Year in Review - 2011

This was my first 365 project and I have to admit that at the beginning I wasn't so sure if I'd even make it through January.  Over time, however, I got into the habit of virtually always having my camera with me - even as I'm running errands or walking to work.  While the main objective of this project was to really learn my camera, there are many things I didn't even get into, most notably white balance, ISO, and shooting more RAW and with manual settings.  Instead, the project has become a document of my journey through the year. There are things I remember as I look through these images that I wouldn't otherwise - things that would have been written off as unimportant.  There was the day I ventured to International Avenue, made awesome baked buns, captured the hail, and ditched my old phone. These are all images that I normally wouldn't have taken, but which I enjoy.  It is for this reason - capturing a journey - that I've chosen to keep the project going for the next year. 

It's hard to select my ten 'best' photos as best is so subjective.  One could pick for the best composition, lighting, artistic merit, and a hundred other things. I've chosen to select the ten images from the year that I like in terms of photographic quality, but which also have personal meaning.  Often they're a record of a special adventure, experiencing great light, or simply being in a place that I only dreamed of getting to.

Top 10 Photos from 2011

It was January and the roads were a muddy mess, but the sun shining through the clouds allowed me to capture this silhouette. Combined with the colours, I like this for being somewhat abstract.

Another cold January day, and perhaps one of the photos that best portrays the feel of that actual moment.  It was cold and the wind was blowing. The only thing that added some colour was the road sign and yellow stripe on the pavement.

This was the first image where I felt that I had gotten a shot. By now I'm convinced that cold days can add to better quality photos as the air is so clean - no haze or smoke to deal with as is common in the summer months.

Another one chosen for its lack of colour, but with a splash of red. The town really was abandoned that day.

If I had to pick my favourite image of the year, this may be it. I had spent eight hours driving through Colorado and Utah when I was so tired that I had to pull over. As I reclined the seat for a power nap, I noticed this truck, put on the wide angle lens, played with the camera and woke up in the process.

In how many places can you get a landscape like this, framed by rocks on both sides and perfect for a wide-angle lens?  Chose this photo for the unique landscape.

I could never be a 'real' photographer as I don't like getting up early, but here I was up at 3am in order to make it to Mesa Arch around 4am. Yes, the sky is blown, but it's one of those photos that holds special meaning for the experience.

This was a very intentional shot and I decided to scramble up to Abbot Pass Hut for the purpose of capturing this image.  It turns out that the full moon obscured the meteor shower, but points for being an absolutely incredible place to be.

I stumbled across this scene while out for an easy scramble to Bow Peak. The reflections were totally unexpected, but very photogenic.  Maybe in the next year I can capture some mist on the water.

The wide-angle lens has specific applications, and on this day I only carried it because I didn't want to leave it in the car in downtown Spokane.  So glad I had it with me, as this was a fairly tight space that I couldn't capture fully with my regular lens.