Shutter Sisters

your favorite shot for 2008

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This is my favorite photo for 2008. It’s not the best shot I’ve taken this year, yet it embodies all my aspirations and fears, and the valuable lessons I’ve learned about love, and about myself. Crouching on the beach, sand between my toes. Breathing in and out as slowly as I can to make this moment last. The simple expression of everything that is meaningful in my life.

I spent the last couple of days browsing through my personal photo folders and reflecting on this past year. And I thought it would be great if you could share your favorite photo for 2008 with a short comment about what this past year has brought into your life, as well as your hopes and your dreams for 2009.

 

Today’s giveaway is a signed copy of Irene’s Blurb book “Polaroid Stories” as well as a special set of 8 Polaroid postcards. Simply leave a comment in the section below to be entered for a chance to win. Good luck!

Comments

  3. I’ll have to search my archives for my favorite shot. I started playing with my camera in earnest in February 2008 so I have loads of pictures from this year. I hope in 2009 to continue to learn more about photography and to explore this creative outlet!

  7. I am now looking through 2008 photos to make a "year in review" book. Love your site.

    Laura G.

  8. i’ve been revisiting the visual history of the past year through my eyes too! Though its mighty difficult to decide on one picture as a favourite (and I think i’m going to have to write a blog post about it)! But at this moment my favourites are all based around the new little humans who came into the world this year.

    I love this one because it was my first photoshoot with twins, and I adore these two little ladies:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/missvivienne/2835550454/in/set-72157604746638189/

    And this diptych because these two people brought such beauty into my life this year and it has been such an honor to watch her belly swell, see him born and watch him grow:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/missvivienne/2443140694/in/set-72157604746638189/

    wishing you all wonderful reflection on the past year (in all its struggles and glories)!

  9. This is a gorgeous shot. I love how they’re both looking at their dad.

    I guess I have three that stand out for me.

    One for luck of the shot – the bird landed right in front of my lens:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/greystgirl/3125968031/in/set-72157606858508892/

    One for composition – I love reflection shots:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/greystgirl/2956703344/in/set-72157606858508892/

    And, one for creativity – This is four photos in a mosaic spelling LOVE:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/greystgirl/3105914273/in/set-72157606858508892/

    Can’t wait to check out everyone else’s photos!

  15. oh so easy , this picture i keep coming back to. always making me smile and giggle and my heart swell. this year was the year my son shed many of his previous fears, the year he embraced the ocean like i dreamed one day he would, or i hoped… it was his summer of discovery and utter freedom that only childhood brings. this shot was taken on a cold walk on the beach, but even the cold would not keep him form the waves. no bathing suit, who cares mom! off went his clothes and he couldn’t run fast enough to his new love, the ocean. ahhh sweet summer. this shot embodies all of what this summer was to us.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/2763011289/in/set-72157606143607982/

  18. Once again, I was dragged kicking and screaming into a new photo venture. I knew I needed to learn lighting but have always liked natural lighting the best. I would never have learned lighting before the digital age, I would have wasted way too much film!
    I posted one pic that I think shows what I now love about lighting!
    http://pixels-n-pen.blogspot.com

  20. I made the second annual book of family photos with iPhoto for the grandparents for Christmas. It’d be hard to choose which one is my favourite.

  24. These are my best shots of 2008

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mondaysmemories/2698779319/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mondaysmemories/2689580633/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mondaysmemories/2840994308/

    This year brought a huge change for us. My husband took a job that has him 488 miles away 3 weeks every month. It was hard at first but I have some how managed to keep the house running without falling part myself. I’m not sure what this coming year will bring, but I know what ever it is I will make it through it. I’ve learned that I’m much stronger then I think I am.

  27. It was hard to pick just one but this photo symbolizes a lot of things from my childhood and my life today. Most if not all will see just a spiderweb and a clothespin. It reminds me of all the times my Mom & I talked while hanging the clothes out to dry. We talked about everything. The spiderweb reminds me of the relationships I have now with my Mom, my sister and my nephew’s wife… three amazing women I love. Delicately woven, amazingly strong, we hold our families together…

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/3031360801_ac2cf1b7a5_b.jpg

  28. We spent the year with my husband’s health becoming an increasing area of concern for us…for a year we faced and battled that death…slow and merciless…was in the making…ALS became a fiendish member of our family…lurking morbidly like the elephant in the room no one talks about…but this enemy brought about the opposit of it’s intent…instead of constant fear we learned to cherish the beauty of all that we have…all that we are…to trust in something more than ourselves…to trust in the goodness of the One who gave us faith to know He is good and does good…this photo for some reason makes me see hope…clean and pure…
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/martyhadding/2893564566
    After a year of this we learned that his condition could possible be caused by a reaction to a medicine he’d been on for two years…he stopped and slowly we are getting our life back…but forever the hope shines even brighter because it contrasted with the darkest thing I could imagine…losing my best friend…my lover…the other half of my soul.

  29. My favorite shot would have to be of my niece laughing as she was taking her first steps toward my mother.

  33. as for everyone here, picking just one is tough. BUT the picture that makes me smile and says a millions things to me is this one:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/24035778@N04/2665668407/

    I’ve always had a dream to one day make money taking pictures of families and children. Being around all of the Sisters gives me such inspiration and makes me want to make that dream come true. In 2009 I want to make that start to happen. Maybe looking at this picture from 2008 will encourage me daily.

  35. i wish i *could* pick a favorite image for 2008! so many photos represent so many different things to me… i think i would need favorites in about 20 categories to make this possible! <3

    peace,
    jen

  45. I guess my favorite photo must be the one I put in my header on my photo blog. It’s of my son with his grandparents (my in-laws) when we spent a week with them on Edisto Island, S.C. this June. It was a lucky shot. I love that my son and his grandfather are looking in the same direction. I love the angle of the sun. I love the color. It was a poignant moment during a fun vacation for all of us, and I look at it and feel how time is flying by. How much bigger my son already is and how I have another child on the way! I have the feeling that while my child(ren) is (are) young will be the happiest time of my life (despite myself – I always wanted so many other things), and here I am, in the thick of it.

    http://www.mamaofletters.com/Site/The_Focal_Point/The_Focal_Point.html

    You can see the full photo here:

    http://web.me.com/pabis/Mama_of_Letters/Camera_Happy/Pages/Nikon_D60.html#3

  47. I’ve taken many, many pictures this past year– it’s been the first full year of owning a dslr camera, and the year when I discovered my passion for photography. I was lucky enough to live in Europe for the first half of the year and took pictures of many beautiful places there. But I think my favorite shot may be the one linked below, one of my baby boy, the subject of over half the pictures I’ve taken this year. Not only is it probably one of my best shots, I also just adore his expression and how it captures the beauty that is him. This year has been dominated by 2 things for me– motherhood, and photography. This picture exemplifies them both.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mightymarce/2786711106/in/set-72157604871988654/

  50. that pic inspires me to grab my gear, and RUN RUN RUN to the beach, right now! (instead, I’m at work)
    oh well! Thanks for sharing x

  59. Well, what a difficult task – best of 08. This is the year that I finally became a mom so even though the photos of my daughter aren’t my best work technically, obviously they are my faves.

    Here my husband is holding my daughter shortly after birth. You can see that her hands are still blue and my hubby’s eyes are a little red from crying but he has such a happy satisfied expression: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31417716@N00/2784218561/in/set-72157606872591568/

    Two other faves from within minutes of her birth:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/31417716@N00/2784243085/in/set-72157606872591568/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/31417716@N00/2784190713/in/set-72157606872591568/

  61. http://www.wwaddellphoto.com/journal/2008/12/29/most-meaningful-of-2008.html

    This one is most memorable for me because that night offered up the time and space to really delve back into photography. 2008 brought such ups and downs but one thing I am so thankful for is that I picked up my camera again and approached photography as a daily meditation. What I’m looking forward to most in 2009 is the momentum to produce something real and tangible – something that expresses my visions and ideas and excites and inspires people!

  62. I’m a new reader to this blog, but I know so many great photogs who love it! I have been thinking lately about what my favorite photos are for 2008, and I think of them all, this is probably my favorite…http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkpooka/2806459342/
    My camera had recently been bathed in milk, so I was using my backup camera and lens. When I think about it, it makes me realize how far I’ve come in my photography journey this year b/c I could get a shot like that with less than my best equipment.

  64. My cousin shoots almost exclusively in polaroid and was heartbroken when he found out that it was being discontinued. That book would make an excellent gift for him. 🙂

  67. This year has brought the passing of my father, and now, as I pick up the pieces…I have really focused on loving my life as it is in each moment. Life is full and I am full of love and joy as the year wraps up.

  69. I am pleased to find that there are several that I really like. This year is when I took up the practice. I have much to learn, but found that there are a number of them I am quite proud of. I hope to keep developing my skills (no pun intended) through the next year.

    This year has been about healing. Progress is apparent and for that I am grateful. Next year…may the healing continue and the search for beauty abound through the lens finder.

    http://whatwouldwandado.blogspot.com/2008/12/favorite-photos-of-2008.html

  71. I’ve been trying to chose some of my favorites to make a mini calendar with pics of my great niece and nephew. It’s hard to decide. I love your beach scene. I can see why it was your fave.

  73. I guess my favourite photos of this year would have to be the ones of my daughter. There have been many struggles in my life over the past 12 months but here beauty and joy always shine through.

  74. I can’t imagine picking only one photo I have taken this year that embodies all that I see myself becoming. Though I am 30 years old, this year I have "grown up" quite a bit…or at least I am on that track. I am learning to let go of the things I have no control over and seek help for the things I can and want to change. i am also learning, one step at a time, to enjoy my life in separate moments, instead of worrying about a moment that hasn’t happened, or may not happen. I am learning to enjoy my children, *reallly* enjoy them, without struggle, comparison and fear. For all of these things I am eternally grateful that I have time to make these changes and learn these lessons. I am grateful I am discovering myself before it is too late. I am also learning that my passion for photography, and desire to start a business, are not out of reach.
    Here’s to you, my sisters. May you learn to enjoy the little things.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/buttercupyaya/2983966709/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/buttercupyaya/2862089864/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/buttercupyaya/2951104796/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/buttercupyaya/3146584304/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/buttercupyaya/3146584014/in/photostream/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/buttercupyaya/3145751473/in/photostream/

    told you it was impossible to pick just one. hopefully you made it thru all of those.

  75. This is my favorite photo of 2008. I started out the year literally not knowing how to change a single setting on my camera to knowing, well, at least a little bit more. I’ve since taken 3 classes and plan to take more in the coming year. Photography is like a drug for me – it exhilarates and calms me all at the same time. I’m thrilled when I get a good shot and then frustrated in the next moment cause I can’t get it just how I want it. And I know JUST HOW MUCH MORE I have to learn. It’s daunting. But, i get to capture moments like this and everything feels wonderful. Happy New Year!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/barilynn/2526210071/in/photostream

  76. I love that shot.
    I have many of the beach, a place I miss every day, since we moved far away from there.
    Have a very happy new year!

  78. i recently discovered your blog and enjoy it. i’m inspired by your pictures. congrats on being published! i’m a casual photographer who is longing for some ‘real’ equipment. but i’m blessed in life.

    thanks!

  79. It’s so hard to choose just one of my photos that is my "favorite" for the year…

    Here’s what I would have to say it is.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/i_love_photography/3027711590/

    It is a moment that I caught when my subject didn’t realize that I was photographing her. She was a hard one to photograph, not someone that you can "pose" she wasn’t a "say cheese" girl, it looked fake and awkward. When I started to edit this session I saw this one and feel in LOVE with it.
    The light in her hair, her pensive face….

    Happy Holidays to my fellow Shutter Sisters

  80. This is the year of losing my camera and not being able to afford a new one. yet. It is also the year a stranger/friend in blog land sent me a point and shoot so I wouldn’t go completely crazy. The kindness of strangers is amazing.
    It is a year of loss. My Grandmother, my mentor, my friend.
    It is a year of gain. My second daughter.
    It is a year of sickness. Cancer.
    It has been a year to leave behind and yet a one never to forget.
    This photo isn’t the best by any means but it is a reminder on many levels for me so it is dear to my heart.
    http://sufferingsummer-ashotinthedark.blogspot.com/2008/12/pondering.html

  81. This is my favorite photo because for me it embodies a lesson that I have been wanting to learn for a long time now. And I’m not quite there yet but hopefully I will be soon. 2008 has been a year full of blessings, of reaching my dreams, of spending moments with loved ones and just living and loving every minute of it. I hope that 2009 will still bring the same joy and hope.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/patreesya/2432199151/

    wishing everyone here at Shutter Sisters a meaningful and joyful 2009!

  82. Just found you and so glad I did! 🙂

    I have been without a digital camera for all of 2008. So very sad. In October I bought two throwaway cameras and quickly blew through them. When the pics. were developed, I missed having a digital even more. If I had to pick a fav. from each roll: 1. a maroon heart shaped chrysanthemum. 2. a merry-go-round surrounded by bright New England Fall Foliage. In a way, being without a digital has been a gift, because instead of always capturing moments on film I was able to be in the moment and capture the little moments in my heart. This year brought perspective into my life and taught me that as a photographer you need to not only capture moments on film, but in your heart and that you have to have heart to capture those moments on film.

    On a happier note, I received a new camera for Christmas and look forward to delving back into the world of photography in the coming year. I also found my grandfather’s incredible old polaroid camera that I hope to find film for and experiment with. I would love to have a copy of Irene’s book and/or the polaroid postcards as sources of inspiration.

  84. What fun to browse through the comments/photos! I don’t often allow myself the time, but it’s so inspiring to see these wonderful photographs and read the stories that go along with them! A favorite of 2008, that is an impossible task, but this group might be close. It’s all about enjoying the little moments….

    http://www.lifesongsphoto.com/Site/Everyday/Entries/2008/5/5_.html

    And thanks Shutter Sisters for the month of giveaways! very fun!

  88. New to the site but loving it. This was the first year with my DSLR and I have so many pictures it’s very hard to pick a favorite. The first one that comes to mind is http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikit/2350107263/ and like you said, it’s not my best but it shows the true joy and laughter in my children. That I can’t beat.

  89. I see the comments aren’t closed yet, and there’s no winner announced. I had a terrible day yesterday and I missed this post. Can I comment now?
    I love the idea of choosing one photo. But I just can’t choose one, or at least not so fast.
    Here’s some of it:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/2756930403/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/2890024779/in/set-72157608253077615/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/2861556102/in/set-72157608253077615/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/2832360006/in/set-72157608253077615/
    Thank you!

  91. I think your image is wonderful. I think sometimes it is easy for forget about those simple pleasures in life when we get wrapped all those things that keep us busy.

    One of my favorite images from the year is this one:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/snapshotsunmade/3006471313/in/set-72157608695961021/

    It was taken the first time I visited the New York Botanical Gardens and it is a magical place. I really like a lot of the images I took there because I felt really passionate about what i was shooting. It was also during the time I was taking a course at ICP for the first time and focusing on vision and projects. It has really opened up the world of photography for me, once again.

    I think some wishes & dreams for 2009 are to get back to those simple pleasures and to continue to grown and learn and be adventurous!