2012 Year-End Post-a-Palooza

It's always a good idea to look back before heading forward. So as is tradition, we end 2012 with a rundown of your favorites (and mine) from the past year.

As is not tradition, and because of a special circumstance, this likely will not the last post of the year. Pics, posts and an explanation, below.
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First, the special situation. As some of you already know, I spent the first week of December in Hong Kong this year at the invitation of Kai Wong of DigitalRev. If you don't know who that is, check out some of their previous work here.

Needless to say, it was (a) quite fun, (b) a little bit dangerous, and the video evidence is scheduled to post before the end of the year. I'd tell you more, but they'd have to kill me. Stay tuned.


My Faves

Below are my favorite posts of the year, in roughly chronological order. And with no particular criteria, other than these were the entries I most enjoyed on the site. If you missed any I hope you enjoy them, too.

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Bailing on the Nikon D4
Oh, No—It's the Cops…
Caleb Jones, Redux
Your Camera is a Visa
Opera Night in the Woods
On Creativity
Learning to See Light: Blue Hour
Let's Talk About Knockoffs
Smokin' Joe
On Photographing People


Your Faves

But being of the most democratically benevolent of mindsets, we always like to acknowledge your favorite posts, too. Here they are, in reverse order, as ranked by readership. (Even if, as above, I did not technically write some of them. Like, for example, #7, #4, and, um, #1.)

Sigh.

10. Back to Basics: One Big, Top Light
9. With Apologies to Zack Arias
8. Lighting Inside the Box
7. On Photographing People, Pt. 3
6. Ryan Brenizer's Panoramic Portraiture
5. Bailing on the Nikon D4
4. On Photographing People, Pt. 2
3. Always Bring a Model Release...
2. Nikon D600: Think Twice
1. On Photographing People, Pt. 1


Heading Over to the Light Table

Tenney Mason, my first DOP, was a big fan of taking a moment at the end of the year to examine your recent work. Twenty four years after my first full year as a staff newspaper photographer, the habit still holds.

If you haven't done so, I recommend pulling together an edit of your favorite photos from the year. No other criteria, just your favorites. They could be work pictures, family pictures, whatever. It is an instructive exercise and will usually tell you something that you had not previously considered.

For instance, mine showed me how important it was to just keep a camera with me as much as possible. Half of my favorite photos came from my ever-present Fuji X100 or my iPhone.

So here they are. Some you have seen, some you haven't:



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So, that's my 2012. Thank you so much for being a part of it. I am optimistic about the next year. In fact 2013 is already shaping up to be potentially very interesting. We'll have to see.

As always, I invite you along for the ride—and I'll see you one more time before the end of this year.