As 2008 comes to an end, I’ve decided to come up with a few lists of a few different things bloggers I think you may find interesting along the lines of what I did in The Lists 2007.  For further information, be sure to read the disclaimer at the end.

For pretty much my entire life I’ve been into photography/videography/film.  I’ve had everything from a 110 point and shoot, to both Nikon and Canon 35mm SLRs, to a Sony Mavica that recorded images on floppies, to a compilation of today’s digital cameras.  I’ve shot 8mm film and used splicing tape to edit it.  I’ve had a myriad of camcorders and VHS editing equipment including a professional 4 head VCR with a flying erase head.  Needless to say, I’m a very visual person and like to look at pictures.  While I do dabble with my own photoblog, here are the photoblogs that I found to be profound, outstanding, and inspirational in 2008:

Miss Britt Daily Photo - While there are many technical aspects to photography, they are truly secondary to the infusion of creativity and passion used to mold the image through the lens.  Miss Britt’s Daily Photo is a prime example of that creativity and passion being primarily represented in the photograph.  Her images, while focused and detailed, radiate warmth from being personal and based on the heart within the second the shutter snapped.  There is no better art than that derived from the heart.  Of course, through no fault of her own, she remains under the yoke of the “amateur” label.  You can tell when she decides to allow her passion to become untethered, and you’ll wonder why her captured seconds haven’t been printed in LIFE Magazine already.

Joe’s NYC - Even as a resident of the city, I have to admit that I take my residency for granted and often do not take the time to look at the wonders surrounding me.  Joe doesn’t just find wonders in the things that are wonderful to out of towners.  He finds the wonder in all the things that I so often pass by without even a first thought much less a second.  The city is a wonderous place… and thanks to Joe even a jaded citizen like myself (because c’mon… let’s be honest… I’m jaded as they come) can be inspired by it.

Celery Jam - Whereas photobloggers give us all the gift of their vision, Celery Jam is in itself a gift from Dan to his wife Kerry so that it would ”challenge and inspire me to take more photos”.  It seems to have worked!  I like Kerry’s photography simply because while you know she’s trying out some sort of rule or suggestion, you also know she’s throwing something in there that is her own brand of vision and forging the image from the heart.  She’s doing the 365 Day Project (a picture a day for a year for those of you not in the “know”) with a splash of the life that surrounds and a copious amount of variety instead of the self-portrait the Project calls for.  It’s that little tweak… that customization… that takes her pictures above the average fold.

CatsEye Photography - Exceptionally amazing.  As much as I am about life and portrait photography, the landscape photos at CatsEye Photography simply took my breath away.  Once that drew me in… I was pretty hooked with the rest of the photos.  So vibrant.  So colorful.  So closely captured to the perfection that nature gives us that the only thing closer would be to actually be standing there.  One of the really nice things about the photos is that the photographer is not from the United States… so the scenery to my eyes is completely fresh.  Definitely worth at least a perusal, if not an RSS subscription.

Grasp The Moment - It’s important to understand that Grasp The Moment is not a photoblog in the traditional sense.  However the tapestry that is woven between word and image is just as powerful, if not more so, than the finest stand alone 1,000+ word photo.  Variety being the spice of life also seems to be the subject genre of this blog.  You’ll find everything from macro stills to fire engines on the scene of a five alarm blaze to the white sanded beaches of exotic Belize.  Although the posting schedule seems to be a bit erratic… well it isn’t a traditional blog to begin with so don’t bother bitchin’… just subscribe and enjoy it as it happens.

The Honorable Mentions

I know… I’ve never done an honorable mentions before… but the last time I checked this is MY list… so go make your own if you think it’s such an issue.

• For whatever reason, Finn doesn’t have a photoblog… or at least not one that I’m aware of.  She does post some of her excellent work on her blog from time to time… but if you’re a hardcore photo enthusiast there may be some posts that you won’t care for.  Too bad.  Subscribing to her is worth it… plus reading some words every now and then is a good thing.

• Poppy and I have had the opportunity to meet alot of very cool people, both bloggers and not.  So let me tell you that the person behind this Flickr Photostream is Awesome with some mad skillz… and yes, that A is meant to be capitalized.

As a reward for being the best of the best for 2008… I designed this complex thing-a-ma-bob for those who may want to display their Listed status proudly:

Additionally… because I am beyond benevolent and loving contrary to what some people believe… here is the code for you to use with a permalink directly to this post.  So if your blog was Listed upon today, all you need to do is copy and past the code:

The Lists is a yearly compilation of interesting bloggers that I currently read.  Due to the volume of blogs and the 5 blogger limit, there may be authors who do not appear.  This is not to say that you did not have a good blog, or an important blog, or even a blog I did not read because in all likelihood I do indeed read it.  This simply means that for that year that you are excluded… well… I thought other bloggers were better choices for the Listing.  This does not mean I don’t like you, I don’t love you, or that I don’t read you.  It just means that for that year(s), I chose other bloggers but there is always the possibility of next year.  Unless.

Unless you cry, whine, send me e-mail messages begging me to feature you, send e-cards with links to the blogs you want linked, tell me how I don’t love you, tell me how I don’t like you, tell me how sad you are, tell me how I don’t read you even though you know I did because I commented at some point, and/or try to muscle me with threats of large “goombas” paying a visit.  If you do any of that… then hold your breathe until you see yourself on the Lists again.  While your doing that… go get a white hat and get yourself some Smurfberry Pie ‘cause you’ll be blue before you see it.