FAVORITE PHOTOS OF 2024

At the end of every year, photographers all around the world share their favorite photos from the previous twelve months. Unlike them, I’ve been a slacker. Last year, I almost did. I started a blog post and then forgot about it. This year, I started early enough that I was able to get it done. These are my favorites, not necessarily my best. Quite often, the experience of creating the image or the emotions the photo evokes lead me to choosing it as a favorite. Without further ado, please enjoy my favorite photos from 2024.

When a storm rolls into Moab, I always try to put myself in the middle of it. The conditions present before, during and after a big storm are sometimes the most spectacular, the most dramatic and the most fun to photograph. Usually though, I get skunked. Luckily, on the evening I made this image, everything worked out perfectly. I spent over two hours photographing wildly changing light and weather; dark clouds, bitter cold, snow, rain, and brutal wind. I made several images at a few locations but this was my favorite. Just below the sun sank below the horizon it found a gap in the clouds and blasted the landscape with intense light that lasted only a few moments. Melting snow and rain filled potholes and in a stroke of good luck, the wind suddenly stopped blowing. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had in Arches National Park.

Over spring break Melissa, Jackson and I headed to Arizona for a few days. We began our trip by visiting White Pocket. I’d been only once before, 15 years ago, and neither one of them had ever been to the area. We spent 24 cold and windblown hours there, exploring every nook and cranny we could find. Storms threatened several times but aside from the relentless wind, nothing ever developed. After sunset, Melissa and I were hiking back to the truck when we came upon this pothole surrounded by white “brain rock” with an ominous sky looming overhead. We were both exhausted and tired of being exposed to the elements but I just couldn’t pass up this scene. Melissa returned to the camper while I shot a few frames, including this one.

While Jackson was at a mountain bike camp in Durango in late June, Melissa, Huck and I explored the lower elevations of the San Juan Mountains. We’d hoped to get into the alpine but there was still too much snow at high elevations. On our first night we camped in an aspen grove and hiked to a waterfall. The next morning we lounged around camp, something we don’t do often as we’re usually in a hurry to go hiking or mountain biking. Huck the Adventure Pug LOVES hammock time, as you can see by the expression on his wrinkly face. I framed him through some yellow wildflowers and used a long-ish focal length with a large aperture to blur out the colorful flowers while placing all the focus on a very happy (and lazy) Huck. Every time I see this photo, it makes me smile.

For at least two decades, probably longer, I’ve known about the Lost Coast of California, but had never taken the time to visit. We spent the summer of 2024 living out of our camper in Oregon and since we had plenty of time, we decided to spend a couple of days visiting the Lost Coast. After doing so, I understand how it got the name. This is a wild, remote and virtually empty section of California, and though not as dramatic as the Oregon Coast, I still loved it. I made this image on our first night just a few minutes walk from our campsite. The sky was as empty as they get but after sunset, it began to glow with bands of pink and blue on the horizon. The rock formations, black sand beach, colorful sky and sea water all combined to create an interesting image that reminds me of our beautiful evening on the Lost Coast.

Shortly after leaving the Lost Coast we visited Prairie Creek State Park, one of many redwood groves in this area of California. At one stop, we did a short loop hike through some of these magnificent trees. We stopped for a break and I noticed a hollowed out redwood that was charred by a wildfire or perhaps a lightning strike. The textures caught my attention and I started studying it, hoping to find a composition. It wasn’t until I stepped INSIDE the tree, that I found what I was looking for. There, emerging from the remains of a once mighty redwood was a small, delicate fern. Much to Melissa and Jackson’s dismay, I set up my tripod, mounted my camera and began dialing in a composition. There was just enough of an updraft to cause the little fern to flutter around. I had to use a small aperture to achieve the right depth of field and that, combined with low light, meant my shutter speeds were long enough that the fluttering fern was blurry in most of my photos. I felt that I had found something truly special though, so I stayed in place and shot over one hundred frames, hoping that at some point the fern would stand still just long enough to make a photo. Luckily, it did.

I’ve been enamored of the surfing lifestyle since I was a teenager. But, I’ve never actually surfed. I love being at the beach and near the ocean, but I don’t love going into the water. On our summer trip we spent a week at one of our all-time favorite places, Pacific City. We camped across from the beach and every evening we made a point to be on the beach for sunset. On this evening, low clouds rolled in and I furiously shot image after image in quickly changing conditions. Toward the end of the photography marathon a lone surfer walked out into the ocean carrying his surfboard under his arm, just as the clouds started to light up. I looked through my viewfinder and was giddy with what I saw. I quickly adjusted my settings for a faster shutter speed so I could freeze the surfer in place. I only had time to make 3 or 4 photos of him surveying the waves before he paddled out. When I saw this one on the LCD screen, it reminded me of the famous movie poster from the classic surf film The Endless Summer. This is a moment I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

Silver Falls State Park in Oregon has been on my “must visit” list for at least 15 years. Last summer, we finally made it happen and it was everything I’d hoped for. Melissa and I hiked the Trail of Ten Falls, which is a non-stop feast for the eyes. The trail even passes behind a couple of waterfalls, which is always an interesting experience. At this one I photographed Melissa jumping over a puddle which she came soooo close to clearing but her foot landed right at the end of the puddle, resulting in many laughs from both of us.

In August I flew to Asheville, NC to pick up a Land Cruiser we’d purchased for Melissa. I decided to take my time driving home as I’d lugged some camera gear with me, and I’d be driving past several waterfalls. This cascading fall was not on my radar. I stumbled upon it while looking for a different waterfall, and I’m thankful for the happy accident. This is just one section of the falls, which were at least a couple hundred feet wide and absolutely roared out of lush green foliage. The entire scene felt like something you’d see in a rainforest in Costa Rica, not Tennessee, and yet there it was in front of me. I explored as much of the area as time would allow and stayed until after sunset. Of all the photos I made there, this was my favorite.

I don’t feel like I need to say much about this one. I mean, how often do the Northern Lights appear in the sky over Arches National Park? This isn’t an exceptional photo but the memory of this event, which I shared with Melissa, is permanently emblazoned on my brain.

This overlook near Hanksville has been ridiculously popular with IG influencers and wanna-be’s for a few years. Despite living just a couple hours away, I’d never made the trek to see it. I had a couple free days this fall and I decided to use them to do a quick tour through southern Utah. I visited this overlook first and was so blown away by it I decided to spend the night. This gave me several hours to wander around with my camera before sunset. I hiked along the canyon rim for a good distance, enjoying views in every direction. A storm rolled in near sunset and created some fantastic conditions with dark clouds, spotlighting and even some colorful clouds. I shot this image maybe 100’ from my vehicle and it was part of the last series of images I shot. That night a wild thunderstorm tore through the area, throwing lightning bolts in every direction and each one was immediately followed by a sharp crack of thunder.The entire experience was a memorable one and I’m thankful to have had such interesting conditions on my one and only visit. I will go back, though!

I made this image the day after the above photo. I’d originally planned to be in Zion NP for sunset but I spent too much time shooting surprise fall colors on Boulder Mountain. A snowstorm was blowing through as I approached Bryce Canyon. Knowing I’d never make it to Zion before sunset I altered course and headed into Bryce. There I found a winter wonderland complete with fresh and falling snow, and fog. I had a blast jumping from one viewpoint to the next, photographing a collection of scenes, but this one at the Natural Bridge was my favorite. My hands were numb when I finally put my camera gear away but I was well worth it to come home with such unique photographs.

I’ve had my eye on this beautiful cottonwood tree for almost twenty years. It was always one of those subjects I wanted to photograph but I never made the effort to do it…until this year. In the span of about four weeks I visited the tree half a dozen times, photographing multiple different compositions as the green leaves slowly transitioned to yellow as autumn took hold. On my last visit, it had been raining all day and I was just out for a drive with Jackson, who’d recently gotten his driver’s permit and needed some time behind the wheel. I brought along my camera, one lens and a tripod. You know, just in case. I’m glad I did as I found the leaves looking beautiful AND a waterfall pouring off the cliff behind it! It was windy and I shot over 100 frames as the wind made it difficult to capture an image with sharp leaves and the wispy waterfall pouring all the way to the ground. Luckily, just as I was about to give up, a very brief lull in the wind allowed me to create this image.

After leaving the cottonwood in the previous image we drove down another road and as we passed this alcove I spotted the brilliant yellow cottonwood leaves first, and then saw the waterfall. Jackson parked the vehicle and I began hiking up the canyon to get closer to the falls. He stayed in the car as it was raining and he wasn’t interested in getting soaked. I spent at least an hour in this one alcove, moving all about and shooting several separate subjects and compositions. I didn’t realize how long I’d been in the alcove until Jackson appeared, telling me he was worried I’d slipped and fallen since I’d been gone so long. Oops! I was soaked and cold, so we headed back to the truck and drove home. I was absolutely thrilled to see some of the images I’d made in the alcove, including this, my favorite of the bunch.

I discovered this scene while exploring off-road a few years ago and have gone back several times, hoping to find some interesting conditions coexisting with peak fall colors. On this day, snow was swirling earlier in the day and the La Sals were completely hidden by clouds. I left and got lunch, then returned a couple of hours later to find that the storm was clearing and sunlight was breaking through the clouds. I couldn’t have asked for more interesting and dynamic conditions! I spent about an hour and a half wandering around with my camera, photographing multiple compositions in the ever-changing conditions. I still don’t think this is the best image this location has for me, but I’m pretty happy with it…for now.