- 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.) - 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.) - 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.) - 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.) - 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.) - 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.) - 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.) - 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.) - Western Racer, Henry Coe State Park, California
My favorite macro photograph of 2013. With an 85mm macro lens, I was able to get within 1 foot of this small snake, as it watched me warily. I like the detail that I was able to capture in its eye and nose. (April 17, 2013. Nikon D5000, 1/100s @ f/18, 85mm, ISO 200.) - "Walkable Roller Coaster", Duisburg, Germany
Perhaps my favorite wide-angle photograph from 2013. This large sculpture is a "walkable roller coaster" (except, of course, for the loop, which is gated closed anyway). Conditions were bad for photography - an overcast sky, with flat light - but I like the way that the 'arms' of the sculpture draw the viewer's attention into the center. (July 13, 2013. Nikon D5000, 1/1250s @ f/7.1, 19mm, ISO 200.) - "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.) - 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.) - Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park
Most people see this famous hot spring (one of the world's largest) only from ground level. However, a short but steep hike up a neighboring hill gives you a panoramic view. I like the range of colors (from the foreground, the spring itself, and the forested background), and the way in which the pedestrian boardwalk at the bottom-right leads your eye towards the spring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Prismatic_Spring (May 23, 2013. Nikon D5000, 1/500s @ f/5.6, 70mm, ISO 200.) - 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.) - 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.)