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.)
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.)
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.)