain some experience in a studio, working with models. It's been great.

As we wrap up 2012, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite photos with you. It was no small feat, as I had to look at them all and take a deep breath as I said yes to some, no to others.

Here's what I came up with:

On a snowy day in January, I found myself in Smiths Falls. And looking down this street, I could have sworn that I was transported in time.

This bridge is the most picturesque in the city, but only in the winter. Shot from the canal during Winterlude, this tunnel leads to Patterson Creek.

I shot this flower during my spring photo walk. What draws my eye to it is the fact that the intense colours almost give it the impression of being a painting. Of the many flowers I've shot over the years, this is one of my all-time favourites.

This was shot on my iPhone. Sarah, who was having fun with a plastic cup in the pool at our hotel in Hollywood Beach, Florida, threw water in the air over and over again, never tiring of the action, lost in her own world. Simple joy.

Again, shot with my iPhone, this photo of a restaurant balcony in Charleston, South Carolina, was rendered to the point of looking like a painting. I love the granularity and the colour saturation.

We packed up the family and took the train to Montréal in late July, where we caught up with some great friends. Across the street from our hotel (which you can see through the glass) was the Palais des congres—the congress centre. At this particular time of day, the sun lit up the foyer, and I couldn't resist a few shots, with both my D-SLR and my iPhone. This was the best of all the photos and was taken with my (surprise!) iPhone. I love how the outside, seen through the front doors, looks almost black and white, compared with the vibrant colour on the inside.

Also shot in Montréal, this was in the old sector. Again, my iPhone captured the image.

 

Both of these shots were taken during my summer photo walk. I love the glass and steel in my city.

I attended an Instagram photo walk this summer, which meant that my iPhone had to be used. I didn't mind: using my iPhone exclusively meant that I had to be more creative, which also meant that I had to get better angles and rely on photo-editing software on my phone to provide the results I wanted. I also shot the following image during the same walk.

I saw this abandoned house a couple of years ago but didn't investigate it until this fall. I wasn't even sure if it would still be standing. If it's still there next summer, I'd like to see about getting permission to go inside to take more photos. It would be perfect for a model shoot.

Speaking of model shoots, this was taken at the first model shoot that I attended. Of all the photos I took, this one is, by far, my favourite.

Every so often, I mess around with HDR effects. I say "mess around" because I have a long way to go to master this effect. This shot (actually, it's three shots, meshed together) was taken at Pink Lake in Gatineau Park.

There's something magical about autumn sunsets. This one, shot at Lac Bernard, was taken without filters or special effects. This is how the sky looked, and why this shot is a keeper.

So these are my favourite photos of 2012. I'm already excited about what 2013 will bring.

Happy New Year! All the best to you for the coming year. Thanks for reading The Brown Knowser and for following me.