Another year is coming to a close. It’s time to look back at my favorite photos and reflect on what I did in 2023.
I’ve worked hard to get this photo, and even harder to get it right. It has been a rewarding learning experience. This is the third year I have revisited this composition, and it even took me three attempts before I was finally happy with it.
I took this picture when I was in the process of taking a harder look at how I arrange elements in my landscape images. I’m a huge fan of dunes, so Monahans Sandhills was a perfect playground for exercising my compositional eye. Keeping things simple is the lesson that I (re)learned here.
I’ve had a 6-stop ND filter in my kit for a few years and played with it a few times, but this shot from Firehole Falls at Yellowstone was the first time I’ve made good use of it. I like the dappled light and the trees framing the composition, but dragging the shutter speed is what made this image work. This picture makes me want to shoot more waterfalls.
Who doesn’t love a moody mountain landscape? This photo is from my time at the Grand Tetons, and the conditions were like this the whole time with lots of rain. All the clouds hiding the mountaintops gave them a sense of mystery that made this particular shot stand out from my other work this year.
Along with refining my compositional eye for landscapes, I’ve been focusing on more abstract images this year. Bryce Canyon is filled with interesting ridges, textures, and lovely red coloration. There are countless landscape photos of this place, but more intimate compositions like this are unique to when they are shot because of ongoing erosion. Everything is always changing, even if it’s hard to see.
Honestly, 2023 was a hard year for me. I lost one of my best friends to cancer and I’ve struggled with motivation. Looking back at these images was even more valuable this time because I can see how my efforts have paid off. I’ve done a lot this year. I made important changes to the layout of this site, cleaned up my portfolio, grew my YouTube channel, and took some great photos. Now it’s time to look forward to the adventures I’ll have in 2024. Until next time, bye for now.