Favorites: April 2012, Maui

After a stressful and photographically barren March, we traveled to Maui for a wonderful week of sun, surf and sand in April. I've shown many of these photos in my travelogue posts  already. I am pretty find of the whole set, and used many of them in a calendar that I have for sale.

I think that my favorites of the bunch are the sunset from La Perouse Bay:

and the lacy surf at Baldwin Park, near Paia town. 

I've printed them both on aluminum, and they are very nice. 

Gallery. 

Favorites: February 2012. Snowy Owl!

Last winter was a bumper year for Snowy Owls. They are regular overwinterers here, but you do have to expend a bit of effort to find them. Last winter, you could find snowy owls in abundance here and much farther south as well.

I have a bit of a bucket list for animals that I would like to get worthwhile photos of, and I am happy to say that snowy owls are now off that list. We found this really cooperative model along the west side of Beaverhill Lake last February.

He would sit and pose, and then fly a few hundred feet away and pose again.

I've thrown a nice winter sunset from Elk Island Park into my favorites gallery too.

Tell me what you think! 

Countdown to 2013 - Favorite Photos of 2012

I'm jumping the gun here! Getting my list of favorites started before the end of the year. I organize my Lightroom catalogue by date, putting everything from each month into one bucket with the exception of particular sport or event work, which might just warrant it's own bucket (e.g. Rugby 2012). This makes it "easy" to look back through month by month. I also tend to put the images I process up onto my website month by month. Running with that as the starting point, I'm going to try to choose my favorites - one month at a time, over the 12 days leading up to New Years.

January 2012, a trip to New Orleans for Imaging USA and a photo walk around Bourbon Street one night.

Red Bubbles:

Cathedral:

From Windermere Studios Garden:

Woody Woodpecker:

And possibly my favorite of the month, Great Horned Owls Mating:

Now, I know that I could be picking favorites due to the memory associated with them - after all, a primary purpose for photographs (for me at least) is to invoke memory. That may not make them my best. So I invite comments on these - tell me what you think, and why. 

Welcome December: Winter Photography

The winter season can start long before the winter solstice in Edmonton. This year, for example, we've had snow on the ground since early October. I fight with winter every year. It is too long, too dark, too cold for my liking, and those that know me can attest that my grumblings start with the first brisk breeze and last as long as old man winter's icy grip.

I must admit that winter can provide some breathtaking photographic opportunities. And not all of  them require dressing up like the Michelin man. I do my best to embrace winter (really, the constant whinging is my best!), and to go forth and make great images as often as I can. To kick December off I've pulled a collection of some of my favorite December photo subjects: winter landscapes and frosty leaves, pretty birds, holiday festivities and family get togethers, and even tropical vacation memories.

Our garden and neighborhood are frequent subjects of mine, especially in the winter, since I tend to be a home body this time of year.

Mountain Ash Berries kissed with frost:

The path less traveled:

Red Poll atop the feeder:

Winter visits to family in the Okanagan also provide beautiful photo ops:

and the chance to gift a special memory:

Birthday celebrations and the Holiday Decorations make for great photos:

Not to mention spending New Years far, far away from the snow and cold!

If you've enjoyed this sample, and think you might like to hang a beautiful print in your home, or use one of these files as a screen saver or for your Holiday Cards this year, I've got a great discount so that you can do so!

Happy December! Enjoy Winter Photography!