An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

December 27, 2012

My Ten Favorite Photos from 2012

Well actually, this is a baker's dozen of my favorite photos from 2012, and I had a very hard time narrowing the list to just 13.

Winter Sky 
(1/8/12)
This picture was taken on the way home from work one evening.  I saw that the sunset had potential and looked for a place to get a good shot of it, so I pulled into Bennett's Creek Park in Suffolk.  The photo was taken from the boat ramp, and what you can't see (or smell) is the giant rockfish carcass at my feet, left by someone who should have his fishing license revoked.
Winter Sky

Missing Bike
(2/26/12)
Not all of my pictures are pretty.  This is another on-the-way-home opportunity I came across.  Many of my photos are taken from this spot on the Elizabeth River near my house. It is where I like to watch the setting sun.  On this particular evening there was an astronomically low tide, and the normally deep water was elsewhere, exposing hidden secrets.
Missing Bike

Elizabeth 3412
(3/4/12)
Here is another shot taken from the same spot where I found the Missing Bike above, but a week later.  Any evening where I see a cloudy day is going to give way to clearing at sunset, I grab my camera and head for the water.  The cranes are an ever-present feature of the landscape here.
Elizabeth 3412

Cuauhtemoc (Mexico) (4)
(6/9/12)
In early June the Norfolk waterfront was host to OpSail 2012.  I was there early in the morning as crews and ships from all over the world were preparing for a busy day of tours and ceremonies.  The sailors below were kind enough to step out of the pages of a tourism brochure long enough for me to get a shot.
Cuauhtemoc (Mexico) (4)

Witnessed by the Oaks
(6/29/12) 
We broke up a long drive south with a night in Savannah, one of this country's most beautiful cities.  My wife and I had been there before, but I wanted my son to see it.  One of our stops was Forsyth Park early in the evening on the way to dinner.  It was incredibly hot, humid and downright miserable, even by a summer in Georgia standards, but the light coming through the oaks on a wedding party was almost as lovely as the beautifully cool bride. Right place, right time.
Witnessed by the Oaks

Everglades (22)
(7/2/12)
When all of our other vacation plans fell through, my brother graciously allowed us to stay with him in Fort Lauderdale.  I quickly came up with a short list of things I wanted to see while we were in south Florida, and near the top was the Everglades.  If you look at the pictures I take, it is quickly obvious how much I love where sky, water and land merge, and the Everglades is the mother of such places.  Throw in a some local wildlife, a trip to IKEA, and it was a perfect day.
Everglades (22)

Gargatha (50)
(7/28/12)
Speaking of where sky, water and land merge, we took a second mini-vacation to Virginia's beautiful Eastern Shore later in July.  I went kayaking each day and could have filled this post with the photos I took.  One of my investments this year was a water-proof case for my camera, and it has given me many more opportunities to photograph.  All of the photos I took that week remind me that while I was out paddling through my favorite part of the world, things were going to hell quickly at my old job.  That first Monday back at work was my birthday, and was probably the worst one of my adult life.  A big pile of figurative poo was left where I couldn't help but step in, and it took a huge effort to get my shoes cleaned.
Gargatha (50)

ESCS BMX S3
(8/24/12)
In late August my son and I had an epic bike ride from First Landing State Park to Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach.  The oceanfront was in the thick of the East Coast Surfing Championship, and we were able to catch some of the BMX competitions.  I must have taken 50-60 pictures of people doing crazy things on bikes.  I was  mesmerized.
ESCS BMX S3

Layfayette 9-15-12  (6)
(9/15/12)
The next three photos were all taken from the kayak. This first one was taken close to home underneath the Granby St. bridge where there is a popular fishing pier.  Not everyone can afford a boat to fish from, so this spot is popular with many local anglers.  It faces east, and I often get some nice shots here early in the morning.
Layfayette 9-15-12  (6)

Old Bridge 3
(10/6/12)
In October I had a great paddle along the Nottaway River in Southampton Co.  I got up at the butt-crack of dawn so I could get to the river while the light was still special, and it was.  This shot was taken at the landing where I put in.  The pilings of a long defunct bridge still rise from the water among all the bald cypress.
Old Bridge 3

Cypress  (2) Diascund
(11/3/12)
One of  my last paddles of the season was a trip back in time to a place where I spent many a weekend before adulthood, the Diascund Creek Reservoir in New Kent, Co. The skies were moody and I had the water to myself.  In the middle of the lake, near a spot I was familiar with, was an island of bald cypress trees.  I tried really hard to keep the kayak still while I took the photograph, as I wanted more of a mirror image of the trees in the water.  It was not to be, but the photo still speaks to me. 
Cypress  (2)

Lafayette Sunrise 2
(11/12/12)
My neighborhood is on a peninsula that juts out into the Lafayette River, and unlike most of Norfolk, the waterfront is accessible, not private. As my wife and I come and go, we often go a little out of our way just to see the river.  On this morning the river was still, the air slightly misty, and in the sky above a jet trail, was an odd formation.  A friend thought it might be a sun devil, but I thought it looked more like a falling angel.
Lafayette Sunrise 2

Cherry Light
(11/12/12)
Perhaps the biggest change in my life this year was getting a job at the Norfolk Botanical Garden.  Beside being a great place to work, it has afforded me many more photo opportunities, and I keep my camera close at hand.  The tree below is a weeping cherry, and it is just outside of the building where my office is, though I don't spend much time at the desk.  On this particular morning the rising sun made the tree even more special. 
Cherry Light

If you are perhaps interested in seeing the rest of this year's contenders, just click here for a slideshow on my Flickr page, and you can also see my Top 10 from 2011 here.
Have you taken some particularly favorite shots in 2012?
If so and you like to share, post them on your blog and let the reading public know why you like the photos (I do like a good backstory).  They don't have to be gallery-worthy, they just have to be special to you.  If you will, leave a comment here, with a link, to let me know when your post is up, but there is no need to make this detailed or complicated.  Just have fun with it.

31 comments:

  1. Nice Les. I got my picks down to a dozen last night. I'll follow your lead and not trim that back any farther. Should have them posted shortly.

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  2. Wonderful collection, Les. I especially like Old Bridge and Cypress.

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  3. Gorgeous. I wonder what the story is on the missing bike.

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  4. Beautiful shots, Les. I will follow your lead and put together my 12 faves for The Dirt Diaries. A great way to end the year even though I have only been doing the blog since March. Happy New Year!

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  5. Hi Les, I really enjoyed these photos, they are wonderful! You're a much better photographer than I am. But then, all I usually use is a little point-and-shoot.

    I just finished taking part in the December Photo Project, which is a meme where you post one picture a day until Christmas. My posts all have the story of how the photos were taken, but they are spread out across many posts. But, I also just posted my leftovers for the month, in one long post full of pics with no stories. FYI, that post is here: http://bonneylassie.blogspot.com/2012/12/leftovers.html

    I had a lot of fun taking them, and it was a learning experience. I hope you enjoy at least a couple of them.

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  6. Your photos speak eloquently. Words are useless (for describing them) but the backstories are good.

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  7. I love all the photos, but I've been a fan of yours for a long time. The BMX shot is incredible.

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  8. I tried to leave a comment this morning but it looks like it went poof. Lovely photos as always, Les. I shall put together my faves fro The Dirt Diaries. Thank you for the inspiration!

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  9. I'll give it a try Les. I'll let you know when I get it posted.

    I love the back story that accompanies each of your photos as much as I love the photos -- which are stunning !

    My fav is the second last. Freaky, lovely sky.

    I'm curious. How much time did you spend choosing these finalists ?

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  10. Wonderful photos, Les and some gems among the other contenders too. It must have been hard to make your selection.

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  11. Beautiful photos Les, they all tell a story. It is a challenge to choose the final cut, isn't it? Thanks for sharing and providing a meme. Here's my list, not as many macros as last year.

    http://greggosgarden.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-favorite-images-from-2012.html

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  12. Hard to oic a favorite, they are all a story in their own right. Can't wait to see what you come up with for 2013.

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  13. Fabulous photos Les. I think my favorite is the Diascund Creek Reservoir in New Kent. You've inspired me to go through my favorite tweleve photos for the year...maybe some homework to do! Thanks for sharing this.

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  14. Craig,
    I will check it out shortly.

    Chris,
    I would put that one in my top 5 for the year.

    Susan,
    Maybe some creative English teacher could show that to their students to write a short story based on the picture.

    Lynn,
    I will look forward to your pictures. As to your comment, I got it, but all my comments have to wait for me to see them before I post, it is not instantaneous. I thought when I went to word verification it would cut out more spam, and it has. Junk still gets through.

    Alison,
    I will check out your project. I also started with a point and shoot, so keep clicking.

    James,
    Thank you for that comment.

    Randy,
    I had fun taking the BMX pics.

    Sybil,
    I took a couple of days, but not constant. I picked all the ones I liked before I started counting. I narrowed them down, did other things and came back to the list.

    Marisa,
    It was indeed hard. Some of the contenders I thought were actually better photos, but I have posted similar before and wanted something different.

    Greggo,
    Thank you for the link, I will drop in for a visit.

    Garden Goddess,
    Stay tuned.

    Lee,
    I like that shot too, mainly because it has bald cypresses in it.

    Les

    Greggo

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  15. It's interesting to see what YOU consider to be the best. I would have selected 12 photos from your blog, but then there are so many good ones.
    -Ray

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  16. the bike and the sailors are my favs738

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  17. I like your selections, but I would have liked another ten equally as much. Your work is always so beautiful. I do my year in review post in January which has my favorites, but this year it may have to wait a bit. Traveling...

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  18. Wonderful! My favorite is the one from the eastern shore.

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  19. The sunset colors painted onto the water in the March photo are beautiful.

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  20. Wonderful. Going to your blog is always like opening a present, and I really mean that. I would like to post my favorite photos by New Years---what a great idea---we will see if I get to it. IKEA, really?

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  21. I always enjoy your watery nature shots, Les, but I think I like your people pics best in this bunch, maybe because most bloggers are shy about posting pics of people enjoying gardens or just being outdoors. Anyway, great shots. Happy New Year!

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  22. As always, spectacular photos! Always a treat to visit your blog for the amazing shots you get.
    Here's the link to my post (same view for every month of 2012)
    http://signaturegardens.blogspot.com/2013/01/2012-review-of-favorite-view.html
    Happy New Year!

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  23. Awesome photos! The sailors and the wedding scene are especially nice.

    I've put mine together for 2012.

    http://rockoakdeer.blogspot.com/2013/01/ten-favorite-photos-of-2012.html

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  24. These are gorgeous photos, I liked the sailors and the wedding scene. Your reflections on the water are lovely.

    http://rockoakdeer.blogspot.com/2013/01/ten-favorite-photos-of-2012.html

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  25. Those are amazing photos, Les. I don't think I could pick a favorite out of them. Great work.

    I did a list. It's hard to pick out just a few.
    http://patchworkgarden.blogspot.com/2013/01/favorite-photos2012-edition.html

    Happy New Year!

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  26. My favorites of your favorites are Winter Sky, Cypress, and the alligator. You are great at getting photos of big views.
    Thanks for the idea of posting your favorite photos for 2012, Pam Penick of Digging is my link to your site.

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  27. Enjoyed the choices. The one of the bridge pilings and cypress is one of my favorites.

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  28. I found your post through Digging. Magnificant photos. My personal favorite is Cypress.

    You inspired me to go back over the most adventurous year of my life as I worked at two national wildlife refuges and had multiple vacations with various friends or alone.

    My blog is at:
    http://mkircus2.blogspot.com/2013/01/favorite-memories-from-last-year.html

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  29. Ray,
    Some of these did appear in the blog, but I can't blog about all that I take photos of, no time.

    Sharon,
    I think the sailors are in my top of all time. I am slowly getting over my reluctance to take photos of people, particularly strangers.

    Donna,
    Please travel safely, and take your camera!

    Jason,
    I had a really good time that day. It makes me wish it was warm of enough for me to want to get in the kayak.

    Outlaw,
    Thank you!

    Sweetbay,
    That was an odd evening. The sky was pitch black except for the western horizon.

    Carolyn,
    Yes IKEA. We have none nearby, and we usually end up at one when we visit my brother. They have the best picture frame prices and a cheap lunch.

    Pam,
    I am working on my people skills.

    Toni,
    Thank you for posting a link, I will be sure to visit.

    Shirley,
    I will dropping by to see yours as well.

    Linda,
    It is hard to pick, isn't it.

    Anna,
    I like the big view, especially if it make people, or man-made things seem small.

    Janet,
    I liked that one too, it may be suitable for framing.

    Marilyn,
    I am anxious to see your photos, especially with your work at the refuges.

    Les

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  30. Hi Les, I bet it was hard to choose! I remember seeing lots of great pictures on your blog this year. My favourites have to be the shot of the cranes (love the way the clouds hang at the top of the image), the line of mirrored trees, the tidal garbage and the jet stream.

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