- Bee in a flowering Pohutukawa tree
December in New Zealand is marked by the flowering of the native Pohutukawa tree. For this reason, it’s also known as the “New Zealand Christmas Tree”. It has also been introduced to many places outside New Zealand (including San Francisco, where it can be seen flowering in June or July). (December 6, 2023. Nikon D7200, 1/125s @ f/16, 85mm, ISO 281.) https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/pohutukawa-flame-of-the-north/ - Île de la Cité
The quality of cell phone cameras has improved noticeably in recent years - so much so, that a cell phone photo made my '10 favorites' list this year. This late-evening photo of Paris's famed Île de la Cité (on the Seine River, viewed from the Pont des Arts) was taken with an iPhone 6. (July 9, 2015. Apple iPhone 6, 1/120s @ f/2.2, 4.15 mm, ISO 40.) - Tap!
As in three of the previous four years' 'favorites' albums, there's a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu photo in this year's album. This photo - from the 2013 World Championships - shows Woolf Barnato (Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, San Francisco) submitting an opponent (with a choke), en route to winning the purple belt light-feather division. (May 31, 2013. Nikon D5000, 1/250s @ f/5.6, 270mm, ISO 2500.) - Rothenburg ob der Tauber
The picturesque tourist town of 'Rothenburg ob der Tauber' in Germany is normally swarming with tourists. By getting up at 7am, however, I was able to catch this scene without any tourists spoiling the view. (July 16, 2016. Nikon D5000, HDR-processed from a 3-shot bracketed exposure @ f/6.3, 16 mm, ISO 200.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber - Mangroves on the Beach
I normally dislike 'blown out highlights', but they seemed to work in this photo - taken at Cape Tribulation in northern Queensland, Australia. (June 14, 2017. Nikon D7200, 1/25s @ f/6.3, 16 mm, ISO 180.) - "Pacific Coast Sunset"
When I first took this photograph (at Pescadero Beach, in northern California), I wasn't expecting much - but I liked the contrast between the orange-red sky and the blue sea, and the silhouetted vegetation in the foreground. (August 24, 2014. Nikon D5000, 1/60s @ f/10, 85mm, ISO 200.) - Brown's Island, Auckland
My favorite drone photo of 2020 was this photo of yet another of Auckland's volcanic cones - Brown's Island, in the Hauraki Gulf (Auckland's outer harbour). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browns_Island_(New_Zealand) (June 10, 2020. DJI Mavic Pro, 1/1429s @ f/2.2, 4.73mm, ISO 100.) - 'Trail 401'
In August I had the pleasure of finally riding one of the US's most famous mountain biking trails - the '401 Trail' near the alpine resort of Crested Butte, Colorado. (August 25, 2016. Nikon D7200, 1/100s @ f/8, 19 mm, ISO 100.) https://travelcrestedbutte.com/crested-butte-mountain-biking-401/ - Cheeky Kea
The kea - the world's only alpine parrot - is found in the mountains of New Zealand's South Island. Very intelligent and mischievous, these birds are notorious for attacking plastic and rubber fixtures on parked vehicles. This young kea is nibbling on the antenna of my rental car. (February 21, 2018. Nikon D7200, 1/1000s @ f/5, 46 mm, ISO 720.) - Psychodelic Bamboo!
During a brief visit to Tokyo, I stopped by the Imperial Palace Gardens and got this photo of a patch of bamboo. I deliberately over-saturated the image for a more 'abstract' look. (November 1, 2015. Nikon D5000, 1/50s @ f/4.2, 18 mm, ISO 200.) - Archway Islands, Wharariki Beach
These islands - just offshore from the South Island's Wharariki Beach - also appeared in 2015's "10 Favorites" list. The 2015 photo was a view of the islands from the beach. This year, I got the chance to revisit this beautiful beach, and get a drone's eye view. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wharariki_Beach The 2015 photo: http://photos.rossfinlayson.com/picture.php?/208/category/34 (November 11, 2020. DJI Mavic Pro, 1/1499s @ f/2.2, 4.73mm, ISO 100.) - Salzkammergut
I spent a day in Austria's scenic "Salzkammergut" region (near Salzburg). Most of the day was overcast and drizzling, but in the late afternoon the weather finally cleared, giving me this sunset view of the village of St. Wolfgang and the Wolfgangsee (lake). (August 2, 2015. Nikon D5000, 1/50s @ f/8, 20 mm, ISO 200.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzkammergut - Reflected Barge
Driving through the San Francisco Delta close to sunset, I caught this rusting barge, illuminated by the late afternoon sun. (February 13, 2016. Nikon D5000, 1/640s @ f/5.3, 62 mm, ISO 200.) - Grizzled Old-Timers
A wide-angle lens worked well for this photo of two very old Bristlecone Pines (each probably thousands of years old) in the White Mountains of eastern California. (October 11, 2017. Nikon D7200, 1/400s @ f/5.6, 15 mm, ISO 100.) - Mesquite Sand Dunes
Death Valley, California, is a harsh place. Even during this late September afternoon, it was exceptionally hot: about 110 F (43 C). I liked this telephoto view of Mesquite Sand Dunes - in particular, the shadow formed by ridge between two of the dunes' peaks. (September 25, 2014. Nikon D5000, 1/100s @ f/18, 300mm, ISO 200.)