MEG Favorites - Part I

Every member of MEG takes thousands of photographs each year. While many are "keepers," a few images always take up residence in our hearts and minds as favorites. We're drawn to these images for any number of reasons: they might fit perfectly in a series we've developed, they might be the start of a new creative direction or they might capture a scene or a moment that's personal and meaningful, if only to us. In the first of a series of posts, MEG members Alan Sislen, Eric Johnson, and Grace Taylor share images from 2011 that they consider "favorites." 

Alan Sislen

"Built in the mid-1700's, the Old Sheldon Church, north of Beaufort, South
Carolina, was burned by the British during the Revolutionary War in 1779. This photograph is among my 2011 favorites because of the mood and sense of emptiness the old ruins conveyed to me and that I feel I captured.  I have many photographs of intimate details of the church, but this wide-angle shot, taken with an infrared converted camera, captured what I saw and felt, even better than my recollection that was in color.  This composition appealed to me because of the dark tree limbs and tree trunk on the right side of the frame, the dark shadow along the ground in the foreground, the mighty columns that still remain, and the infrared interpretation of the sky and leaves." 

Eric Johnson

"This is an image I keep coming back to.  It was shot as part of my "Off Season" project that I showed at MEG last summer.  The scene was an unseasonably warm Easter Sunday at Coney Island, NY.  It had been sunny most of the afternoon, but a late afternoon thunderstorm was on its way when I took this shot.  The approaching clouds softened the light on the water and the buildings in the background, and made the wet rocks on the jetties and the people strolling on the beach really stand out.  I also like the sense of depth that the parallel jetties receding toward the horizon give the image.  And finally, since it is snowing outside as I write this, the image is a nice reminder of spring!

Grace Taylor

Grace retired from MEG in 2011 and became a Member Emeritus. She says her favorite image from the year reflects her new perspective: "I call it SIMPLICITY. It is compelling to me because my new life motto is Keep It Simple." Words we all should strive to live by!