Top 10 Photos of 2014 No. 1 - The Red Moon Rises

And the drum roll please…the No 1 of 2014 is a photograph of the Blood Moon.  It seemed that this year of all years the Blood Moon got quite an attention in main stream media.  We were privilege to get two opportunities this year to see and photograph it.  There was one in April and there was one in October.

The first one, I was got to hang out with my friends Garrett and Justin while we took the photographs.  We stayed to photograph for a couple of hours before the clouds started to block and fade out the moon.  So we didn’t stay for the whole thing.

However in October, I photographed the Blood Moon, in the front of my house.  I stayed out from 1am to 6am and made it to work.  It was rough day none the less but so worth it.

What 2014 thought about photography is this:

1.  Photography is about experiences.
2. Photography is best shared with family and friends.
3. Photography is always fun.

Top 10 Photos of 2014 No. 2 - Galaxy

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The No.2 photograph of 2014 is the photograph of a Bristlecone Pine with the Milky Way in the sky.  This was one of those trips that simply was just done for the photography.  My friend Randy and I took this last minute trip up the mountain to capture this scene.  We simply just went for the heck of adventure and photography.  Even though it was a short trip, it was well worth the effort.  There is nothing more spectacular that being in out in the world, seeing the beauty, and creating a photograph.

Top 10 Photos of 2014 No. 3 - Canvas Camping

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Glacier Under Canvas.

The No. 3 photo of the 2014 for me had to be when my friend Randy and I stayed at Glacier Under Canvas.  This is very cool “camping” experience.  It’s part camping and part hotel.  You stay inside teepee made of canvas but you have basically all of the amenities of a hotel.

After a day of exploring Glacier National Park, we decided to take some night time photographs.  I wanted to create an image that showed off the teepee and also showed wonderment & adventure.  So with the teepee posted and Randy wearing a headlight, we took a couple of photos.

The light ray was created when smoke from the nearby fire ring would drift towards our site.  So we had to wait for a bit to just get the right conditions to make the shot work.  Additionally Randy had to try to stay completely still for about 15 seconds so I could get the teepee, the night sky, and the surrounds properly exposed.  The things you can do when you hang out and travel with other photographers!  :)

Top 10 Photos of 2014 #4 - On a Whim Sunset

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La Jolla Shores, San Diego, CA

This photo for me is an example of when you know what to look for in the weather and what happens when you go with your gut.  When I get off work, one of the first things I do is look up at the sky and see what the clouds look like.  I preferably look towards the west because I can check to see if the clouds are on the horizon or not.  And that’s important because it will determine if we will have a brilliant sunset of a dual one.

On the day of this photo, it look promising and based on the previous sunsets and on my previous experience I decided to make a run for the beach.  I decided that La Jolla Shores would be perfect because it was easy to get to and on my way home.  Plus it is a beautiful beach.

Rushing to the beach, I kept looking at the clouds and the clouds started to change color.  And when I arrived the colors have started to intensified.  So I took a couple of shots from the street and then notice the low tide.

The low tide conditions left the surfline, pretty reflective and I headed down to the beach.  And just then a surfer was coming from surfing and I snapped a few photos and the result is the photo that you see.

Top 10 Photos of 2014 #5 - Finally Made It

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Swift current Lake, Glacier National Park

This was the year, I finally made it to Glacier National Park.  This park has been on my list for ages.  After Yosemite and Yellowstone National Park, Glacier is next.  This is one of the park where you only have a handful of years before it loses it’s namesake.  The glaciers here are melting at an extraordinary rate and it is predicted they will all be gone in our lifetime.  With that in mind, I wanted to visit and at least see some of the glaciers before they melt.

Even though I only got to spend only a day or two in this park.  I will be for sure returning in the near future.

This photograph is actually the first photo I took with my Lee Filters.  In 2014, I made the push to invest in the gear that I always wanted.  But I made smart investments.  I saved and I researched.  I look over how I would use the equipment and quality of use.  And the Lee filters are one of those things that I knew would allow me to take my photographs future.  This particular photograph was taken with the Lee Big Stopper.  The Big Stopper is a 10 stop filter and it works wonders.  This was photograph was taken in the middle of the day.  But with 10 stops of light being stopped it allowed for me to make a long exposure to make the clouds dance.

This is No. 5 because this is the point where I knew I had more room to grow and push myself as a photographer further.