In 2020 I didn’t take a single photo until about 8 months into the year due to the pandemic and work commitments.  In the last 4 months I did make a weekend trip to Mt. Rainier and a few weekend trips to the coast — one trip to Oregon and two trips to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington.  Our trip to Kenya was cancelled so plan B was to visit the Grand Teton NP (Wyoming) in the fall and then again over Christmas.  And that was pretty much it for photography in 2020.  A few highlights from the year (in random order):

1.  Grizzly Bear

We had a once-in-a-lifetime sighting of a grizzly bear in Yellowstone NP.  You can read all about this adventure here.  Wow!!

2.  Golden Crab Spider

Here we have another ferocious predator, albeit, on the other end of the size spectrum.  I shot this beauty in our garden.

3.  Wildflower Marmot

While visiting Mt. Rainier I found this marmot along the side of the road.  It is not the greatest image, but I love the cacophony of color.  This rascal was dining on this beautiful buffet of wildflowers.

4.  Shipwreck

The shipwreck of the Peter Iredale never fails to offer stunning photo opportunities.

5.  Bighorn Sheep Battle

I have seen bighorn sheep before but never saw them crashing heads.  It is quite the spectacle and the sound of that collision is shockingly loud.

6.  Bighorn Motion

The big boys clash heads to claim rights to mate with the females.  The ewes make the males pursue them endlessly to prove their worth and at times the hillside was a frenzy of chasing hither and tither.  I slowed the shutter speed down with this image to try and give a sense of the chase.

7.  Sunset Bison

A lovely sunset mood with a few bison in Grand Teton NP.

8.  Dinner is Served

Otters are an absolute joy to see and we had a magical morning watching these river otters catch their breakfast in Grand Teton NP.

9.  Rialto Beach

Hiking to the sea stacks at Rialto beach on the Olympic Peninsula (Washington) is bit of a workout with camera gear.  And you have to carefully study the tides to avoid getting stuck out there.  But the rewards can be stunning…

10.  Backlit Moose

If you want to see moose get over to the Grand Teton NP.  I shot thousands of images.  After a while you want to try and get something a bit different…so here is a backlit moose.

11.  Bonus Moose

And here I caught a moose crossing a stream at sunrise with the picturesque Teton mountain range in the background.

 

Wishing everyone a healthy and safe 2021!!

 

michael