Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

It’s been a great year for photography and as the year closes out I thought it would be fun to select my favorite photos from the year. I had a tough time narrowing things down so here they are…

Honorable Mentions:

	Honorable Mention #6: Los Angeles Sunrise This was one of the most dynamic cityscape I took this year, but as much as I liked it compared to some other photos taken this year it didn’t make the top 10. Mentioned in Dueling California Sunrise Photos
	Honorable Mention #5: Last Light On Half Dome, Yosemite This was one of the few super-telephoto landscape photos I took this year. The dramatic atmosphere and lighting made this a standout for me. Mentioned in Last Light on Half Dome, Yosemite and EXIF and Beyond: State of the Podcast
	Honorable Mention #4: Out of the Gloom II Strangely this photo caught my eye the second time looking through the results of my photo shoot. In retrospect for the year its nearly one of my top 10 favorites. Mentioned in Always Check Your Seconds: Out of the Gloom II: Golden Gate Bridge and Fog
	Honorable Mention #3: San Francisco Oil Spill This was the last thing I wanted to photograph this year, but this photo struck a nerve with a lot of people not just myself. It’s been picked up by the Sierra Club and couple of other local publication. Lets hope 2008 is a better year for the environment. Mentioned in Rodeo Beach Sunset, A San Francisco Oil Spill Casualty
	Honorable Mention #2 San Francisco With the right combination of weather and lighting I was able to capture this view of San Francisco just after sunset. I still can’t believe this didn’t make the top 10, but it’s still one of my favorites from the year.
	Honorable Mention #1 Refinery I As soon as I started to drive past this refinery I knew the exact shot I wanted to capture. I didn’t quite get it the first time out, but the second time passing through the area I got it thanks to the perfect weather and lighting conditions. Mentioned in Photographer’s Rights: Know Them When In The Field

My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2007:

#10: Rodeo Beach Sunset

Mentioned in Rodeo Beach Sunset, A San Francisco Oil Spill Casualty

#9: Reflecting Art, Crown Fountain

Mentioned in More From Chicago – Reflecting Art

#8: Speed – Blue Angels, San Francisco Fleet Week 2007

Mentioned in Blue Angels, San Francisco Fleet Week 2007 – Part III

#7: American Kestral (Falco sparverius)

Mentioned in American Kestrel in Flight

#6: Aspen Canopy & Horsetails

Mentioned in Horsetail and Aspen Fall Color View

#5: Chicago, A Beans Eye View (Cloud Gate Reflection)

Mentioned in Chicago, A Beans Eye View

#4: Snowy Trees Yosemite

Mentioned in Snowy Trees, Yosemite National Park

#3: Between You, Me and the Trees

Mentioned in Morning Sunlight & Fog – Between You, Me and the Trees

#2: Coyote (Canis latrans) III

Mentioned in Coyote Encounter

#1: Yosemite Sunset Breaking Light

Mentioned in EXIF and Beyond: Yosemite Winter Photos
and Yosemite Sunset Breaking Light

Thanks for checking in on my Top 10 Favorites for 2007. The photos are only half the equation of what has made this a great year for photography. The other and most important half has been everyone’s support whether you read my blog, like you do, or have to put up with me on a daily basis like my friends and wife have… this year wouldn’t have been nearly as great with out you. Thanks and have a great 2008!

Technorati Tags: photography, landscape, nature, wildlife, cityscape, travel, photos, Yosemite, coyote, fog, snow, trees, Chicago, cloud gate, aspen, fall color, kestrel, birding, blue angels, fleet week, San Francisco, crown fountain, rodeo beach, environmental, environment, refinery, oil spill, smokestack, Golden Gate Bridge, Los Angeles, skyline, cityscape, Half Dome

No matter what type of photography interests you, whether its landscape photography, nature photography, street photography, people photography or any other type of photography its essential to always be prepared. Over the years I’ve learned that being prepared is itself an art form. The art of preparedness is seldom just a generic chore and can require quite a bit of creative thought. Read more…

Another shot of Cloud Gate from Millenium Park in Chicago. This was one of the few photos taken where the number of people in the reflection was kept to a minimum. With people wandering in and out of the area a wide angle view of a reflection is pretty tough to come by hence my choice for using a longer focal length (likely ~200mm).
On a side note I have to admit I was surprised how much fun it was to photograph this sculpture. It really is a feast for the eyes.

Technorati Tags: Millenium Park, Chicago, Cloud Gate, bean, sculpture, reflection, cityscape, skyline

Who says rainy and gloomy weather isn’t good for photography. Inclusion of the posing girl was serendipitous. Taken in Millenium Park on my way to the Art Institute of Chicago.

Technorati Tags: Crown Fountain, Millenium Park, Chicago, reflection, art, video, rain

An abstract from this past week in Chicago.

Technorati Tags: Millenium Park, Chicago, digital, photo, photography, Crown Fountain

This was the view of Chicago’s skyline as seen through Cloud Gate (AKA the Bean), an often photographed sculpture, in Millenium Park. The beautiful weather lasted only 3-4 hours on this morning and then it turned stormy. The next day the snow and rain closed down Chicago’s O’Hare airport and wreaked havoc with the schedule of thousands of business travelers. Such is life in the big city.

Technorati Tags: Chicago, Cloud Gate, Bean, cityscape, skyline, Millenium Park, photo