Help Pick My 10 Best of 2015

Another year is coming to a close and this is the time I get to reflect on all the adventures we had in 2015. The best part; I get to share my favorite images with you. Looking back through my images I found many ‘favorites’ and fond memories. I narrowed down my selects to 20 and I need your help to pick the top 10.

Take a look, the images are numbered 01 to 20. Leave a comment with your favorites (up to 10) or send me an email. You only need to use the number.

Be sure to put them in the order of your favorite first. I will tally the results and post the Best of 2015 in January. Thanks for your help and I’ll see you in the New Year.

 

1 - Friendly Face
1 – Friendly Face

This image of Grizzly 610 has been artistically altered. Something I do now and then to keep my creative juices flowing. It reminds me of ‘scratchboard art’.

2 -Red Rock Formation
2 -Red Rock Formation

I love rocks! I also love to photograph rock formations. Recently we visited Valley of Fire State Park in so. Nevada. What fun! Nature gave me hours of enjoyment hiking the canyons and making too many pictures of texture and color.

3 - Feets
3 – Feets

Less is more, I’ve been told. Hope you agree.

4 - Amphibious Flight
4 – Amphibious Flight

This is a bird, a merganser duck. It skims along with its head just below the surface of the water looking for fish.

5 - Baby's First Photo
5 – Baby’s First Photo

How can you not love baby geese? Long lens, laying prone, shoot, shoot, shoot.

6 - Dependent
6 – Dependent

This almost adult Dipper is still being fed by its mother. Moments later it took to the water to try and feed itself. In a couple of days it will be self-sufficient and will ‘fly the coop.’

7 - Chilkoot Lake
7 – Chilkoot Lake

A recent FunShop™ to Alaska to photograph bald eagles presented us with this marvelous vision of Chilkoot Lake. It was very cold.

8 - King of the Road
8 – King of the Road

I saw this Coyote resting on a dirt mound next to the road into Death Valley. It posed for me for some time then showed me its teeth.

9 - Dawn Crossing
9 – Dawn Crossing

Grand Teton FunShop™ did not disappoint, again. This bull elk crossed the Snake River following the harem. Pre-dawn photography is necessary for finding wildlife.

10 - Fly By
10 – Fly By

Winter Wings Festival at Klamath Falls, OR. always gives me plenty of opportunity to use slow shutter speeds on birds-in-flight.

11 - Joyful Jump
11 – Joyful Jump

Another FunShop™ image, this time in Alaska. Finally, after 3 days on the water I got the shot I’d been hoping for. Even if this doesn’t make the cut it will be one of my fondest memories of 2015.

12 - Transition
12 – Transition

Winter came the day after we arrived in Haines AK for the Bald Eagle FunShop™ and blanketed the area with snow. The textures could not be avoided, and I’m glad.

13 - Keeper of the Refuge
13 – Keeper of the Refuge

One of my favorite images this year. Reminiscent of a Robert Bateman painting. The low light of pre-dawn gave this image an almost monochromatic effect. I like the tension of the hawk looking off camera.

14 - Merced River Isle
14 – Merced River Isle

Spent some time in Yosemite for personal enjoyment. It rained a lot and that gave the images a nice soft feel.

15 - Fishing on the American River
15 – Fishing on the American River

I found many photo opportunities hiking along the American River and this one spoke to me.

16 - Mono Lake Strom
16 – Mono Lake Strom

Dropping into Mono Lake on Hwy 395 always surprises. This day in early May screamed Black and White. With a little help from Silver Efex Pro I was able to bring out the feeling I had driving into the storm.

17 - The Offering
17 – The Offering

This red fox was bringing home lunch for its kits and walked right toward me without a care in the world. ‘Look what I caught’ it seemed to say. Or maybe it was saying ‘get out of my way.’

18 - Winter Flight
18 – Winter Flight

As I said in a previous image, it snowed the day after we arrived in Haines, heavy. Made for some great opportunities. You can’t sit by the fire on days like these.

19 - Rise Up
19 – Rise Up

Sometimes it is hard to pick the favorite from a series of images. Some had better wing position, on some the eagle was closer, but this one had the mountain just right.

20 - The Pattern of Flight
20 – The Pattern of Flight

More slow motion birds, one of my favorite techniques. This image is a composite of itself, blending 2 parts of the same image to accentuate the texture and motion.

Well there you have it. A hard choice for me to get it down to 20 and maybe a harder choice for you to get it to 10. I hope you enjoy the challenge. Have a great 2016 and beyond.