by Martin Eliasson
2015-01-06 11:28:49.376060
public

Photography of 2014

It's a new year and so it's time to look back upon the photographic work of the past year to see what has been achieved. It's time for the yearly top-ten list.

Looking at the photographs of 2014, I now see I hardly ever use my old Nikon D80, but I also see the change in style the change of equipment has led to. I shoot more and I use the larger depth of field to my advantage creating photos with a more graphical feel to them. I also have used the lightness to explore new points of view, I have embraced the contrast AF with eye detection and I have started using the depth of field advantage.

I also see that though I shoot mainly with three lenses these days, it's the standard kit zoom that still captures most of the keepers, even though I really like the Olympus 17mm 1.8 and 75mm 1.8.

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The ever changing colour of ice that I find so fascinating. A lucky shot, I was there and had the camera. Being there with a camera is important, whatever camera. This was taken with my old D80 and the trusted workflow I have. It begins the list because it fits so well with this years theme of moving away from the photos I used to take and knows to take and to a new style yet keeping the perfection of the old style with image processing and all.

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Grey skies are magical to me in their imperfect grey-ness and the neutrality you can create so much graphics upon. The big depth of field of m43 helps. I bring my camera along much more than ever before and that's why I get shots like this. Definitely enough to make it to the list this year.

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Returning to the Swiss alps yet again, this time at a time when the Swiss conservative moment tries to reduce access to the country. The framing came about as I tend to use my m43 camera more as a Ikoflex than a (D)SLR when I shoot and so the lower angle I tend to shoot from these days helped putting the fence in the upper part of the frame. To me, it's my iconic photo of the year so it makes it to the list.

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I love tourists and the things they (me) photograph. We know this scenery is important, therefore we photograph it and since we all photograph it, it is important. The m43 is my travel system of choice. I can't help observe what others think is important to shoot. I also travel much more these days which has added to my travel photography portfolio.

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I venture up a lovely Swiss mountain, and then I shoot stupid disturbing photos. The photo is on the list because I never saw things like this before.

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Hiking close to the sky, just a step from heaven. One of the best shots since I started using a small little camera I can put it on a stick and therefore take photos from angles not possible before with my old heavier equipment. That's why it's on the list. What does your new equipment allow you to do?

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Concentration. Reflection and a camera. Spring in the archipelago. This photo is on the list beacuse with my new light unobtrusive camera I have learned more about how I as a photographer affects the people I shoot. If I had used the camera on the table, I would never have got this shot.

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If you learn how to time your shots using a mirrorless camera, you can put your camera in harms way and get photos like this. It's on the list because this year I practiced more of thinking ahead what was probably going to happen, what shot I wanted and where I needed to be to get that shot. This shot didn't happen, I really took it.

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Human faces against the backdrop of a whiteboard or similar is a theme for this year, but this is the best of the bunch. Messenger of Peace education at Kandersteg International Scout Centre. The small light m43 is again a winner, and the key feature is the tilt display, not for selfies, but for shooting events while at the same time participating at the events.

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It was a great year of panoramic shooting using stitching so I had to put a panorama on this years list, and this is both a great stitch and a great example of using technology to do what I could not do before. I didn't have a super wide lens at this occasion and I couldn't shoot from a distance because of obstacles in the way of the building, so I just faced the building and did a close panorama.

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Bonus photo of 2015. I really like it, but it's more due to using the 75mm at 1.8 than actually me improving. It's the gear, so it turns up outside the list.