Looking back on 2018, it was a year where I really progressed in the craft of photography. Towards the end of the year, my goals with photography began to become more clear, and I realized how much I love telling stories with my images, hence the regular blog posts and videos. Here I’d like to showcase and talk about my favorite image from each month of 2018. I hope you enjoy, and have a happy new year!
January
On a rainy day in January, I made my first trip to this iconic Washington waterfall. I wont say the name, as it sees more than its share of visitors. This image makes my favorite list because it’s different from most other images I’ve seen of these falls, and I like to stay original when I can. I also like the way the mossy maples frame the falls.
February
A simple image of a defunct logging road in the snow. There’s nothing technically spectacular about this picture, but it sums up what I love about Oregon. Just a short drive from most towns, you can disappear into the beauty of the Douglas-firs, cedars, and hemlocks. These old roads just have a particular charm to them for me that keeps me coming back.
March
It was yet another rainy day in late March, which is an all too common occurrence in western Oregon. I was on a soggy hike through an old-growth stand in the Willamette National Forest when one of my favorite forest birds, the Pacific Wren fluttered by me. He began belting out his drawn out song, and I was ready to capture the moment. I managed to get a crisp shot with no tripod or image stabilization in a dark forest at a shutter speed of just 1/250 seconds. I think the sheer luck of the situation is half of why it made the list!
April
It was mid April, and you guessed, it was a rainy day in Oregon! Are you noticing a theme? This was my second trip to this powerful waterfall, which I’ll leave nameless to reduce human impact. My first trip to this place was in the summer, and the falls were barely a trickle, so it was awesome to see it at full power. I consider this a favorite of 2018 because the mood of the day really shines through the photo.
May
This image of a young great horned owl makes the list for a couple of reasons. First, it’s an owl, and who doesn’t like owls? I have always been enamored with them, so I was very happy about this opportunity. Second, it’s just a goofy image and the owl’s personality jumps out of the picture. I just love his attempt at blending in!
June
June was the start of backpacking season for me and my girlfriend, and our first trip was to this magnificent mountain lake with a view of Mt. Jefferson. Again, I have to leave it nameless for its protection. Seeing how clear the sky was during the day, I knew it would be an epic night. I took this chance to make my first Milky Way panorama, and it definitely makes my list of 2018 favorites.
July
I rarely get the chance to photograph large mammals, but that all changed in July on a trip to Cle Elum, Washington. A short walk through woods and I came across this young bull elk warming up in the morning sun. This easily makes this list as it’s my first good photo of a large ungulate to date!
August
Years ago I photographed a pacific tree frog on a corn leaf in my parents’ garden, and in August of 2018 I got the chance to do it again, only better. I’ve spent many summer nights with my window open listening to their thundering chorus, so it’s nice to get an intimate glimpse into their world.
September
My yearlong journey to Spain began in September of 2018, and I was quickly greeted by a new bird, the grey heron. I particularly love this photo because it’s an action shot showing a behavior. To me it brings the viewer in to the daily life of this bird. I’ve always been a fan of behavior shots, so this image naturally makes the list.
October
Admittedly I have no image for October, but I snapped this photo on November first, and I just couldn’t not include it! I can’t get over how cool the red squirrels are in Spain, and this is one of my favorite wildlife photos I have ever taken. Wild Planet Photo Magazine apparently agreed, as they featured it in their December issue.
November
On a rainy day in November in northern Spain, I got to go and visit some amazing waterfalls surrounded by rich fall colors. There’s a lot I love about this photograph, but I think the fall leaves on the rocks really set the mood. Autumn is a staple time for landscape photography, and this region was no slouch when it came to colors.
December
We’ve finally reached December after a stellar year of nature photography. I took a lot of photographs that I am proud of, but I will always look at this image fondly because of the story behind it. I felt I wanted to close out the year of photography by giving back to nature, so I went down to the local park where I live in Spain to clean up trash and photograph nature in an urban area. I made a video about that excursion, which you can view here on my last blog post.
As you can see, it’s been a great year for me, and I feel my photography really progressed to new heights. More importantly, I was fortunate enough to get to see and do some amazing things and share it with people through imagery. For this, I am very thankful. I hope that my photos inspire you to get outside, and to treat nature with the respect it deserves. I am excited to see what adventures 2019 brings!
