Coming in at #1 is “Undercurrent” from Lower Antelope Canyon in Arizona. I’m passionate about photographing slot canyons, and this image is my favorite image in the genre. I’m thrilled and proud to have this as part of my body of work. Thanks for having a look!
Coming in at #2 is “The Elephant” from Valley of Fire State Park. Strong bounce light, varying cool and warm colors, and a natural elephant sculpture complete the scene. I was thrilled to have this selected as a highly honored image from Nature’s Best. Thanks for having a look!
Coming in at #3 is “Aspen Rain” from Lake Tahoe, California. I photographed these fallen Aspens leaves during a snow storm. I was able to capture the fresh water droplets before the snow completely covered the scene. Thanks for having a look!
Coming in at #4 is “Ruckel Creek” from the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon. This is the most beautiful creek I’ve ever had the chance to photograph. I returned to this scene again and again until the foliage was at its peak. Thanks for having a look!
Coming in at #5 is “The Red Barn” from the Palouse region of Eastern Washington. A wait of 3 days produced 5 minutes of incredible light to capture this scene. The wheat cycle was perfect to capture the intense greens unique to the Palouse. Thanks for having a look!
Coming in at #6 is “Winter Paradise” from Convict Lake in the Eastern Sierra of California. My buddy Ron and I experienced a magical sunrise with fresh snow on the mountains and the foreground rocks. It’s one of the best light shows I’ve ever photographed, absolutely perfect conditions!
Coming in at #7 is “Revelation” from The Wave in Coyote Buttes North, Arizona. What you see here are 3 rock faces made from the same sandstone, all receiving different qualities of light. I hope you enjoy!
Coming in at #8 is “Canyon Oasis” from Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon. The title comes from the feeling you get one you’re inside. The tall canyon walls with the river flowing through reminds you of the Narrows in Zion National Park, but the amount of moss and the color green permeates the walls and is quintessential Oregon. This image is a blend of 3 exposures. The water is a 30 second exposure with an ND filter attached to the lens. By creating a long exposure, I was able to highlight the natural s-curve formed by the water dripping off the canyon wall. The second exposure is to compensate for the amount of wind in the canyon. The tree in the upper right corner was moving fast and I had to use an ISO of 3200 to freeze the leaves in order to make it tack sharp. And the final image is at optimal settings for the remainder of the scene in order to print the final image large. Thanks for having a look!
Coming in at #9 is “Belly of the Beast” from Lower Antelope Canyon in Arizona. Reflected light in slot canyons has become arguably my favorite subject in photography. The range of oranges to reds and purples and blues in the shadows is incredibly compelling to me and I continue to seek out ways to photographic it as uniquely as possible. With “Belly of the Beast” I was also able capture an optical illusion. The “belly” in the lower portion of the frame, is it coming towards the viewer or moving away? Thanks for having a look!
Continuing with tradition, over the next 10 days I will be sharing with you my 10 favorite images of 2011. My criteria for selecting these images is solely based on personal preference.
Coming in at #10 is “Existence” from the Narrows of Zion National Park. This lone tree growing on a cliff wall during peak fall foliage has been photographed before, but this is a unique angle discovered by a workshop client of mine. He sought out a unique perspective, and in doing so I think he found the most compelling composition of this scene. A big thank you to my friend Saravana!
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