I’ve returned from my 2 day trek down to the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood but have close to 400 photos to wade through. The weather did not go as forecasted so difficult lighting was present at every location I visited (i.e. sunny with no clouds!). I’ve gone through a fair amount of the photos but still have a ways to go. I should have a number of photos to share sometime this week!..
On one of the photography forums that I frequent, someone posted their “top ten” images for 2009. I thought that was a great idea so, in honor of the first full year of my blog, I went through my images and selected my top ten. It was very hard since I had such a tremendous year of growth thanks in part to this blog. So- in no particular order, here are my top ten images for 2009….
1. Autumnal Sunset – Mount Rainier National Park
Taken from the Tolmie Peak lookout, the warm light of sunset really stands out making this a “classic” Mount Rainier photo for me.
More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.
2. Horseshoe Bend – North Fork Nooksack River Valley
This panorama was the payoff of exploration. I’ve been interested in finding someplace where I could create a panorama centered on a horseshoe bend of the river in a snowy scene. My first attempt wasn’t quite to my liking but I happened to stumble across this location which turned out to be very accessible.
More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.
3. Park Glacier Icefall
This shot was just a quick one while I waited for some cloud cover to lift from the summit of Mount Baker. Over time, this photo has really grown on me and I think a great example of how telephoto zooms are beneficial in landscape photography.
More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.
4. Deception Creek Panorama
Beautiful is a word that comes to mind for me with this photo. This photo was taken at my first stop on this particular outing. It wasn’t until I got home and pieced the panorama together when this scene’s impact really became apparent. When I now look at this photo, I’m really drawn into the movement of the creek as well as its expanse across the entire image.
More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.
5. Trees in Threes – Mount Rainier National Park
Taken on a wet morning on Mazama Ridge, this is another example of a photo that really struck a chord after processing it back home. For me, the photo has a lot going for it- a variety of wildflowers in the foreground and a repeating sequence of trees which eventually fade into the mist and fog of the background. I’m very proud of this image.
More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.
6. Inside Out – Mount Rainier National Park
I had been on a mission to find a better representation of this perspective. My previous attempts, while successful, looked out at a largely uninteresting forest. I happened to spy this log downhill off trail and knew that this was the one. I thought the jagged appearance of the opening added interest while the stump located just upslope ties the foreground to the background. This photo was physically a challenge to take since it did require crawing into the hollowed out portion of the log to gain this perspective. Now add in steady rain and things got even more difficult.
More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.
7. Winter’s Frost
I took this photo along side a creek in a cold pocket. The shaded area facilitated the development of this frost but the steep sideslope made taking the photo a bit challenging. I just love the pattern of frost and fir needles.
More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.
8. Wrapped in Fall
This is another shot composed with the aid of a telephoto zoom. I shot a series of photos trying different compositions and really loved the contrast between the vibrant oranges and the darker, muted tones of the trunk of the tree.
More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.
9. Cougar Divide
I remember this outing very much, primarilly due to my disappointment in this day’s sunset (or lack of one). The oranges and reds of sunset never made their way towards Mount Baker on this afternoon since a storm system seemed to move in quicker than forecasted. Still, I shot what was presented and this image really struck me and a beautiful combination of foreground, sky, and mountain.
More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.
10. No Better Time – Mount Rainier National Park
Taken during my first visit to Mazama Ridge, this small pocket of widlflowers in prime bloom seems to have a nice flow across the image, anchored by the False Hellebore on the left side of the frame. A very pleasing image for me.
More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.
Thank you for visiting throughout this past year and I look forward to more posts and photos during the upcoming year! Seasons Greetings!
