Favorite Photos of 2014: One through Six

It's nearly end of the year, and -- because I started producing photography in a big way this year -- I'm creating an annotated list of my favorite photos. The list is twenty-five pictures, because I originally began by thinking I'd do ten, quickly formed a "short" list of thirty-six, then found that cutting was too difficult once I got to the current number. If I had been required to cut to 10 for a "best work" portfolio, I could have, but I'll leave that open for discussion.

Each photo will be presented, then some text about either the subject, the shot, or the settings. So if you see text, remember that it belongs to the photo above it.

Let's begin with six. The only order here is chronological. I've also removed whatever caption or title I'd given them (some had one, some never got that far). I wanted them to have a chance to stand as images... even though I promptly follow them with text. Hmm. Well, I actually want them to be free of whatever pun or commentary I chose as a title.

1

A set of wind chimes hanging from a door. I'm pleased with this photo, especially considering how early in the year I took it. The different shades of blue come across, and the background is nicely blurred to keep the eye on the chimes. The shot is also at a canted angle, something I'm always actively trying to remember to remember to do. 

2

A door leading out of a parking garage. I love the collision of different angles, lines, and textures, especially considering the predominance of only two colors. Another canted angle, because I thought the whole scene looked more interesting with diagonals (tilt your head and see if you agree).

3

This photo makes me happy for all the things I don't know about it. Specifically, the relation between the woman and the boy: friends? family? babysitting? I also like that her gesture is an intimate one, that he clearly doesn't object to, but he's also juuuust as far away as he can be. Also, the posture of the boy radiates the constrained energy that the young are forced to subdue in museums.

4

My friends' darling son. He was the first human subject I captured that made me think, "Wow, these cameras are amazing!" It's a bit of a shame that the black and white hides his beautiful eye color, but I think the monochrome adds to the intimacy of his father whispering in his ear while he stares the camera down.

5

My friend Nick Rowland, playing on one of the bridges inside the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. I love this photo mostly because of the colors. The Kauffman's inside walls are white and matte, so they take colored lighting very easily. It created this beautiful layered effect of colors on the outside of the frame (nearest to the windows) getting the blue of evening, while the center (deepest inside) is warm from colored gels. Also, Nick plays the sax very well.

6

My parent's cat Sophie. She has a habit of sitting in the stools at the kitchen counter. I got her to look at the camera by placing it on the counter and sliding it towards her, making a scraping noise that no cat can ignore. The giant reflective black of the eyes almost allows you to reconstruct the scene behind the camera. And I love the general softness of the fur that I was able to capture.

Back tomorrow with the next six!