Dirty Dozen - Best of 2012

Dave Green · Jan 1, 2013

This time every year I try to pick my favourite 12 shots from the last year.

Selecting just 12 was hard work! I think for 2013 I'll do 12 fave landscapes, 12 fave street shots, 12 fave Nature etc. LOL!

In the end I decided to pick 12 from my 366 set on FlickR - and pick a mix of shots that I like for a variety of reasons. Some that I think are good photos - and some that invoke a good memory of a time and place - etc.

1. Pintail in flight - Martin Mere.
Not that hard to get Shelducks like this here but Pintails are less common and harder to nail in flight.

2. Wigan Life Centre Sunset.
A bracketed HDR shot I did for work that has ended up everywhere from local press, website, magazine, big framed print.

3. Saints way bridge - St Helens
One of a set of 5 that I ended up selling to the Architect that designed it.

4. St Ives Harbour - Cornwall
Family holiday snap time! I love this place!

5. Wigan Jazz festival - Eric Marienthal from Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band.
Always a pleasure to do the official pix for the Leisure Trust that run the Jazz Festival - but getting shots of Eric was a plus as he's one of my dughter's heroes and she got to meet and chat with him too

6. D-Day veteran Bill (95)
Another work shot - this one to promote the D-Day Celebrations in the town centre.

7. Betws-y-coed waterfall
From a weekend trip with some pals which was largely rained off. We spent most of our time in pubs and cafes, not that that's a bad thing

8. Common blue on grass
My favourite butterfly shot of the year. I like how the bug and the grass kinda make a flower of some sort.

9. Future pilot
Another work Spitfire shot -this one from the D-Day event itself.

10. Fuji X100
This camera has been the best buy I've made in a long time. It just does the job - and also often helps with the separation of work and hobby at times.

11. Sumatran Tiger
The annual November trip to South Lakes Wild Animal Park. I can't have a "best of" set without a Tiger

12. Duke of Portland Boathouse - Ullswater
I've visited this spot many times and never quite got what I wanted. This time I did.

Hamish Gill · Jan 2, 2013

A nice selection ... I might try this a bit later ... There might be a few of Connie though

maybe other could use this thread to do similar ... I know we did this last year

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(Slighty changed the thread title

)

Pete Askew · Jan 2, 2013

Nice idea and a good selection - I'll have a rummage later.

Rob MacKillop · Jan 2, 2013

They are all excellent, Dave, but that first one is astonishing! Beautiful.

Steve Boykin · Jan 2, 2013

They are all absolutely fantastic. I vote for #5, but I'm a big jazz fan.

Dave Green · Jan 2, 2013

Thanks folks - looking forward to seeing your sets!

Glen Roberts · Jan 2, 2013

For my "Dirty Dozen - Best of 2012 I've gone for my favourite shot from each month.

Sorry they are all Nature shots but that's what got me into photography in the first place and it's what I do most

.

January - Short eared Owl.
I picked this one because I like the back-lighting showing through the wings.

February - Bar Tailed Godwit.
Not a lot to choose from in Feb, but this was about the best one I got.

March - Seals.
For this month I've gone for the Seals at Greatham Creek always nice to pop along to see them.

April - Meadow Pipit.
It was a toss up between this and a Goosander, but I like the plain uncluttered background so this pipped it.

May - Acorn Weevil.
This was a hard month to choose from. I had some nice Avocets at Washington and Badger, Grass Snake and Beautiful Demoiselles at Wales.
Finally settled on this Acorn Weevil from our trip to Wales because it's such an odd looking critter.

June - Common Sandpiper.
Another quiet month for me photography wise, so I went with this one because once again I like the uncluttered background.

July - Hoverfly on Greater Burnet.
Don't know what it is a bout this one but I really like it, for some reason it's one of my favourite shots from the year

August - Emerald Damselfly.
Haven't had a Dragon/Damselfly yet so I've picked this one for August.

September - Poplar Hawkmoth Caterpillar.
One of the critters picked up off the road while at work and brought home this year.

October - Temple of Minerva.
October was another quiet month with only a handful of shots taken, so I picked a landscape for this month from Hardwick Hall Country Park.

November - Bee-eater.
Only one choice for this Month a cracking bird to see and nice blue sky to go with it.

December - Treecreeper.
I just caught this as it appeared between the fork of the tree before it flew off again.

Hope I've done the right thing sticking them in here

??? If not please remove to a new thread[doh]

.

Rob MacKillop · Jan 2, 2013

Again, all stunning. That spider is going to haunt me in my sleep, though [stalkeyes]

Dave Green · Jan 2, 2013

Superb shots Glen!

Rick Waldroup · Jan 2, 2013

What a cool thread. Dave and Glen, I envy your talent and vision. Both of you featured excellent work.

I have never really put much thought into my best shots of the year, so thanks Dave for the idea. Here are a few of mine from this past year. I am not sure if they are the best, but they stand out in my mind as being some of the more memorable shots from 2012. In no particular order:

Cesar on 6th Street - Fort Worth, Texas - May 29, 2012

Waiting To See Santa - Fort Worth, Texas - December 1, 2012

Little Girl With a Friend - Granbury, Texas - March 6, 2012

After the Fire - Fort Worth, Texas - September 20, 2012

Los Straitjackets - Dallas, Texas - September 1, 2012

4th Street - Fort Worth, Texas - December 1, 2012

6th Street - Austin, Texas - July 20, 2012

111th Engineer Battalion and 176th Engineer Brigade Homecoming - Stephenville, Texas - April 16, 2012

Window Washer - Fort Worth, Texas - January 21, 2012

Stock Show - Fort Worth, Texas - January 19, 2012

Wrestling - "Kissey in Flight" - Cleburne, Texas - August 11, 2012

Tilt-A-Whirl - Fort Worth, Texas - January 19, 2012

Rob MacKillop · Jan 3, 2013

Great shots, Rick. Love the religious feel to Stock Show. A few of the others seem to back up my hunch that most Americans are crazy

Julian de'Courcy · Jan 3, 2013

Darren, Glen and Rick very good indeed and very impressed. I find this kind of sorting impossible so have whittled it down to people photo's to make it easier. It also brings a challenge as I find people photography the hardest.

Eden project.

P9040261 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

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Newlyn to Penzance open water swim.

Yacht Inn Newly to Penzance Open Water Swim by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

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Mevagissey feast week.

3 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

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Tim the Bucket Boys nearly their last local gig.

Tim Renwick by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

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Olympic Torch Day

Circus School by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

. Mevagissey Fishermen

IMG_8130 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

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IMG_1393bw by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

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Mevagissey Harbour

Mwvagissey by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

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Plymouth

PA170009 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

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Lostfest.

IMG_9312 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

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Lostfest.

20120513-IMG_9577 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

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Charlestown Water Polo

20120728-IMG_6846 by JuliandeCourcy, on Flickr

Dave Green · Jan 3, 2013

Another crackin' set

Rick Waldroup · Jan 3, 2013

Rob MacKillop said:
Great shots, Rick. Love the religious feel to Stock Show. A few of the others seem to back up my hunch that most Americans are crazy

You nailed it, Rob. Most Americans are, indeed, nuts. We may be crazy, but fortunately, for the most part, we are harmless.....

Thanks for the comments.

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An excellent series of photos, Julian. Every image stands out but the shot of the bicycle rider in Plymouth is simply outstanding.

Great stuff.

Hamish Gill · Jan 3, 2013

Well this really is turning into quite the gallery of great photos!
Perhaps when everyone who wants to post has posted we could try and pick an overall best photo? Possibly quite hard between us all... Maybe start with nominations I suppose??? Just thinking out loud for now

Glen Roberts · Jan 3, 2013

There are some cracking photographs from everyone, can't wait to see other members "Dirty Dozen".

I think that's a good idea Hamish, maybe pick a shot from each member then run a poll for top shot???

Ralph Thornton · Jan 3, 2013

This is a great collection of fantastic images. Thanks so much for sharing your best. I'll have to try to post a few of mine here.

To Dave who started this thing, I really like the variety of photographic style you presented. Thanks.
The Acorn Weevil is eerie. The people shots are fascinating. Great work everyone.