Looking back at my favourite photos that I shot in 2022, I was surprised that only half of the images that I shared were taken with a D-SLR. The remaining photographs were either captured with my smartphone or with one of my 360-degree cameras.
When 2023 started, I knew that I had to get off my ass and make more of an effort to get back into the swing of what is my favourite hobby. The pandemic made me lazy and I was getting rusty. I vowed that at the beginning of this year, I would get out more often and put some thought into my craft.
Three months into this year, my D-SLRs continued to gather dust.
It wasn't until April that I actually made more of an effort to capture images. Initially, I had planned to take as many photos in a month and then choose the best of that month to share with you. But because I only went out one time in January and practically stayed home through February and March, rarely even taking photos with my smartphone, I've gone back to simply choosing the photos that I shot through the year and like enough to think that you would like them, too.
Fingers crossed.
Let's get straight to the images that I thought were my best of the past year: to kick things off, I can actually start with a photo that I captured on the one evening in January where I actually set out with my camera gear.
The photo was shot as a storm was approaching, with fog and impending snowfall, mixed with the light trails of passing cars.
The month of May saw more activities where I was sure to bring my camera with me. And I also made use of my 360-degree cameras, trying to capture stills. When I participated in the CN Cycle for CHEO, a fundraising event for children's cancer research, I clipped my Insta360 X3 to the neck of my steering column and let it do its thing.
All I had to do was capture the angle that I wanted in post-processing. This photo summed up the ride, and I headed for the home stretch.
Of course, May also marks the Tulip Festival in Ottawa, and I never miss an opportunity to go downtown or to Dow's Lake to capture the lovely flowers. Here's what I think is my best shot of that festival.
May was the earliest that I've ever gone camping. And last May marked the last time I would ever camp again. Because DW and I were stuck hanging around our site because of the wind gusting across the lake, we gave ourselves a photo challenge. Not only did I take one shot that I am truly proud of but it's one of my best photos of the year.
As May drew to a close, I attended another model meetup with my photo club. The theme of the event was "Fifty Shades of Kelsey." Kelsey is a Goth woman who wanted to dress in lingerie and a bit of BDSM garb. The shoot had an edginess to it, for sure, but there is one photo that I took that gave it a softer edge. The more I look at this photo, the more I like it. The simplicity of it makes it one of the best model photos I've ever captured, let alone one of the best photos of 2023.
June was a busier month, with me making a concerted effort to take a D-SLR with me whenever I left the house (with the exception of grocery shopping--although, I did sometimes keep the camera in the car). DW and I made regular visits to Mud Lake and we were fortunate enough to spot some black-crowned night herons, which were uncommon for the Ottawa area. And as luck would have it, we were able to get close enough to capture some great images.
July was a rough month, health-wise, and because of that, I tried to stay close to home. But I did get out to Fletcher Wildlife Gardens a couple of times, using my 70–300mm zoom lens to get some closeups of flowers, with a bokeh effect. Here are a couple of my faves.
August saw the annual Casino du Lac Leamy fireworks show, which actually takes place on the Ottawa River, between Parliament Hill and the Museum of Civilization, rather than on Lac Leamy. I'm glad for that, as it gives me the opportunity to capture the event from more angles. As some of you may know, I don't like to photograph fireworks from the same place twice. This year, I captured the action from Richmond Landing, a point along the river just to the west of Parliament Hill.
August also saw a photo meetup where we met at a sunflower field near Ashton Station. We were hoping for spectacular sunset shots, but the weather didn't cooperate, so I used some AI to enhance one of my photos that originally had a blank sky. The more I look at this photo, the more I like it.
In September, DW and I got away for a vacation down to Toronto and Southern Ontario, where we stayed in Stratford for a few days, got to revisit St. Marys for the first time in almost 30 years, and spent some valuable time with good friends in Guelph. I took a lot of photos on that trip but I think my favourite photo of them all was when I stood on Dundas Street, near the AGO in Toronto, and captured a reflection off the glass of the art gallery of the houses on the other side of the street.
We returned to Toronto a couple more times, in October and November, and each time I tried to up my photography. My best shots were actually captured with my smartphone.
May 2024 bring you good health and joy. Continue being awesome!
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