Happy New Year! I hope you’ve recovered from your New Year’s Eve celebrations. Claudia and I are in surprisingly-cold Pasadena, California, visiting friends, and watching the Rose Parade a few blocks from our friends’ house.
Like champagne, Auld Land Syne, and the Rose Parade, it’s become a New Year’s tradition on this blog to pick out my best images from the past year, and once again I’m inviting you to help make these difficult choices. I’ve posted 40 of my best photographs from 2014 below, in chronological order. After you look through these, please post a comment listing your ten favorites.
You don’t have to list your ten favorites in any order, or even name them – just numbers will do. (The numbers are in the captions underneath the photographs. Also, you can click on the images to see them larger.) Once the votes are in I’ll post the top ten on this blog, and submit the final group to Jim Goldstein’s blog project, where he’ll be showcasing the best images of the year from over 300 photographers. The voting deadline is this Saturday, January 3rd, at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time.
As always, I reserve the right to override the votes if one of my favorites gets panned. But I have yet to exercise this power — the last four years I went with the votes because my readers have excellent taste. 🙂
Thanks for your input — I appreciate your help!
— Michael Frye
1. Sunbeams and fog in a Sacramento Valley orchard, California
2. Sunset over marshes in the San Joaquin Valley, CA
3. Misty sunrise, Half Dome, Merced River, and clouds, Yosemite
4. Leaping sandhill crane, San Joaquin Valley, CA
5. Foggy sunrise, San Joaquin Valley, CA
6. White-fronted geese taking flight, San Joaquin Valley, CA
7. Ross’s geese and reflections, San Joaquin Valley, CA
8. Clouds and mist from Tunnel View, Yosemite
9. Oaks and redbuds in the fog, Mariposa County, Stanislaus NF, CA
10. Rainbow over Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View, Yosemite
11. El Capitan reflected in the Merced River, Yosemite
12. Reflections the Merced River rapids, Yosemite
13. Lunar eclipse sequence, April 14th and 15th, Trona Pinnacles, CA
14. Rainbow and sunbeams, Brasstown Veil, SC
15. Setting sun, Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite
16. Alders and sunbeams, Redwood NP, CA
17. Sunbeams and corona in a redwood forest, northern California
18. Sunbeams at the mouth of Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods SP, CA
19. Fog and waves at the mouth of the Klamath River, Redwood NP, CA
20. Sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, Samual H. Boardman SP, OR
21. Sunbeams and tufa towers, Mono Lake, CA
22. Rainbow and sunbeam over Mono Lake, CA
23. Sun rising through smoke from Tunnel View, Yosemite
24. Interior, Bodie SHP, CA
25. Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon rising at dawn, Mono Lake, CA
26. “Swayback” building at night, Bodie SHP, CA
27. Star trails over pinnacles, Trona Pinnacles National Natural Landmark, CA
28. Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxy over sand dunes, Death Valley NP, CA
29. Meadow Fire burning in Little Yosemite Valley at night, with Half Dome on the left, Yosemite
30. Lightning over Bishop and the Owens Valley, CA
31. Late-afternoon sunlight in an aspen forest, Gunnison NF, CO
32. Aspen reflections, Uncompahgre NF, CO
33. Aspens in fog near Ridgway, CO
34. Half Dome and clouds reflected in the Merced River, autumn, Yosemite
35. Sun, mist, and oaks in El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite
36. El Capitan and the Merced River at night, with Vega (bright star) and the Lyra constellation, Yosemite
37. Half Dome, North Dome, and the Merced River at night, with illumination by car headlights, Yosemite
38. Moon setting on a misty night, El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite
39. Moon rising above Yosemite Valley, Yosemite
40. Cloud formations, approaching storm, Mariposa, CA
Related Posts: 2013: My Top Ten Images; 2012: My Top Ten Images
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Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author or principal photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, Yosemite Meditations for Women, Yosemite Meditations for Adventurers, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters. He has also written three eBooks: Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, Exposure for Outdoor Photography, and Landscapes in Lightroom 5: The Essential Step-by-Step Guide. Michael has written numerous magazine articles on the art and technique of photography, and his images have been published in over thirty countries around the world. Michael has lived either in or near Yosemite National Park since 1983, currently residing just outside the park in Mariposa, California.
#1, #38
Michael, I’d also consider the b&w version of the image #1. It was very powerful.
1, 4, 10, 17, 24, 28, 29, 31,33, 38.
Happy New Year Mike,
Here are my picks (and, of course, I loved them all).
4,6,9,11,19,24,26,31,33,39
I thought it would be interesting if you would address how you are changing as an artist over time and whether or not you “struggle” with moving into new directions in the coming months. You are so good at what you do but do you want to do something different at all? I (maybe) have noticed that more and more of your images are monochromatic and/or ethereal in feeling and I really like them. It is something that I keep trying to figure out with a desire to move toward photographs that (with the incredible bombardment of images these days) are different than what is seen other places.
Wonderful year for you.
8, 17, 19, 28, 31, 32, 33, 36, 38, 40
1 is my favorite
Hi Mike,
Difficult choice, but I go for …..
1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 26, 28, 30, 33
Had the pleasure of meeting up with you at Tunnel View Feb 27 last year when we saw that mist in the Valley that I had yearned for for 20+years (living in the UK I visit Yosemite infrequently) and recall you were testing out the Sony A7R at the time.
Best for 2015
Peter Clark
Hi
Throughout the year your photographs are such an inspiration for a keen, but aged, amateur here in the UK. Such beauty and composition!
My choice is
1,7,8,12,16,17,18, 32,35,40
for a wonderful mixture of drama, serenity, beauty and intense and effective lighting.
Your images communicate, excite and inspire. They are the very best!
many, many thanks
Peter
1,8,11,12,13,19,27,28,33,38
Happy New Year Michael, again your images are totally outstanding and I have many favourites but I particularly enjoy 25 and 36 🙂
I so enjoy seeing your photos – they are both a source of inspiration and a place of tranquility for me. What a struggle to pick 10! My favorites are in chronological order: 1, 4, 10, 13, 21, 25, 26, 34, 36, 39.
Happy New Year!
Laura
1,7,15,17,27,32,33,35,37,39
They are all nice for sure, but my favs are:
1, 12, 13, 20, 21, 25, 27, 29, 38, 39
Happy New Year! 😀
Michael, about 2/3 of these would go in my top ten list so I just pulled out the ones that jumped for me:
1. 9. 16. 18. 24. 28. 35.
I second the suggestion that you look back on several years of your Top Tens and reflect aloud.
E.g., I look at the Bodie still life and know that is way outside your standard portfolio – but it is fabulous. How does that fit in for you today? I hope to see you in 2015…
Ps: I think #1 is the Best In Show
All lovely… My top two are 5 and 31
1++++,18,28,12,16,2,13,11,8,35 & BONUS 31!!! All Amazing as usual Michael!!
Happy New Year!
These are my favorites:
1,4,15,16,18,24,26,28,39,7
My favourites (and there were so many) are:
1, 4, 12, 13, 18, 24, 26, 28, 36, 38.
Not easy to pick 🙂
My favorites: 1,4,11,13,19,32,28,35,38,40. I Really enjoy your blog posts Michael!
1,7,12,18,28,30,31,35,37,40
I really am partial to 1 as I grew up in Reedley on a farm. It brings back good memories.
1, 4, 8, 10, 15, 21, 26, 30, 32, 35
Thanks for letting us participate in this fun annual tradition! And as always, an amazing collection of work!
2,7,9,10,16
#1,7,10,11,13,18,23,27,28 and 39.
Hi, Michael: Happy New Year and thanks for the great workshop last August. Hard to pick ten but here goes: 2, 7, 10, 13, 25, 26, 27, 32, 35, 38.
You have had a wonderful year — my 10 favorites are 2, 4, 17, 22, 26, 28, 33, 35, 36 and 38
1, 7, 11, 13, 16, 17, 28, 29, 31, 36, 38 (it’s not easy to chose just ten!)
Best in show for me— #29. 😉
They are all terrific Michael. But here’s the 10 best…1,9,11,18,28,32,33,35,36,38.
My best choice # 6, 10, 7
1, 7, 10, 11, 13, 18, 26, 28, 33, 39
Michael you are a gifted photographer! Top 10 is not enough!
Michael, thank you for your continuing inspiration!
My picks are 1, 4, 8, 10, 14, 18, 28, 30, 36, 40
I vote #10, it is heavenly. I was there the day this was taken only I went home early because hours before this was taken the storm appeared to be locked in for the end of the day. now i never leave early lesson learned. Patience may be the most important thing needed. Thank you so much for your photos.
13, 26, 36 difficult as some awesome photos here.
1, 4, 8, 13, 20, 24, 26, 27, 28, 36 – I may be biased and dazzled by the heavens – 17 & 21 are close runners-up. Thanks not only for sharing these spectacular images with us but for the times spent getting there, being there, being patient and the years spent getting ready to take those images. Excellent! Mahalo nui loa! Happy New Year!
I like best numbers 2,4,6,10,11,18,26,30,35,38. But as usual, I like them all.
Michael — Amazing photos. Here are my top ten picks:
1, 2, 4, 10, 12, 16, 17, 26, 28 and 40.
Hey Michael,
You have published some gasp photos this year not included here, but this is hard enough. I come up with 15 from within your presort.
1, 8, 10, 11, 13, 19, 24, 29, 36, 39.
So difficult!! Chose those that made my heart leap or made me wonder at your patience:
1
39
38
37
36
28
26
18
35
12
5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 17, 22, 26, 28, 29, 30, 37 – i like them all but could not limit it to 10 choices – sorry *grin* (it was up to 20 choices – i had to pare it down to 12)
Hello Michael,
Enjoy your blog and photos. Mine and wife’s favorites are 1,6,7,13,15,26,37
1, 4, 12, 19, 24, 31, 33, 40
1,7,8,16,33,36,38
Thanks for all that you do for the photographic community and hope you have a spectactular 2015
My top three picks are: 37, 7, 1
The next three are: 18, 24, 27
and the last four are: 13, 16, 28, and 39
Beautiful works Randy
Thank you Michael,
My favorites are 1, 4, 8, 12, 13, 18, 26, 29, 37, 40.
Happy New Year!
Graham
My votes 5, 6, 19, 23, 24, 26, 29, 36, 38, 39
I enjoy the opportunity to view these beautiful photos, and put in my two cents worth:
1, 2, 6, 17, 25, 26, 28, 29, 35, 38
2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15, 21, 30, 34, 38
great Michael as always they are all wonderful… my vote falls to these.
2, 15 and 18
have a Wonderful New Year
Wonderful collection Michael! Looking forward to seeing more of you gorgeous photos this year! Happy New Year!
Michael Thanks for these wonderful images I really had a tough time and one of my Favs. wasn’t even in the running..lol Here goes I cast my votes as follows . #3,#7,#10,#13,#18,#26,#29,#32,#35 and #39 all are exquisite images in my humble opinion.
Happy new year to everyone!
It’s interesting to compare my choices with the other choices listed here. Shows you how difficult it is to select only ten. But here goes:
3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 15, 26, 28, 35
Best wishes to all.
5, 6, 14, 15, 18, 22, 26, 28, 33, 38
Happy New Year to you and your wife!
6,10,13,15,18,20,28.33,34,35
Beautiful pictures!! It’s very difficult to pick 10. I like the following: 2, 5, 6. 8.15, 18, 30, 33, 35, and 39. Happy New Year.
Michael, your work is always inspiring. Having the pleasure of spending a day with you in Yosemite this year keeps me recalling on your creative teachings from that day.
1, 10, 15, 16, 18, 26, 28, 34, 35, 38,
1,7,10,12,14,16,26,27,31,40
1, 6, 7, 10, 13 15, 18, 19 31, 33
Another great year of images Michael…Happy New Year.
Love all of them…
# 3,7,11,12,13,15,27,29,32,39…was the best I could do to narrow it down.
Thank you for posting them.
#18 is my favorite, I imagine a herd of hadrosaurs foraging for food as they’re being stalked by a T-Rex, who’s highlighted by the sun’s rays.
You are a fantastic photographer I find your work very Beautiful and inspiring! Following are my top ten selections from your blog 1,3, 6, 15, 18, 20, 26, 30, 35, and 39
Love them all too. So so hard to pick but..
#2, 8, 10, 11, 13, 17, 29, 30, 38 and 39
Hi Michael, All of them are beautiful and perfect BUT i’ve looked again to see your unique style and emotional signature.
My immediate 9 selection : 1 , 5, 7, 14, 19, 21, 22, 23, 40 🙂
I was looking between many to find the tenth fav which is no: 20 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this beauty !
Salwa
Year 2014 has been a prolific year in the ART world. Excellent work Michael as always.
5,7,13,18,19,24,29,30,34,38
Michael, this was almost could be a dart throw; all are great.
4
7
9
10
13
17
26
34
38
39
Great to see a years worth in one post….
My favorites: 4, 13, 19, 28, 29, 31, 34, 36, and 39.
6-17-18-22-23-26-29-36-37-38 I enjoy all your work was not easy picking just 10
my picks are 39,38,36,28,26,20,13,5,1,11 – very nice
Great images, Michael! Best wishes in 2015!
1, 13, 15, 16, 18, 31, 32, 33, 35, 39
Hi Michael,
Happy New Year!
1,5,7, 10, 12, 13, 18, 24, 26, 29
It was easy to choose the top 10, but here goes my vote:
1,4,6,7,11,15,16,34,39,40
It was not easy to choose the top 10, but here goes my vote:
1,4,6,7,11,15,16,34,39,40
All 40 are beautiful but I chose the ones that gave me goosebumps so 1,4,8,13,21,24,26,28,37,38 get my vote.
My pick’s #1,7,10,13,15,21,25,29,31,32. You work hard for those special photos. I enjoy your blog.
11, 12, 15, 25, 31, 34, 3, 7, 8
Awesome images!
1,6,10,13,27,28,29,30,38,39
You are making this decision too difficult! I would prefer 20 choices- beautiful work – just inspiring!
2 6 10 13 20 27 29 33 36 38
Very difficult to choose. All are amazing images. My arbitrary picks: 4, 6, 12, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 36, 40.
Silent lurker here, but always look forward to new photos and instruction from you. Thank you for all you do. I appreciate the work you put into inspiring us wannabes.
All photos are wonderful. For faves, I look for scenes I haven’t seen much before, unique ones. Here’s my list:
1, 5, 17, 22, 28, 35, 37, 38, 39
pat
Wow, what a year, Michael! Amazing work!
1, 10, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 32, 35, 36
Michael,
Here are my choices, chronologically: 3, 8, 10, 11, 15, 29, 31, 32, 38, 39.
Of those #38 is the most impressive as I had never seen moonbeams like that before.
Enjoy the Rose Bowl but as for the Sugar Bowl: GO BUCKS!
Jim (In case you hadn’t guessed, OSU grad)
1, 7, 11, 13, 16, 18, 26, 32, 35, 39
Beautiful images Michael. Thank you for sharing.
1, 10, 16, 28, 31, 36, 33, 29, 27, 18
Some of my favorites were from 2013. But the ones for 2014 I vote for are 1, 4, 9, 10, 13, 18, 24, 33, 35, and 39. Thanks for bringing the west to the east coast via your photos.
Thanks very much for all the votes everyone! I really appreciate everyone who’s taken the time to do this.
Hi Michael, Nice work! Thanks for the posts. I’ve been enjoying your blog. My favorite are 7, 19, 28, 33, 37 Lovely work! Like the mysterious feel in 19. All for the best for the new year!
They are all glorious but I like:
7 10 13 15 18 22 25 26 28 32.
Thank you.
WOW. Your pictures , your work can leave any photographer speechless & busy for hours. 🙂
Happy New Year.
What an inspiration!
Thank you for sharing –
Loved these:
1, 4, 6, 10, 11, 20, 26, 31,33, 38
Happy New Year!
Love your beautiful photography, especially when the light becomes the subject in the more ethereal and abstract images. My favorites are 1, 12, 14, 17, 27, 28, 32, 35, 38, 40. Thank you for sharing and inspiring!
Wonderful and inspiring shots Michael.
1, 2, 4, 7, 13, 18, 23, 29, 35, 39
6, 18 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39!
My choices are 1, 6, 7, 10, 13, 24, 26, 29, 31, 34.
I was doing photography myself for nearly 35 years until an accident stopped me. My favourite one, above all is No. 18, then 39, 30, 8, 15 and 28. Couldn’t chose more than 6 – I’m very picky… and I never had the chance to use those digital cameras. I still have my 2 old SRT 101 manual Minolta 35mm cameras…
You make it very tough to narrow it down to just 10.
My choices—1, 3, 7, 8, 15, 21, 25, 36, 37, 39.
25 being my favorite. I love the Mono Lake area.
Best wishes for 2015
…and Happy New Year to you and Claudia too!
It took some time to narrow it down to 10 but here are my favourites: 1, 3, 12, 15, 25, 31, 33, 35, 36, 38
Looking forward to another year of your educational and truly inspiring blog!
Wow – all such outstanding images!
My absolute favorite is #35 (just so beautiful!) followed by #16, then in no particular order #4, 6 17, 18, 21, 28, 36 & 39.
Have a wonderful New Year!
As always, it’s a challenge to only choose 10. That said, here they are:
1, 7, 10, 13, 19, 28, 31, 33, 35, 40
Thank you for sharing your beautiful work, Michael. Wishing you the best year yet.
Michael,
You had another productive year and seem to come up with new material that is stunning and as well as original. I like them all but to pick my favorite 10 is so subjective, but here goes…. 2, 16,22,27,29,32,33,38,39,40.
Thank you for inspiring me and letting me feel “close” to some of those photographs 🙂
Since I can not choose them all: 2, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 25, 29, 32, 34
Hi Michael
My picks 1,6,12,15,16,18,20,24,31,33.
I love The Big Rock but I chose others.
Murray
Hi Mike,
Difficult choice, but I go for …..
12,13,14,27, 26, 29, 30, 39
Regards I.Paul Shimla India
1,3,6,8,9,15,33,34,38,39
So many inspiring and creative images.
1, 4, 8, 10, 13, 18, 28, 31, 35, 38
Thank you!
So appreciate your photos…my favorites are: #4,7,8 (love B&W), 21,25,29,33,36, and 40 – I think I was under those same clouds on J 59 towards Merced that day!!
Hi Michael,
Each one of those photos is superb! I thank you for sharing your knowledge, insights, and beautiful work throughout the year. I kept changing my mind about which ones to choose, but here are my final picks:
1, 2, 10, 13, 18, 19, 24, 28, 33, 39
Happy new year!
1 3 7 10 11 13 15 22 27 39
Hello Michael,
Well, here I go again with the impossible task of picking only 10 of your gorgeous photos…
#6,15,19,20,26,28,29,33,36,39
Thank you for sharing not only your wonderful photos but your methodology and stories.
Have a wonderful 2015 full of health, joy, love and peace!
#28, #38, #35, #33
Truly outstanding. My picks.
2,7,8,12,25,28,30,,31,36,39
Always difficult to choose from such a variety.
Love #35 – definitely my favorite
Other choices would be 6, 11, 15, 17, 20, 21, 34, 36
Thanks for letting us participate. Anxious to see what the top ten will be.
1, 6, 8, 9, 27, 28, 31, 35, 38, 39. However, all are beautiful images!
difficult decisions but also a privilege and a pleasure for me:
1, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 28, 33, 35, 38
1,7,8,13,18,19,26,33
4, 8, 16, 23, 26, 31, 33, 34, 35, 38.
5, 15,18, 22, 24, 29, 32, 35, 36, 37
The photos I stopped at to look at more closely..
6, 8, 13,24, 26, 36, 39.
Thanks for continuing to share your images and your thoughts.
Hi Michael,
I still love reading your blogs, you are a inspiration for me and thank you for all those beautiful images and a Happy 2015.
Here are my favorites, always difficult to pick, since all of them are wonderful images:
1,10,11,16,18,25,28,32,35,38
Greetings from Austria
Günther
Thanks for sharing your work and insights; Happy New Year! This was tough but narrowed it down to these:
6,10,11,17,24,26,29,32,36,38
Thank you for sharing your images and knowledge with the photo community. We all enjoy viewing your work and learning from your insightful comments.
Here are my picks of your work for 2014:
1,10,13,14,22,26,27,28,36,38
Happy New Year to you and Claudia!
Amazing photos! Here are my selections … 1, 3, 5, 8, 15, 18, 19, 30, 31, 39. Happy 2015 to everyone.
My favorites are more pattern-abstract types, with #1 and #16 being favorites, followed by #7, #12, #31 and #40. Somebody above suggested B&W of #1, I agree, it will probably look awesome. Great year, photographically, Michael!
29, 30, 31, 1 & 4
You have a way of capturing light streaming through =)).
I follow your blog and am grateful for the beauty you share and the insights on composition, post processing and inspiration.
2,4,5,12,14,18,25,29,36,40
1, 3, 11, 15, 17, 20, 26, 30, 37, 38
Stunning as always! 1, 6, 7, 10, 13, 16, 24, 25, 29, 31.
All your tips are so helpful and your work inspirational. Thank you and blessing in the new year. Lord, let it rain! 30,34,37
#26 is my favorite. Rest of my 10 choices: 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 25, 32, 37 and 39.
Excellent work! And thanks for all you share with us.
4, 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 25, 27, 31, 34
Excellent! Thanks for sharing and blessings in the new year. Love seeing how you capture nature.
1, 4 , 7, 12, 13, 17, 19, 28, 32, 38
All excellent.
I think #1 is my #1 fav though.
Happy New Year Michael, and thanks for a great year of images and inspiration. May 2015 bring more.. and lots of other good things to all!
Thanks so much for all your comments and votes everyone – I really appreciate them!
Oh gosh … you don’t make it easy, do you? But okay … here goes …
1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 16, 18, 19, 33, 35
Happy New Year to you and Claudia! The birds missed you yesterday. So did we.
4, 6, 8, 9, 15, 16, 28, 29, 33, 38
What are your top ten picks, Michael?
They are all stunning!
3, 7, 10, 15, 20, 21, 29, 34, 35, 39
1, 2, 11, 13, 14, 22, 23, 28, 29, 36
All so incredible, but #1 just sells me right away ~ brilliant.
1,2,5,7,26,29,33,35,37,40
Not necessarily in that order. Thanks for sharing them with us throughout the year.
1,9,10,16,18,28,29,31,39 (but two of my favorites don’t appear–Rhythm, and Merry Christmas)
Wow, all very good. It is tough to narrow it down to 10. My suggestions are:
2, 8, 10, 12, 13, 18, 25, 28, 38, 39
Hi Michael, my favorites were 5,6,13,15,19,26,28,29,33&36.
1, 4, 6, 10, 11, 19, 33, 35, 38, 39.
I find it fascinating to see how different peoples picks are. Some with virtually no overlap. Obviously different photos appeal to different tastes. Might would be interesting to try and tease out patterns.
Hi Michael. Many great images, as always! Thanks for the opportunity to vote!
1, 4, 13, 16, 18, 20, 24, 29, 33, 35
As always, plenty of lovely stuff, Michael.
Here’s a list:
1
2
4
7
13
16
29
31
40
As always, hard to pick just 10. These are my favorites of the moment:
1
4
7
8
10
11
28
36
38
39
This is always so much fun to pick our favorites. Fun to see what others think also. Beautiful images full of passion.
1
11
14
16
20
26
29
32
34
35
You set me an impossible ask, my friend. There’s not one I don’t like! But for me it’s 13; 1; 10; 27; 28
And thanks for the inspiration shared!
I am always looking forward to get your new pictures during the year. Greetings from Switzerland
1,5,6,7,15,18,23,26,35,39
Thanks for sharing your work!
It was very hard to select only 10. Collectively they are stunning.
17, 28, 1, 10, 22, 39, 38, 26, 16, 8
Thank you for sharing :-). Yosemite is my favorite place. But it is harder to get there living 3000 miles away. Your blog gives me a needed ‘Yosemite’ fix. Your extraordinary images capture the spirit of John Muir’s ‘Range of Light’.
I like the increased number of valley images and night images — some wonderful variety to round out those from the mountains, and a great set of images overall.
1, 7, 9, 14, 17, 28, 31, 36, 38, 40
I think I have a definite preference for ones that seem more distinct from previous photos you’ve taken; if I hadn’t seen your previous work I’d almost certainly pick more Yosemite photos.
5,7,111,14,18,24,29,32,33,39
Thanks for sharing an overview of all the great photos for the year.
Stupidly difficult. Seeing them all one after another is quite an experience. They are all stunning. However, here we go:
1,4,7,12,22,26,28,31,36,40 with number one being outstanding in my view.
Bonne année et bonne santé!
Malcolm
Happy New Year, Michael! As always, hard to pick favorites from so many great photos. My pics are: 1,4,6,7,9,10,13,27,28 and 39.
Michael, these were difficult choices. But, you know I like the subtle, the dark and patterns.
My favorites are 1, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18, 31, 36 and 39.
(And the willows)
LB
Michael, complying with your limit of ten:
1, 4, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22, 28, 29, 38; though not in order of preference.
It’s been a very good year. Thanks for sharing your life and vision with us.
Marlin
#’s 37, 29, 33. 37 being my favorite.
Thanks!
5,6,9,11,12,28,29,33,37,40. This was much harder than last year and last year was tough. Thanks for the wonderful images.
P.s. I was in the Valley in April and got some of your prints at the Ansel Adams Gallery.
I’m choosing numbers 1,5,10,15,17,29,26,35,36,38–but it was a very difficult choice!
Nancy
My choices are:
1,3, 6, 7, 8, 12, 18, 24, 28, 35
Plus 36, & 38 but I ran out of votes at 10 choices & I don’t see eliminating any of them.
A great year..
Difficult assignment!
1, 25, 33, 38, 39
Happy New Years, Michael! Another set of stunning photographs to choose from.
10, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, 29, 35, 38, 39
Thanks again for sharing and for all of your insightful articles.
Lance
Tried to select a variety of favorites…B&W, Yosemite, Non-Yosemite, Textured, Difficulty of Capturing the Image 🙂 Looking forward to the final results!
1
5
7
8
10
13
17
26
29
33
1, 2, 8, 11, 12, 18, 19, 22, 29, 38. Great collection no matter which you choose! Thanks for all the work you put into your images and sharing them!
7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 31, 32, 34
Thanks for sharing your photographic knowledge/expertise and your amazing images!
David
18,1,29,2,30,6,24,38,35,20
Ten out of the 40 though???? All are superb.
Just love #16 Alders and Sunbeams
1,7,10,13,19,23,27,28,33,39
Great work!
Happy New Year Michael!
This is always a tough gig but here goes–my top ten of your work this year
9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 23, 28, 33, 39, 40. If I could only selct one out of these ten then #23 is my personal favorite.
8 10 29 36 3 39
This is the hardest assignment you’ve ever given me. Ok. Here you go.
1, 4, 6, 12, 14, 16, 20, 23, 29, 40
Wish I could have chosen them all.
Im a few hours late, but I just received the email.
12, 40, 23, 14, and 18 all resonate with me very strongly.
1, 5, 8, 11, 12, 15, 17, 19, 33, 40
Great work. Thanks!
Favorites: 9,11,16,29,31,37,34,35,36,39
It is hard for me to choose a favorite, but 29 (fire behind half dome) will be etched in my memory for years to come. It is an intriguing and powerful photograph. I also enjoy exploring the San Joaquin Valley. Number 5 is very nice.
Thanks Hugh. That night photographing the fire will be etched in my memory for a long time too – it was quite an evening.