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Jan
04
Favorite Images – 2025 Edition
One final look back at 2025 before we go barreling ahead into 2026 with hope and vigor. Let’s visit with some of my favorite images that I captured over the last 12 months. The list is in chronological order.
In March, I visited Silver Falls State Park in Oregon to wander among the 10 waterfalls found there. I had particularly good luck with Lower South Falls. There are two good vantage points to admire this waterfall:
1. Lower South Falls (v1)
2. Lower South Falls (v2)
Click here to read more about those adventures.
Just a month later (April), I spent several days exploring waterfalls in Southern Washington and a few more located just over the border in Oregon (Columbia River Gorge). On this trip, I discovered the stunningly beautiful Panther Creek Falls in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, as shown below.
3. Panther Creek Falls
Later in April, I visited tulip fields in Skagit County (Washington) for a completely different color palette:
4. Savannah Sparrow in Red
5. At the Border
While exploring the tulip fields, I also experimented with some abstract takes on the flower scene:
6. Flower Swirl
You can see more flower abstracts here.
In June, I visited a field of lupines and captured this dreamy meadow scene.
7. Meadow Dream
Did you notice that the bird was yet again a Savannah Sparrow?! I seem to find them everywhere i go!
In September, I visited Katmai National Park in Alaska to photograph Brown Bears. The weather was awful on this trip and our photo opportunities were quite limited, but I was pleased with these images:
8. Brown Bear Splash
In the image above, I experimented with a slow shutter speed to give a sense of the chaos as the bear barreled through the water in pursuit of a fish. I really dig how his fur seems to swirl…
9. Salmon Paw
Above, a dramatic action shot as a brown bear lunges for a salmon.
10. Mood
Could this image capture the post-holiday mood any better? He has obviously overindulged on the salmon buffet.
And speaking of bears, here is a video I captured of a bear in hot pursuit of a salmon:
11. Caddo Lake
My last photo foray of the year was in November when I visited Caddo Lake for the first time. I spent a glorious week paddling in a kayak through a surreal landscape that combined Texan swamps with autumn colors, creating an environment unlike anything I had seen before.
12. Great Egret
This is probably my best and favorite image of the year. I captured this from my kayak before sunrise, and the setting was sublimely serene. The scene oozes tranquility – “ommmmm.” The image wonderfully highlights the unique mix of swamp life and autumn colors found here. I love it. It will be on my wall soon.
So that was the top 12 images of the year. A few bonus images for sticking around:
Latecomers:
These two sunset images were taken at Second Beach in the Olympic National Park in 2024, but I didn’t process them until 2025:
13. Beach Blues
14. Second Beach #2
Favorite Iphone Shots
The cameras on smartphones keep improving, and when in a pinch (or too lazy), I will use mine instead of my “real camera.”
Iphone #1
I visited Cannon Beach in Oregon a couple of times to try and get a great sunset image, but no luck so far. But one morning, I took this groovy shot with my iPhone. Where does the sky stop and the beach begin??
Iphone #2
The same morning on Cannon Beach with a dramatic sky by the Sea Stacks.
And finally, a couple of sunrise images from the tulip fields
Iphone #3
The image above is cropped to fit nicely on my phone as a background image.
Iphone #4
Got any favorites from this year’s roundup?
And what didn’t make the list?
- Bald Eagles: I made 18 day-trips to photograph bald eagles….Sadly/oddly, I didn’t capture anything worthy of this list (the good news is that I have a pretty good portfolio of Bald Eagle images already, so the bar is pretty high)
- Tufted Puffin: I went out on two day-trips (on a boat) to see tufted puffins. I saw those adorable birds for the first time, but no photos were worthy of showing. I am working on a plan…
- Cannon Beach Sunset: As mentioned, I made a couple of trips to Cannon Beach in Oregon to capture an epic sunset scene — so far, no luck in getting the right mix of clouds, weather, and sun. The quest continues.
- Pika: I photographed pika at two different locations but….meh. But I still need to really go through the images in greater detail. Perhaps one shot will make next year’s “Latecomer” list.
- Mt. Rainier: The fall colors were a bit late, and when we visited, it poured incessantly, and there was no color to be seen. Complete wash.
Ok, that’s a wrap on 2025. Thanks for sharing in my adventures and “listening” patiently to my ramblings.
Wishing you a wonderful 2026!!
…..michael
Aug
31
Shot of the Month – August 2025
This month, we visit with the Red-breasted Sapsucker (RBS). I photographed this fellow in the yard on our Holly tree.
Let’s break it down:
Red-breasted
As we can see, this bird, especially the male, is dashingly adorned in a vibrant red covering his head and chest. The RBS is a US robin-sized bird found in western North America, as shown here:
If you wander about in the western regions of Canada, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California or the western tip of Mexico, you have a chance of seeing this dapper dandy.
Sapsucker
The red-breasted sapsucker is a type of woodpecker that specializes in collecting and eating sap from trees. Hence, “sapsucker.” Of the 400+ species of woodpeckers, only 4 are considered sapsuckers. The four are:
- Red-breasted Sapsucker
- Red-naped Sapsucker
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Williamson’s Sapsucker
And all are found in North America.
Sap Story
The RBS drills shallow holes or wells in the trunks of trees (most commonly aspen, cedar, pine, birch, or maple) and drinks the collected sap as it oozes from the open wound. Despite their name, sapsuckers do not suck the sap out of the tree wells, but rather, lick it up with their tongues, which are equipped with stiff hairs designed just for this task. The birds make regular rounds to their active sap trees to keep the wells open and ensure that the sap keeps flowing.
Below is a photo of the other side of our holly tree — the RBS has drilled shallow wells around the entire trunk. If you look closely, you can see where the larger wells have produced heavy sap “streams” oozing down the bark.
The sap attracts insects, which often become trapped in the gooey mess, and the bird benefits from the extra protein. During breeding season, the parents collect insects at the sap wells and feed them to the chicks to enrich their diet. The parents sometimes catch ants at other locations but bring them back to the sap tree, dip them in the sticky stuff, and feed them to the young as a tasty treat!
Sapsuckers cannot live on sap alone, and they round out their diet with spiders, caterpillars, berries, fruit, and tree cambium (the slender plant membrane located under the bark of a woody tree or plant).
Community benefits
Quite a few animals benefit from the sapsuckers’ hard work. The Rufous hummingbird, in particular, follows the RBS to learn the location of the sap wells and regularly feeds from them (sneaky little bugger!). These wells can provide essential calories to squirrels, chipmunks, porcupines, and bats in the spring when flowers are scarce. Many birds (hummingbirds, warblers, nuthatches, orioles) and other insects (bees, wasps, moths, flies) also feed at the sap wells.
Habitat
RBS are cavity dwellers and excavate holes in dead trees for their nests. They build a new nest each year, so over time, there are numerous cavities available for other bird species and mammals.
Keystone
Sapsuckers are considered a “double keystone” species given the essential role they play in their ecosystem. What’s the double part?
- Nutritional Hubs: As highlighted above, the sap wells provide essential calories and nutrients to a broad range of animals and insects. For example, hummingbirds will time their spring migration to coincide with the arrival of sapsuckers so they can feed on the sap wells.
- Habitat Creators: The tree cavities provide essential nesting sites for birds and are especially important for swallows and small mammals.
Put it all together, the sapsuckers have a disproportionately large effect on their ecosystem, granting them keystone species status!
I don’t want to get all sappy, but that is a beautiful story…sniff, sniff.
Until next month……m
Nikon D4S, Nikon 600mm with 1.4x TC (@ 850 mm), f/5.6, 1/320 sec, ISO 3200, +0.5 EV
Jul
31
Shot of the Month – July 2025
Last month we explored a non-traditional approach to Tulip photography using a “zoom effect.” This month, we will revisit a more traditional approach – subject isolation. You can read more about the use of subject isolation in this post:
For tulip photography, we are looking for a composition that allows one flower to stand out amongst a field of so many. The image from that original post:
In the image above, I positioned myself to highlight the contrast between the flower and the background, allowing the subject to stand out clearly. A fairly shallow depth of field also helped isolate the flower.
In the next image, I used a shallow depth of field to blur the background with only the subject (flower) being in sharp detail to catch our eye.
In this shot I used both color and depth of field to isolate the yellow flower.
In the next image, I used the difference in color to highlight the yellow flower. The backlighting adds a nice dash of drama to the scene:
And for the next flower, we will explore how different compositions of the same scene offer a different feel:
Version 1:
Version 2:
Version 3:
And Version 4 in Landscape:
Have a favorite? And between versions 1 – 4, do you find that one appeals to you most?
In terms of visual impact, I love the vibrant colors and fun contrasts. And nonsensically, I find myself rooting for the lone flower standing bravely on her own. Another example of the wonders of art and how we apply our own meaning, stories, and sagas to an otherwise “neutral” scene.
Until next month…..michael
Nikon D500, Nikon 600mm, 1.4x TC, 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320
Jun
30
Shot of the Month – June 2025
In April, I visited Washington’s famous tulip fields in Skagit County. As I drove to the location, I was preoccupied with a concern:
“How am I going to create a unique image? Many thousands of people photograph these same fields year after year after year after……. What am I going to do that is any different? Does the world really need another pretty tulip snap?”
I have visited the fields multiple times — It wasn’t my first rodeo.
I have done the classic “landscape” shot at sunrise:
I have done some nice individual flower “portraits”:
I have experimented with colorful birdscapes:
So what next? How can I move the needle? What is something new that I can try? Something beyond pretty flower…?…hmmmm………….Then it dawned on me. Many years ago, I experimented with slow shutter speeds and camera movement to add life to my autumn leaf photography, and I was stunned by the results. For the foliage, I used a slow shutter speed and tilted the camera up or down while exposing the scene to get abstract images like this:
For the tulips, I decided to experiment with “zoom bursts.” What’s dat?
“The zoom burst effect is a photographic technique creating radial streaks of motion by zooming a lens (in or out) while the shutter is open, using a slow shutter speed (like 1/30s or slower) and a steady camera (tripod recommended), resulting in an abstract, dynamic look that makes subjects appear to burst outward or rush inward, ideal for lights, cityscapes, or nature.”
Still confused? Remember in Star Wars when they made the jump to lightspeed? And all the stars came zooming by as streaks of light? Yeah, that. On this occasion, we replaced stars with flowers, and got something like this:
Shot #1:
The yellow tulip provided a nice visual contrast and helped anchor the shot.
The key to creating the dynamic blurred streaks is to use a low shutter speed while zooming in or out during the exposure. Other than that, there are no rules. Just a lot of trial and error, experimenting with different shutter speeds and varying how rapidly to pull/push the zoom ring on the lens (So yes, a zoom lens is required to experiment with this technique).
Another attempt from the same position:
Shot #2:
And here is a wider perspective from the same location:
Shot #3:
For an added “twist,” you can rotate the zoom ring as you are pushing or pulling the lens, adding a spiral effect to your radiating lines:
Shot #4:
Here is the same shot with a wider field of view:
Shot #5:
Typically, only the subject at the center of your image will be in focus, but you can experiment with off-center subjects, and sometimes you can get it reasonably sharp, as in the image above.
In the next image, I spun the lens 360 degrees with the yellow tulip dead center, creating a merry-go-round look:
Shot #6:
In the next image, I did not spin the lens a full 360 degrees:
Shot #7:
It seems like all of the flowers are being sucked into a vortex created by the yellow tulip. Dude, so trippy….
I looked for subjects that clearly stood out from the crowd:
Shot #8:
In the shot above, I used a relatively fast shutter speed and zoomed and rotated the lens only mildly, so the effect is more subtle.
Here’s a pretty field….
Shot #9:
Ok, (yawn) what else you got? Let’s jump to lightspeed (straight zoom pull, no twist):
Shot #10:
Another version, but let’s push the zoom in a different direction:
Shot #11:
Ok, one last shot with a wider perspective:
Shot #12:
On some days, after so many years of photography, it can be challenging to find the inspiration or vision needed to create something worthwhile. Not on this day. I had a blast experimenting with the new technique. After each shot, I excitedly checked the screen to see what magical combination of color and shape I may have captured. The hours passed quickly as I played with the limitless variations of shutter speed and lens movement. And it was fun to study the scene with my new “mental lens” in looking for compositions that were conducive to the “zoom effect.”
What are your thoughts on this non-traditional view of the world? Strike your fancy? Any favorites among the group?
Until next month…
Shot #4: Nikon Z9, Nikon 100-400 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec, ISO 64
May
31
Shot of the Month – May 2025
Stand in one spot for too long in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and there is a good chance that you will be covered in moss before you know it, like the tree in my photo above. The PNW is (in)famously wet, and all that rainfall produces some of the few remaining lush forests in the Northern Hemisphere. Let’s break it down:
Pacific Northwest?
What exactly is the Pacific Northwest? Turns out that this is a rather complicated question and no one can agree on exactly what geography is covered under this title. The most common “definition” is that the PNW is made up of the US states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and the Canadian Province of British Columbia.
What’s with the weather?
The PNW is famous for being wet. In fact, it does not rain year-round as many assume, and the summers are very dry. Most precipitation is during the winter, with areas west of the Cascade Mountains and along the coast getting the brunt of the wet stuff. But areas on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains can be arid due to the rain shadow effect. Check out this animated graphic to see how the mountains impact rainfall levels. Winters are so wet along the coast due to the “Pineapple Express,” a weather pattern that brings warm, moist air from Hawaii across the Pacific Ocean. On the plus side, the temperatures are moderate/mild year-round thanks to the warm(ish) air from the ocean. Western Washington is classified as Csb which is “warm-summer Mediterranean climate.”
Shocking Fun Fact: I was blown away when I learned that New York City actually gets more rain than Seattle. Yep, you read that right. New York City averages 50 inches of rain annually while Seattle only averages about 37-40 inches each year. And it gets crazier. Seattle doesn’t even rank in the top 30 cities in the US for annual rainfall! Click here to understand the shocking truth!.
Today’s color is Green
Put all that together, and you find luscious temperate rain forests all the way from Alaska, through the PNW, down to northern California. Some areas can receive up to 12 feet of rain/year. Squish. These forests can have dense vegetation with every surface covered with some variation of fern, moss, or lichen.
Silver Falls State Park (SFSP)
A great place to experience this wondrous alchemy of water and vegetation is at the Silver Falls State Park in Oregon. SFSP is located about 20 miles east-southeast of Salem, the state Capital. There is a fantastic 8-mile loop that you can hike that takes you past (and sometimes under!) 10 waterfalls and through some glorious green and mossy forests. Go in the spring when the snowmelt is at its peak to find the falls GUSHING with water and the surroundings bursting in shades of green.
In the image above, we see the Lower South Falls – you can actually walk behind this waterfall.
Here is another view of the same waterfall:
Does this scene not just scream Middle-earth?? I love the early morning fog and cacophony of colors and textures. That mossy tree that we saw in the first image is on the left side of this image.
Here is Lower Falls, the most visited waterfall in the park:
If you visit in the autumn, the water flow is much less as some falls slow to a trickle, but in compensation, you get a fun, albeit a bit odd, mix of Maine “fall” colors among the mossy forest.
Either way, it is a visual treat. Just keep moving, as the moss is always looking for its next host…
Until next month….m
Nikon Z9, Nikon 14-30 mm (@14 mm), f/16, 1/25 sec, ISO 64
Apr
30
Shot of the Month – April 2025
Some animals are masters of disguise, trying to quietly blend into the surrounding to avoid detection. That does not seem to be the strategy of the Long-tailed Meadowlark shown here. I photographed this dapper fellow in Patagonia, Chile.
The males, especially during the mating season, take on dramatic hues to attract the ladies. The female birds also have red, but the coloring is more subdued as we can see here:
Another view of the female:
The Meadowlark is a New World bird that prefers grasslands, fields, and meadows, as the name suggests. These birds spend much of their time on the ground as they search for insects and seeds.
There are eight species of meadowlark spread out across the Western Hemisphere. Interestingly, all five of the species that live south of the Equator are adorned in red. But the three species of meadowlark that usually live in North America are adorned in yellow. Below is a Western Meadowlark that I photographed in Grand Teton National Park in the US, and he is clearly on team yellow.
Another shot of our lovely male:
Meadowlarks, the dashing fashion plate of the nearby meadow, with handy color coding for the directionally challenged (like me!).
(Blue Line = Equator)
Until next month…michael
Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 100-400mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO 100
Mar
31
Shot of the Month – March 2025
While in Patagonia, I finally came across an owl I had been trying to see for ages – a Pymy owl. Just look at this stunning Liliputian cutie pie of a raptor. I am sure he would be none to pleased to hear himself being called a cutie pie – similar to how I imagine cats, the perfect miniature killing machine, hate when we ooh and ahh over their “adorable” ways. That being said, this tiny terror is not to be taken lightly – they are renowned to be quite fierce and have been seen taking birds almost double their weight.
(WHOOS a FIERCe LITTLE OWL? YOOOUU ARE!! Yeessss YOU Are!! (said in that annoying pet owner voice…)
There are 29 species of Pygmy Owl scattered across the globe, and they can be found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The chappie in my photo is an Austral Pygmy Owl – they are found in two countries, Chile (mostly) and Argentina (less so). Locally, they are called Chuncho. The males weigh 56-75 grams (2.0 – 2.6 oz) while, as is common with many raptors, the females are larger and weigh 70-100 g (2.5 – 3.5 oz).
For those playing at home, a tennis ball weighs about 2 oz, and a deck of playing cards weighs 3.5 oz. The wee bird stands about 17-21 cm (6.7 – 8.3 inches). This tiny raptor hunts small birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. These guys like to hunt during the day (diurnal), but they can hunt at night when the mood strikes.
A closer view:
Remember how it seemed that mom had eyes in the back of her head back when we were kids? Many raptors, including some species of pygmy owl, also give that impression, as seen here when my subject looked away:
False eyes, called ocelli, are usually found on prey species to confuse predators. So why does this owl, a predator, have false eyes?? The Austral pygmy owl preys on a wide variety of song birds, which makes him very unpopular with that avian crowd. If prey birds find a resting owl, they will call out for reinforcements. Soon, the birds will mob the owl, dive-bombing and harassing him until he leaves – especially if the birds have nests nearby with chicks. One theory is that these false eyes help avoid getting attacked from behind. Some scientists think the large false eyes are actually designed to trigger the mob response, so birds come in close so the owl can then hunt them! What delicious subterfuge if true – using their rage against them!
A small bird in a large world:
A closer look:
The Austral Pygmy Owl – the tiny but terrifying, diabolically deceptive (some say), geometrically perfect (tell me that head is not a perfect arc!) ball of feathers that is, yes, I still stand by it – adorable.
Until next month….michael
Nikon Z9, Nikon 600mm, f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO 400
Feb
28
Shot of the Month – February 2025
As the sun rises in Patagonia, a resting Guanaco looks on, likely wondering why we are up so early.
A Guana-what?
For the uninitiated, it is pronounced “gwa NAH ko.”
If you thought our long-necked furry thing was a llama, you are not far off. Guanacos have a very calm/mellow temperament which allowed locals to domesticate them 6,000-7,000 years ago. That domesticated version is, yep you guessed it, the llama.
Guanacos are the largest herbivores in South America’s dry areas, and they are the main prey of Patagonia’s apex predator – the puma.
But do note, guanacos are not an easy meal. No, far from it. Guanacos are BIG. They stand 6 feet tall and can weigh three times the weight of a puma. Guanacos are also fast – they can run 35 mph. These camel-like creatures (yes, they are related to camels) also have thicker skin on their long necks for protection against predators.
We watched the puma below stalk a guanaco for about 45 minutes. She was unsuccessful.
A failed hunt is expected. It is the norm. Pumas only succeed about 1 in 5 attempts (that is an 80% failure rate!). (In the video below, they say success is only 1 in 10!)
I have seen many feline predators hunt – some in person and many others on video. Catching prey is difficult for all predators, but nothing comes close to the challenge that a puma faces every day. Watch this video and be prepared to be stunned. (Video link here.)
Imagine if you had to do this every time you wanted a meal!!
I am shocked that there are any pumas left alive in Patagonia, given how hard they have to work day in and day out to secure a meal. I would expect that life-threatening injuries must occur regularly, as seen in the video below (fear not, mom and cubs survive, I have seen the entire documentary). The link is also here.
And in the next video, watch how hard the puma gets slammed to the ground…again, and again…and…..(the action starts at about 1m 50sec). I recommend watching with the sound off. (Video link here)
Excuse me, what? You are feeling a bit peckish? Well, saddle up, cowboy, you have some work to do if you are a puma in Patagonia!
E-V-E-R-Y D-A-Y, this is what you have to endure if you want to eat.
In the last example of this daily struggle, a professional photographer captures the battle through a dramatic series of stills stitched together into a short video:
I got nothing else to say. Speechless. Pumas are absolute gangsters. I have the greatest respect for both contestants. Life is H-A-R-D when you are in the food chain….
Until next month….michael
Click here to learn more about Patagonia:
And here for more on Pumas
Puma
And here for the story behind getting a great puma landscape image:
Nikon Z9, 100-400mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO 5000, EV -0.666
Jan
31
Shot of the Month – January 2025
Boom! (The photographic equivalent of a “mic drop”)
My favorite (best?) shot of 2024!
A once-in-a-lifetime shot! Definitely
It doesn’t get any more Patagonia than this. If you need a refresher on Patagonia, check out this link:
Otherwise, let’s break it down:
Torres del Paine:
In the background of this shot we see three immense rock towers called the Torres del Paine (Spanish for “Towers of Paine”). These three peaks are the centerpiece of the eponymously named Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonian Chile. These peaks are part of the broader Cordillera del Paine mountain range, which makes up part of the southern Andes Mountains.
Puma
The apex predator of Patagonia is the Puma. In this shot, we see a female puma standing on a rock as she surveys her territory.
The Shot!!!
Getting a shot of a Puma in Patagonia is possible if you spend a few days and put in the miles. Getting an image of the Torres del Paine is a given, as they dominate the landscape in this park. Getting them both together, as in this composition? That puts us in “once in a lifetime territory”!
How did it happen?
One crisp morning, we were out hiking when we saw this female puma walking along a ridge line. My guide instantly looked at me and said “I know this cat. She likes to walk along the ridgeline. You are probably going to get some nice shots, but you are going to have WORK for it.” The challenge is that even when a puma is not walking very fast, by puma standards, this is very fast for us, fairly out of shape bipedal humanoids carrying more than 25 pounds of camera gear.
We took off with great haste to try and keep in front of the cat. We scanned the horizon and tried to guess where she might stop, and looked for potential good compositions. We scrambled to get out in front, set down our cameras and tripods, and set up for a shot. Usually, I would be breathing heavily and struggling to keep still as I composed a shot. We might get a few seconds to shoot before she was already past us again. MOVE!
We scrambled and did our best Olympic speed walking to get in front. This went on for hundreds of yards. Scramble. Stop. Drop to your knees and put the gear down. Try and compose an image and shoot while your chest is heaving. Scramble. Shoot. Repeat.
And then we saw the rock.
The rock that also happened to have the Torres del Paine in the background.
The same rock that had the Torres del Paine in the background as the morning light lit up the valley and the towers with a crisp blue sky as a backdrop.
My heart was now pounding in my ears. I realized the image that might be possible. I didn’t allow myself to even consider it. It would be like winning a photographic lottery with the same or even worse odds. I scrambled as fast as I could to get into position. Can I get there in time and set up the shot? Would she actually get up on that rock? Would she look at us? My mind was racing. I set my gear down and began to compose the image. Trembling.
My Brain: “Dont F*&^ this up!” Get your settings right. Get the focus ready. HURRY!
This all happened within a few seconds. The puma reached the rock. She did not hesitate and immediately leaped onto the boulder. She was checking for scents – seemingly a popular place to mark one’s territory. But she was also facing the wrong way!! I need just one MORE miracle. Please turn around! Turn around! Turn…
And she turned around.
I initially tried to shoot the image in landscape orientation, but my lens was not quite wide enough:
Arrrgh! Just a bit too cramped at the top to really work. Flip to vertical!!!
Fortunately, she was very cooperative and stood there for a few seconds, allowing me enough time to rotate my camera, adjust my settings, and get “the” shot before she leaped down and continued her patrol.
The leap:
In the first image, we see the puma, the region’s regal apex predator, on her throne, with Patagonia’s signature mountains, the Cordillera del Paine, towering behind her. Months and months later, and I am still in shock that it all came together so spectacularly.
Until next month….michael
Nikon Z9, Nikon 100-400 (@100 mm), 1/1000, f/4.5, ISO 250,
Jan
04
One last glance back at 2024 before we leap into 2025 with a review of some of my favorite images from the last 12 months.
In 2024 I made my first trip to Patagonia, Chile in search of pumas. I had low expectations going into that trip but in the end, I was blown away by the experience. The landscape and scenery were breathtaking. Although the winter days were short the light was spectacular from sunrise to sunset. We spent most of each day hiking as we tracked pumas allowing us to really be part of that stunning landscape. Put all this together and we get one of the best trips I have ever taken. We enjoyed it so much that we plan to return in 2026 (Sorry, Madagascar, you will have to wait one more year).
Let’s start with my favorite images from that adventure.
1. We begin with my best photo of the year and one of the best images I have ever taken. Truly an image of a lifetime. In one shot, we get not only the dramatic Patagonia landscape (Cordillera del Paine) but also the apex predator of the region.
And just in case you didn’t notice, here is a zoomed-in crop of the bottom part of the image:
2. In the next image we can see the powerful build of the puma. And that gaze is intense!
3. Here we see a female puma with her two cubs. Cuteness overload!
Here is a close up of the puma family:
4. One of my goals for the trip was to photograph a pygmy owl and Patagonia did not disappoint! It was my first sighting of this fierce tiny raptor.
5. I imagine that true landscape photographers must lose their minds in Patagonia – at every turn was yet another mind-boggling scene. How do you choose where to point your camera??
6. Just another average sunrise in Patagonia.
A few other of my favorite images from 2024 captured a bit closer to home.
7. I made a weekend trip to Mt. Rainier (Washington State) and found this dramatic sunset scene at Reflection Lake. I have some nice sunrise photos from this location but this is my first compelling sunset image.
8. I spent a few days in the Olympic National Park (Washington State) and captured two images that I really liked (I am using this one as the background on my phone).
9. Another view of the same stream. It seems that I am a big fan of fuzzy green rocks.
9. Each year short-eared owls winter in Washington State – here is one of my favorite images from my time with them.
10. And each summer bald eagles congregate along the coastline of Washington State to feast on spawning fish. In this image, we have two eagles fighting over a fish.
11. No fish in this image but two eagles still fighting, in the rain – just because.
12. And finally, an image taken really close to home. An Anna’s hummingbird dining in the garden that is on the back deck of our house.
In other news, I entered a few photo contests in 2024 with some good results.
Three images were “Commended” in the 2024 Bird Photographer of the Year (BPOTY) Contest:
1. Feeding Time
Photo Caption:
Over three weeks I visited this Anna’s Hummingbird nest regularly to document the growth and development of the chicks. By staying on the boardwalk and using a 600 mm lens I was able to have a good view of the hummingbird family while keeping a safe distance from the nest. When I began the chicks were blind, featherless, and the size of my thumbnail. In this image the chicks are almost fully mature, and their feathers have grown in. Just two days after this photo was taken, I watched the chicks take their first flight! We were all very proud!
See the full story here.
2. Rufous on Watch
Photo Caption:
From his perch, this male Rufous Hummingbird surveyed the entire field – if any other bird or creature dared to enter, he would take flight and warn them off. As the tree swayed in the breeze the light occasionally caught his gorget just right, and radiated bright orange. Every few seconds he would expand his gorget for added effect, flashing it for all to see, and to proclaim “No Trespassing.” I approached him slowly, taking images every 10 paces or so until I was able to capture this portrait of the fiery watchman
Read more on the rufous hummingbird here.
3. Fish Fight
Photo Caption:
Bald eagles congregate along the Washington coast each summer to feed on midshipman fish spawning among the oyster beds. As the tide recedes the fish become trapped and the eagles attack. Some eagles strafe the water to catch their own fish while others steal from blue herons and seagulls. Other bald eagles prefer to steal from fellow eagles. In this scene, the eagle with a fish implemented an impressive barrel roll to confront her attacker. With the theft rebuffed the eagle flew to a nearby pine tree to dine in peace.
Read more on this behavior here.
The photo above was also deemed “Highly Honored” in the 2024 Nature’s Best Photography International Awards.
You can see all the winners here.
What photo(s) was your favorite?
Wishing you a wonderful 2025!
….michael
