Thursday, January 1, 2009

CDPB Theme Day: Picture of the Year

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Okay, after much consultation with friends and colleagues, I declare that my personal best of the year was this portrait of Novice Sister Kristi Kreams, Abbess, Gateway Sisters of Indulgence, St. Louis, MO, taken at the St. Louis Pridefest and posted on June 30. The group is apparently part of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an organization whose web site describes it as "a leading-edge Order of queer nuns" that made its first appearance in San Francisco on Easter Sunday, 1979. I love the kabuki makeup. All Japanese kabuki roles, male and female, are played by men. Why not also on the streets of St. Louis?

RUNNERS-UP
My favorite Arch picture of the year, posted on June 26.

Best St. Louis neighborhood shot, on Manchester Ave. in The Grove.
Very close second-best portrait of the year: Joseph Ades, a locally famous Englishman
who sells vegetable peelers on the streets of New York City.
Posted July 6.




151 City Daily Photobloggers around the world are showing off there very best stuff today. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

THE THURSDAY ARCH SERIES IS OFFICIALLY OFF TODAY FOR THE NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY, BUT IF YOU JUST CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT,
CLICK HERE. One thousand bonus points for anyone who can identify the approximate season and time of day.


WHAT I'M KICKING MYSELF FOR
: why didn't I do any HDRs of lower Manhatten and the Brooklyn Bridge? The idea never entered my empty head.


TOMORROW:
the last picture I took in 2008.

17 comments:

Virginia said...

Now that I see the date you posted the good sister, I do believe she's what drug me in here from the portal for the first time. It's our anniversary of sorts, Bob. Sniff sniff. Glad you picked her, she is a definite winner and speaking of portraits, where's my new veggie peeler??? HDR ain't all you forgot in NYC!

Olivier said...

un très beau best-of, j'adore ta première photo, c'est un superbe portrait.
a best-of very nice, I love your first photograph, it is a superb portrait.

Gaëlle said...

All the pics you selected are excellent. I missed the arch picture when you first published it so I'm glad to see it today!
By the way, thanx for your really nice comment on my blog today.
I wish you a wonderful new year.

Sharon said...

You have so many fantastic photos it must have been a tough choice. All of these are just beautiful. I hope you and your family have a very happy new year! I'll be looking forward to more of your wonderful photos in 2009.

Ming the Merciless said...

All great choices, Bob. But I love the NYC ones the best. :-)

My Best of the Year photo was taken at the 52nd/Woodside stop. I was coming home from work and snapped this shot when the doors opened.

Small City Scenes said...

It must have been a tough choice.
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence--Perfect because I belong to the Church of What's Happening NOW!
Blessings Be--MB

Jilly said...

Oh brilliant, Bob! I swore you'd choose an Arch photo and see you did but you put the best first. I love, tho, all your choices.

Have a great 2009 and let's hope it's a bit more peaceful around the world.

Buck said...

Kabuki-faced 'nuns' in St Louis - the story alone is incredible. Your photo is magnificent.

Mo said...

Fabulous! Happy New Year!

Unknown said...

Fantastic portrait of the Novice Sister!
All the other shots are great too! Great work!

Happy New Year!

Victor said...

Bob, trying to pick a fave of your 08 posts is an exercise in frustration. But I've done it and linked to the chosen one at GDP. Thanks for the support and the inspiration. Happy New Year!

Julie said...

The image of the good sister is such wonderful colour, Bob. We have a chapter of the SoI in Sydney, too. Great fun ...

• Eliane • said...

Ohlala, difficult to chose!!
The second one looks like a jewel and proves that you can always find new ways to immortalize your beloved Arch. A book about it soon? ;)
My personal favourite is the mural and the car, for its quirky-humorous touch: a few minutes more and the car is gone, devoured by the dragon! :D
A very Happy New Year to you, Bob!! Bonne année!

Kim said...

I remember this Sister well from your 2008 portfolio, Bob. And she is far more lovely and creative in her habit than those founding members of SPI back in the day. I lived in SF when they first appeared on the scene, and if you recall, that was an era of mustaches :-). I love that this shot brings together in a quirky way your love of Japan and its culture and your own fair city. I also love the pink of the umbrella, the pink in her makeup, the deep green behind, those small shocks of red and the black counterbalance of it all, along with your perfect composition and tack sharp focus. You are always full of wonderful observations and great good humor, and that is expressed so well in the dragon/car shot! Your arch series draws us all in, and its been fun to see how the challenge pans out from week to week. . .this one reminds me of an ice sculpture. (And BTW, the bonus shot for today seems to be morning (since you are on the west side of the river, and seems to be spring--do I get my bonus points?). Your final choice is just an amazing shot not just because it is a great portrait but for me it is the parallels between your subjects face and the image on the t-shirt behind him. His fuzzy brows and beard echoing the flares of white from the skull. Amazing how these things come together and you capture them!
Best to you in 2009. I will be living vicariously through your travels again, I hope. It's been really fun to follow your adventures in and out of St. Louis.
-Kim
Seattle Daily Photo

brian stout said...

those are all wonderful, you had a tough decision among these! happy new year!

PJ said...

I knew you couldn't pick just one! I love your portraiture but, as you well know, my heart belongs to Archie and I hadn't seen this shot before. I fairly swooned when I saw it.

U "R" Us AKA Captain Crowe said...

That Arch shot is pretty damn electric, but I am continually impressed by your portrait work. Keep it up, as I know you will!