Pictures of the Year, 2006

It's never easy editing pictures from an entire year into a short photo gallery, but it's always something that we look forward to doing. The images that you find looking back at the major events of 2006, as well as those precious little moments you trip across, snap you immediately into the emotion of what you're seeing as if it were happening again. And, in a sense, it is -- it's there right in front of you: the tears rolling down the cheek of a sister who lost her brother in Iraq ...

 

the sense of foreboding that you get as you literally stand with a fire fighting crew looking out at the enormous task ahead of them as they battle yet another wildfire in California ...

 

that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach as you look at the memorial to the Sago coal mining victims, or the feeling of helplessness looking at the silhouetted Amish men standing in front of that Lancaster County school house, because you know what happened there ...

 

as well as that delightful smile that comes to your face when you see a photo like the little boy hanging on to a sheep during a toddler rodeo ...

 

It's all there in our Pictures of the Year 2006: Editors' Choice photo gallery. Take a look, vote for the picture you think is most compelling. And when you're finished with that, check out the photos that you voted on each week as the top images of the year in our Pictures of the Year 2006: Users' Choice gallery. We hope they all move you, inspire you, delight you.

 

And don't forget to continue looking for our Pictures of the Week in 2007 that will be posted every Friday as well as many more photo galleries you will see linked on AOL Visions.

 

- Happy New Year

James Brown Memorial at the Apollo

I volunteered to shoot James Brown's memorial at the Apollo Theater in New York for AOL's Black Voices. Knowing that the news photo agencies would have mass coverage, my idea was to shoot photos to try to give the AOL audience a different perspective.

 

My original plan was to cover the scene outside, shoot the arrival of the casket and the fans paying tribute inside the Apollo. However once there, I realized it would not be as easy as I thought. Thousands of people lined the streets waiting to get into the theater, and dozens of reporters and photojournalists already were there. I heard there had been people standing in line since midnight.

Wilbur Bracey holds a portrait of James Brown while waiting in line in front of the Apollo Theater.

 

A James Brown look-a-like, Charles Bradley, awaits the arrival of James Brown's body at the Apollo.

 

Members of the media gather in front of the Apollo Theater as they wait for the horse-drawn carriage carrying the casket of legendary singer James Brown.

 

I started shooting pictures almost as soon as I arrived, but soon I decided to stake out a position to get the arrival of the horse-drawn carriage carrying the casket. I was able to grab a few shots with the fish eye lens and then started working my way toward the front of the theater. The entrance seemed only a few feet away, but with all the people present it turned out to be impossible to get in. After shooting a couple more frames, I made my way back to the office to try to meet my deadline. 

The horse drawn carriage carrying the casket of legendary "Soul Man" James Brown is followed by the Rev. Al Sharpton as it approaches the Apollo Theater.

 

One mourning fan proudly displays his jacket, which has been airbrushed with a portrait of James Brown.

 

I think my photos complemented the main news coverage done by the wires and rounded out the Black Voices: James Brown Remembered photo gallery.

 

-Fredy

AOL Music: 2006 Rewind

As part of AOL Music's year in review, called 2006 Rewind, we put together a photo gallery of performance shots of the Most Popular Sessions Performances of 2006. If you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing an AOL Sessions performance, you NEED to check it out.  The entire Sessions experience blows my mind. From the unique, one-of-a-kind sets designed for each artist to the creative editing to the AMAZING photography, no detail is overlooked. 

 

What I love about Sessions is that the photographers have the opportunity to capture moments during an artist's performance, as well as intimate behind-the-scenes images and portraits. This tells a beautiful, comprehensive story about the artist's day at the Sessions studio that viewers can flip through while watching the performance. 

 

So who's number one? You'll have to check it out for yourself, but what I will tell you is that Rihanna, Ne-Yo and 50 Cent were hot on the chart. Country folks claimed four spots with Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood. The Jamie Foxx Sessions rolled in at No. 20.  Have you ever seen Jamie perform? If not, you should. For that matter, have you ever seen the reggae, Orthodox Jewish rapper, Matisyahu?  Now there's a talented artist. Black Eyed Peas hit the list at No. 8.

 

That's all the info I'm going to spill. What do you think? Who should have been number one? 

 

 

 

 

- Lauren

Research and Learn: Photos of the Year

Truth be told, my absolute favorite thing about being photo editor for Research and Learn is programming their Photo of the Day. Every morning I scan the wires for photos from the previous 24-hours for something eye-catching that also relates in some way to the content of the channel. But since the scope of the channel is so broad - science, space, history, world events and cultures and all things eco - I can really choose almost anything. I always have an eye out for new discoveries of course, but some of my favorites come from a search for "festivals."  It seems that on any given day of the year, there is a colorful and interesting festival going on somewhere in the world.

 

This year as I looked back over all of the images featured in Photo of the Day, I chose a mix for the best Photos of the Year. There is the new portrait of Earth from space with billions of twinkling lights on display. There is the new species of shark that "walks" on the ocean floor. But mostly there are photos of us, the wide variety of peoples and cultures of this world whose actions and passions shaped 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

Let us know what you think. See the full gallery and vote for your favorite!:

Photo of the Day - AOL Research & Learn

 

- Jenna

Natural Beauty

It's harder than you think. Given the job to come up with a photo gallery of 10 women who personify natural beauty, you would think: no problem. Anyone can come up with a list of 10 beautiful women. Easy, right? Wrong! Just how do you go about it? How do you come up with a list like that?

 

First, I came up with my own list of names ... Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, etc. But part of our list criteria had to be portraits not only of women who were naturally beautiful, but who might be surprising -- some names not necessarily on everyone's list.  We wanted to go beyond the typical names you often see in the pages of People or found in the tabloids or on TMZ.com, like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton.  So I decided to solicit some help. I asked some colleagues to come up with their own list of names. What I received was quite an array of names -- from movie and TV stars to athletes. Then of course I had to hear it from my wife, who had her own list of names and asked me how could I possibly put so and so in the gallery? There is no pleasing everyone.

 

Once we settled on a list of names, the final criteria was to find a beautiful portrait. We made the decision early to use photographs from Corbis Outline, part of the Corbis Picture Agency. The portraits had to be creative and a cut above the rest, and Corbis Outline was the answer. Their portraits often are shot by photographers who work for some of the top magazines, like Vogue, InStyle, Vanity Fair and Entertainment Weekly. What we ended with, I think, is a great gallery of interesting names and beautiful images. See who made the list: Natural Beauty - AOL Pictures.  What do you think of our gallery? Who in your view should have made the list? 

 

 

-Alan

 

Holiday Break

The week before Christmas was turning out to be a very hectic and productive time for the photo team at AOL. The staff has been working on many great photo features: the Behind the Lens story on AIDS by Brent Stirton with audio, the ongoing weekly Pictures of the Week, which of course leads to our annual end-of-the-year feature on all the great photos that AOL users have voted as being the best of the year. The weekly sports feature Did You See That?, as well as other daily features and galleries that accompany our News pages, including our newly launched Stylelist. And then there's one of our most recent feature galleries, Natural Beauty. AOL Black Voices brought you The Bridge and of course the great feature from AOL Music called Sessions. This is just a sampling of some of the great things that come to mind that the photo team created for you this month to enjoy. 

 

Sometimes as the holidays approach, however, we just need to escape the hustle and madness. That is exactly what I did. I took a break to a wonderful and remote island in the Turks and Caicos with only my pretty pink Panasonic digital point-and-shoot camera. My goal was to relax and make maybe one or two photos that make me smile. :-)  Sometimes it just feels good to make snapshots. I hope they make you smile as well.

 

The delightful airport at Salt Cay. Paying attention to color and symmetry will make a pleasant memory with any camera.

 

Sometimes stopping to look where you came from is a great way to capture a memory. 

 

This was the Salt Cay maintenance person putting up Christmas decorations at dusk. I didn't have a tripod, but a deep breath often is enough to help make a steady shot.

 

It is only a gate but it's a clean, simple shot and a fond memory.

 

I hope you all had a chance to take a deep breath over the holidays. Remember to smile and don't forget to make some photos even if all you have is a pink point-and-shoot camera.

 

-Cathaleen

Pictures of the Week: Dec. 16-22

The snowstorm that hit Colorado appears to have dumped enough snow to keep even Santa on the ground. This photo of Santa (actually just a mannequin in an outdoor Christmas display) in Boulder, Colorado, captures the essence of events this week -- the blizzard, the grounding of thousands of travelers, and the Christmas season. It's a perfect photo for this week.

Check out all of this week's pictures, and cast your vote for the best photo: Pictures of the Week.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

 

- Lee

Christmas at Rockefeller Center

One night every winter in New York City tens of thousands of people pack into Rockefeller Center for the lighting of the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. This year, on the 74th annual lighting, I decided to put a new perspective on the lighting ceremony. 

 

Knowing most people pack in the plaza to look up at the 88-foot-tall, 45-foot-wide, 9-ton wonder, I decided to find a window on the 25th floor of the AOL offices, which overlook the plaza, and shoot a photograph looking down. Deciding to shoot with a full frame fisheye lens meant capturing the full view of Radio City Music Hall on the right, St. Patrick's Cathedral on the left, and dead-center, the 70- to 80-year-old Norway Spruce in the middle, aligned pretty well with the Empire State Building, lit for the holidays in the top center. 

 

 

For those of you who won't make it to New York City this holiday season, there's even a live webcam for you, I'd suggest taking a peek at dusk for the best views of the tree and ice skaters. Happy Holidays to all, and only luck in 2007.

 

- Sam

Holiday Lawn Inflatables

With the holidays upon us, nothing says holiday spirit quite like an eight foot inflatable snowman proudly displayed in the front yard!  When an editor from AOL Real Estate came to me with this idea, I knew the only way to get photos was to go out and shoot them.  Since the deadline was tight, I asked for volunteers from the photo department and in just a few days we had enough photos for this fun and wacky gallery. 

 

Check out the rest of the photos in the gallery and don't forget to share some of yours:

AOL Real Estate Photo Gallery - AOL Real Estate

 

Happy Holidays!

 

-Lisa

Behind the Lens: Brent Stirton

Intimacy is key, I thought, when brainstorming ideas on how to effectively create an online presentation concerning AIDS. Getty Images had asked if I had plans to build content for World AIDS Day. They proposed a gallery focusing on photographer Brent Stirton's AIDS images.

 

 

I recalled Brent's work from my previous job at the AFP, so I was eager to produce the project. And considering the heavy topic of AIDS, I thought that hearing Brent instead of simply viewing his work would add tremendous meaning to the images.

 

 

His photos are stunning. In one moment you notice the beauty created by Brent's lighting techniques and composition, and in the next moment the reality of those living with the disease strikes you. The audio was a further jolt back to reality. In his laid back, relaxed demeanor, Brent turned stories of children suffering with AIDS into catalysts inspiring social action.

 

 

 

As I chatted with him, Brent's heartfelt personality and personal connection moved me, as it did the audio technician in the studio who was helping me with the recording. The combination of audio and photo put everything in perspective -- we're lucky we're living the lives we do, and fortunate to have a storyteller to reaffirm that. I'm glad the collaboration with Getty and Brent helped bring together a perfect opportunity to create this online experience. Brent's audio/visual combination provided viewers the ability to come face to face with the problem of AIDS around the world.

 

To fully experience the gallery, go to: Behind the Lens: Brent Stirton - AOL Pictures

 

- Sara

Did You See That?

 

Nothing profound this week ... except that John Lucas is listed as 5-foot-11, 165 pounds. So he's a normal sized guy, maybe even a bit taller than average.

 

Yao Ming's listed stats are 7-foot-6, 310 pounds. Lucas looks like a kid by comparison.

 

Much like the line in the movie, 'Jaws,' sometimes you need a point of reference, just to realize how much of an outlier most athletes are, how much they are the .00001% of all of us on the scale.

 

To see the rest of the images from this week in sports, go to AOL Sports: Did You See That?, and see the week in NFL photos, go to NFL - Week In Photos - AOL Sports.

 

- Mike Heffner

 

Pictures of the Week: Dec. 9-15

This was one of my favorite images this week -- not for what it is, but for what it isn't. It's not a beautifully composed image that tells a story in a clear way. Instead, it is an image that is both eye-catching and open to interpretation. 

In fact when I first saw the photo, I thought it was a shot of a dancer jumping into a spray of water. Another photo editor thought it was a surfer. It turns out to be neither. It's a photo of a Kuwaiti diver as he jumps off the 1-meter springboard during the diving competition at the Asian Games.

So what was your first impression? A piece of artwork? A dancer? A diver?

Check out all of this week's pictures, and cast your vote for the best photo: Pictures of the Week.

 

- Lee

Natural Holiday Portraits

Parents often want to shoot perfect holiday photos of their children and pets,but such expectations can contribute to pressure. A child constantly told to smile often will revolt, and pets can sense your stress. Personally, I think grip and grin "portraits" in general are overrated. I like images that capture small moments. And when it comes to photographing your kids or your pets, you need to let their personalities, flaws and goofiness shine through.

For children there are a few tips I have before you begin shooting. First, you take their photo instead of having a stranger do it. Decide on a place in your house where you want to shoot, and bring extra lights into the room if you need them. Have the whole set-up done before you bring your kids into the picture.

Decide on a plan that involves the kids acting out something they enjoy; avoid having the main activity involve just your camera. Remember, you want the kids to act naturally and be happy. Don't worry too much about them looking into the camera, sitting up straight or giving you that perfect smile. Think of an activity they like and incorporate it into the shoot. Some great ideas include turning on their favorite music and letting them dance, or at least wiggle around as they are seated.

These two sisters were both a bit shy in front of the camera and were giving off stressed "fake" smiles. So we put on some music and sang together as we did the photos. The resulting image let their personalities shine through.

 

Another great holiday photo idea is to give them fun props. One of my favorite ideas is to give children wrapped gifts. Allow them to shake the presents and try to guess what's inside. Play 20 questions and at the end allow them to open the gifts while you are shooting. This almost always churns out festive looking and "keeper" shots.

 

For pets, you have a bit of a battle ahead. Some great ways to trick pets into looking at the camera is by having someone else help you do the photographs with their sole purpose to run after the pet when they run away and to be behind you with the camera trying to get the
attention of the animal. Some tips include using objects that make strange sounds or produce light (a cell phone, squeaky toys, a horn, a laser pointer, flashlights, keys). Of course one plan of action is to always have treats on hand. If the pet is particularly hyper or
young, tire them out before the shoot. For quiet animals it's best to prep them with love.

 

A nervous boy and an older dog were having trouble sitting still, so I told the young boy that he was in charge of the dog. This gave the boy a different role. It was his job to keep the Santa hat on the dog, and have the dog looking up. The result was a nice interactive photo. Also, I had a dog bone and a brightly colored and squeaky toy to help.

 

Got any tips of your own or classic holiday portraits? Let us know and send us a link!

 

- Cassandra

Sunday in Brazil

Sunday in Rio

 

This is a photo project I did in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. My idea was to photograph people in their most spontaneous and joyful moments, having fun during leisure time. I found the ideal scenario on Praia do Flamengo, a beach that gets packed every sunny Sunday. Flamengo is a very popular beach among the working class and is the preferred destination for entire families that don't mind traveling long hours to enjoy the day by the ocean. They bring food and music; they play, dance, and run. Every Sunday the beach becomes an amazing playground where children and adults can be free to frolic.

 

After many visits to Praia do Flamengo,  I compiled an audiovisual presentation using 100 photos.  This was exhibited several times in galleries, museums, and parties. Here are a few of the images:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday in São Paulo

 

After finishing the project "Sunday in Rio" I went to São Paulo, another Braziliancity, looking for the same kind of freedom and enjoyment.  However, there are no beaches in São Paulo. Here people don't swim in the ocean but jump in the water reservoirs. Reservoirs mean adventure and fun for the people of Sao Paulo.  People push the limits doing extreme and sometimes dangerous things. They are fearless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any photos you would like to share of Brazil?  Please post a link in the comments section below to share your images.

 

To see more of Mabel's photos check out her website:  mabelferes.com.

 

- Mabel

Did You See That?

DOHA, QATAR - DEC. 8:  Athletes hurdle the water jump and splash the photographers during the Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final at the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006.  

When I was still shooting sports, I was actually a pretty antisocial guy once the actual event started. It's not that I didn't like people -- but I never wanted to be in a photo like the one above: huddled with the rest of the photographers.

 

I was always the person who tried to be where no one else was. Sure, there are always preferred spots and positions -- but when those spots get popular, you will likely end up with a photo someone else also will have. The only way I ever could compete with shooters who were better than me was to have something different.

 

Change the game. Different is good.

 

To see the rest of the images from this week in sports, go to AOL Sports: Did You See That?, and see the week in NFL photos, go to NFL - Week In Photos - AOL Sports.

 

- Mike Heffner

 

Pictures of the Week: Dec. 2-8

 

 

This week's image of a photographer taking a picture from inside a bronze sculpture by German artist Igor Mitoraj during the inauguration of his exhibition in Seville, Spain, is just a really fun image.  Taken by a photographer who obviously has a good "eye" for photography ... and a sense of humour.

 

The camera eye becomes the statue's eye, the photographer is taking a picture of the photographer. It makes you think ... and smile.

 

Check out all of this week's pictures, and cast your vote for the best photo: Pictures of the Week.

 

- Lee

 

 

Zoo Babies (Cute-n-clicky!)

As the photo editor for AOL CityGuide, I have the pleasure of editing original and fun images for the photo tours. The current Zoo Babies gallery is one I could not resist sharing with the world. These creatures are super adorable. 

Check out all the photos in the Zoo Babies photo gallery. 

Enjoy!  And if you've got some photos of your favorite zoo babies or animals, don't forget to share them.

-  Adrienne

 

Photo Tip: Holiday Card Recipe

Here is a quick and easy way to use some of your photos to make personalized Holiday cards.  Using your own images as templates will make your card unique and set it apart from the standard card designs offered my many online outlets.

 

In the tutorial below we show you how we made our holiday card in PhotoShop by using a Christmas tree image and a family photo.

 

Step 1:  Take a background photo

 

For the holiday cards you could shoot something festive and colorful.  It could be as simple as a Christmas tree image below.   We picked an image where the background was a bit out of focus as it helped bring the eye to the ornament in the foreground. 

 

 

Step 2:  Resize photo

 

Size your photo to match your output.  We sized ours at 6" x 4" with a 300dpi.

 

Step 3: Duplicate background layer

 

As we have mentioned in earlier tutorials, it's always best to work in a duplicate layer.  Create a duplicate layer by using Control "J" on a PC, or Apple "J" on a Mac. 

 

 

Step 4.  Elliptical Marquee

 

Next use the elliptical marquee tool, with the feather radius set to 10 and make a selection on the ornament.   Here is where you can find the elliptical marquee tool:

 

 

Make sure you are working on the duplicate layer.   Drag the selection to a size smaller than the ornament and if needed move and center the selection.   Note: this might take a few tries.  This is the area we chose to select with the elliptical marquee (seen here in close up):

 

 

Step 5:  Deleting the selection

 

Once you have your elliptical marquee in position, hit delete.  To make sure that the selection has been deleted you will have to turn off the background layer. You will now see the checkered pattern on the duplicate layer:

 

 

Deselect and rename the duplicate layer ‘ornament.'  (double click on the type in the layer drop down bar to rename)

 

Make sure you save you work.

 

Step 6:  Take a family photo

 

This could be close up of your child, a group shot of your children, an image of your pet or it could be your portrait - anything that strikes your fancy.

 

Step 7:  Resize family photo

 

Resize the family photo so the head size of the subject fits nicely in the ornament in the background photo.

 

Note - Make sure the dpi on the background image and the family photo are the same.

 

Step 8:  Move family photo

 

Using the move tool, move the family photo on top of the background photo.  You will now see the new layer in the layer palette:

 

 

Step 9:  Sandwich the family photo

 

In the layer palette, move the family photo so it is in between the background layer and the ornament layer.  Click andhold on the family picture layer, a hand shows up, move the layer down.  Label the layer ‘family.’ 

 

 

Using the move tool, adjust the family photo till the face appears in the ornament.

 

 

Step 10:  Playing with the opacity

 

If you want change the opacity, to let more of the ornament come through, while you are still on the family layer, move the opacity down to around 90%.   As you can see above we kept ours at 95%.

 

Step 11:  Write a message

 

Using the type tool write your message on the left side.  We chose a darker pink from the Christmas ornaments and used the Bookman Old Style font. 

 

 

Step 12: Printing

 

Your card is now ready to serve to family and friends.  Print it out yourself or send it to AOL Pictures to have prints made.

 

Give it a try and show us what you created with your photos.

 

Happy Holidays!

 

- Kathy