Arnab Banerjee Photography: Top 12 of 2012

Well..lets first say that I generally don't do this - publishing top photos from a year - mainly because I am terrible at selecting the best ones from my own works. But since I have not written on this blog for a while and I am planning to write more frequently in the future, I thought that I might start with a look back at the year.

There is also another reason - for this year, it's very easy to find the top images...mainly because I did not have much time for photography this year and hence the collection is small. A lot has happened in 2012 for me and my family - we moved from New York to Seattle, had a new (and exciting) job and new area to settle in and added a new member to the family (my second son was born in September this year). On top of all these, my elder son is now 5 years old (he will be 6 in February, 2013) - what that means is that he wants to come with me everywhere (and I have to admit that I don't like leaving him behind too). That's a great thing as a dad, but not so great as a wilderness photographer. But having my son with me also let me see the world in a different eye. I am now shooting a lot with him in the landscape and really excited about the new ways to incorporate human presence into the wild landscapes to make a stronger connection for the viewer.
My style has changed too. I no longer wish to limit myself in just creating those pretty, golden hour, "perfect" images. Instead, the message, the connection and the inner vision - all these have become way more important than just capturing the beauty of a scene and technicalities of a shot. Equipment-wise, I have upgraded to the excellent and incredible Nikon D800, but also acquired Lumix GF3 (for general hiking) and DMC-TS4 (for winter and water sports) cameras to inspire more spontaneity in my photography. These small cameras are either in my hands or in my pockets and help me see and capture images in a more contemplative fashion. My bias is shifting from "planning" my shots to improvizing and visualizing in the field - I am finding a more balanced approach.

Anyway, enough talking - lets look at some images.

1. Summer in Mount Rainier