What is your best photograph?

I began thinking about this topic just this morning (4 AM). I looked through my Lightroom catalog and learned I have 712 photographs rated 5 stars. I haven’t excluded any of the photographs I took as portraits for people who paid me so the number of photographs I have done as art is less than 712. Then I began to wonder, “am I missing some favorites I didn’t rate?”. It is possible. Even if the number is say, 600 how do you determine which is your best? What I may think is the best today, may not be the best tomorrow. Do I count the best as a photograph of someone or something I love the best? Did I include some rated as 5 stars simply because the photograph was of something or someone I loved?

The two photographs I included in today’s ramble I remember taking and why I rated them as 5 stars. The first where the insect is feeding on another insect is something we don’t often see or at least notice. The second is a nymph of an insect that appears to be hiding inside a flower, again, something we don’t see or at least notice often. Both of these are photographs of very small insects and were taken with a macro lens to get up close to them.

Some of the other photographs I have rated 5 stars I like but wonder now if they really deserved the 5-star rating. Much like going to a restaurant and thinking this is fantastic food, great service, and nicely priced, then returning and becoming somewhat discouraged because the food this time isn’t as good or the service is a bit lacking.

This is an interesting topic to think about in my mind because I’m not sure there is a real hard answer to the question and it is ever-changing. Are we just living in the moment? There may be photographs that are timeless but does that make them the best?