My best photos of 2010

I took a lot of pictures in 2010. I was motivated by doing the photo a day project. It wasn't so hard to narrow my ten best images however.

I learned so much through the year and I got pickier and pickier. I'm doing it again this year, I sincerely hope my photography grows with the same intensity this year. I still love picking up my camera and finding a photo of the day just as much as I did when I started the project the beginning of 2010.

ISO 100, 200mm, f/25, 2.5 sec • 11.21.10

When the moon hits your eye...

I remember this morning so well, I was standing on the roof of my favorite parking garage and it was so cold. We went out for a potential sunrise. I completely forgot about the full moon. There was a thick fog bank over the Willamette River, but up were I was standing it was beautifully clear.

ISO 100, 16mm, f/16, 5.0 sec • 12/02.10

Dear pixel gods

I decided that I wanted to document Salem in the twilight hour. On this evening I was heading a totally different direction when I was de-railed by horrible traffic.

Amtrack wasn't due for quite a while and my plan was to shoot the historic station. As I was setting up, I heard the freight train whistle behind me. I calmly picked up the tripod and moved to the other side of the platform.

I barely sat tripod down and hit the shutter. This was just one lucky shot.

ISO 100, 200mm, f/7.1, 1/320 sec • 05.08.10

Here's looking at you kid

We have a wetlands less than a mile from our home. We had our morning coffee with the baby ducks on several mornings.

One morning a pair of geese flew in and were quite annoyed that I was sitting on the bank of their pond. This one wandered in quite close to check me out.

ISO 100, 102mm, f/4.0, 1/125 sec • 01.21.10

Fire in the sky

On my home from work one night I watched as the color in the sky continued to get more vivid. I pulled into the driveway, grabbed my camera and ran for the back of the acre. There wasn't much time left, but oh how I loved the rich colors of the sunset that night.

ISO 200, 28mm, f/4.0, 1/60 sec • 10.06.10

Brush strokes

Early in the fall, we ventured over to the wetlands. Even though the water in the pond was quite low, the reflection of the unique clouds was wonderful.

ISO 100, 24mm, f/11, 20.0 sec • 12.18.10

The Hawthorne Bridge

Portland is well known for it's skyline and the bridges that cross the Willamette River.

I have always admired the skyline images and wanted to take a few of my own. In November, my friend Jeff took me to the location to do just that. One month later, I made my way back up to Portland to view the bridge from a different angle.

I don't think I will ever grow tired of Portland's twilight as it reflects up and down the banks of the Willamette River.

ISO 800, 45mm, f/11, 0.8 sec • 12.21.10

Passing through

Once again, I set out to shoot some of Salem's historic buildings and was side-tracked by the train.

This image really surprised me. I hadn't changed my settings from the day before and at this point there wasn't time, the train was going by.

ISO 100, 24mm, f/11, 30.0 sec • 12.08.10

A view from the middle

In 2010 I decided that I wanted to do the photo a day project. Without a doubt, it was the best thing I ever did for my photography. I learned so much.

I read about photographers having a style. I read about those sweet times of the day when the light was just right. In the beginning, I just didn't get it.

By the middle of November, I became hooked on the twilight hour, just after the sun went down. Actually, for about three weeks I really became a snob about it, if I couldn't take my picture at that time... well, I still took a daily photo and posted it, but I was never as happy with it.

I took this from the middle of the pedestrian bridge over the Willamette River.

ISO 400, 28mm, f/22, 30.0 sec • 12.23.10

Row, row, row your boat

This one quickly became one of my favorite photos of the year. I originally went down to the riverfront to shoot Salem's sternwheeler, the Willamette Queen. The crew boats are tied up just on the other side of the dock and were lit by the lights of the sternwheeler.

Normally, there isn't access to them because of a gate, but that night the sternwheeler was preparing for a river cruise, not only did it have all of it's lights on, but the gates were open.

ISO 100, 28mm, f/10, 20.0 sec • 11.27.10

The historic railroad bridge was converted to a pedestrian bridge in 2009. It is a wonderful place just to hang out.