Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

Photography By Jim M. Goldstein

Recommended: Videos by Circle of Confusion

Just in case you’re unaware Circle of Confusion have kicked off  a new series of educational photography videos with the first discussing Dynamic Range (click for a definition).  Their first video is full of great info, is entertaining and is a great window into the behind the scenes of landscape photography. Peter, Neil and Roger have a great sense of humor which they infuse into each segment of the video. Topics of discussion include dynamic range (obviously), lighting, filters, gear, format differences (color, B&W and Infrared), composition and as a bonus includes great image comparisons. The video is 53 minute and 54 second in length and is an exceptional way to see the majestic landscapes of south western Ireland short of visiting yourself.

Peter CoxNeil McShane and Roger Overall who make up Circle of Confusion are great guys and worthy of supporting. Their video Dynamic Range, Episode 1 is currently available for €9.95.

From the Archive:
EXIF & Beyond: Wildlife Photography In The Arctic

EXIF and Beyond

The fifth episode of EXIF and Beyond has been released. This is video podcast and can be viewed or downloaded via iTunes:
EXIF and Beyond: Wildlife Photography In The Arctic
Photographing wildlife in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). An amazing glimpse into the United States most beautiful and controversial wilderness areas. (Part I of II)

For the non-iTune listeners a streaming version of this podcast can be accessed here.

Enjoy and by all means feel free to pass on feedback.
For those unaware this subject was chosen by EXIF and Beyond listeners via the survey found on the EXIF and Beyond web page. Let me know what you’d like to hear next and if interested previous podcast episodes can be found there as well at EXIFandBeyond.com

Migrating Caribou, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge photo by Jim M. Goldstein



Rent Cameras, Lenses, Tripods and Accessories by mail

10 Ways To Improve as a Photographer

Recently I was presented the question, “How does one improve as a photographer? This question came from a well seasoned photographer and it got me thinking of the things I’ve done in the past. While the things listed below worked for me they may not work for everyone. Which leads me to wonder what do you do to improve as a photographer when you feel you’ve hit a wall?

Viewing 99 Cents by Andreas Gursky

Viewing "99 Cents" by Andreas Gursky

10 Ways To Improve as a Photographer

  1. Cut off participation on photo critique forums. Over time many of the submitted photos start to emulate each other converging into a common style versus diverging to original work.
  2. Begin viewing art web sites more frequently to get inspiration from contemporary artists
  3. Begin going to more museums and traveling exhibits to see the work of other artists (not just photographers)
  4. Begin looking at and reading classic and contemporary art books
  5. Force yourself to use different lenses
  6. Intentionally avoided taking the same types of shots by recognizing one’s habits in the field
  7. Identify and start personal art projects that you’ll find fulfilling even if they’re unlikely to resonate with others
  8. Monitor new technologies (hardware, software or even things out of left field that are unrelated) to see if they might be creatively applied to make something new and never before seen.
  9. Take a lot of iPhone photos as a creative white board to see things you might pass over otherwise
  10. Ask yourself “What if…?” a lot and try to formulate something new from your basic curiosity.

As I see it this desire to continually improve is healthy and a great sign. I see far too many photographers (well known big names) fall into the habit of trying to reproduce work they had success with many years earlier. Photography is moving at such a fast pace that these older styles and techniques are now easily reproduced by lesser experienced photographers. The result is people losing respect for them or just becoming jaded by them. I wrote about this a bit here in The Subtlety of Greatness and Today’s Loss of Appreciation.

Now more than ever it really takes a lot of skill, self-discipline and motivation to dig deeper and push farther. Great photographers are always pushing the limits and having seen this in my study of photography over the years it has served as a very strong source of motivation.

Personally I can’t help but think if you’re not looking back at your older work and being dissatisfied you’re not growing as a photographer. This is why I run the Best of Photos 20XX blog project. Every year I look back and think I should trash my old photos. It’s not where I want to be. The day I lose that feeling is the day I know I’m done. There should always be new creative horizons to aim for and explore.

Break in the Storm, White Sands National Monument

Fitting quote for the week as we wrap up a week here in the United States commemorating the life of Martin Luther King Jr.:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Break in the Storm, White Sands National Monument - New Mexico

Break in the Storm, White Sands National Monument - New Mexico

If you ever show up to a location you’ve had your heart set on to photograph only to find that the weather isn’t up to your expectation this photo is a reminder to clear your mind of preconceived ideas and start fresh. Mother Nature always has a way of revealing a facet of her beauty, you just have to be open minded enough to see it.

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The View That Could Be

The View That Could Be

The View That Could Be

Learn more about SOPA and its ugly twin PIPA in this short 4 minute video.

Write your US Congressperson and Senator to urge them to vote no on SOPA and PIPA. Do customize the title and at least the first line of the email that is generated so staffers know its not just a form letter with out thought.

Best Photos of 2011 by JMG-Galleries Blog Readers

This year we had an amazing turn out for the Best Photos of 2011 blog project with 289 entries, topping the results for best photos of 2010,  best photos of 2009best photos of 2008 and best photos of 2007! Participants spanned a spectrum of skill levels from hobbyists to professionals and covered a wide variety of genres including landscape, macro, nature, photojournalism, portraiture, event, wildlife, fine art photography and more. There are likely many names you’ll recognize below and many others you won’t. I highly recommend visiting each entry as I have. Even after 5 years of running this blog project I’m blown away by the talent of those that take part. It is truly inspirational to see so much creativity and beauty. If your curious to see photos I personally enjoyed look out for the entries with *** next to them.

  1. JMG-Galleries Best Photos of 2011 – Jim M. Goldstein
  2. Dalal al-Dhubaib’s flickr – Dalal al-dhobaib
  3. www.mawpix.com – Matthias Wassermann
  4. 2011 Retrospective – Alex Wise
  5. Jon McCormack Photography – Jon McCormack ***
  6. Top 10 of 2011 a Exploring Light Photography – Chris Moore
  7. The year in review: My favorite 2011 Photos – Ed Rosack
  8. Dave Wilson Photography – Dave Wilson
  9. Top 10 from Behind The Clicks – Mohammad Noman
  10. Art in Nature Photography: Best of 2011 – Floris van Breugel ***
  11. Alaska Photography – Mike Criss
  12. My best photos from 2011 – Lasse Sørnes
  13. http://www.500px.com/photo/3230405 – Keivan Zavari
  14. My Five Best Images of 2011 – Peter Cox ***
  15. My Top 10 images of 2011 – Charlie Widdis Photography
  16. MY TOP PHOTOS FROM 2011 – Chaz Curry ***
  17. Best of 2011 – Juan Guevara
  18. Stories From Home – David Patterson
  19. My Best Of 2011 – The Photographs – Sven Seebeck
  20. The Uprooted Photographer – Zach Frailey
  21. Top ten wildlife photos of 2011 – Burrard-Lucas Wildlife Photography ***
  22. Eleven From Twenty Eleven – Jacob F. Lucas ***
  23. My ten favorite photos of 2011 – Stefan Bäurle
  24. Changing Perspectives – Jenni Brehm
  25. 2011 Top 10 Photos – Andrei Olariu
  26. Best Photos of 2011 – Ahmed Almuhairi
  27. Favorite Photos of 2011 – Pat Ulrich ***
  28. Top 11 of 2011 – Younes Bounhar
  29. Natural California – John Wall ***
  30. 2011 – A Review – Jim Denham
  31. yeeehah.com – William R. Bullock
  32. 2011Top11 – Kate Church
  33. Top Ten Photos of 2011 – Steve Cole
  34. Top 10 of 2011 – Brian Rueb ***
  35. http://www.davidjohnstonart.com/index.html – David Johnston
  36. 7 Images of Denver in 2011 – Neil Corman
  37. My Top 10 for 2011 – Lon Overacker
  38. Craig Ferguson Images | The Year That Was – Craig Ferguson
  39. My Best Images of 2011 – Clark Crenshaw
  40. “Sort of the best of 2011: ants – Jeroen Mentens
  41. Best Photos Of 2011 – Dawnstar Australis – Daniel McNamara
  42. Skolai Images – Carl Donohue ***
  43. Favorite 10 of 2011 – Alan Dahl ***
  44. Tony’s Blog – Tony Unwin
  45. Best of 2011_Laurie Rubin – Laurie Rubin ***
  46. FlixelPix Best Photos of 2011 – David Cleland
  47. Ilja Melnikov – Ilja Melnikov
  48. Best of 2011 – Rob Tilley ***
  49. Free Roaming Photography 12 Best Photos from 2011 – Mike Cavaroc ***
  50. Adventures Through the Lens: 2011 in Review – Rebecca R Jackrel ***
  51. Top Photos of 2011 by Gary Crabbe / Enlightened Images – Gary Crabbe ***
  52. My 10 Best Photos of 2011 – Michael Russell
  53. Digitized Chaos’ 2011 faves – Rian Castillo
  54. Top 10 Photos of 2011 – Mike Chowla
  55. John Fujimagari’s Best of 2011 – John Fujimagari
  56. 10 Best Landscape Photos of 2011 – Cody Duncan ***
  57. Best photos from 2011 – Janis Janums
  58. Best Photos Of 2011 – David Leland Hyde ***
  59. PhotogAbby’s Photoviews – Abigail Gossage
  60. Do Not Get On or Off While in Motion – G. Kaltenbrun
  61. Tony Wu’s Underwater Photography Blog – Tony Wu ***
  62. 12 Months – 12 Favourite Images – Petr Hlavacek | NZICESCAPES IMAGES ***
  63. Alpenglow Images | Greg Russell Best of 2011 – Greg Russell ***
  64. An End of Year Retrospective for 2011 – The Top 11 Images of ’11 – Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston
  65. 11 from ‘11 – Dru Stefan Stone
  66. William Neill’s Top Forty Images for 2011 – William Neill ***
  67. Dave’s Best Of 2011 – Dave Reichert
  68. 10 Best Photos of 2011 by Scott Thompson – Scott Thompson – Scott Shots Photography
  69. My best 10 images of 2011? – Duffy Knox
  70. My 5 Top Photos from 2011 and Photography Year in Review – Tommy Holt
  71. Russ Bishop Photography – Russ Bishop ***
  72. My Top 10 Favourite Images of 2011 – John Dunne Photography
  73. Asif Patel Photography – TopPhotos2011 – Asif Patel
  74. The Best of 2011 – Neil McShane (aka Mononeil) ***
  75. Top Nature Photographs of 2011 by Mark Graf – Mark Graf ***
  76. Year 2011 in 10 photos. – Filip Lucin
  77. Views Infinitum: Best of 2011 – Scott Thomas
  78. Dobson Central Photography – Top 10 Photos of 2011 – Ken Dobson
  79. “The Best of Myrmecos – Alex Wild ***
  80. Your Favorite Shots from 2011 – Fred S. Brundick
  81. Patrick Gensel – The Best Of 2011 – Patrick Gensel
  82. 100 Favorite pictures from 2011 – Patrick J Endres
  83. My Ten Favorite Photos of 2011 – Randy Langstraat
  84. KennethVerburg.nl – Kenneth Verburg ***
  85. Naturography: My Top 5 for 2011 – Mike Spinak ***
  86. Edith Levy Photography – 2011 A Year in Review – Edith Levy
  87. G Dan Mitchell Photography – G Dan Mitchell ***
  88. Jonesblog – Bryan William Jones
  89. Timages’ 2011 Top Ten – Tim Mulcahy
  90. naturalvision-photo.com – Derek Griggs
  91. Favorites of the Year: 2011 – Ken Trout
  92. Beetles in the Bush – Ted C. MacRae
  93. Chuqui 3.0 – Chuq Von Rospach
  94. Peter Carroll Photography – Peter Carroll
  95. My photos of 2011 – Frederico Quintao
  96. http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com – Glenn Nevill
  97. Best of 2011 – Brad Barton Photography – Brad Barton Photography ***
  98. Rocky Mountain National Park 2011 / Non-Rocky Best of 2011 – Erik Stensland
  99. My Favorite/Best Photographs of 2011 – Inge Fernau
  100. Best Photos of 2011 – Ryan Golias
  101. Best of 2011 – Larry Rosenstein
  102. Best of 2011 – Mellimage
  103. The Quiet Picture – Year 2011 In Pictures – Minna Kinnunen
  104. My personal Top 10 images from 2011 – Alexander S. Kunz / Daylight Colors
  105. 11 Best of 2011 – Olivier Du Tré ***
  106. Best Photos of 2011 – Jim Coda ***
  107. Living Wilderness: Best Images of 2011 – Kevin Ebi ***
  108. Oxherder Arts – Best of 2011 – Don Schulte
  109. my best images of 2011 – Rhoda Maurer ***
  110. http://www.stamates.com – Jim Stamates
  111. Organic Light Pan – Youssef Ismail ***
  112. Rick Diffley Photography – Rick Diffley Photography
  113. Best Images of 2011 – Robin Black ***
  114. PhotoWalkPro – Jeff Revell
  115. Highlights from 2011 – Roman W. Schatz
  116. Uncommon Depth – Roberta Murray ***
  117. TKM Journal – Highlights of 2011 – Kent Mearig
  118. Amanda Herbert’s best of 2011 – Amanda Herbert Photography
  119. Google+ – Umes Shrestha
  120. Anne McKinnell’s Top 10 Images of 2011 – Anne McKinnell
  121. Best Photos of 2011 – Jim Maher
  122. www.fredmertzphotography.com – Fred Mertz
  123. Top 10 Photos of 2011 – Ireena Worthy
  124. 11 in 2011 – My Favorite Photos – Debra Feinman
  125. 2011 Top Ten Plant Photos By John Manuwal Photography – John Manuwal
  126. www.azaelmeza.com – Azael Meza
  127. David Sharp – The Best of 2012 – David Sharp ***
  128. Looking back at 2011 – Ivan Makarov ***
  129. Best Photos of 2011 – Pete Miller – USKestrel Adventography
  130. My favorite 10 of 2011 – John Christopher
  131. Neil Creek – Photographer – Neil Creek ***
  132. JohnLPhoto Best of 2011 – John Lemen
  133. Momentary Awe – Catalin ***
  134. 2011 Top Ten – Andrew S Gibson
  135. “Crest, Cliff and Canyon – A. Jackson Frishman
  136. 2011 – A Good Year – Margaret Summers
  137. Favorite Photos from 2011 – Richard Wong *** – Richard Wong
  138. latoga photography – Favorite Photos of 2011 – Greg A. Lato
  139. Looking Back – 2011 – Derek Fogg
  140. My Photo Blog – Ron Niebrugge’s favorite photos from 2011 – Ron Niebrugge ***
  141. My 10 Favorite Photos of 2011 – Dan Bailey ***
  142. My 11 favorites from 2011 – Kurt M. Lawson Photography ***
  143. Happy New Year – Lori Ann Cole
  144. My Top 10 Mixture – Ashley Cottle
  145. Google+ Beach Photography – Jennifer Brinkman
  146. Top 10 images of 2011 – Denise Goldberg
  147. www.azaelmeza.com – Azael Meza
  148. Erwin Kessing Photography – Erwin Kessing
  149. The Closing of the Year – Eustace James
  150. Mark Feenstra Photography: 10 Favourites from 2011 – Mark Feenstra
  151. Best Photos of 2011 – Ingo Meckmann ***
  152. Dynamics of Light and Shade – Richard Murphy
  153. My 20 Best from 2011 – David Maurer
  154. Top11 2011 – Patrick Ottoy
  155. Best of 2011 – David Edenfield
  156. Little Time Machine – This was 2011 – Pete Carr
  157. The Owl and the Wildcat – Jen Joynt
  158. Best of 2011 – Alison Wells
  159. My 2011 Best Nature and Landscape Photographs – Steve Sieren ***
  160. Best photos of 2011 on Flickr – Jono Hey
  161. Best Photos of 2011 – Ken Snyder
  162. Best Photos of 2011 by Ilya Genkin – Ilya Genkin ***
  163. My best of 2011 – Terri Jacobson
  164. Piya Trepetch Photography – Top Ten Images from 2011 – Piya Trepetch
  165. My Best 10 Pictures for 2011 – Barbara Newson
  166. Woo’s 2011 in Pictures – Gary Woo
  167. My (Possibly) Ten Best Photos from 2011 – Jim McCoy
  168. Favorites – 2011 – Daniel Leu ***
  169. Closescapes Favourites From 2011. – Marshall Black
  170. Nature and Landscape – Small Choice 2011 – Ben Schreck
  171. http://wernerpriller.wordpress.com/ – Werner Priller ***
  172. Peter de Rooij’s Top 10 for 2011 – Peter de Rooij
  173. Best photos of 2011 by ISIK MATER – ISIK MATER
  174. Best Photos of 2011 – ysvry
  175. Focused Planet Photography – Justin Scicluna
  176. Best of 2011 by Carl-Johan Rådström – Carl-Johan Rådström
  177. Western Skies Top 11 From 2011 – Björn Göhringer
  178. My Best People Shots – Matt Goode
  179. Darin Rogers Photography: Best Of… – Darin Rogers
  180. http://www.juzno.com/ – Rob Castro
  181. Remembering 2011 in Photos – Aaron Hockley ***
  182. Favorites From 2011 – Brad Mangas ***
  183. Robb Hirsch Best of 2011 – Robb Hirsch ***
  184. Best Photos of 2011 – Sathish Jothikumar ***
  185. My best underwater photos 2011 – Suzy Walker ***
  186. Year 2011 in review and favorite images – QT Luong ***
  187. “10 From Michael Toye – Michael Toye
  188. Photoimagery.net – Peter McCabe
  189. 2011 – Our Favorite Images of the Year – Isabel & Steffen Synnatschke ***
  190. ylitalot.net – Juha Ylitalo
  191. Top Ten Photos of 2011 – by Brian Grzelewski – Brian Grzelewski
  192. Jim Nickelson Favorites of 2011 – Jim Nickelson
  193. 2011: My Top Ten Images – Michael Frye ***
  194. My Top Images of 2011 – Andrew Kee
  195. Favorites of 2011 – Simon Ponder
  196. 2011’s Top 10 Picks – Vidya Narasimhan
  197. My Top Ten Favourites from 2011 – Adriana Glackin
  198. Top Ten of 2011 – Fedor G Pikus
  199. Best Photos of 2011 – Hady Moslehi
  200. Mara @ Fantasia – Photo Round up of 2011 – Mara Acoma
  201. My Journey through 2011 – Kevin Thornhill
  202. My 10 personal favorites of 2011 – Marleen Hallaert
  203. Favorite Photographs From 2011 – Seung Kye Lee ***
  204. Best Photos of 2011 – Michael Gerken
  205. Simple Photography – Jay Shah
  206. My Top Ten Photos of 2011 – Mike Isaak ***
  207. http://lensmankc.com/?p=811 – Amit Jung K.C
  208. baliultimatephoto.blogspot.com – Hendra Wiguna
  209. My Favourite photos from 2011 – Alan Owens
  210. John Dusseault’s top 10 of 2011 – John Dusseault
  211. Favorites of 2011 – Plastic[Picture]
  212. Farsighted – Ron Artigues
  213. Google Plus – Darren Harmon
  214. Bill Hornbostel Photography – Bill Hornbostel
  215. Korwel Photograpy blog – Iza Korwel
  216. Favorite Photos of 2011 – Elizabeth Brown Photography PhotoBlog – Elizabeth Brown
  217. 2011 Highlights – Alan Grinberg
  218. TJTPhotography.com – Ted Truex
  219. Thamer Al-Hassan Photographer – Thamer Al-Hassan
  220. Top 11 of ‘11 – Brian Arnold
  221. Looking Back – 2011 Top Ten – Jessica Sweeney
  222. Light Coming Back – Favorite Images of 2011 – Jennifer Durham
  223. My Favorite Landscape Photos of 2011 – Joshua Cripps
  224. Favorites Photographs from 2011 – Sudheendra Kadri
  225. João Almeida Photography – João Almeida
  226. Le meilleur de 2011 – The Best of 2011 – Francis Gagnon
  227. Five Pictures for 2011 – David Lloyd ***
  228. Ian Ference – Google+ Top Photos 2011 – Ian Ference ***
  229. Marcin P?kalski – Google+ – Marcin P?kalski
  230. www.thephotographerblog.com – Mandy Jones
  231. My Top 10 of 2011 – Clement Biger
  232. russell.tomlin at Flickr – Russell S Tomlin
  233. Yosemite – Sheldon Neill
  234. My Top 10 shots for 2011 – Greg Berdan
  235. Best of 2011 – Dan Baumbach ***
  236. Top Photos 2011 by Mark Dodge Medlin – Mark Dodge Medlin
  237. The Carey Adventures – Peter West Carey ***
  238. http://www.wildernessadventureimages.com/ – Michael Burkhardt
  239. “Looking at the West – Andrew McAllister ***
  240. Photos and Ramblings by Steve Mattheis – Steve Mattheis
  241. My Favorite Photos of 2011 – Brandon Doran ***
  242. Shanti Gilbert – Best Of 2011 – Shanti Gilbert
  243. “10 of 2011 – David S. Ottavio
  244. Best photos from 2011 – Mark J P
  245. Heather’s Flickr – 2011 Top 10 – Heather Wallace
  246. Ben Chase Photography – Benjamin Chase
  247. Hypo-theses – Ian Stimpson
  248. “Best photos of 2011 – Robert Kusztos
  249. “Best of 2011 – Anton Huo
  250. Best of 2011: JMG Gallery – Stephen Zacharias
  251. Flickr Best of 2011 – Esther Reyes
  252. My Top 10 of 2011 – The Siggins Photography – Richard Siggins
  253. Andrew Benson | Best of 2011 – Andrew Benson
  254. http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/blog/ – John Paul Caponigro ***
  255. Google+ – Jim Davis
  256. Beckmann Images – Best of 2011 Images – 500px – Matt Beckmann
  257. Google + – Paul Conrad
  258. Avelino’s Best of 2011 – Avelino Maestas
  259. JMK Photography’s Best of 2011 – J. Krasner
  260. Rob Dweck’s Top 10 From 2011 – Rob Dweck ***
  261. www.myFedoraPhoto.com – Neal Fedora
  262. Best of 2011 on Google+ – Robert Mann ***
  263. My Top 10 Best Photos from 2011 by Matt Suess – Matt Suess ***
  264. My Favorites from 2011 – Michele Wassell
  265. My Top 10 Images of 2011 – Tom Bushey
  266. A Selection of Favorites from 2011 by Christine Hauber – Christine Hauber ***
  267. Favorite Images from 2011 – James B Martin
  268. Kauai 2011 – Sharon Willson
  269. “Best of 2011: Top 10 – Mark Hespenheide ***
  270. shirley lo photos – shirley lo
  271. Google+ – Christina Lawrie – Christina Lawrie ***
  272. My Ten 2011 Faves – Rich Greene
  273. Sunset at Vizhinjam – Agnisoonu K
  274. Gary Randall Photography – 2011 – Year in Review – Gary Randall ***
  275. 2011 faves – Anthony Chiong
  276. NewmanImages: 2011 in Retrospect – Jay and Sue Newman
  277. My 11 favorite pictures of 2011 – Marc Perkins
  278. My Best Images of 2011 – Vaibhav Tripathi
  279. My Best Shots 2011 – Annika Ruohonen
  280. Top 11 Photos of 2011 – Shane Srogi ***
  281. Wolfcats Top 10 images – Wolfcat
  282. Alexander Filatov Photography – Alexander Filatov ***
  283. Wendy Baker Photography Best of 2011 – Wendy Baker
  284. My 6 best of 2011 – Patrick Smith
  285. randomfire: The best of 2011 – Ramin Miraftabi
  286. Closing California Parks – Eliya Selhub ***
  287. MY BEST OF 2011 – Stan Rapada
  288. 2011 Top 10 – Kyle Jones
  289. 2011 Studies | Best of 2011 – Oskar Bruening ***
    Special Thanks To Oskar for his technical contribution to this list!

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JMG-Galleries Best Photos of 2011

2011 was a fun year to be behind the camera. I was very lucky to witness some breathtaking moments and round out some projects that made their way into my eBook. As was the case in 2010 it is impossible to rank my best photos like I had been in years past (best photos of 2010best photos of 2009best photos of 2008 and best photos of 2007).  So in no particular order here are my 10 favorite photos taken in 2011. Enjoy and feel free to let me know if you have a favorite!

Portrait of Blake
Technically this is my 11th selection, consider it an honorable mention. I had to include a picture of Blake with a big smile for reasons you’ll later understand as you scroll down.

Portrait of Blake - Photography by Jim M. Goldstein

Portrait of Blake

Ecliptic Star Trails – Nature and Landscape Photography by Jim M. Goldstein
I took several star trail photos in Death Valley National Park this year, but this is one that really stood out for me. Being able to photograph the curvature of the stars as they approach both poles was a real highlight of my October Death Valley Photo Tour. I’m looking forward to sharing the incredible night skies here with those in my February Death Valley Photo Tour. I still have room if you want to join me..

Ecliptic Star Trails - Nature and Landscape Photography by Jim M. Goldstein

Ecliptic Star Trails

Road to the Sun View, Glacier National Park
Being atop the northern Rocky mountain range always yields dramatic views. Wafting clouds through a glacially carved valley made this view extra special from the Road to the Sun in Glacier National Park.

Road to the Sun View, Glacier National Park

Road to the Sun View, Glacier National Park

Lunar Rainbow (Moonbow) at Lower Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park
Water levels were at record levels during my visit to Yosemite in June. As a result the waterfalls were flowing at a greater capacity than I’ve ever seen before. This made photographing moonbows a lot easier. In this instance I was being drenched from the mist, but it was so worth it. In April and June I return to hunt for Yosemite moonbows during two phototours.

Lunar Rainbow (Moonbow) at Lower Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park

Lunar Rainbow (Moonbow) at Lower Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park

Racetrack Star Trails
The Racetrack in Death Valley is dramatic enough, but adding star trails takes it to a new level. This was a 4 hour exposure resulting in nearly 60 degrees of rotation in the sky.

Racetrack Star Trails - Fine Art Photography by Jim M. Goldstein

Racetrack Star Trails

Trying Moments
Remember that smiling photo of Blake at the beginning of the post. I didn’t want you to think he’s unhappy all the time. He’s a super happy kid. That being said even happy kids have their unhappy moments. I thought this moment was very telling of how challenging it is to be a parent sometimes.

Trying Moments - Photography by Jim M. Goldstein

Trying Moments

Stormy Sunrise, Glacier National Park
This fiery sunrise developed as quickly as it vanished. This fleeting moment was magical, but fear not I also took a time-lapse of it (see below).

Stormy Sunrise, Glacier National Park

Stormy Sunrise, Glacier National Park

With a bonus time-lapse:

Sunrise at Wild Goose Island Lookout from Jim Goldstein on Vimeo.

Rendezvous – Racetrack, Death Valley National Park
The mystery of the moving rocks on the Racetrack always fascinate people. Seeing two rocks paths on the verge of intersecting was particularly cool as it left me wondering how long it would be before they meet.

Rendezvous - Fine Art Photography by Jim M. Goldstein

Rendezvous - Racetrack, Death Valley National Park

360° View of Star Trails Above the Racetrack
Ever wonder what the entire visible night sky would look like as a star trail photo? So did I so I made this photo with a Canon 8-15m lens that Borrowlenses.com (the best online lens rental store) made available to me for my trip. At the top of the circle is the eastern mountains that skirt the Racetrack playa. At the bottom of the screen are the western mountains that skirt the Racetrack playa. The small version of this image doesn’t do it justice so be sure to click the image to see a slightly larger version.

360

360 Degree View of Star Trails Above the Racetrack, Death Valley National Park

Under the Rainbow, Maui
In mid-December we took a family vacation to Maui. This was one of the more magical moments. I couldn’t believe how gigantic this rainbow was.

Under the Rainbow, Maui

Under the Rainbow, Maui

Milky Way Over Death Valley (180° Panoramic)
This is a 70 megapixel 180° panoramic photo of the Milky Way stretching from horizon to horizon above the Racetrack Playa. There is nothing more humbling than seeing an infinite number of stars in the sky. Again this has to be seen large so you may want to check in on my Google+ stream to see it.

Milky Way Over Death Valley (180° Panoramic)

Milky Way Over Death Valley (180° Panoramic)

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Top 10 JMG-Galleries Blog Posts of 2011

It’s always interesting to see which blog entries for the year caught the eye of my blog readers most. If you’re looking for some great reading and photography as you wait for New Years to approach then this is it. As always thanks for reading my blog and have a great New Years!

10. Half Dome Permit Related Death?

9. Adobe Lightroom Lesson to Learn – Backup Your Library

8. Privacy Watch: Cell Phones, Metadata and Geotagging

7. Everything You Need to Know About QR Codes

6. 5 Highly Recommended Google+ Chrome Extensions

5. Using GoDaddy Supports a CEO Who Kills Elephants on Vacation

4. Pro Tips: Photo Editing with Gary Crabbe

3. 9 Amazing Apps for Night Photography

2. Best Photos of 2010 by JMG-Galleries Blog Readers

1. How I Evaluate Terms of Service for Social Media Web Sites – Google+

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