Best of 2012

With an almost  every day format for posting blog pictures, plus a few galleries of photos from various place, I have put up a lot of photography on the website this year.  I asked a number of my readers (or should I say viewers) to list their favorites from the past year.  I then compiled the results.

Here are the top five photos, a few honorable mentions, and some comments.

The top five photos are:

Number 5

This photo is from Cueva Rio de la Cidra in the Dominican Republic.

There were two ways to get to the bitter end of the cave.  One was a climbing traverse through a high lead, and the other was through this wet pinch.  Neither option was fun.  I took photos of folks on both routes, but this shot is the one that has proven to be the best shot from that bit.

Number 4

Ice crystals on a window, with the sunrise colors in the background

I had been kinda dared to take some ice crystal shots.  And while I am not one usually up for a dare, I thought I had a good location for such a photo.  I just waited for a bold sunrise for background light and there you have it.

Number 3

Meta Menardi spider

I like this macro of a Meta menardi spider.  It has clarity, composition, and a bit of a "floating on air" appeal.  However, I was surprised that it showed up as number 3 on the best-of list.  While this is a nearly technically perfect photo of the spider (separation between the right rear leg and the abdomen would have been nice), I honestly didn't think a spider would make the cut.

Number 2

A fly sitting on a bit of grape vine

This photo has a lot going for it, but it is of a fly!  My macro shots are always some of my best pics, but this year number 2 is not a frog, butterfly or other such mainstream cute critters.  This photo was taken on a mission to take a macro photo worthy of the blog.  I spent some time poking around the garden to find things to photograph.  As always, I had a bunch of dud pics, but this shot was pretty special.

Number 1

Red squirrel in the Fall in Oslo

This picture is a crowd favorite, and voted best of 2012.  I really like the shot, as it has great color and shadows on a most cute squirrel.  I couldn't have done anything more with the photo, and is pretty much the photo right out of my camera with very little editing.

Honorable mention

Red house in Oslo

This picture, taken after most of the leaves had fallen but before the snows, got a lot of good reviews, but only one of my best-of voters noted it.  I find it a well-made photo, but lacking the oomph to put it  in the top five.

This picture has has been a puzzle to viewers, and myself. It got enough votes to be in the Honorable Mention category, yet remains a bit of an enigma. I left the snowy town blue, instead of changing it to white. At the time, I thought this a better photo with the blue, and still think that is true.

Butterfly from Cambridge, Ohio

Most butterfly pictures are taken during the day.  However, I work at night, and when I see a butterfly it is doing whatever is the butterfly equivalent of sleep.  Here I got a chance to get right up to a butterfly head-on for a picture.

A few interesting thing to note.

Although I posted a lot of bird pics, none were amazing given the voting.  Or, that subject is just not what folks are interested in.

I was surprised that no one voted for the kite-surfers, as that was pic seemed good.

But thus 2012 comes to a close and another year opens up for photo opportunities.

Happy New Year!!!