Top 13 Photos of 2013 and Year in Review

2013 has already come to a close, and it sure was a year filled with a lot of new experiences, opportunities, and of course some great photos along the way.   I always like to look back on the year at this time and reflect on what I've accomplished and where I need to grow.  Even though I have been photographing for many years, it wasn't until September 2012 that I officially became a business, making 2013 my first full year in business.  This has given me a chance to figure out ways to produce income from my passion, gain a lot of experience with summer art shows, and start to learn what makes a business tick.  It's been an emotional roller-coaster at times, but in the end I am so grateful to have all the customers I do enjoying my prints in the their homes.  The support from everyone has been incredible and made it all possible! As far as photos go, I had some great chances to explore a few new wilderness areas in Colorado over the summer.  I knew from first time I ever strapped a tent onto my backpack years ago that backpacking would forever change the way I see and photograph landscapes, taking me to remote locations that not very many people get to see and giving me the chance to get closer to some of the most pristine mountain beauty out there.  Even a nice, easy one night trip can take you to some amazing places, so I embarked on several solo one-nighters over the summer and got some great photos out of it.

After the summer, we had the catastrophic flooding of September.  I had never before seen the power of a raging river first-hand, and the destruction was unbelievable.  It has been amazing to see how the community has rebuilt and how quickly important infrastructure and roadways were back in place, especially in my home town of Estes Park which was hit especially hard by the flooding.  You'll even see a couple photos from the floods this year in the following list.

Enough with all the talk!  Here are my top 13 favorite photos of 2013, in no particular order.  Some are my favorites due to the journeys and memories that accompany them, and some are just ones that I feel are my strongest.  Which one is your favorite?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Did you enjoy this blog post?  Feel free to make a small donation.  By clicking the button below, you can give me a $5 donation easily through PayPal (no account needed) that helps me greatly. Every sheet of my large format film costs about $5 so your donation can keep me out there photographing the beautiful landscape!

If you would like any of these images on you walls as prints, please contact me by email or by calling me at (970)412-0679

Follow me on Facebook to find out when I release new blog posts like this one!

Top 12 Photos of 2012

Well, 2012 has now come to an end and it was another great year for photography and everything else.  I had a wide spread of photographic adventures including a long road trip into Montana and Idaho, several short backpacking excursions and a great time exploring the back roads of Colorado as the aspen changed colors.  This was also the year I became obsessed with riding my bicycle - often with my large format camera gear - which gave me the opportunity to view Weld County at a slower pace and see new things.  I'm sure 2013 will hold just as many adventures and photos, and I have the best of wishes for everyone's new year! Here's my 12 personal favorite photos from 2012, not necessarily in any order.  Some are my favorites due to the journeys and memories that accompany them, and some are just ones that I feel are my strongest.  Enjoy and happy new year!!

Taiwan Trip 2012

Earlier this year, I was asked by a good friend if I wanted to go to Taiwan to be his best man in his wedding in October.  It didn't take much thought for me to jump right on that offer, as I had never been anywhere outside of North America.  Naturally, I was going to be taking some photos while I was there, but I was strongly encouraged by my friend not to bring the large format camera, as we would be constantly on the move with several people and there just wouldn't be much time for it.  This was probably a good call.  I ended up just bringing my medium format camera and a handful of my favorite all-purpose rollfilm, Kodak Portra 400.

After the wonderful wedding in Taipei, we traveled all the way across the country to the very southern tip of the island.  The south has a lot of lush forests and mountainous coastline.  I always enjoy any chance I can get to see the ocean, as it's just a rare sight for someone who lives in landlocked Colorado.  There are a lot less people living in the south and east of Taiwan and it feels more like you are in the countryside.

On our way back up north to Taipei we spent a night in Kaohsiung.  All I can say is that one night is not enough to spend in this city, I would have loved more time to explore.   The night markets were bursting with life and there were so many things to do and see here.

After making our way up the western coast we were back in Taipei and had several days to explore, eat and be merry.  I have to say that the entire country was very warm and welcoming to me and I would love to go back anytime.  The people really make the place special.  Taiwan is a great place to visit if anyone has a trip to Asia in their future.

As far as photography goes, this trip was much different than what I am used to.  I typically use a large format camera on a tripod and have a lot more time to get each image exactly the way I want.  On this trip, things changed much faster and I had to react quickly and all images were  made without the steady support of a tripod.  I don't have to worry about dodging scooters and crowds when I photograph in the wilderness.  I rarely see large cities and have never seen any like Taipei or Kaohsiung.  I had a much different mindset when taking these images than I usually do at home in Colorado, and it was a lot of fun to try something new like this.  Though if I get a chance to go back I will bring the large format camera and make sure to take my time.

Click through the images below to see the rest of the photos from this trip.