My 10 Favorite Photos of 2017

     Despite greatly decreased activity at my blog, I did not want to let the end of the year go by without posting my favorite photos of the year meme. For a number of reasons, I spent less time behind the lens in 2017. Despite this, I was unable to narrow my choices to 10. There are 16 to consider.

Women March, Norfolk 2017
(1/21/17)
The first photo on my list was taken at the Women's March in January. After listening to the terribly disheartening American Carnage inauguration speech just the day before, the sights I saw during the march lifted my spirits, and gave me hope for our country. I was particularly impressed by this father who brought his young children to the march, while mom was either deployed or otherwise working.

Chelsea
(2/19/17)
On my Winter Walk-Off bike ride, I came across this rough-looking storage building in the Chelsea neighborhood of Norfolk. The blooming Oxalis and the emerging Narcissus foliage made me smile, especially in contrast with the peeling paint.

Oyster, Virginia
(3/19/17)
On one of several trips to Virginia's Eastern Shore, we took the scenic way home and stopped for some photos in the small seaside town of Oyster. There is a marsh adjacent to the town's harbor where hackberry trees (Celtis species) look over a collection of derelict work boats. The photo was used in my Winter Walk-Off Wrap-Up.

Eyre Hall
(3/28/17)
Later in March, and again on the Eastern Shore, I stopped at Eyre Hall after giving a garden club talk. I have seen the gardens at Eyre Hall on several occasions, but never this early in the season. The visit turned out to be quite photo-productive. The photo below is of the the plantation's entrance lane, lined with massive eastern red cedars (Juniperus virginiana).

Western Branch Reservoir
(5/28/17)
Bear with me, but the next 7 photos were all taken from the seat of my kayak, which for me is more like a therapist's couch. And if there was ever a year I needed therapy, 2017 was it. The photo below was taken near Suffolk, Virginia on the Western Branch Reservoir, which is one of several where my city's water comes from. The photo appealed to me because the place appealed to me. I can see retiring there at the end of a long day, adult beverage in hand.

Wooded Cove
(5/28/17)
This photo was taken across the reservoir from the previous photo. The lush green moss and the fallen pine parts speak of the generally wet year we had. The cove was incredibly peaceful.

Blackwater River July 2017
(7/16/17)
I took this photo in the rain-swollen Blackwater River in mid-July. My trip that day was cut short by some of the most severe back pain I have ever had, and it would be two months before I felt well enough to get back out on the water.

James River Piling Garden
(9/16/17)
... but get back out on the water I did. I ventured along the James near Charles City Courthouse, on what was a very beautiful September day, which was just what the doctor ordered. The plants along the river were starting to take on their fall colors, well before those further inland.

James River
(9/16/17)
On the same trip I stopped at the site below for lunch. I can't remember what I actually ate, but the interplay of sky, water, and light fed my soul.

Chris Looks Good in Green
(9/24/17)
This is my friend Chris, and she looks good in green.

Chickahominy River with Taxodium distichum
(10/7/17)
I took another very photo-productive trip along the lower Chickahominy River in early fall. My timing was good as the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) in the river were approaching peak fall color. This is one of my favorite places on the planet, and it happened to be another gorgeous day that recharged my batteries for weeks afterward.

NEON District Walking Houses
(10/14/17)
In mid-October a coworker and I participated in a rain garden planting in Norfolk's NEON District. Street art is promoted in the district, and on one wall was the work of Christopher Revel, part of his Walking Houses series that addresses sea level rise. I am drawn to his images, as houses on stilts above water have been recurring images in my dreams since I was a teen. 

Potterfield Bridge
(10/28/17)
This past year I have had to make several trips to Richmond, not all of them for pleasant reasons. However, in late October my wife, my friend Chris (of the green kayak), and I went to Richmond to celebrate my son's 20th birthday. While there we explored the new pedestrian Potterfield Bridge that crosses over the James (blog post coming later). From the top I watched a group of colorful kayakers play in the rapids. My kayaking style and abilities are a bit more Zen-like than theirs, but I judge not.

CSX Trellis
(10/28/17)
On the same trip as above, I got this shot along the river of the sun coming through the trees, train trestle in the background.

First Landing State Park Fungi
(11/4/17)
I took a nice long bike ride through First Landing State Park early in November. I enjoyed the ride and the beginnings of fall color, but I had to stop every 50 feet to admire yet another clump of mushrooms. Seeing both me and my bike on the ground, a young family stopped to see if I had crashed, calling me sir. Although I do seem lately prone to accidents, and suffer failings of varying body parts, the sir thing made me feel old. However, confusing a young family was worth it; I got some great mushroom shots.

Lotus Pond
(12/8/17)
The last photo (yes, the ordeal is nearly over) was taken with my cell phone as I was crossing a stone bridge in the Japanese Garden at work. Some of those failing body parts mentioned above keep my head down to focus on where my feet are going, and looking down I noticed the perfect ephemeral arrangement of fallen pine needles, camellia blossoms, and lotus pods.

If you would like to see the rest of my favorites from 2017, you can check them out on my Flickr page.

Do you have photos from 2017 that you are particularly fond of, or that speak to you in a special way? 
If so, then I welcome you to share them on your own blog or Facebook page. If you do, come back and leave a comment with a link please. I would really appreciate it. I hope all of you have a happy new year - one filled with much to photograph!

My 10 Favorite Photos of 2016

     Though I have not been very consistent with my blogging this year, I did not want to miss posting my 10 favorite photos from 2016, and this year I was actually able to whittle the number down to 10. This is also the 5th anniversary of this meme, and it happens to be one I really enjoy putting together.

Chenman Salvage  
(2/20/2016)
The first photo was taken on a bike ride, and was used in my Winter Walk-Off post. L. Chenman Salvage yard is near my house, and it is ringed with old navigational buoys. I am drawn to most anything nautical, and I love seeing the buoys' colors on gray winter days. As it happens, I called Mr. Chenman a couple of weeks ago to see about getting a spherical buoy to use at work next year as part of a display. He said he would think about it.

Fort Monroe  
(3/12/2016)
If I were limited to only 1 favorite photo, this simple shot would likely be it, primarily because I have a thing for crows, but I also like messy history. The ironwork is from a section of an ornate double archway that spells out Jefferson Davis Memorial Park at Fort Monroe. The messiness comes from a memorial to the Confederate President, erected in the 1950's, inside a U.S. Army base, that just happened to be where that President was imprisoned for treason.

Zuni Pine Barrens  
(3/23/2016)
This was taken on a work field trip to the Zuni Pine Barrens. I was drawn to the strong vertical lines of the longleaf pine trunks, and the horizontal line of my coworkers about to walk out of the frame. Without apologies, I ran it through Photoshop to give it a more gauzy mystical look.

Buttercups
(4/30/2016)
On the way back from a kayak trip, I stopped to take this shot from the side the road in Isle of Wight Co. I love the color contrast of the field of yellow flowers and the all black cow. I have seen this sight before on several occasions, and always said to myself that one day I should stop and get a photo, and this was finally the day.

Muddy Creek
(5/14/2016)
This is the first of several favorites taken from the seat of my kayak. I was on the Eastern Shore, and the weather was perfect for kayaking, not too hot or cold, smooth water, and low winds. The waterman working solo was too busy pulling his crab pots to take much notice of me as I snapped his photo. His is not an easy occupation, but having only the tide and sun as a time clock has a certain appeal.

Horse Marsh
(7/17/2016)
I have been visiting Assateague and Chincoteague Islands since I was old enough to ride in a car seat. In the summer we go for the beach, and in the winter to see the waterfowl. No matter the season, there is always a decent chance to see the island's famous ponies. However, I have never seen so many, or gotten so close, as I did this summer on a kayaking trip. They let me paddle within feet of them, and I had them all to myself.

Belle Isle - Steelworks
(8/27/2016)
What can't be seen from this photo is that it was taken from within one of the ruined structures of an old steelworks on Belle Isle. Most of the roof and skeleton remain, but the sides are open to the elements, making the whole thing look like some sort of large derelict pavilion. I used the black edges of the roof, concrete floor, and two adjacent support columns to frame a shot out to the rampant growth. I am continually fascinated and made hopeful by nature's determination to overcome and erase.

Brown's Island
(8/27/2016)
Walking back from Belle Isle, I crossed through adjacent Brown's Island. It was a hot day, and I spotted these boys cooling off in the James. Rope swings hung from the CSX railroad trestle; coal trains from Appalachia passed overhead on their way to the coast.

Lake Chickahominy
(11/19/2016)
Back in May I discovered a new-for-me place to kayak, Lake Chickahominy west of Williamsburg. I went back this fall and had a very photo-productive trip. I like this shot for its monochromatic background of bald cypress knees, and for the colorful determination of a red maple to take hold anywhere it can, even if that place is on another species, and not in the ground.

Lang Farm Road
(11/25/2016)
Finally, this group of hackberry trees near my parent's house is a frequent subject of mine. In fact, a shot of them has appeared in a previous top 10 post. I rarely photograph them in the summer when the foliage hides their structure. However, in late fall or winter, you can really see what a beautiful silhouette they create in the rising sun.

If you would like to see the rest of my favorites from 2016, you can check them out on my Flickr page.

Do you have photos from 2016 that you are particularly proud of, or that speak to you in a special way? 
If so, then I welcome you to share them on your own blog or Facebook page. If you do, come back and leave a comment with a link please. I would really appreciate it. Thanks, and I hope all of you have a happy new year - one filled with much to photograph!

My 10 Favorite Photos of 2015

     I should probably rename this post. At the end of each December for the past five years, I've shared my favorite photos from that year, and the only time I've ever been able to limit the number to 10 was for the first year back in 2011. This year I decided I would just pick my favorites, and worry about the count later. However, even after some heavy pruning I could only get it down to 20. If after seeing the first 10 your eyes have grown tired, my feelings won't be hurt if you move on to other things.

Broward Main Library
(12/31/2014)
The first photo was actually taken on New Year's Eve in 2014, but I didn't get a chance to look at until 2015. It is a reflection from a solar art installation at the Broward County Library in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I was next door visiting the Stranahan Botanical Garden when the swirling light, water, and colors caught my eye. If you click on the photo it will take you to my Flickr page where you can click on the photo yet again to enlarge it, possibly taking some of you back to the 60's.


NBG Snow Day
(2/27/2015)
Like many places, Norfolk experienced its share of brutal weather last winter. The morning after a snow I was able to grab this shot of a cherry tree at the Norfolk Botanical Garden where I work. The light was incredible, and the air was still, allowing the snow to stay put making for white blossoms.


Wellhead
(4/11/2015)
The next two photos were taken in Colonial Williamsburg. I was there to speak at a garden symposium, but my mornings were free to wander the streets photographing through wonderful light. I'm not sure why I like the first photo so much; perhaps it seems to take me back in time. I chose the second photo for the early spring light flowing through the emerging leaves of a common hackberry.
 

Celtis Light
(4/12/2015) 


Last Day of May
(5/31/2015)
I spent a lot of time on my bike this year; it's something I can still do without my knee protesting. Many of the trips were taken in Virginia Beach, where I took this photo illustrating one of my favorite themes - little people in a big landscape.


Ocean Ave.
(6/7/2015)
This photo was also taken on a bike trip to Virginia Beach as I rode through what's referred to as the North End. At one time this area was home to humble shingle-clad vacation cottages among the wild dunes, most of them boarded up for the winter and opened again Memorial Day weekend. Now there are only glimpses left of that former world among the tightly packed, well appointed houses in one of the areas most sought-after zip codes.


Metompkin Bay
(7/18/2015)
Since picking up a camera, I have taken many hundreds of photos along the shores of Metompkin Bay near my parent's house. I love walking there in the mornings to catch the sunrise, but on this day the skies were murky, but the colors of the grass and adjacent marsh were vibrant. No matter where I take her, my dog Penny has always chosen to walk through more difficult grass and brush, even with a clear path just steps away.


Black Skimmers
(7/18/2015)
I took this photo of a large flock of black skimmers on Cedar Island. As the birds were busy nesting, they were none too happy with my presence, and most took to the air as we neared them, though I did respect their space. Obviously this photo has been manipulated, but the birds and their numbers were real.


Nottoway River 8-1-15 (5)
(8/1/15)
The next two photos were taken from my kayak during a trip along the Nottoway River, which is inland from where I live. I have been here several times, as it is one of my favorite places to paddle. However, the river is different each time. On this trip the water level was more elevated as we had a fairly wet summer, and this enabled me to explore side passages and swamps that were unavailable previously. I took the photo below from a sheltered cove looking out towards the main river. I felt like I was in a my own private chapel.


Nottoway River 8-1-15 (17)
(8/1/2015)
On many of my previous trips I have seen huge banks of Hibiscus moscheutos growing on the riverbank, but I have either been too early or too late to see them in bloom. Such was not the case on this trip, and I was able to enjoy the blooms as I paddled by underneath.


Japanese Tattoo Perseverance, Art, and Tradition
(8/9/2015)
I took this photo at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. They were having a special exhibition on traditional Japanese tattooing, and I wasn't certain I would enjoy it. However, I did indeed!


Alium
(5/13/2014)
Here is another photo out of sequence taken in 2014. However, I did not show it until this year, as it was one of several my friend Mac Houfek used in her book, Reflections on a Coastal Garden, which was not published until this fall. I was honored that she choose me as one of the photographers, and wanted to wait until the book was out before I shared any of the photos.



Virginia Beach, North End 
(2/27/2015)
Early in the fall this area got stuck in a three week long pattern of weather that included tidal flooding, wind, rain, and very gloomy skies. I made several trips out to the beach to stare at the sky and the agitated Atlantic. It gave me chance to repeat that photographic theme in the picture below of little people in a big landscape. It did nothing, however, to quell my preoccupation with climate change and subsequent sea level rise, which threatens to drown the place I call home. Ironically, a repeating theme in dreams throughout my entire life (even before climate change was a thing) is of people on a beach where waves wash over them and their houses, and when the water recedes they carry on unharmed as if nothing had ever happened.

Three Photographers, Two Ducks
(10/4/2015)
This photo is not my best artistically, but I thought it was hilarious, and no, it has not been manipulated beyond a little cropping. This was taken just a couple of blocks from my house near the river, and I love that all the photographers are wearing black and taking seemingly random shots. The flooding was part of the same system mentioned above.


Agave americana (Chanticleer House)
(10/15/2015)
On a trip to Chanticleer in October, I took over 250 photos (not all were keepers). Despite the extraordinarily diverse and creative horticulture taking place there, this simple plant in a pot on raked gravel became one of my favorite photos.


Muhlenbergia capillaris and Echinacea (Gravel Garden)
(10/15/215)
Another simple planting that caught my eye at Chanticleer was past-peak purple coneflower fading through pink muhly grass at its peak.


Peirce’s Woods
(10/17/2015)
Two days after visiting Chanticleer, I was at Longwood Gardens before heading home to Virginia. As I am every time I visit Longwood, I was overwhelmed with the beauty and horticulture taking place there. I got this shot looking up through a frequently photographed gazebo towards the surrounding fall colors.


Meadow Garden
(10/17/2015)
While at Longwood I got to see their much anticipated and much talked about new Meadow Garden. It was the favorite part of my trip there, but I have yet to complete a blog post on the subject. So as I had last year, consider this a teaser. In the photo below I am not sure what the plant is, perhaps a wild cherry  (Prunus serotina?). I am sure I like its color.


Reflection
(11/15/2015)
In November I was able to participate in a small and watery bloggers meet-up, when I got to explore Merchants Millpond with Marilyn who writes Adventures of a Vagabond Volunteer. The title alone should make you want to check out her blog. The conditions that day were very conducive to photography, environmental discussion and political liberalism, for a time making this pond in northeastern North Carolina the bluest part of a normally red state.


Black Friday 2015
(11/27/2015)
My last photo was taken once again along the shore of Metompkin Bay, but on this day the sun made its presence known as it rose over the Atlantic with rays coming through a grove of ancient eastern red cedars. Focusing my camera towards the sun forces it to take its cues from the bright light, darkening everything else. I like the effect and use it often.


If you would like to see all of this year's contenders, you can visit My Favorites 2015 at Flickr.

Do you have photos from 2015 that you are particularly proud of, or that speak to you in a special way? If so, then I welcome you to share them on your own blog or Facebook page. If you do, come back and leave a comment with a link please. I would really appreciate it. Thanks, and I hope all of you have a happy new year filled with many photo ops!

My Ten Favorite Photos of 2014

     As seasonal as fallen fir needles on carpet, it is time once again to share my favorite photos from the past year. When I started this post, I thought this might be the year I could finally actually limit the number to 10, and that the exercise would somehow force my eye to see the photos in a new light, but that didn't happen, and I could only get it down to 15.

Gulls 
(1/29/2014)
Like much of the rest of the country, our winter last year was unusually severe. Fortunately the snows afforded me some photo opportunities, and during one of our worst storms I was able to capture the moment a neighbor joyously fed ever-greedy or ever-grateful gulls.

Cormorant 
(2/16/2014)
During my 2014 Winter Walk-Off, I was able to get a picture of a cormorant just before it dove below the surface of the water. This photo speaks to me on a couple of levels. I love the juxtaposition of this humble seabird with the aircraft carriers in the background. Also, whenever I see a cormorant I think about my friend Joellen, who died way too early leaving many of us to fix our own problems.

Gull
(2/16/2014)
This shot also came from the Winter Walk-Off, and yes I know the first three photos have all been birds and two of the three have been gulls, and yes I know this is not a bird blog, but look at his attitude and how close I was able to get without a zoom lens.

Nockamixon Cliffs
(3/2/2014)
On the way home from a visit with my brother and the Philadelphia Flower Show I stopped at Nockamixon Cliffs along the Delaware River, where I took what I think were some very artistic shots of the icefalls flowing down the cliffs. However, this photo of two insane men climbing one of the larger icefalls would sell more newspapers.

Chippokes Bovines
(4/12/2014)
In April I paid a very photo-productive visit to one of my favorite getaway spots, Chippokes Plantation State Park, and the next two photos made my top ten/fifteen. Parts of Chippokes have been a working farm for nearly 400 years, and they have a herd of well-cared-for cattle grazing there. I gave up eating meat over a year ago, and seeing the eyes and lashes of this black beauty reconfirmed my choice.

Ipheion Lawn
(4/12/2014)
I know, I know, it's about time I showed a plant photo, especially since this is ostensibly a gardening blog. The lawn in front of the plantation house at Chippokes is carpeted with Ipheion, and the only way to really appreciate them, or to photograph them, is to from your belly.

Allium ampeloprasum
(6/1/2014)
On the way back from a kayaking trip I happened to take the Colonial Parkway just as the locally celebrated Yorktown onions (really a wild Eurasian leek) were in full bloom. As long as I have lived in this area, I have never seen this plant bloom, and to see fields of them was a real treat, even if they aren't native.

Summit Lake
(7/27/2014)
The next four photos are from our trip to Colorado this past summer. The first one was taken at Summit Lake on the way to Mt. Evans. What you can't see in this photo is obviously the crystal clear lake, or the mountain goats jumping around on the snow capped mountains surrounding the lake. You also can't see my eyes welling up from the absolute and severe beauty of the place, but you can see a group of dedicated volunteers who were happily restoring the ecosystem with plants they grew themselves.

Roxborough Park
(7/28/2014)
One of my co-workers is from Colorado, and I asked him for some recommendations for places to visit, and one he suggested was Roxborough State Park just south of Denver. You enter the park on the prairie, but most of it is in red-rock formations at the edge of the Rockies, and it is a stunning place. I have yet to complete a blog post on Roxborough, so consider this a tease.

Kenosha Pass
(7/29/2014)
Kenosha Pass is a high mountain pass that looks down onto the basin of South Park, Colorado. It is a beautiful, but lonely, dry, cold (even in July) place. At the top of the pass are a series of impromptu memorials along a barbed wire fence. These offered some of the only bits of color on an otherwise gray day.

Pet Cemetery
(7/31/2014)
Continuing in this morbid train of thought, a few days later we made a quick stop at a roadside pet cemetery near Salida, Colorado. The surrounding landscape was unusually green for summer in this part of the world, as rains had been above normal, but the pet cemetery was mostly brown except for the plastic flowers. I assume someone had sprayed the growth with weed killer, but you can never be sure what will and what won't grow on hallowed ground.

Yarmouth Creek Black and White
(9/21/2014)
This photo is the only black and white in my favorites this year. It was taken from my kayak on Yarmouth Creek, a tributary of the Chickahominy River close to its mouth near Williamsburg, Virginia. This area has become one of my favorite places to paddle, as I feel like every bend in the river and every old cypress have several stories to tell.

White Adirondacks
(10/17/2014)
In October I was fortunate enough to attend the Perennial Plant Conference at Swarthmore College, which is situated within The Scott Arboretum. The conference was wonderful, but so was the chance to tour the arboretum, which is just beautiful. Though there were many carefully designed garden spaces and beautiful plant specimens there, my favorite photo from the trip is of these three chairs with morning light falling on them.

Traugers
(10/18/2014)
This photo was take at a farmstand in Pennsylvania, and after some of the other photos I have posted here, it may seem a little "schmaltzy", but I like it.

Frosted Marsh
(11/29/2014)
Like many of my favorite photos over the years, my last photo was taken on the shore of Metompkin Bay near my parent's house. When I visit I usually try to walk there in the mornings to catch the sun as it rises from the Atlantic. This has always been a special place to me and easy to photograph.

I have a collection of all of my favorite photos of the year on my Flickr page, and if you find yourself icebound or bedridden with nothing else to do, then click here for the full set. And if that is not enough, you can click on 2013's, 2012's and 2011's top ten collections respectively.

Do you have photos from 2014 that you are particularly proud of, or that speak to you in a special way? If so, then I welcome you to share them on your own blog or Facebook page. If you do, come back and leave a comment with a link please. I would really appreciate it. Thanks, and I hope all of you have a happy new year filled with many photo ops!