Home / Miscellaneous / 2024 - 10 Favorites 10
Ferns in the Catlins Forest
New Zealand's native forest is known for its wide variety of ferns - of various sizes. I was pleased with this photo of part of a short trail in the Catlins Forest, near the southern tip of New Zealand’s South Island. (February 22, 2024. Nikon D7200, 1/25s @ f/4, 16mm, ISO 200.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catlins
(An Even Better) Totality!
In April I drove all the way to Texas to catch the total solar eclipse, and was fortunate to encounter clear skies from my viewing spot, just south of Dallas. Back in 2017, I also happened to photograph that year's total solar eclipse (in Idaho). For that photo, however, I forgot to turn off the camera’s “auto ISO” feature; as a result, the 2017 photo ended up being captured with a very high ISO, generating a lot of noise. This year, however, I remembered to turn off the camera’s “auto ISO” feature, and took several photos at different shutter speeds (with a wide open aperture). This was the best photo of the set; it shows a solar prominence emerging from the moon’s lower edge. (April 8, 2024. Nikon D7200, 1/10s @ f/4, 300mm, ISO 100.)
Deception Pass Bridge
In Summer I embarked on another road trip - this time around the Pacific Northwest. I was pleased with the symmetry - and the contrasting light and shadows - of this photo underneath the Deception Pass Bridge, in northern Washington State. (July 17, 2024. Nikon D7200, 1/60s @ f/6.3, 38mm, ISO 224.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deception_Pass_Bridge
Vancouver Peaks
Another photo with an interesting contrast of light and shadows - this time of “Canada Place”, a prominent building on the waterfront in Vancouver, BC. (July 23, 2024. Apple iPhone 13 Pro, 1/499s @ f/2.8, 77mm, ISO 32.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Place
Emerald Lake
It was a clear, sunny day when I visited beautiful Emerald Lake, in British Columbia’s Yoho National Park. (August 1, 2024. Nikon D7200, 1/640s @ f/2.8, 16mm, ISO 100.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Lake_(British_Columbia)
Flamingo, San Diego Zoo
Two photos on this year’s list come from a single visit to San Diego Zoo on September 15th. I love the colors in this photo of a flamingo grooming itself. (September 15, 2024. Nikon D7200, 1/500s @ f/4, 300mm, ISO 281.)
Panda, San Diego Zoo
My main reason to visit San Diego Zoo was to photograph a pair of pandas - temporarily on loan from China. I was lucky to get a good photo of one of the pandas, despite having to shoot through a thick plexiglass barrier, and with a high ISO on an overcast day (which might have helped to reduce reflections off the plexiglass). (September 15, 2024. Nikon D7200, 1/500s @ f/4, 300mm, ISO 1600.)
Attack on Broome
After waking up at 4am (to catch a low tide), I walked more than a mile across a mudflat to capture this ‘golden hour’ photo of the wreck of a Catalina Flying Boat, destroyed in a World War II Japanese attack on the town of Broome, in Australia’s tropical northwest. (October 19, 2024. Nikon D7200, 1/100s @ f/6.3, 16mm, ISO 100.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Broome
23 Degrees South, 115 Degrees East
I liked the colors at this remote ‘Degree Confluence Point’ in Western Australia - the red soil (rich in iron oxide) in the foreground, with green vegetation in the background. (October 21, 2024. Nikon D7200, 1/320s @ f/7.1, 16mm, ISO 100.) https://confluence.org/confluence.php?visitid=23731
Lion Rock, Piha Beach
This year’s list of “10 Favorites” is bookended with photos of rural paths in New Zealand. This photo - taken on the evening of the Summer Solstice - shows Lion Rock, a prominent volcanic plug on Auckland’s black-sand Piha Beach. (December 21, 2024. Nikon D7200, 1/200s @ f/8, 24mm, ISO 100.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Rock_(New_Zealand)