I've painstakingly chosen my "13 From '13" favorite photos I took during the course of last year, as a personal challenge I give myself each January. My initial list totaled about a hundred, which I then chipped and chipped (and chipped) away at, ending up with my 13 personal preferences. (Plus two honorable mentions.) But as I sit here watching the slideshow of the four seasons of what I found beautiful or interesting from the top 100, it makes me want to share all of them! So I'll do my "13 From '13" but then I'll also create a "Yearlong Favorites" album and add images to it periodically over the next few weeks.
What I enjoy about doing this is seeing the seasons change before my eyes and bearing witness, once again, to the beauty I find wherever I go. There's usually a peace of solitude as well as the thrill of wonder and awe that I re-experience going through the images. I love that.
2/2/13 This is the most true self-portrait I ever took. I really captured the essence of myself and some of the elements that are important to me: a new day, winter, spirituality, the sun, a posture of praise and glory, solitude, nature. It was not planned or posed. The timer was set and I walked out to the water's edge. The sun had just popped over the horizon. After being in this cold, dark spot for an hour before that, I was happy to finally see and feel the sun! I raised my hands, and didn't see until editing, that my hands had been in the beams of the sun. That's me! Glaura B!
Not because she's my granddaughter, but because I love the fur around her face and the color of her coat, and because of her eyes. She's got beautiful eyes. Okay. Yes, because she's my granddaughter! It was her first birthday that day.
Just love this winter scene. A gorgeous snowfall was occurring and I was on my way home from a doctor's appointment for my knee and I could barely stand, let alone walk--but I had to get this shot. Little did I know at the time it would become one of my favorites! Actually, yes I did.
This fellow was where he shouldn't have been. A group effort, and we rescued it and released it in a more appropriate habitat. I took pictures of the release process, but this photo was my favorite of the bunch that morning.
I could have stayed here all day--it was THAT peaceful. Birds were singing all around me. A light drizzle was falling off and on. No one was around.
I was taking pictures of the landscape beyond this wall, but the wall itself, contrasting with the foggy day, and the flowers growing on top of it, turned out to be a better photo!
I was photographing the June Supermoon (if there really is such a thing) and got to this spot around 2:30 in the morning to get the moon right where I wanted it. At one point I glanced at the water's edge and caught the reflection. To heck with the moon! This is the shot I love!
(The color of this image did not transfer accurately on this blog. The colors are much deeper and darker--it was nighttime! I will attempt to correct this soon.)
This is the June Supermoon (if there really is such a thing!) This is shot I intended to get in the first place. I do love it. I remember being surprised at how many people were here in this spot at 2:30 in the morning!! Some were fishing. Some were kissing. Some were picnicking by a small fire. And then there was me, giving praises for the beautiful sight before me.
I love fog.
Oh my gosh. Just seeing this again gives me the chills. The day was gray and I was photographing a pair of bald eagles. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a small hole broke in the otherwise completely thickly, gray-clouded sky--enough for the sun to burst forth and saturate just the land with brilliant color. I was stunned speechless in awe. A moment later, the drama of the scene drastically changed back to gray and I dumbfoundedly stood there, thinking "What just happened??!!"
Ah, yes. A flock of geese coming in for a sunrise landing on a fall morning.
Another gloriously foggy, drizzly day and was out photographing landscapes when I heard the quacking of ducks nearby. I followed the sound and came across these (and many other) ducks enjoying the swamp. The ripples make the scene
Winter, in all it's glory.
Soon to come, a post of "Yearlong Favorites 2013" of those images which were from my "Big List" that I chose my 13 From '13 favorites from. I simply must share them too!
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