As 2017 drew to an end, I completed my yearly exercise of selecting my personal favorite top ten images from the year, and as has become a tradition, I'm going to share my process with you today. As usual, I started this exercise by creating a Group in the Library area...
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First Pass 2017 Top Ten
Second Pass 2017 Top Ten
Third Pass 2017 Top Ten
2017 Top Ten Final Selection
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19 Comments
Lloyd Kasper
Posted at 15:20h, 01 JanuaryHi Martin… This is my fourth year at my Top Ten photos from my work in 2017 and I really look forward to this exercise every year!
This year was dominated by Wildlife images as we traveled through Australia visiting Zoos along the way.
https://500px.com/lkasper/galleries/2017-top-ten
I have included the previous years, as I’m hoping for improvement of my photography over the last four years since I started doing the Top Ten for the year.
https://500px.com/lkasper/galleries/2016-top-ten
https://500px.com/lkasper/galleries/top-ten-2015
https://500px.com/lkasper/galleries/top-ten-2014
Lloyd
Martin Bailey
Posted at 20:20h, 01 JanuaryNicely done Lloyd! That cheetah shot is great. Wonderful expression.
I also like the one of the bird looking up at its face. Very cool.
I knew you’d be first to post your selection. 🙂 I hope all is well.
All the best for 2018!
Lloyd Kasper
Posted at 13:34h, 03 JanuaryThanks Martin, this has really taught me a lot about my selection and a great way of seeing how my photography has improved.
Thanks for all your help
Lloyd
Steven
Posted at 18:45h, 01 JanuaryHi Martin,
This has become an annual tradition for me too thanks to your podcast. Here are my top ten from 2017 – including a visit to awe-inspiring Petra and a multi-country Balkan dash. Can’t wait to visit Japan in March this year!
http://www.stevenjamesmartin.com/2017
Martin Bailey
Posted at 20:23h, 01 JanuaryGreat year Steven! I’m starting to see a cohesive style across all of your work, pulling your selection together. Great stuff!
My favorites are the Petra shot and the boat on the Bay of Kotor. Beautiful work!
All the best for 2018!
Glenn Smith
Posted at 19:56h, 01 JanuaryG’day Martin, wow another year comes to an end so fast doesn’t seem like that long ago I was creating last years top ten, Well again not an easy task cutting it down to just ten, but again a worthy exercise, and one to learn for each time. Heres this year top ten from Down under.
Great to see everyone else’s top tens as well.
http://glennsmithphotography.zenfolio.com/blog/2018/1/my-top-ten-shots-of-2017
With links the previous years for those that want to see my journey to improvement. I’m happy I’m still improving each year and still have further to go yet.
http://glennsmithphotography.zenfolio.com/blog/2017/1/my-top-ten-shots-of-2016
http://glennsmithphotography.zenfolio.com/blog/2016/1/2015-top-ten-shots—year-in-review
http://glennsmithphotography.zenfolio.com/blog/2015/1/2014-top-ten-shots—year-in-review
Martin Bailey
Posted at 20:29h, 01 JanuaryG’day Glenn! It’s great to see your top ten. Thanks for the mention in your post. 🙂
I love your white-eye shot. Beautiful composition and posture in the bird. The rainbow bee-eater is incredible too.
I’d love to see a high contrast black and white version of your cliffs shot from Kalbarri. It’s nice in color but I reckon it would be cracking in black and white. Just a thought.
All the best for 2018!
Joshua Kuhn
Posted at 03:25h, 02 JanuaryI had a fun year of photography in the bitter cold of North Dakota and traveling with the family on few camper trips. I enjoy doing this exercise of picking my top ten. I think I can really see my improvement in one year. I am not sure if my best photo from 2016 would have made it into 2017.
I am looking foward to 2018. I know my gear in and out, and I won’t have to spend the time going through the learning curve of learning to print. So hopefully I can just take more photos.
Thank you for the education Martin, and providing a place for this community to share photos.
https://www.joshuakuhnphotography.com/top-ten
Martin Bailey
Posted at 10:14h, 02 JanuaryHi Josh,
Wow! It sure does look like you had a great year! The Harem shot is stunning, as it the grizzly image.
Is that a piece of grass in the foreground under your watermark on the grizzly shot? You might consider cloning that out if so, it catches the eye quite a lot, in a negative sense. It’s a beautiful photo though. They all are.
Congratulations on such a great year, and a Happy New Year to you.
Fred Kotler
Posted at 07:12h, 02 JanuaryBeautiful and compelling photographs as usual. I especially like the man in the red cloak gazing upward. It makes me wonder what he is looking at. I’m also impressed by the other two portraits and their “Rembrandt” look of a dark background with bright focused highlights. I’ve been doing a top ten since 2013 when you introduced me to the concept. This year’s top ten is at
https://photos.kotler.org/TopTen/2017/
Martin Bailey
Posted at 10:31h, 02 JanuaryThanks for the kind words on my work Fred! That man in the red cloak is one of my favorites, obviously, but even within the ten. I was actually watching The Queen of the Desert with Nicole Kidman last night with my wife, and instantly recognized the town of Ait Ben-Haddou in the movie. This is where we made these photographs. Beautiful film if you haven’t already watched it.
I love your top ten. It’s great how we can see the beautiful town in the glass of the lamp in the first image. The fibers in the second shot are very nice too. Great graphical elements. And the guy peeling the prawns is nice.
All the best for 2018!
Craig Stampfli
Posted at 09:33h, 02 JanuaryHi Martin, this is my first year putting together my Top Ten and something I have recently shared with a photography page I co-manage. It is quite the task to select ten images that either summed up my year or that I felt were worthy of sharing, however, the effort was quite therapeutic. Thanks for all of your efforts with your Podcast, I have been a longtime listener and find it very inspirational.
My Top Ten.
https://imatag.com/portfolio/craig.stampfli/
Martin Bailey
Posted at 10:37h, 02 JanuaryHi Craig,
I’m really pleased you have taken up this challenge and found it worthwhile.
Thanks for sharing your top ten link. The shot of the lady underwater is stunning! I love the color palette in that image. Also, the Alice St black and white shot is beautiful. They all are of course. It looks like you had a great year, and a wonderful first top ten. I hope you continue to do this in the future. I look forward to seeing your work again next year.
Thanks for continuing to listen to the podcast, and all the best for 2018!
Regards,
Martin.
David Recht
Posted at 06:46h, 03 JanuaryHi Martin:
You inspired me a few years ago to start trying to cull down to a Top 10. As you know, it is difficult when you have such attachment to so many photos that you have taken throughout the year. However, it is fun and (mostly) satisfying to review your own work annually..
This year I am accepting your invitation to share my images as a Comment in your Blog.
I hope to someday join you on a workshop and be even further inspired by you.
All the best in 2018 to you.
My Top Ten:
https://adobe.ly/2DTEmWL
Martin Bailey
Posted at 10:24h, 03 JanuaryHi David,
Thanks for sharing your top ten. I’m really pleased you decided to take the challenge. Your year of photography is stunning.
I recognized Neko Harbour instantly, and the penguin porpoising in front of the iceberg is great. All lovely shots though. Congrats on a great year.
And, all the best for 2018 to you too.
Regards,
Martin.
Michael Assmann
Posted at 05:05h, 06 JanuaryHi David,
This is the first time I share my picks:
http://michaelassmann.com/2018/01/2017-top-ten-photographs/
Thanks to you for inspiring us thanks to all the others for sharing their work as well!
All the best for 2018,
Michael
Martin Bailey
Posted at 09:12h, 06 JanuaryHi Michael,
I wonder if that should have been Martin. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your top ten. It’s a beautiful set. The Chocolate Girl photo stood out to me. Although I imagine she might be family, it’s great to see such an artistic piece, especially if she’s close to you, as it shows you’ve been objective in your selection. When I saw that it reminded me a lot of some of Annie Leibovitz’ or Dorothea Lange’s work. Great image!
The hockey player image is great too. I like them all though. The final staircase shot is a great finishing piece.
Well done, and a Happy New Year to you!
Regards,
Martin.
Mauricio Duque Arrubla
Posted at 11:56h, 06 JanuaryGreat job, as usual, Martin! I started this tradition after your top 10 post in 2015. Many thanks! From your selection, the ones I like the most are the two men and the camels in silhouette, but many of your photos are fantastic.
Here is my slection for 2017. You will find eleven but now I know that the third one (Cuchillas de Bocagrande) would be de las discarded to reach the magic number of ten. I prefer to call them favorites instead of “the best” http://www.duquearrubla.com/2017
My aim this year was to take more photos of people, I think the change is noticeable.
Here 2015 and 2016 favorites
http://www.duquearrubla.com/2015
http://www.duquearrubla.com/2016
Many thanks, all the best