Top 20 Photos of 2013 starts tomorrow

Starting tomorrow I'll be posting my best 20 photos from 2013, one per day. I have spent some considerable time deciding which photos to include, which were the most meaningful, and which had stories behind them. I'm also looking forward to visiting others who have signed up for this blog-hop to see the images and stories they have captured.

Here is a photo that didn't make the top 20:

Posting this photo today is making me think twice. I really love this picture! It's our human tendency to rank things. We like to put things in lists. Perhaps there is no such thing as a Top 20 of photos taken in a year. Maybe we just have a whole collection of equally satisfying photos.

Here's another of my favourite photos of 2013:

Took this early one morning. I usually switch off the flash for sunrise/sunset pictures. Forgot to change the settings and captured this palm tree leaf lit up in clear detail with the soft blurry colours of the sunrise behind it. Came out just perfect! It ranked just outside my top 20 as I have another favourite sunset picture which you'll see in the coming days.

One more photo I'd like to share today:

I love watching the birds on a day to day basis here. I actually have a number of photos of them lining up on electricity lines outside our house. A nice picture, but I have no personal story to tell about it, or any standout reason why I love it.

So tomorrow we'll begin with #20 on our lists. Perhaps ranking our photos sorts out what is really and truly meaningful to us, something that goes beyond the image we see with our eyes, which carries a deeper sense of purpose. Hopefully, I have a few of those sort of photos in my Top 20.

Check it out from 1-20 January, 2014 at *The Kuantan Blog*.

The year in review

The Top 20 Photos of 2013 blog hop will be starting in 8 days. And photography is a great way to review the year. Often pictures bring back the most memories, remind us of the beautiful moments and stand as testaments against bad times. 

Whether 2013 has been good or bad, or indeed a mix of both, I'd love to have you join this little challenge which I'm hosting from Jan 1st - Jan 20th.

Barisan Nasional flags smothering the roads during Malaysia's General Election earlier in 2013

The above photo didn't make the cut for my personal Top 20. I decided to keep politics out of it, and I shall say no more on that topic. I like the photo, and the edit to leave the blue flags as the only colour.

Rummaging through my best photos of the year and settling on a Top 20 has been a tough task but one which has brought back a lot of super memories.

You are welcome to sign up for the challenge and share YOUR favourite photos of 2013 too. This link will take you to the necessary page:

Top 20 Photos of 2013 blog hop

Christmas Performance at East Coast Mall

We were doing a spot of Christmas shopping at East Coast Mall and happened upon this Christmas performance at the Ground Floor. So we stopped to watch and of course, the children were glued to it. There were plenty of Christmas songs, colourful costumes, and the appearance of Santa Claus.

Christmas card to all my blog friends and readers

Wishing you all joy in this holy season

Kuantan Dancing Association's 22nd Anniversary Dinner & Dance

We attended the Kuantan Dancing Association's 22nd Anniversary Dinner and Dance which was held at Mexica Garden Seafood Restaurant in Kuantan on the night of 14th December, 2013.

We were fortunate enough that Lauren's Mandarin teacher paid for our seats as she knows Lauren loves dancing. Teacher Ng was also performing on the night and it was good fun all round.

The lighting, fast movements and smoke all combined to make it difficult to capture great photos. Here are some of my favourite shots I captured:

Teacher Ng, Lauren's Mandarin teacher

The crowd watch excitedly as two young dancers grace the floor

Top marks to this lady for getting into the most awkward position of the night!

Top 20 Photos of 2013 Selection Troubles

While preparing for the Top 20 Photos of 2013 blog hop, I've been having some trouble whittling down my group of 84 images. I've now got it down to 54 and I've realised an important element in doing that.

Take for example this photo:

It's a nice-looking photo with good composition, great colour and sharp and clear. But there is no story behind it. It's just a cluster of flowers I spotted while walking. There is nothing particularly unique about it, and while it would grace my nature blog, it has unfortunately been cut from the Top 20 Photos of 2013.

Here's another example:

I actually really like this photo, it was the very first butterfly I snapped at the Butterfly Park. However, I have other similar photos to this and I prefer another one. So in an effort to keep a good variety in my Top 20 Photos of 2013, this one has been given the chop.

One more example:

This is a monochrome shot of the KTM Headquarters in KL. The architecture is nice and all, but again, I don't really have any story to tell about it. And if there is no story to tell, no personal meaning or significance to the photo, then it's probably just a random shot which is not going to enhance my collection of the Top 20 Photos of 2013.

I'm still going through my shortlisted photos, all 54 of them, and asking myself the same question about each one: Is there a story behind it?

Sign up to participate in the Top 20 Photos of 2013 right here