Top Ten Favorite Images (that I’ve taken) of 2014…Part 1

This is a hard list to make.  I have a very strong connection to my work, and it is hard to single out images (or at least just ten of them!)  I’ve tried to include a mixture of images here:  animals, landscapes, portraits, a few fine art shots.  My work and interest is varied, and I thought this list should reflect that.  Most of these have had a fair bit of critical success and have been taken with a wide variety of lenses.  This list has shots taken at 14mm and 600mm, and just about everything in between!  If you would like to order prints of any of these, please contact me by clicking here.

Without further ado:

#10 Bison Formal Portrait

This long shot was taken of a bison on a freezing day in January.  I love the fine details in the fur, the reflection of my vehicle in his eye, and the frozen breath around the muzzle.  I shot this with the best value in telephoto lenses,  the Tamron 150-600mm VC (click the link to read the review).

#9 Friday is for Fences:

You may or may not know that “Fence Friday” is a little bit of a “thing” with photographers.  Fences have a lot of visual appeal, and there is a variety of ways to shoot them.  I shot this while reviewing the incredible Zeiss APO Sonnar T* 135mm f/2 lens and loved the shot for it’s great color, amazing bokeh, and really shallow DOF.

#8 Fern Diamonds:

Sometimes it’s not about the gear…or rather, the new gear.  This shot was taken with an old (50+ year old) Helios 58mm f/2 M42 lens mounted on my Canon 6D body via an adapter.  I loved this shot for the beautiful bokeh in the rain drops as they go out of focus and also for the great color here.  I used my beloved Alien Skin Exposure to help achieve the final look here.

#7 Me and My Guitar:

I’ve really enjoyed doing portrait photography this year, and have had opportunities to shoot a variety of subjects in different locations.  I shot this one with a Tamron 70-200mm VC lens (a great portrait lens!) wide open at 200mm/f2.8.  I love the shallow depth of field, the color and light, and of course the subject…my beloved daughter, Jazzlyn.

#6 Forest Ablaze:

Autumn is my favorite time of year to shoot, bar none.  This autumn was not as spectacular as some years, but was still full of rich beauty.  This image is unique on this list as it was shot with my little EOS M camera using the excellent Rokinon 12mm f/2 lens – a new favorite for shooting landscapes in a small, compact package.  I loved the directional light and rich color in this lens.

Ready for numbers 1-5?  Click here:

I’ll be looking back at the top ten reviews of the year and also my top ten faves of new gear released in the past year.  Watch also for the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Planar T* review coming next week.  It is the finest lens I have ever used!

Gear Used:

Canon EOS 6D DSLR Camera (Body Only)
Canon EOS-M Mirrorless Digital Camera
Rokinon 12mm f/2 NCS lens
Zeiss 135mm f/2 Apo Sonnar T* ZE Lens for Canon EF Mount
Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens for Canon
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Zoom Lens for Canon
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Software for Mac and Windows (Boxed Version)
Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Alien Skin Exposure 7

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