Favorite Photos from 2010

Well for the third year in a row I thought I would post my 10 favorite photos of the year. I rarely spend much time looking back, so it is kind of fun to take pause and look back on the past year.  I’m always surprised as to how many amazing places and wonderful sights we are blessed to see each year!

I actually owe photographer Jim Goldstein for this idea.  As a side note, Jim is a former Alaskan who I have known through telephone conversations and on-line interactions for many years – I finally had the pleasure to meet him in person this past fall in San Francisco.

So, without further a due, here are my favorites from the year and why:

Kayaking in Bear Glacier Lagoon

Kayaking in Bear Lagoon, Kenai Fjords National Park, near Seward, Alaska.

To appreciate the size of this iceberg and to get a feel for what an amazing place this is, click on the thumbnail and check out the kayaker.  This was probably the most exciting experience of the year, and to think, this amazing place is less the 20 miles from our house.  I will definitely be returning to this area in 2011, but this year we will be spending the night – and maybe a couple.

Bull Moose in Front of Mt. McKinley

Two large bull moose in front of Mt. Mc Kinley, Denali National Park, Alaska.

Just seeing “The Mountain” (Mt. McKinley) is a treat, as is seeing a huge bull moose.  To get both at the same time was a dream come true!

Valley of Fire

Wave formation, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.

This was an exciting discovery in one of my favorite State Parks.  Valley of the Fire is another place I would like to spend a lot more time exploring.

Wild Lynx in Denali

Wild lynx, Denali National Park, Alaska.

Hey, any time I get a photo of such a rare and elusive animal, it is going to make my list.  This year I was lucky enough to get a few!  With the snowshoe hare population crashing last year, if history is any indicator, the lynx population should be following suit and it may be years before such rare animals are spotted much again.  It has been such a treat to catch an occasional glimpse and photo of these guys – even in peak years, they are very hard to find.

Peak a Boo Bear Cub

Spring bear cub, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska.

I posted a variation to this cute little guy here on the photo blog last summer.  On that one, his paw covered both eyes and it looked like he was fighting a headache, or trying to deal with the stresses of life.  This version is a little “cuter” as it looks like he is kind of peaking out from behind his hand.  I’m really excited about spending a week with these bears next summer!

Las Vegas City Center

Tram at the City Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Well I do a fair amount of travel photography, so I had to have photos of the 11 billion dollar (that is right, billion with a b!) City Center once it was completed.  Since we did seem to spend a fair amount of time in that area, I had to pick one of those photos – this one is my favorite – it looks kinda futuristic.

Arizona Wildflowers

Wildflowers, Tonto National Forest, not far from Phoenix, Arizona.

Last year was a wonderful year for desert wildflowers, especially in Arizona.  We spent 6 weeks chasing them, so I definitely wanted to include one on this list, but had a very tough time choosing just one.

Winter Wonderland

Snowy trees, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.

I captured this one just last week on Christmas day.  I’m glad I did because we now have had a few days of temperatures in the 40′s and rain which has pretty much put a dent in all our beautiful snow.

Homeless in San Francisco

A homeless man sleeps in front of a photo of a glamorous model, San Francisco, California.

I was able to capture a fair number of nice image of the San Francisco area that are likely fairly marketable.  This one probably has little value as a stock photo, but it is my favorite from San Francisco.

Lightning Storm

Lightning, Las Vegas, Nevada.

This lightning storm was some sight to see, and a real treat for me as we rarely see lightning on the coast here in Alaska.  I kind of wished I had been in a more interesting place then a RV Park, but it was still cool.

Honorable Mentions

Some honorable mentions.  These is no reason I shouldn’t be able to narrow this list down to 10 – but, photographers are usually poor editors, and I know I am.  So here are a few others that I just couldn’t keep out!

Seward

A few other Seward, Alaska photos I considered:

Moon over Resurrection River, Seward, Alaska.

This was going to be my winter photo for the top 10 list – that was until my winter images from last week.

Horseback riding, Seward, Alaska.

Desert Wildflowers

A few more Arizona wildflowers that almost made the list:

Sabino Canyon, Tucson, Arizona.

Tonto National Forest, Arizona.

Bartlett Lake, Arizona.

Black Hills, Arizona.

Wild Wolf In Denali

I had a lot of success with wild wolves in Denali this summer including a multi day stretch with cool wolf encounters every day – that is an amazing treat!

OK, that is it!  Sorry to my other wolf, whale, landscape and San Francisco photos, I’m drawing the line.