My Favorite Images Created in 2018

“The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be.”
― Oprah Winfrey

Each year at this time, like many of my fellow photographers, I like to take a look back at the work I created during the year.  There is a lot that can be learned by taking a look back.

Instagram supplied me with my “top nine” images of 2018.  This indicated the nine images that were liked the most by others who viewed my images on Instagram.  I found it interesting to see that of the sixteen images that I selected as my personal favorites,

only two were also among my “top nine” best images selected by viewers of my Instagram account.

In 2018, according to my Lightroom Catalog, I took more than 35,000 pictures.  In 2018, I started a new Lightroom catalog.  I have made a point to be much better about deleting absolute rejects each time I import a card.  Therefore, I took many more than 35,000 pictures in 2018.   It’s what I do!

After I selected my favorite sixteen images (sixteen has always been my favorite number), I started to really look at the images to see if I noticed any patterns or trends among the images I chose.

I did notice that bright colors and nature continued to be present in much of my work.

This year, while preparing images for a scavenger hunt, I spent more time than I usual at zoos since I decided upon an animal theme for my hunt images.  While visiting zoos, I created some animal portraits that became my favorites.

I went to the zoo one day specifically in hopes of photographing the newest member of the gorilla family.  I was thrilled, when I returned home, to find this expressive image on my card.

Since I am so drawn to color, I enjoyed photographing colorful animals and scenes at the zoo.

One of my favorite zoo images from the year was one I did not expect to capture.  The Arctic Foxes were extremely playful on the day of my visit.  I was thrilled to be able to make this capture through a wire fence when this fox stopped for a quick rest.

If you have followed my year, you know that I have been exploring compositing images.  Many of the animals that I met at the zoos made their way into new surroundings.

I was not surprised to see several images with a Charleston influence.

I have always heard that bad weather leads to good photography.  That was definitely the case in 2018 as four of my favorites had something to do with less than perfect weather.

Early in 2018, we had one of our very rare snow events.  Where I live, when there is even a whisper of snow, store shelves empty.  We are lucky if we receive one fairly decent snow a year.  During our 2018 snow, my husband, Randy, and I  enjoyed exploring the neighborhood with our dog, Maui.  When I saw Maui at the end of this tunnel, I knew I needed to create an image.

There is a pair of trees on the Blue Ridge Parkway that is photographed and appreciated by many due to their relationship with each other.   I wanted to create an image I had not seen before of these trees.  The rain of the car window helped me do just that.

It always pays to be observant of your surroundings.  When I saw this reflection during my walk, I had to go back to the house to get my camera in order to capture what I was seeing.

Most people plan their visits to gardens on bright sunny days.  I couldn’t wait to visit the tulip gardens in the rain.  I knew the rain would add something to my tulip images.  I was not disappointed that day.

In 2018, I did more exploration with abstracts than in previous years.

Although there were many things that surprised me about how my work evolved in 2018, I think the most interesting thing was the fact that I am now enjoying and even seeking out opportunities to photograph people.    I know that this has stemmed from my personal project, 900 Days of School.  If you would like to follow that project, please either follow here on my blog or on the Instagram account that I have set up specifically for the project, @maryproberts900daysofschool.

Although I had the opportunity to travel a great deal in 2018, all but one of the images here were created within a three hour’s drive from my home.

I learned a great deal about my choices, likes, and dislikes by compiling these favorite images from 2018.  I cannot wait to see where 2019 leads.

If you did not get a chance to view the slideshow of these favorite images, you can access it here.

Wishing all a safe and joyous New Year!