- Submission!
I took many jiu-jitsu photos in 2010, but this photo - of my friend Allen Pestana submitting an opponent (with a triangle-arm bar combination) during the Pan Am tournament - stood out. (April 8, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/250s @ f/5.3, 210mm, ISO 3200.) - Aurora Australis
On the evening of November 4th, while on vacation in southern New Zealand, I saw reports on social media that the Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) might be visible. I drove to a rural location with a clear southern horizon, and, with the naked eye, saw just a faint green glow. However my iPhone's camera, with a long exposure and high ISO, was able to capture much more. (November 4, 2021. Apple iPhone 13 Pro, 1s @ f/1.5, 26mm, ISO 10000.) - Glasshouse Mountains, Queensland, Australia
Usually, a hazy sky detracts from the quality of a landscape photo. In this case, however, it seemed to enhance it - giving it a dreamy, painting-like quality. (February 15, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/30s @ f/11, 18mm, ISO 200.) - Joshua Tree National Park
Southern California's Joshua Tree National Park is a photographer's dream at any time of the year. In Spring, however, wildflowers are blooming, and you get even more wonderful photo opportunities. (April 12, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/100s @ f/14, 35mm, ISO 200.) - Horseshoe Bend (Colorado River), near Page, Arizona
This remarkable horseshoe-shaped bend in the Colorado River (just north-east of the Grand Canyon) is one of the most photographed spots on the river. This view is towards the West, and this photo was taken in the afternoon, so it's not as good as it could have been. (However, IMHO it still looks better than most other Horseshoe Bend photographs I've seen on the Internet.) I wonder how many thousand years it will take for the narrow neck of the bend to erode through - allowing the river to pass straight through... (April 17, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/125s @ f/18, 13mm, ISO 200.) - Antelope Canyon, near Page, Arizona
The 'slot canyons' of the U.S. Southwest are favorite spots for photography. Because of the extremely high dynamic range (between the dark and sunlit regions), exposure bracketing is almost essential in order to get good photographs here. (April 18, 2010. Nikon D5000, exposure blending from 3-shot bracketed exposure (-2,0,+2 EV) @ f/16, 26mm, ISO 200.) - "The Photographer"
Mountain biking friend Dave Oare photographs the Grand Canyon at sunset. (April 19, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/125s @ f/9, 13mm, ISO 200.) - Paola and Nathan
I took only a few portrait photos in 2010, but I was particularly pleased with this photo (of friend Paola Santiago with her son Nathan). (May 2, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/30s @ f/3.5, 50mm, ISO 900.) - Lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano
Glowing lava flows from the Kilauea volcano, near sundown. (This photo was taken from a public viewing area, a mile or so away. The lava in the foreground had been laid down less than 3 weeks earlier, and was still warm to the touch!) (December 16, 2010. Nikon D5000, exposure blending from 3-shot bracketed exposure (-2,0,+2 EV) @ f/16, 116mm, ISO 200.) - Mauna Kea Observatory (Hawaii) at sunset
I didn't think much of this photo when I first took it, but later, I realized that the composition and lighting seemed close to perfect. (December 18, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/30s @ f/11, 22mm, ISO 220.) - 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.) - 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.) - 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.) - 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.)