My Favorite Photos From A Year Ago

I wasn’t going to do it, but Jim Goldstein is a convincing character. I was going to skip the “I love these photos of mine from last year” post until Jim’s peer pressure caught hold. You see, he hosts a megapost, if you will, of tons of great photography from around the web. Individual photographers submit their work, in the form of a post like this, and we all ohhh and ahhh over each other’s photos. He does a great job of building community, that Jim he does.

So here are my picks from 2011. These might not be my most popular posts, as indicated by comments, reshares and all that other social media jargon, but they are images I enjoy viewing from this past year. Each for a different reason. They are in no particular order.

This is where I live. Can you believe it? People ask me if I’d ever relocate permanently and I say no, because of sights like this. This is in December, of all the cloudy months in the Puget Sound. And it’s taken from one of my favorite local coffee shops Anchor Books and Coffee in Clinton, Washington. The mountain is Three Fingers and this image is captured just as the sun snuck between clouds. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 200, 260mm, f/5.6, 1/100th of a second

You can’t go wrong with a sunny morning at Machu Picchu. This was my second trip to the city and I was blessed with great weather and a guide who let me wander around to take pictures. Why did I go a second time? Because I won a trip thanks to a random drawing from Meet, Plan, Go! Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 100, 28mm, f/6.3, 1/100th of a second

Next up is a stop in India where I did some scouting for a photo tour I am leading in April of 2012. You should come along if you have the time! This is the Presidential Palace and shot through a barely open gate. I just love the simplicity and symmetry of this shot, plus the strong, orange earth. Canon 7D, Canon 10-22mm EF lens, ISO 100, 22mm, f/6.3, 1/200th of a second

Let’s stay in India for my next shot. It’s a unique view of the Taj Mahal, a time honored classic subject that has been photographed in just about every type of light and angle. Sure, I have the classic reflecting reflecting pool view, but I wanted some thing different. The fine folks at BorrowLenses.com had lent me a Sigma 4.5mm fisheye lens for this trip and it was just the ticket. This shot was taken from the Eastern most building to add another dimension to this beautiful architecture. Canon 7D, Sigma 4.5mm Fisheye, ISO 250, 4.5mm, f/6.3, 1/1000th of a second

Let’s skip on over to Nepal next. This shot was taken while hanging out in an Internet café and realizing I didn’t have an umbrella. My attempt at outlasting the rain did not work and as the café shut down, I was forced out into the dark, wet night. Canon 7D, Canon 10-22mm EF lens, ISO 400, 10mm, f/5, 1/60th of a second

Heading up into the hills for my Nepal Photography Trek, we reached the town of Khumjung after a few days on the trail. Night photography became a popular event on this tour. Here, I got a quick shot in before the fog overtook the town. Canon 7D, Canon 10-22mm EF lens, ISO 200, 10mm, f/4.5, 139 seconds

Up and over to Tengboche, the spectacular gate to the monastery was a perfect foreground object to place in front of distant Mt. Everest (on the right, in the middle of the ridge). The long exposure allowed for some star trails to add punch. Canon 7D, Canon 10-22mm EF lens, ISO 100, 10mm, f/6.3, 332 seconds

Let’s see some mountains! It one of the main reasons to come on a trek like this. And they are all around. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 100, 105mm, f/8, 1/200th of a second

Sunrise lit this mountain side on fire. You don’t always need a shot of Mt. Everest to be classic Himalayas. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 100, 300mm, f/9, 1/125th of a second

And sometimes, they just beg to be turned black and white. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 100, 130mm, f/5.6, 1/800

You can’t forget the animals that make trekking in this region so popular. Beasts of burden, indeed. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 100, 70mm, f/10, 1/800th of a second and a lot of running to get in front of the dzokyos before they came around the corner.

Skipping on over to Bhutan for another photo tour with a different flavor of Buddhism and architecture, this is Punakha Dzong. A fortress in older times, now it houses local government offices at the confluence of two rivers. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 100, 80mm, f/9, 1/500th of a second

Prevalent in all aspects of society, devotion to Buddhism is widely evident in this small, mountainous country. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 100, 210mm, f/9, 1/4000th of a second

Without a doubt, the people are what will be drawing me back to Bhutan for the tour this year. Warm and inviting, these strangers invited us into their home for tea. Canon 7D, Canon 10-22mm EF lens, ISO 2000, 10mm, f/3.5, 1/30th of a second

Colorado was nice enough to invite me over for a press trip in the Summer. And it would not have been complete without a full fledged, local rodeo. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 200, 270mm, f/6.3, 1/25th of a second

Now let’s head back to Washington state where we have no problem finding puddles to splash around in. Canon 7D, Canon 100mm Macro L lens, ISO 1000, 100mm, f/2.8, 1/400th of a second

We also have some beautiful mountains to see. In this case, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams as spotted on a flight from Seattle to Portland. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 100, 40mm, f/5.6, 1/800th of a second

And our sunsets over the water? Gorgeous. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 100, 300mm, f/11, 1/100th of a second

I leave you with the view from the island I live on, looking across at the foothills of the Olympic Mountain Range. Canon 7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, ISO 100, 170mm, f/11, 1/100th of a second

2011 was awesome and I look forward to more great photos in 2012.

Oh, and if you would like to join me on a photo tour of India, Nepal or Bhutan, just drop me a line. Thanks!