Monthly Favorites 2020

 

Runner-up.  Mojave Desert Sand Dunes

What can be said about 2020 that hasn’t already?  If I stick with the positive, I’ll say that I needed a nudge to slow down (which certainly occurred), and that I was motivated to try lots of new things (I’ve been messing with tabletop still lifes and Intentional Camera Movement) and have done lots of on-line education, principally two Out of Chicago seminars.

 

I continue to be so very grateful for the support of friends and family, as well as clients and social media acquaintances.  Connection has become even more important this year.

 

So, here goes my annual exercise of choosing one favorite image from each month of the year.  Enjoy!

 

January

Petroglyph in Ironwood Forest, Arizona

There’s magic in exploring a new place, especially when I have a tip about something exciting like petroglyphs.  Sharing an image of the ones I was tipped off on would seem like cheating, but these I found on my own, wandering around the area.  Ironwood Forest National Monument is an under-utilized gem which is well worth exploring.

February

The handoff, Hashknife Pony Express in Holbrook Arizona

 

What a thrill to be invited to chilly Holbrook, Arizona to photograph the Hashknife Pony Express! This multi-day ride from Holbrook to Scottsdale delivers real US Mail and has taken place for 61 years. Shawn and Wade were kind enough to model for us at sunrise.

March

Spring at Organ Pipe National Monument Arizona

Owl clover at Organ Pipe National Monument took my breath away on a gorgeous spring day.  It wasn’t a spectacular spring for flowers, but they were there for those who looked.

April

Primrose, stone stairs, and moon set, Yarnell Hill Arizona

Yarnell Hill is my front door, and driving in and out in April, I kept seeing more primrose blooms each trip.  I was positioning for shots of the setting full moon at sunrise and stumbled on these clusters of blooms on either side of some disused stone stairs.  What a cool moment!

May

Tabletop photography of the versatile Gerbera Daisy.  Part of the fun here is controlling the lighting, which is not so easy out in nature.  I also appreciate the lack of wind in the house.

June

Layers, Yarnell Hill Arizona

Close to home again, this time waiting for the full moon to rise over the Weaver Mountains in the evening (there’s a pattern here) I looked behind me and there were the purple mountains majesty rising from the desert floor.

July

Sunburst in the aspens, Kaibab Plateau Arizona

My favorite little stand of aspens on the Kaibab Plateau.  I’ve photographed the heck out of this area in autumn, but I rather like it in summer, too.

August

Rock Comet, San Clemente California

This image is just plain off the wall.  I was wandering around the beach in San Clemente, trying to shoot something different than the usual pier shots, and decided to take a walk looking down.  It was low tide, and the rock (lovely on its own) had created this pattern in the retreating tide.  I thought it looked like a comet.

September

ICM backlighted aspen, Kaibab Plateau Arizona

A bit of a new take on the backlighted autumn aspen shot, this one was taken while moving the camera.  The Wickenburg Art Club, which I’ve recently been juried into, does a fun annual show called “Double Takes,” where artists of other types and writers choose a work by a photographer for inspiration.  The two are exhibited together.  I liked this one enough to submit it, and you can see it and its not-yet-created counterpart there, along with many other pairs, March 1 – April 14.

October

 

Late autumn, Kebler Pass Colorado

Colorado was so very spectacular last autumn that choosing a favorite was nearly impossible.  Here, a stand of aspens on Kebler Pass.

November

Cloudburst and sunset from the El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon Arizona

Zing!  A sunset storm from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. 

December

Gypsy on the dunes

Dog.  This year’s recurring theme.

 

Thanks again for riding along this year.  Who knows what 2021 will bring, but there will be photos.