Of the many photographs that I took in 2013, these are my 10 personal favorites.
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.)
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.)
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.)
Moulton Barn (and the Tetons), near Jackson, Wyoming, at sunrise
A popular subject of photographers; this is probably the world's most photographed barn. (May 27, 2013. Nikon D5000, HDR-processing from a 3-shot bracketed exposure @ f/16, 34mm, 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.)
"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.)
Oberbaum Bridge, Berlin, at sunset
The 'golden hour' - before sunset - is my favorite time for photography, as the setting sun often provides ideal light for photographs like this: The Oberbaum Bridge across the Spree River in Berlin, Germany. I like the way the setting sun illuminates the bricks in the bridge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberbaum_Bridge (July 28, 2013. Nikon D5000, 1/200s @ f/8, 24mm, ISO 200.)
"Autumn in Vancouver"
While in Vancouver, Canada for a business meeting, I noticed the spectacular fall colors of these trees. I like the contrast between the colorful trees on the right-hand side of the path, and the almost bare trees on the left-hand side, and how both rows of tree focus the viewer's attention towards the high-rise buildings in the background. (November 8, 2013. Nikon D5000, 1/50s @ f/14, 40mm, ISO 250.)