Thank you very much for taking the time to post such nice comments. While I take pictures for my own enjoyment it’s always nice to get comments and feedback from others.
Wendall, it’s hard to specifically say why each is a favorite; it’s just a matter of things coming together and having an image that stands out from the others. I can tell you the things in general that I think makes an image that I like.
I like people, especially when I can capture them displaying some emotion. If you can look at a picture of people and think “I bet I know what they’re thinking” or “I wonder what they’re thinking” and especially if the picture can convey the sense of happiness; all the better. And, I like to take pictures of people in natural settings, as opposed to posed pictures. That’s not to say that I don’t like looking at other people’s portraiture; I thoroughly enjoy looking at Dr. Moss’s portraits of his family, friends and co-workers.
I like lines. Leading lines; lines that draw your view from one part of the image to another. Most lines are manmade, such as the architectural lines created from buildings, bridges, fences, streets, sidewalks, poles, power lines, etc… Also the natural lines of rivers, trees, horizons, and things like that.
I like color! The beautiful colors of natural things like flowers, sunsets, fruits, trees, clouds in a beautiful blue sky, the ocean, rivers, mountains, the list goes on… I also like manmade colors such as a beautifully painted house, a red brick building, boats, trains, etc.
I try to avoid taking pictures of signs unless the sign is so interesting or adds so much to the meaning of the entire image that it is just begging to have it’s picture taken. And, I like repetitive geographical shapes like a row of Buddhist statues or carvings decorating the side of a temple or shrine.
Lastly what I don’t take pictures of are people in bad situations. I don’t do homeless people and people in compromising situations. I don’t want even the slightest hint of meanness in any of my images.
So, anyway, that’s pretty much what goes into my thought process when I’m out and about with my camera.