2015 My Year in Review
Every year Jim Goldstein runs a project on his blog, JMG Galleries, where he encourages photographers to post their best pictures of the year. It’s a great project and I’ve participated every year. When I started participating about 4 years ago I thought, “what a great way to have pictures seen by a whole new audience.”
That was me when I first started blogging but now there are so many other reasons that I participate. Yes I still like that fact that I may reach a new audience but more than that I find this to be a difficult and yet rewarding exercise. It’s tough to cull through your work and pick what you think may be the best of the year. It really gives me a chance to go though my images (some that I haven’t looked at for almost a year) and decide whether they’re good enough to make the cut of the top 10 or 15. I try to review my images from a technical perspective and from a creative one. Certainly I’m drawn to certain images due to the circumstances of where and when they were taken. The picks may not always be perfect and certainly wouldn’t win any awards but art is subjective and what one person views as a masterpiece another make look at and dismiss entirely.
It’s been a busy and rewarding year both on the photographic front and from a family and work stand point. I’ve taken on a new role at work which was unexpected at the beginning of 2015 but I am loving it. The only downside has been that its been so busy that my photography had to take a bit of a back seat.
From a photography perspective I’ve continued to sell prints and license new work which is always very exciting and rewarding. I won’t make any specific commitments for the new year because I know that my day job will still be taking up a lot of my time but learning new photographic techniques and honing my craft is something that I know will always be important and I will find and make the time to do it.
If you have a chance jump on over to Jim Goldstein’s site here in or about the second week of January and he should have a list of year in review post listed for your viewing pleasure. There’s always a great list of photographers on there, you won’t regret it.
As always you can click on the images to enlarge them or to Purchase a Print.
Cuba
Refracted Water Drops
Cuba
Hilton Falls, Ontario
Boston
Muskoka
Lake Ontario
Old Montreal
Jerusalem, Israel
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
iPhone Friday – Boston Edition
Sorry for my absence this week. I was in New York last week for a little R&R and a family function. Didn’t do as much shooting as I’d hoped but I do have a few shots to share with you next week. Today I wanted to share some shots taken with my iPhone 6 while out and about in Boston a couple of weeks ago. All shots were processed using Snapseed. The 3rd image, “Inside Fenway” was also processed with PhotoToaster.
Greenway Project Art Installation by Janet Echelman
Fenway Park
Inside Fenway
Shooting the Skyline at Sunset
Bicycle Parking in Boston
If you don’t know by now, I always keep my eyes open when travelling for interesting bicycle shots. These are easier to be found in Europe where you’re more likely to find old vintage bikes leaning against ancient buildings and walls. Every so often though I come across an interesting scene such as this one in Boston’s North End.
You’ve got to love the parking job.
Click on the image to enlarge.
A Boston Sunset
I had to be in Boston last week for a conference and I decided to get in a day early so that I could do some shooting around the city. I do love Boston and was thrilled to find myself back in Beantown, even if it was just for a few days.
I spent hours walking during the day but I knew where I wanted to end up at sunset…Fan Pier. The pier is a great spot to photograph the skyline. I’d shot there the last time I was in town and was terribly disappointed with the images I came away with so this was my opportunity to give it another go.
It was a lovely sunset…not a wow by any means but nice and subtle with a beautiful transition to the blue hour. I was much happier this time around.
Click on the image to see a higher resolution version (it really does look better) or to Purchase a Print.
2013 – A Year in Review
I can’t believe another year is coming to a close but then again I say that every year. It seems they go by so quickly these days. As I look back on 2013 I’m proud of some of the images that I produced and some of the projects that I’m working on. As I announced a couple of months ago I’m launching a new pet photography business, PhoDOGraphy by Edith Levy. This is something that I’ve wanted to do for sometime and I’ll have the website ready for launch in January.
Below are some of my favourite images from this year. They don’t necessarily reflect the most popular images by hits or comments but ones that resonated with me for various reasons and I’ll let you know why as you go through them. Enjoy!
One last thing…wishing you all a Happy Holiday and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Jackson Square in B&W
Interestingly enough this image never appeared on the blog. The colour version did (and you can see it here) but for some reason I didn’t post the B&W version which happens to be my favourite of the two. This was shot before sunrise and I love the moodiness that comes out in the B&W.
Jackson Square
Cafe du Monde
To call Cafe du Monde a coffee shop is downgrading it a bit. It’s a landmark and institution in New Orleans which was established in 1862. Cafe du Monde is open 24/7 and it was the perfect place for me to duck in and warm up with a piping cup of coffee and beignet right after my sunrise shoots in the city.
Cafe Du Monde – New Orleans
The Elgin Theatre
I was fortunate to be able to shoot this iconic theatre in Toronto at the beginning of the year. This was one of my favourite images from that shoot. Little did I know that it would be selected to appear on the cover of the theatre’s souvenir brochure. Below is a scan (sorry about the poor quality) of the cover.
The Elgin Theatre, Toronto
Boston Strong
I attended a conference in Boston in April. At the time I wasn’t quite sure if it would be taking place as it was taking place a few days after the Boston Marathon bombing. The conference went on as scheduled and although security was tight at the airports and in the city I was amazed at the resilience of the city and its people.
Golden
This past July I took a trip to California, starting in San Francisco and driving down the coast to L.A. While the weather wasn’t always in my favour (lots of fog) I di manage to come away with some images that I was really pleased with. My second day in San Francisco called for an early morning wake up call to shoot the Golden Gate bridge. Being in a place for the first time without a lot of time to explore and get to know you’re way around means that you waste a lot of time looking for the perfect vantage point to shoot from. I was lucky here because as soon as I shoot this the lights on the bridge were turned off.
Golden
La Bicyclette
Come on…you had to know I’d include a bicycle image in my year-end recap 🙂 I loved that the name of this restaurant in Carmel-By-The-Sea was called La Bicyclette.
La Bicyclette
The Roman Pool at Hearst Castle
I was just really pleased with the way this came out. The light was very low and I didn’t have a tripod with me. I increased my ISO, braced myself against the railing and took the shot. Sometimes you just have to go for it.
The Roman Gods Stand Tall
Sponge
This is just a personal favourite. I took pictures of this little guy…his name is Sponge as part of my portfolio building sessions. Isn’t he just adorable.
The Lonely Path
This image was taken at the Rockwood Autoyard in Ontario while I was attending a workshop with Denise Ippolito. It was drizzling the whole day with a light mist floating in the air which made for some terrific light.
The Lonely Path
Santa Barbara Marina
Here’s another personal favourite from my California trip. I loved the different colours emanating from the boats and wanted to give this image a bit of an abstract, impressionist feel.
Santa Barbara Harbour Abstraction
Santa Monica Pier
One the last night of my California trip I was determined to get a shot of Santa Monica pier at night. Even though it was cold and I really wasn’t dressed properly I headed to the pier (with my husband in tow…he really does deserve an award) and set up for this long exposure.
Amusing Lights
Malibu Pier
This is probably the image I’m most proud of this year. A long exposure of Malibu Pier with a high key treatment.
Elephant Seal Rookery at Piedras Blancas
I really had fun photographing these elephant seals at Piedras Blancas which is about 3 miles north of San Simeon on the Pacific Coast. I title this image “A Little Disagreement” but someone made a comment that it looks like the seal on the right might be laughing at a joke (wish I had thought of that), but the loud barking of these mammoth seals is still ringing in my ears 🙂
A Little Disagreement
Wishing you all a Happy Holiday and a Very Happy New Year.
Artist in Boston Common
I love watching an artist create and on this beautiful afternoon in Boston Common I did just that. As I stood and watched, her painting came to life on the canvas. I converted the image to B&W using Topaz Black & White Effects and then selectively brought back the color in the painting. As an artist you can see the scene as it is or interpret it in your own way, on your own canvas 🙂
Click on the image to enlarge (it really does look better) or to Purchase a Print.
Edith Levy Photography 