- 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.) - Pacific Grove
n my photos, I usually aim for 'photorealism', but because this long-duration photo (of a cove in Pacific Grove, California, at dusk) produced brushstroke-like ocean swirls, I decided to further increase the artistic feel by increasing the color saturation. (January 15, 2012. Nikon D5000, 1s @ f/11, 46mm, ISO 200.) - Takahe
The "Takahe" is a rare New Zealand native bird. These (flightless) birds are so rare, in fact, that they were thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in the 1940s. Even today, only about 200 remain. This photo was taken at Tiritiri Matangi Island - a wildlife sanctuary near Auckland, New Zealand. (February 15, 2012. Nikon D5000, 1/200s @ f/6.3, 300mm, ISO 200.) - You Looking at Me?
Was this cute seal staring at me as I photographed it at dusk from Point Lobos, California? Probably not, but I like to think that perhaps it was. I also liked the circular ripples in the water. (May 6, 2012. Nikon D5000, 1/100s @ f/6.3, 300mm, ISO 200.) - Turkish Fisherman
In Spring I vacationed in Turkey, and three photos from this year's "10 favorites" album came from this trip. Around noon on a bright sunny day I photographed this man fishing - cigarette in mouth - just outside the marked-off public swimming area at Ölündeniz Beach, near Fethiye on Turkey's 'Turquoise Coast'. (June 1, 2012. Nikon D5000, 1/125s @ f/16, 300mm, ISO 200.) - Transit of Venus
My single favorite photo from 2012 was an accident. While in Istanbul, Turkey on vacation, I woke up early on June 6th to try to photograph the Transit of Venus - the last for more than a century. From this part of the world, the transit would be visible only at sunrise. I had a thick filter (a piece of welding glass) that I used for several photos of the transit. Some of those photos came out OK. My best photo, however, was this one that I took for fun, without a filter, just as the sun began to emerge above the clouds. I wasn't expecting this photo to show the shadow of Venus, but - to my surprise - after reducing highlights and increasing contrast, it produced a remarkable image. (Another fun fact about this photo was that I was standing in Europe, but watching the Sun rise over Asia!) (June 6, 2012. Nikon D5000, 1/1600s @ f/9, 300mm, ISO 200.) - Inside the Hagia Sophia
Just hours after photographing the Transit of Venus, I took another photo that became one of this year's favorites. This photo shows the expansive interior of one of the world's most historic buildings - the "Hagia Sophia", in Istanbul, Turkey. Completed in 537 AD, this was the largest Christian cathedral in the world for almost 1000 years. After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, it became a mosque. It is now a museum. (June 6, 2012. Nikon D5000, exposure blending from a 3-shot bracketed exposure @ f/7.1, 13mm, ISO 200.) - Monument Valley at Sunset
Monument Valley, in northeastern Arizona, is one of the US Southwest's most iconic sights - having been used as a backdrop in several western movies. In 2012 I visited it for the first time, and took this wide-angle photo shortly before sunset. (July 10, 2012. Nikon D5000, exposure blending from a 3-shot bracketed exposure @ f/16, 22mm, ISO 200.) - The Wave
This natural sandstone formation - in northern Arizona's "Vermillion Cliffs National Monument" - is prized by photographers. However, it is difficult to reach, because access to the area is by permit only, and only a few permits are made available - by lottery - each day. After applying several times, I finally got a permit to hike here on July 11th, 2012. This turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year; temperatures during my 7-mile round-trip hike were around 110 degrees F (43 degrees C)! (July 11, 2012. Nikon D5000, 1/200s @ f/11, 12mm, ISO 200.) - The Last Space Shuttle Flight
The recently-retired space shuttle "Endeavour" flys over Moffett Field, Mountain View, California - en route to Los Angeles, where it will be put on display in a museum. (This is the last time we'll ever see a space shuttle in the air.) (September 21, 2012. Nikon D5000, 1/1000s @ f/8, 300mm, ISO 200.) - Stay Away!
This crab - on Saint George Island, off Florida's Gulf Coast - stood up on its hind legs in a defensive posture as I approached. (I was pleased at the detail that was captured here.) (November 2, 2012. Nikon D5000, 1/800s @ f/6.3, 85mm, ISO 200.) - View from the Great Ocean Road
The scenic "Great Ocean Road" runs for more than 200 km along the coast of the south-eastern Australian state of Victoria. The view towards the sun, and the somewhat hazy light - usually not good for landscape photography - happened to give this photograph a dreamy, painting-like feeling. I particularly like the texture in the foreground vegetation, and in the waves. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_ocean_road (February 10, 2013. Nikon D5000, 1/50s @ f/18, 16mm, ISO 400.) - "Black Caviar"
In February, at Flemington racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, I witnessed the champion racehorse "Black Caviar" win her 23rd-successive race (also breaking the course record for 1000 metres). The horse retired two months later - undefeated in 25 races. Technically, this photograph is not remarkable, but it captures a piece of sporting history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Caviar (February 16, 2013. Nikon D5000, 1/1000s @ f/5.6, 300mm, ISO 250.) - Fort Jefferson
Fort Jefferson, Florida is a large Civil-War-era island fortress (the largest masonry structure in the Americas), and is part of the Dry Tortugas National Park. This photograph - framed by the walls of the fort - captures the fort's brick moat, with the reef and the Gulf of Mexico beyond. The colors and horizontal layering in this photograph make it somewhat reminiscent of a work of abstract art. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Jefferson,_Florida (March 16, 2013. Nikon D5000, 1/250s @ f/5.6, 22mm, ISO 200.)