Tauranga Bay, West Coast
At this bay, on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, offshore rocks were framed by flowering flax plants as I shot towards the late afternoon sun. (November 24, 2021. Nikon D7200, 1/320s @ f/11, 26mm, ISO 100.)
Kea
This kea (a native alpine parrot) was, unfortunately, munching on some human junk food when I photographed it in New Zealand's Southern Alps. (November 22, 2021. Nikon D7200, 1/250s @ f/4, 80mm, ISO 100.)
Shadow Play
This tree - in the Chinese Garden in Dunedin, New Zealand - wasn't particularly interesting by itself, but it cast an interesting shadow. (November 18, 2021. Apple iPhone 13 Pro, 1/2801s @ f/1.8, 13mm, ISO 32.)
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.)
Sunrise at Bryce Point
With three photos in this year's 10 favorites, Utah may be the most photogenic state in the U.S. This photo was taken in Bryce Canyon National Park, shortly after sunrise. (September 28, 2021. Nikon D7200, 1/320s @ f/6.3, 24mm, ISO 100.)
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
This 'golden hour' photo captured the beauty of a small portion of Utah's vast Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. (September 27, 2021. Nikon D7200, 1/125s @ f/10, 16mm, ISO 100.)
Potash Ponds near Moab
While flying over potash evaporation ponds near Moab, Utah, my drone's gimbal malfunctioned, producing a slanted view that turned out to actually improve the photo. (May 16, 2021. DJI Mavic Pro, 1/1669s @ f/2.2, 26mm, ISO 100.)
White Globe Lily
My favorite macro photograph of 2021 was this shot of a White Globe Lily in Foothills Park, Palo Alto, California. (April 26, 2021. Nikon D7200, 1/25s @ f/22, 85mm, ISO 359.)
Bobcat at Coe
This bobcat, in northern California's Henry Coe State Park, seemed somewhat annoyed at my presence while I photographed it. (March 31, 2021. Nikon D7200, 1/500s @ f/13, 300mm, ISO 6400.)
Springtime Oaks
During an early Spring hike in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park in northern California, I saw these magnificent oak trees, backlit by the late afternoon Sun. (March 28, 2021. Nikon D7200, 1/1600s @ f/3, 27mm, ISO 100.)