A new year gives time to reflect on the previous year. We travelled extensively last year with a trip down to Moab in the spring and another trip all the way up to Alaska and down to Washington in the summer.
All this travelling gave huge photo ops and it was tough to pick 11 shots from all of those that I took.
So, after adding and culling here is my 11.
Starting by date taken the first comes from Moab, Utah. This is a foot bridge over the Colorado river. I liked the way the colours blend together and that the leading lines draw your view right into a seemingly solid rock wall. The trail in fact lead off the bridge and then to the left.
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Next favourite comes from Arches National Park. This is Delicate Arch which is the arch that is featured on the Utah State licence plates. To get here involves a hike up a slick rock trail which gains 480 feet in the 1.5 mile hike (3 miles return). Part of the trail traverses a ledge that reminds one of an Indiana Jones movie with a steep rise on one side and a sheer drop on the other. We were fortunate to have rain squalls moving through and I was able to capture one of those behind the arch.
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Next comes from near Pendleton, Oregon. We took an evening drive out on a road that seemed to go nowhere through green fields as far as the eye could see. We came across this old homestead and had to stop. I always think about the history of a place such as this- the families that were raised here, the hopes and dreams of people long gone.
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My photography covers many interests. This next shot is a Bumblebee in an Aster blossom. Shots like this normally need uncluttered backgrounds which is not always easy. In this case it worked.
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The next group of shots are some of my favourite bird shots of the year. The first is a Hooded Merganser. This bird had eluded me for years until I got this shot in the spring in Buttertubs marsh in Nanaimo, BC
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This Bald Eagle comes from Lac la Hache in the Cariboo region of BC. I photograph many eagles here on the coast so it is ironic that my favourite should come from so far from home! It is a favourite because I caught it gathering nesting materials which you can see grasped in her talons.
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Sir Ru, our resident Rufous Hummingbird returns every year to our yard. This guy gives me no end of photo ops and of all my shots this year this is my favourite. I mentioned earlier about uncluttered backgrounds. This one demonstrates what I strive for perfectly.
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Our yard also is home to a family of Northern Flickers. For the past three years they have raised three babies a year and most of them spend the entire year in our garden. They tend to get quite familiar with us and so allow me to get some up-close-and-personal shots of them.
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In Manning Provincial Park we found this Common Loon. We did see loons elsewhere and even managed some great shots of them but this particular one was quite cooperative and allowed me to get quite close. I spent the better part of an hour watching and shooting this one. There is nothing that can compare with watching and listening to the Loons to make one feel they are truly in the Canadian wilderness.
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These next two shots are of a 2 year old Grizzly Bear which we found in Hyder, Alaska. We had the opportunity to shoot a big male, this cub and his mother over three days while they were feeding on Chum Salmon. To be so close to Grizzlies in their natural habitat was a high point of my year. Watching the playful antics of this cub makes one realize that despite the ferocious nature of the Grizzly Bear children are the same no matter what the species.
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And now 2012 begins. My camera batteries are charged and ready to go. I wonder what my 12 for '12 pictures will be?
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