I haven’t joined in with this challenge for a while, but this week Sarah asks us to consider three photos that we judge to be successful. Of course how we judge our own images is very subjective and sometimes an image may be a favourite, but not necessarily one of our best. There are all sorts of reasons for judging a photo – technical quality, composition, subject matter, points of interest, emotion etc.

I have been working my way through some of the skills used in photography this year based on the challenge I ran in 2020 on Travel Words so I have been thinking a lot about what makes a good photo a great one. A photo you are proud to share.

First up is an old photo. It was taken back in 2015 when I was using my new macro lens in a garden. My passion has been for flower and garden photography for many years, especially when I didn’t have a garden of my own. This lead to an interest in macro photography which is all about showcasing a subject larger than it is in real life — an extreme close-up of something small.  I was new to it when this was taken, but it still remains one of my very favourite photos, combining my love of flowers with that of bees. It was also commended in a photography competition which I was very chuffed about.

Another passion is a new one since moving to Cornwall in 2016. At last I had access to beaches and the sea so I have spent many an hour photographing both. My favourites have to be those taken from the top of the cliffs, looking down on the wide beaches and vast expanse of sea below. Having people in the composition began to be a ‘must have’ especially capturing them with the light behind so they appear as silhouettes. I could choose any one of these type of photos as my second choice, but this one is a particular favourite as my signature ‘ant’ figures look very like those that L S Lowry painted. Usually known for his industrial scenes he did actually like to paint seascapes, though they are not as well known. I converted this to a B&W effect as I wanted to draw attention to the wave patterns and the silvery foam of the waves.

And finally, a subject that has featured many times on this blog. Godrevy lighthouse. I have probably photographed it from every angle possible except from the sea itself. And it is always different depending on the time of day, the light, the weather. This final image of Godrevy Lighthouse was taken in 2018 when I found myself on the headland in a layer of thick sea fog. I had to wait patiently for the top of the lighthouse to emerge from the fog. It is not an image that is going to come along very often (right time, right place) so it is very special to me.

There are many topics I could have looked at to find three of my best or favourite photos – clouds, sunsets, ‘my’ hill, travel photos, architectural details etc etc but the ones I have chosen reflect the topics I enjoy the most – Macros (flowers), Seascapes and one when it was just happenstance that I was there.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #210 | Picking Favourites