Last week I bought a new point and shoot camera – a Nikon S570 – so I was testing it out at the weekend and shot this portrait of my wife just as we sat on the sofa.  A little bit of Photoshop later and I think it’s quite a respectable portrait.  The camera seems pretty good although I wish it’s resolution was better on video.  If you must you could compare it with an older shot here.  Nikon S570, Aperture and Photoshop.  DSCN0015

I’ve seen a number of blog posts showing people’s best photos from last year, so I thought I would follow suit.  This set on flickr is formed of photos which flickr considers “most interesting” and others that were favourites or well commented.  All photos were posted to flickr last year, although they were not necessarily taken last year since a few were re-works of older photos.  The image itself is just a screen grab from flickr.  Take a look and leave some comments!

Winter at Moonlight Beach can be pretty bleak, with the Pacific Ocean definitely on the cold side.  This photo was taken late on a December afternoon; there were a few wetsuit clad surfers in the waves, but there were also two boys intent on surfing a heap of sand by the lifeguard station.  They were probably warmer than those in the water!  Taken with my Sony a350 and processed in Aperture.  More from California this winter here on my flickr.  DSC09243

While I was on Oceanside pier shooting surfers three groups came down for photos – 2 girls in white dresses, one in a purple dress and this one in a blue/turquoise dress.  Quinceanera is the celebration of the coming of age of a girl when she reaches her 15th birthday and is usually celebrated with as much style as the family can afford.  The dresses were all fabulous and the boys were dressed in either in navy uniforms or in traditional long pin-striped jackets with black and white shoes. This was shot over the shoulder of the professional so the pose is not quite as I would have liked, but it’s the best of the few I was able to shoot.  It was taken with my Sony a350 with the 70-300 mm lens I was using for the surfers; then processed in Aperture, Photoshop and Topaz as usual.  Other shots from California this Christmas appear on my flickr here.  DSC09774

I love this portrait photo because it is so revealing of the relationship between the two people shown.  As with any good portrait, it does not just show a picture, it tells a story about the person or persons shown.  This was shot at my son’s wedding using my standard (at the moment) Sony a350 and 17-50 mm lens and processed in Aperture with a little sharpening and noise reduction in Photoshop, Noise Ninja and Topaz Adjust.  Unlike yesterday’s image it has not been softened but left basically as out of camera.  Yesterday’s wedding photo is here. DSC00563

A rare personal photo this time – one of my son’s wedding which took place just after Christmas in downtown San Diego, California.  It was actually on top of the Hard Rock Hotel – a bit breezy but not too bad.  The weather was a little dull and overcast and the sun was setting so light was definitely an issue.  I used fill flash with this shot, taken over the shoulder of the official photographer, whose shots were much more “arty” than mine.  It’s been processed in Aperture and Photoshop, with noise removal by Noise Ninja and skin smoothing by Topaz Adjust.  It’s supposed to be high tone and romantic soft focus but my wife prefers the original!  More portrait shots can be seen on this blog here.  DSC00621

Shot from the pier in Oceanside, the sun was going down fast shedding a lovely golden light over the waves and the surfers.  In this photo I love the way the spray is lit up as well as the movement in the water suggesting its power.  Taken with a Sony a350 with Sony 70-300mm G lens and processed from raw in Aperture.  More surfing shots here.  DSC01339

Another December surfing shot – this time from Encinitas, a bit further south than Oceanside.  The weather was a little cold but still bright and sunny and I was using my Tamron 200 – 300 mm lens.It is big and heavy and slower to focus than the Sony 70-300 mm which means more dropped shots – but it does pull you in that bit closer to the action.  The sea was quite lively so there was so9me good surf action to be seen, but not many youngsters around.  Maybe I’ll post a “mature” sample next time!  More photos from December in California on my flickr here.  DSC00196

Here’s another shot – the older brother – from my trip to Oceanside.  December surfing requires a wetsuit in the cold water conditions, even though the weather was beautifully sunny that day.  Taken with my Sony a350 and processed on a PC with Photoscape (excellent and free).  More photos from Oceanside on flickr here.  DSC09587

I’m in California for my son’s wedding and took the opportunity to go to Oceanside.  The weather was gorgeous and the surf  looked good.  There were a couple of guys surfing by the pier who were really good and I was able to take quite a few photos.  Later I met one of them and he asked for copies of some of the photos which I was thrilled about.  This is the younger brother, taken with my Sony a350 and processed (because I’m away from home) not on my usual Aperture but with a free PC editor called Photoscape – which is excellent.  More photos from Oceanside on flickr here.  DSC09582