It’s that time to reflect on all of the great trips from last year and pick our favorite images. We went on twelve “named” photography trips/outings in 2012, just about one a month. I probably produced 5,000 photos and processed and kept nearly a 1,000. Here are my ten favorite photographs from 2012.
#10 I was in Yosemite with my father and while he slept in, I went out to photograph El Capitan. I wandered in the meadow looking for something. I found this small log and looked up to see the first light on El Cap. I stayed in the meadow and watched the sunlight grow on the face and did not see another person for hours.
#9 Mary and I love this shot, as do many photographers. It was really stormy. The key here is to make sure that the top of the windmill “clears” the hills in the background. I doubled up my 3-stop and 2-stop “grad” to darken the sky and lighten the grapevines.
#8 We had one sunny day in Big Sur. This is a shot that anyone can get. There is a turnoff, just south of the Rocky Creek Restaurant. You will need a telephoto to get this composition.
#7 We visited the Yankee Girl mine twice this year – once in summer and this one is from our Fall trip.
#6 We did not plan our December trip around the full moon as many photographers do. However, we stayed in a hotel right on the sand in Pismo Beach with a great view of the pier, so we did sunset photos a few nights. I noticed the full moon (it had been cloudy and raining in Northern California for a week) and saw that it was going to set right behind the pier. So, I got up at 5 AM and shot it. In two mornings, I actually never did see the moon set as it sled under a California-coast fog bank both mornings.
#5 This is a favorite shot in Big Sur and is best done near the winter Solstice.
#4 Another popular location and composition.
#3 This was a very cold day at the White Sands and poor conditions to photograph the dunes, but the sunset was amazing.
#2 We had a great morning on a dirt road and were lucky to have such an interesting sky.
#1 Mary wanted to sleep-in so we missed sunrise at the Mesa Arch. This shot was taken about 10:30 AM and the glow was still amazing.
Next week, Mary’s Top Ten.
To see more of our photographs, please go to www.pamphotography.com.
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