Challenge: Select your Favorite Photo from 2011

 Nikon D90, 12-24mm @f14, ISO 200, circular polarizer, Photo by Derek Griggs (click for full size)

My favorite photo from 2010 came from Yellowstone National Park along the Nez Perce Creek. Chad and I stopped along the road to watch a buffalo graze off in the distance. I walked a short distance with my long lens and realized that the buffalo isn't what I should be pointing my camera at. The Nez Perce Creek was my subject, with the geysers off in the distance and the beautiful sunrise beyond that.

 As we near the end of 2011, I believe its a good challenge to pick a favorite photo. I usually see on various photo forums and websites where people post their 3 to 5 and up 10 favorites. I want to take it a step further and select just one.

If your asking yourself why? I think it's a challenge for any photographer to pick just one image out of a library of thousands. If your anything like me I have several from the last 12 months that I believe are my best.

What I'm trying to get out of this challenge is to learn from my photography and see how it has grown or where it needs to go. To see if I have grown as a photographer I'm going to check on composition, exposure, sharpness and clarity.  Vision is something else that improves as I grow as a photographer. Vision is more important than any of tools I mentioned above. Without vision we don't have an photo in mind to create.

I challenge everyone to select a favorite photo from 2011 and share it with Facebook friends, Twitter followers, friends, family, co-workers and don't forget us! Make your photography fans ask you why you have selected that image as your favorite.

With that said, I'm not going to share my favorite just yet! There is still time in 2011 for more great shooting opportunities. Good luck and happy shooting!