Once again its that time of year when I look back and reflect on my photography throughout the year. I’ve put them into a gallery on pbase here:
http://www.pbase.com/suzy_walker/best2010
I’ve only managed to pick just under 80 this year which isnt a great sign dispite having some great opportunites. This year we’ve been underwater in Grand Cayman Island and the North Red Sea (Egypt). Around the UK we’ve tripped to Dorset , Essex and been out in London down by the Eye at night. I tried my hand at photographing Shirleys Garden (for which she won Silver in the local council garden awards). And as per normal I’ve been playing with macro around the house and garden. The one thing I’ve really enjoyed this year is getting to grips with my iphone 4, although I think it makes me lazy because I dont want to lug my huge DSLR out now but more creative because I take more photos than I used to. That being said cheated this year and added a new category – top 10 iphone photos.
I had to go back in time to read this post I wrote over a year ago about choosing your best photos because I did a post as recently as September for my favourite shots of the year so I wanted this post to reflect my best (if at all possible).
Top 10 photos:
#- In Cayman at the sandbar we found this shell and I love how it brings colour against the bland sand
#- I got to help with Alex when he was playing with his off camera strobe inside the Ghannis D wreck in the Red Sea and enjoyed it so much I got one of my very own made. I’m looking forward to trying this technique out more next year.
#- I think Sally here (Sally the Sailfin) was a highlight of our Cayman trip, we didnt get to do much macro but all my personal favs were macro as they usually are 
#- I found this little tiny crab under the boat in a tiny piece of dead looking coral. One of his brothers actually atached himself to my lanyard (which was resting on the seabed) and ended up back on the dive deck. I rescued him though and put him back in the sea.
#- Mike & I dont often see sharks so to see this grey reef shark in Cayman was a treat for us. I had a 60mm lens on because the sharks dont come too close. I like the graphic almost pencil drawn feel to my post processing of this one.
#- Cardinal fish males brood their fertilized eggs in their mouths to protect them while they incubate. It was facinating watching him, every moment or so he would open his mouth to allow fresh water to oxygenate the eggs.
#- Stingray sandbar was my fav dive in Cayman and it isnt even a dive. Its a hold breath & sink sort of affair in waist high water 
#- Secretary blennys are just too cute. They hole up in the coral and peek out.
#- When we go to the Red Sea I love the anthias, they bring so much colour to the reef and look great orange against blue
#- In Cayman there were some little caves with glass fish in them that would swirl around in the beams of sunlight coming though the ceilings.
Top 10 iphone photos:
Alexs leaving do (panorama stitched on the iphone):
Dorset fields on a summers day:
Cheddar Gorge:
Butterflies in my nans garden:
Q models some excellent 3D specs in the car:
my first snowman:
C & Q in leaky hamster balls:
Nans flowers:
Dorset mobile phone HDR (before HDR was on the iphone4 automatically):
Snowy garden:
Honorable Mentions:
land photos: click them for larger versions:
#- Theres a famous quote (I forget who by but you can google it) about painting with light. Thats what attracts me to the london eye photo. And I enjoyed testing out HDR at the henge
#- this year I really enjoyed playing with the macro lens in the garden
#- ever wondered what its like to live in a dandelion? Or to see a toadstool upclose?
