Ten photos that capture my 2022?  Hmmn, the pickings are a bit thin this year.  My photo-taking opportunities were quite limited in 2022 – due to work and well you know, “life.”  I only made it outdoors with my camera on a few, tightly-grouped set of outings.  Let’s run through them in chronological order.

1.  My first set of photo opportunities happened in May as Bald Eagles congregated along the Washington state coastline to feast on spawning fish.  Over a six-week period I made it out about 10 times to try and capture the action.  Here is one my favorites:

The eagle on the bottom, holding the fish, did a barrel roll to confront the eagle chasing him.

2.  In this next image we have yet another barrel roll.  This image really drives home how fearless (read as “mental”) these birds are.

Eagle on the Left:  “Yeah, I am just going to fly upside down because I need to “cut a b*tch.”

Talons out — “You want some of this??!!”

And the second eagle is like, “Well, actually, I think I do…”  And note that they are not even fighting over a fish, but just because It-Is-What-They-DOOO.

3.  In this crowded world it is very difficult to find truly wild places.  With a bit of effort we found such a rare locale in late August 2022.  But it took some effort.  First a seaplane dropped us off along the coastline of Katmai National Park.  Then a boat met the plane to take us into this secluded cove.  We spent 4 mind-bending days camping at this glorious site photographing Brown Bears.  We camped within meters of these amazing creatures.

4.  Each day, with waders on, we walked along the river’s edge, often within yards of the Brown Bears as they fished for salmon.  It is pretty intense having a 400-600 lb bear running right at you as we see in this shot.  Luckily, the bears are solely focused on the thousands of salmon in the river.

5.  I love how this picture captures the epic battle between predator and prey.  The Brown Bear is in full pursuit mode.  And the salmon is like – “Time to Flyyyyyyy.”

6. When the light is just right….

7.  In September 2022 we spent 10 days hiking in Glacier National Park.  Forest fires in the region made photography difficult but here are two of my favorite shots that really come as a boxed set.  In this first image, a beautiful sunrise at Switfcurrent Lake.

8.  And here we have a sunset image from the exact same location but the lighting gives the shot a completely different tone and feel.

9.  While in Glacier NP I got my first respectable Mountain Goat shot.

10.  Back home in late November I visited a few nearby fields to try my luck with Short-eared Owls.

 

11.  Bonus:  This photo makes me smile.  Here we have a female Brown Bear standing on her hind legs to get a better view of the salmon. This is the same female that is in image #1 (she is in front).  In that image her cubs are off to the left, on the bank.

Got a favorite?  Let me know…

Hope you have a great 2023!

michael….