Post Your Best Photos of '09 Here! Nature shots only!

OK, I'm going to take this one by the horns and get it started. Hopefully Erik will see this and make it a sticky at the top of the forum.

PNWNP forum participants, post one or a couple of your best/favorite images from 2009 for all to enjoy!

Here are a couple of mine from one of the better years I've had out in the field.

This first one was taken last spring just a couple miles from my house. I think it particularly speaks to Rogue Valley residents who have given it a warm respo

My second one comes from the amazing trip to Utah I did with David Cobb in October. I could easily post a dozen images just from that single outing. Out of all the large view canyon photos I took in the Virgin River Narrows, this smaller and somewhat surreal image is one of my favorites.

Sean, that shot from Zion is awesome!

I'll jump in and share my two favs from this past year. Both are from Glacier NP, where I spent almost 3 months this year.

This first one was taken this past summer from the top of a waterfall looking down on Mount Oberlin and meadows filled with Beargrass. In a larger print you can also see the 492ft Bird Woman Falls dropping in between the distant peaks, my favorite little detail in the scene.

This second image was taken last January along the eastern shore of Lake McDonald. I found this comp the day before while snowshoeing the shoreline looking for a slightly more unique take on the lake. I think the line of rocks and the singled out peak makes for a more intimate and simplistic image of this often photographed lake.

I just renewed my NPN membership in time to participate here...Sean and Ryan are tough acts to follow.

This first image was taken from Tulelake NWR on the OR/CA border in March. This is a small portion of an enormous flock of snow geese with Mt. Shasta in the backround...the sound was even more incredible than the site.
Initially, I didn't like any of the compositions I came up with(including this one) and also wasn't too pleased with the rather flat light. But over time, this image has really grown on me and it's been a big hit at art festivals too.

Coming face to face with a Northern Spotted Owl at such close range gave me goosebumps! I've learned lots about this owl in the last year and their future as a species is iffy at best. I plan on dedicating plenty of field time to documenting these incredible birds in 2010.
They are difficult to photograph because they spend all of their time in old growth forest (i'e.dark, contrasty, bad light). High ISO's are usually called for to get any sort of adequate shutter speed... all of that combined with the fact they are aren't easy to find, means I have my work cut out for me.

Happy new year!

I spent a few weeks at the beginning of the year in the Falkland Islands and was overwhelmed by the amount of life and death which existed in this beautiful place. For this image I was timing the peeps of these Rockhopper Penguins, and was happy to see I also caught them all with one leg off the ground. This is how I imagine Groucho Marx with children.

I take a lot of plant images, and this one I took on a hurried backpacking trip with Sean Bagshaw in the Three Fingered Jack Elk Meadows area. It was hurried because of all the mosquitoes covering my face whenever I stopped. For this image I used a long cable release to keep the cloud of insects away from the lens and on me instead. This is a False Hellibore in the wild and I call it "Curves of Green."

http://pbase.com/image/120727610.jpg
Sorry can't remember how to embed an image in a reply. Please email me instructions if you would.

Just another sunset, but probably my favorite. Puget Sound and Olympic Mtns from Whidbey Island.

Nikon D40x
1/50s f/7.1 at 55.0mm iso200

Hi Everyone,
I'm new to this forum, but not so new to nature photography. One of my resolutions for 2010 is to upgrade the quality of online feedback I'm receiving about my shots. So I look forward to getting to know many of you in the coming year.

I'm more than impressed by what's above this posting, and I'm already feeling inspired.

These two images are among a bunch in my Best of '09 Lightroom collection.

This first one was also of snow geese, taken in the middle of a popular field in Washington's Skagit Valley.

This second shot was taken with a Sigma closeup ring flash attached in the front of a semi-wide angle lens. I call the photograph "Autumn Shroud"

I love this thread each year! Such an amazing wealth of talent in this area. Here are my two favorites.

I agree with my friend and fellow "Shutter Flippin BattleGroundian" on the wealth of talent we all enjoy and appreciate here in the great Northwest! Here are a couple of personal favorites.

Virginia Rail

Ruddy Duck

Pretty darn nice shots from everyone, couple of mine....

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Fantastic images from all so far, very impressive.

This was my personal fav from this year, it also did well at my art shows.

Thanks for starting this Sean. Always great to see what everyone has been up to the past year photo wise. Lot's of great work as usual! Here are a couple of my favs of 09.

Nature's Framing... Green Lakes and South Sister.

I'm not even going to bother after seeing all the great stuff that's been posted so far; don't want to embarass myself.... Lots of talent here....time for a PNWNP calendar.

Very inspiring work from everyone as always!
Here are two of my favorites from a local park this past October.

Shot #2.

Mark, you're kidding right? Bring 'em on; you're shots are great!

Thanks, John.
I was reading through the thread on NPN about what we all do for a living and I see you are a small animal vet....me too; at least I used to be....retired 15+ years ago to pursue photography. Small world.

Truly a small world! Ryan's wife is a veterinarian too.

This Great Blue Heron was at Ridgefield NWR on a dark drizzly day. I got mighty lucky just to get the shot of his catching that small fish. It wasn't until I got home and opened the RAW file in Lightroom that I noticed the perfect water droplet as an unexpected BONUS! Sometimes ya gets lucky eh?!

This is one of my favorites taken at Bottle Beach State Park near Westport Wa.

And another one from Wash away beach near Tokeland Wa. The tree is now broke in half and the smaller tree is cut down.