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 30, 2011

My Ten Favorite Photos from 2011

I love reading end of the year wrap-ups, especially to look for books I should read, music I need to hear or movies I should see. So I thought I would add my on contribution to the genre and pick out my favorite photographs from 2011.

The first photo was taken at the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge in February.  I was on the way home from a day trip visiting my parents, and I took the more scenic way and could see an ominous fog bank off-shore. When I got to the refuge the very cold fog descended erasing the distinction between sky and water, leaving just the blurry land suspended between.


Refuge 6

The next shot is considerably more cheerful and was taken at the Norfolk Botanical Garden in May. I have been trying to include more people in my photography, without being what my son refers to as a "creeper". When these two little girls danced into my frame, I could not resist.

Little Flowers copy

This shot was also taken at the gardens on the same day as the previous photograph. Using Photoshop I over-saturated the colors to get the greens and pinks to bleed. I am also really fond of these long landscape shots, but unfortunately, due to the odd size, they do not translate well on my blog.

Bench

In July my son and I went camping at Sherando Lake during a really hot spell of weather. I got up at dawn the first morning as was able to get this shot of the still waters before the lake was full of people trying to escape the heat.

Sherando Lake (10)

I made my first trip to Atlantic City for a trade show in September. At the end of day one I took a stroll on the famous boardwalk and captured this image of one of the older hotels, just as a low cloud was flowing over the copula.

Night  House

On the way home from Atlantic City, I took this shot just as the ferry was pulling into Lewes, Delaware. I was following my mandate to take more people pictures. This looks much better on a larger scale than I can show here.


Welcome to New Jersey

We often make a quick detour by the river when we are to or from the house. One morning in early November this is what it looked like with a sky full of jet trails and the water like a mirror.

Jet Trail Morning (3)

Also in November I captured this early morning scene along the shore of Metompkin Bay on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I have many shots of this particular loblolly pine, which has grown at the mercy of the strong winds coming off the nearby Atlantic.


Channeling Mr. Parrish (2)

On Black Friday this year, I stumbled upon the community of Chesconessex, also on Virginia's Eastern Shore. It was dawn and the soon to rise sun was at my back to the east, and this is looking west where the sky and water were a nice rosy pink. Again, this would look better if I could make it bigger.

Chesconessex (2)

Finally, this was taken at the Smithfield Christmas parade in December. It really isn't such a remarkable photo, except for the look on the sheppard girl's face. I don't know what it is about her expression, but you can tell she must be an old soul and would have made a better Mary.

Smithfield Christmas Parade (17)

Do you have some favorite shots from the past year?  If so, you should share them.

Happy new year everyone!

37 comments:

  1. You sure know how to frame some gorgeous photos, Les. Sherando Lake is my favorite, but I also really like the one with the contrails. Maybe I'll find time to put together a post of my own faves as well.

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  2. I'm trying to decide what I could say that would be a high compliment. How about 'National Geographic worthy'...nah, sounds silly. I wish I could think of the proper words, your collection of photos here is amazing.

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  3. Oh, wow! I thought the first photo was my favorite, but then I added the 4th, and the 7th, and the 8th and 9th... And others are great too!
    Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

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  4. Les, darling, your eye and your skill are awe-inspiring. Each photo is incredible! My favorite is the one with the dancing children ... without them, it would just be another beautiful garden photo. With them, it is a picture of JOY.

    Happy New Year.

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  5. What a wonderful look through the year!

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  6. Les,
    How can you limit yourself to just 10? My favorite one is the Chesconessex shot. Perfect as it is. Have a Happy New Year.

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  7. Beautiful pictures. I enjoy the odd shaped and long photos too. I enjoyed them a lot, they looked great to me. Thanks for the wonderful pics and taking time to go out of your way to take a few pics it blesses the rest of us.

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  8. Those jet trails are a amazing. All beautiful shots. Happy New Year to you!

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  9. Gorgeous pictures. I thought the girls playing would be my favorite, but so many are quite beautiful and you're right, would look fabulous blown up. Happy New Year!

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  10. I love the photos you chose and many others that didn't make your list. I know what you mean about some photos looking better big, especially those long landscapes. Here's to many more photo essays in the new year. Happy New Year, Les!

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  11. Wonderful wonderful images, and what a great idea to go back and peruse the photo files for the stand outs. I tend to spend most of my time looking for the baddies to delete...
    Happy New Year..

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  12. Those are all spectacular photos, and my favourites are the Metompkin Bay (wonderful colours!), the park bench with rhodos, and the fog photo.

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  13. Breathtaking, Les, thank you for sharing! Each one is wonderful, the water and sky shots are hypnotic. I agree about the shepherd girl, she is like the Mosa Lisa! May 2012 be the best year ever for you and yours!

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  14. All these photos (or ones like them, I am not sure if you included the exact same shots that were in your posts) made a huge impression on me when I first saw them and now I remember them (except maybe the jet stream one). A coffee table book on your area of the world? Happy New Year.

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  15. What a great selection! You've taken so many good ones this year it would be hard for me to pick favorites. Happy New Year to you and yours!

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  16. Thank-you for sharing your beautiful photos with me! Whenever I need some peace and something to settle my restless spirit, I come to the Tidewater for my "fix"...thanks again. Have a beautiful 2012.

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  17. Your plants look so happy and healthy. I've been on your Flickr page.Wish I could study under you.Don't I sound like a suck up! What a beautiful garden.Are the dates right? you're plants are so far ahead of mid MI. Maybe I'm not such a bad gardener,plants don't have to struggle so much where you live.right?

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  18. You offered a lot of great photos last year Les, thanks for that. I love photo number 8 and 9 a lot. They are my most favorites of your favorites, wonderful!

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  19. Beautiful compositions. Art! I can see why they are your favorites. All are frame worthy. Each capture, not only a scene, but a sense such as tranquility, joy, serenity. There is a gift in each photo.

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  20. Wonderful photos Les! I would love to attempt a painting of the first one.

    Happy New Year to you and your family!

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  21. That photo of Sherando Lake took my breath away! Absolutely stunning. I found your blog after visiting Pam @ Digging. So glad I stopped for a visit. Blessings to you and your family in this new year!

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  22. I see a little National Geo, Life Magazine, and Ansel Adams in these poetic photos. They all speak volumes.

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  23. What a great way to recap the year! I just love the long shot of the Rhodies and green bench. When your ready to offer a photography / photoshop class, sign me up!
    All the best for 2012!

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  24. Les, I love the shots taken at Norfolk Botanical Garden and the nativity scene at the end! What a great idea for a post!

    I wish you a very happy new year and great 2012!

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  25. It must have been a tough edit given so many wonderful Photos you made last year. You led with my two favorites, such opposite moods. Looking forward to seeing what arises in 2012. Happy New Year!

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  26. That first one, Les, of these ten. Painterly. But then you routinely hit it out of the park on a regular basis.

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  27. I was inspired to do a photo review and a post -- gave you a shout out :-) Thanks for the inspiration and sharing such gorgeous photos.

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  28. Lovely to see! I enjoyed the sunlight, the fog, and the people!

    I think Joseph is biting his nails in the last photo. I don't know why--he had the perfect kid!

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  29. Oh my gosh Les! Those are spectacular. I went through them once and back again. The last one was so compelling. I thought she WAS Mary at first, and then I wondered why she wasn't in blue. Blue being traditional and all. Then, I saw the other Mary. Such a great shot. The first pic was so mysterious, and one was all Ansel Adamas-ish. Thanks for the look back at your 2011.~~Dee

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  30. Beautiful shots Les. My favorites were the ones taken at sunrise. Happy New Year.

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  31. Spectacular photos, especially Sherando Lake. Great idea for a post in bare quiet January.

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  32. Hi Les, A great crop of shots and some of my favourites from previous posts.

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  33. Thank you everyone for the overwhelming response to this post. You make my head swell.

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  34. Les, I always look forward to your photographic work - they are my windows on the world. The foggy one is my favorite: 10 or more years ago I had a screen saver that looked very like it and lost it thru the years. I hope it's okay with you if I try to adapt it to my computer again.

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  35. They talk about some people having an eye for photography. You have not only the eye, but the ability to capture the moment with painterly composition. There are several in that collection that are frame-worthy but I like the refuge, Sherando Lake, and the mirror-like river the best.

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  36. Calendar, please. Or a monthly desktop photo feature. The photo with the skipping girls is fantastic and my fave might be the trees reflected in the lake.

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  37. p.s. I think I will borrow idea (with credit).

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