The 2014 photo that means most to you

[Federica]

December has come... Think it's time to propose again the thread that many of us found most able to enrich viewers...
"The 2014 photo that means most to you": not the best photo, but the most meaningful for the year we are close to end!

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I'm starting the gallery with a picture that reminds me of one of my keywords for this year: community.
I will not draw out stories and explanations, because they'd need space... But this year the deep meaning of the word "community" is what amazed me most.
Community is something like a family of families where problems can be faced together, talents can be shared and put to use in some worthy events; where everyone is responsible for each other, especially for the youngest to raise. When a group with a common motivation is able to become a "community", great things can be made together.



The picture was taken during the Summer holiday with the teenagers of our parish, leaving the camera on a pile of rucksacks and then hopping from rock to rock to join the other for the selfie.
Can you find the nine "mentors" (not sure it's the right translation...)?

[Manfred M]

May as well make this one a sticky. I suspect we will see lots of posts to this thread.

To me, there is no question regarding which image to post, one that I have already put up a few days ago.



Our trip to South Asia celebrated a great number of things; Georgette and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary, we both retired from work and I had my 60th birthday. Both of us finally felt that we had recovered from serious medical procedures well enough to attempt a Himalayan trek (five days in total including a climb of over 2 km over 2 days), the culmination of was being at the top of Poon Hill (3210m) to see the sunrise hit the Annapurna Range in Nepal. This shot of Annapurna South was the culmination of that effort (and probably the most physically challenging thing I have accomplished).

Here's to a great 2014 and and even better 2015!

[marlunn]

This is mine, my girls, my eldest on the left has had a bad year with her health, work problems etc, my youngest on the right is away at Uni in Flamouth doing a Natural History Photography degree so we dont see her very often, my lady in the middle has been a rock to us all and to get a shot of all three of them together laughing is rare to say the least. They are my reason for all I do - to be there for them and to provide for them. Overall we are very lucky and we recognise that and take care to help outside our family where we can in recognition of a bigger family called humanity



May 2015 give you all what you need if not all what you want

[mikelygee]

This tower was damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes a few years ago, and is still waiting for repairs. The image not-too-subtly reminds us that hope, however battered and fragile it may seem, remains.

"Hope" has been important in getting me through this year. In January, our 17-year-old daughter had just run away, and we were desperately trying to understand, and hoping to reconcile with her.

Now that we're at the other end of the year, I'm recovering from a serious heart attack, which left me with two stents in my chest, and permanent damage to my heart.

Through it all, the support and sympathy of family, friends, and even strangers has kept me full of hope for the future. May 2015 be a little easier!

[thecraig]

My photo of 2014.



Taken from the Queensferry side of the Firth of Forth, Scotland. It's a photo of myself, my wife and daughter (who is much bigger and cheekier now ) and it is the only photo of the three of us that I have taken with my camera since I got it last year. My wife and I love this part of the country, we got engaged at this spot and hopeful one day move here.

Everytime I see this photo, I smile.

[Fred Harwood]

We favor the Grand Tetons for variable landscape photo ops:

[NorthernFocus]

This type of topic is always tough for me. But forced to choose I guess this would be it. After many years of wanting to do so, we finally did a cycling tour in France (Provence). This is a shot of my bride riding across a 2000 year old Roman bridge.

[Manfred M]

This type of topic is always tough for me. But forced to choose I guess this would be it. After many years of wanting to do so, we finally did a cycling tour in France (Provence). This is a shot of my bride riding across a 2000 year old Roman bridge.

That looks like a lot of fun, Dan. Definitely not your usual genre, although you seem to have made the transition quite nicely. That type of trip is definitely on our bucket list too, although this year, we are likely to stick closer to home with the bikes.

[DouglasRC]

Wonderful shot! Blues seem so hard to get right and you've excelled here. Great depth of field and detail.

[Raskolnikov]

Dear Federica,
You have my vote, obviously not for the photography but for the depth of the meaning of the word you selected: COMMUNITY.
I´m also quite involved with teenagers (my daugter is 17) and definitively they are capable of amazing things.
God bless you,
Jorge

[Raskolnikov]

Dear Mike,
If you are still here and recovered from such an strike, probably is because you still have some important things to fix down here ;-).
Please accept this little present, Is a recent picture of mine titled HOPE (because for many of us, there is also a BIG BIG HOPE)

Hope by raskolnikov3, on Flickr

All the best for this 2015,
Jorge

[Raskolnikov]

This is probably my fav from last year. It has a deep message in it but I preffer you to get your own and not a guided one ;-)

Happy 2015 !!!!!!

...abrir sendas de luz en la oscuridad by raskolnikov3, on Flickr

[Sailorstu]

[hasuin038]

[WJT]

This was the camp at Ruby Gap where I took my family in the outback of Australia. My wife and I had a long hard day 4WDriving and had a little argument "where are we going, how much further". When we set up camp and the stars came out she realised why I took her there and forgave me. A great memory from May 2014 and funny enough we had a new born son in January 2015 :-)

[Jcoss]

My 70+ year-old friends from North Carolina came to visit. We took them on a dolphin cruise in the Gulf of Mexico and the dolphins were extremely active for us. It was the first time they had ever seen live dolphins. A special day!

[Jcoss]

May as well make this one a sticky. I suspect we will see lots of posts to this thread.

To me, there is no question regarding which image to post, one that I have already put up a few days ago.



Our trip to South Asia celebrated a great number of things; Georgette and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary, we both retired from work and I had my 60th birthday. Both of us finally felt that we had recovered from serious medical procedures well enough to attempt a Himalayan trek (five days in total including a climb of over 2 km over 2 days), the culmination of was being at the top of Poon Hill (3210m) to see the sunrise hit the Annapurna Range in Nepal. This shot of Annapurna South was the culmination of that effort (and probably the most physically challenging thing I have accomplished).

Here's to a great 2014 and and even better 2015!

Congratulations on your 2014 accomplishments! This photo is absolutely majestic! Our Creator is quite the artist, eh?

[rpcrowe]

I picked one of the many of our special needs rescue dogs as the 2014 Photo That Means The Most To Me! Donovan lost his eye but recovered from surgery quite well. He is now a cherished member of his furever family.

[DougR]

Hello Everyone
Thought I would post a picture to commemorate my first time on this site. This picture is special because I was with my oldest son and his family on vacation in Yellowstone Park. It was during the first and second week of June and the weather was beautiful.

[DougR]

I picked one of the many of our special needs rescue dogs as the 2014 Photo That Means The Most To Me! Donovan lost his eye but recovered from surgery quite well. He is now a cherished member of his furever family.

A very sweet picture of a real Cutie. I can see why you posted Donovan.

DougR