Victory, and Defeat
Perhaps my single favorite photo of 2011. In the finals of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in Long Beach, California, Antonio Braga Neto is congratulated by his coach, Roberto "Gordo" Correa, after winning the Gold Medal in the Ultra-Heavy division. Braga Neto's gallant but defeated opponent, Rodrigo Cavaca, crouches dejectedly in the background. (June 5, 2011. Nikon D5000, 1/125s @ f/5.3, 195mm, ISO 1600.)
Surfers Paradise
Moving now from the winter to the summer - in Queensland, Australia. The residential highrise apartments of Surfers Paradise glisten in the setting sun (shining from the left side of the photo). This photo was taken from Burleigh Heads beach - a few kilometers to the south - where the sun had just set behind the bluff. As the sun sets, beachgoers continue to enjoy the warm Australian summer evening. (February 12, 2011. Nikon D5000, 1/50s @ f/10, 140mm, ISO 220.)
Sunset at Panther Beach
This photo - taken near Santa Cruz, California - was made from three separate photos (one normally-exposed; one underexposed; one overexposed), combined using software ("high dynamic range" (HDR) processing). The three photos were taken about 1 second apart, which meant that the waves were in a different position in each photo. That's why the sea looks 'wild and angry' in the combined image. I also liked the reflection of the sun on the waves and on the wet part of the sand. The hour before sunset is a great time of the day to take photos like this. (October 23, 2011. Nikon D5000, HDR from a 3-shot bracketed exposure (-2,0,+2 EV) @ f/18, 14mm, ISO 200.)
Grand Canyon West
"Grand Canyon West" is a section of the Grand Canyon that runs through the Hualapai Indian Reservation, north of Kingman, Arizona. I liked the contrasts - in both color and light - that showed up in this photograph. (December 4, 2011. Nikon D5000, 1/250s @ f/13, 19mm, ISO 200.)
Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park
California's Sierra Nevada mountains experienced near-record snowfall in Winter 2010-2011. As the snow melted in late Spring and early Summer 2011, the waterfalls of Yosemite National Park became even more spectacular than normal. This mid-afternoon photo in early Summer shows Half Dome (at left), Liberty Cap (center), with Nevada Falls at right. (June 23, 2011. Nikon D5000, 1/50s @ f/14, 14mm, ISO 250.)
Long Ridge Sunset
A typical Summer evening scene in the San Francisco Bay Area: The sun sets over a dry grassy hillside, as a fog bank spreads inland from the Pacific Ocean. (August 21, 2011. Nikon D5000, exposure blending from a 3-shot bracketed exposure (-2,0,+2 EV) @ f/16, 24mm, ISO 200.)
Cypress Swamp, Mississippi
Returning to Spring in the Northern Hemisphere... In April and May of 2011 I drove around the United States, visiting all 48 contiguous states. This long-exposure (1.6 second) photo of a sleepy Cypress Swamp was taken in central Mississippi, near the Natchez Trace Parkway. (April 9, 2011. Nikon D5000, 1.6s @ f/16, 34mm, ISO 200.)
Prairie Dog!
On the homeward leg of my round-the-US trip, I stopped at Prairie Homestead State Park, near Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Several Prairie Dogs were frolicking in the field, or - like this one - standing watch at the entrance to their home, warning others of the strange two-legged creatures in their midst. (May 21, 2011. Nikon D5000, 1/500s @ f/8, 230mm, ISO 200.)
Wildflower, Parc National de la Gaspésie
I didn't do much macro (i.e., magnified, close-up) photography in 2011, but this particular photo - of a wildflower growing in the Parc National de la Gaspésie, Quebec, Canada - stood out. I liked the contrast between the flower's orange petals, and the green background. (August 1, 2011. Nikon D5000, 1/50s @ f/22, 85mm, ISO 360.)
Young Egret, Shoreline Park
I took this photo on a brisk winter afternoon at Shoreline Park in Mountain View, California. I liked the detail that came out in the bird's feathers. (January 23, 2011. Nikon D5000, 1/200s @ f/5.6, 280mm, ISO 200.)