This is not only my favorite for 2018 but my favorite picture, period. I visited near my hometown in SW Colorado several times this summer and experienced clouds, rain, wind and even bears at this location. I knew I wanted to return for a fall foliage shot but that everything would have to come together--the leaves, the weather, the moon, and the one night I had in the area. Fortunately, it all did. I hope you enjoy the result.

This is my favorite photo for 2018, taken during the Mono Lake alumni workshop in May, 2018. This is my first attempt ever at photo stacking. I remember the night well because as I was following Brad’s instructions, I was so involved in the process that my fingers froze in the cold of the night! I then had trouble knowing what buttons I was pushing on the camera. But I recovered and continued. I was not sure how it was going to come out but I was astonished at how well I did on my first attempt. I was so ecstatic and still am!

Earlier in the day, this was the spot in Yellowstone National Park where I was married. I told my wife I wanted something special to remember our day and suggested we go back to where we were married overlooking Yellowstone Lake and take some photos. Not exactly your traditional wedding image but it’s one that means the world to us.

I like this image because of the lighting techniques I used (thanks, Brad!) and because the Alabama Hills are such a striking place to photograph in.

Kalahari Plains in Botswana

This image was recorded in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, at one of the historic cabins in the Cades Cove area of the park. This image is my favorite because of the combination of the experience and the execution involved in creating this image.

Some weekends stand out a little more than others. I enjoyed the marriage of two amazing friends, beheld mountain and meadow views, waded through meandering rivers, soaked in hot springs, talked loudly to bears that may or may not have been around the next bend, and meditated to the illumination of this waterfall by the harvest moon.

This image isn’t as beautiful as some of the great Milky Way astroscapes, but it’s my favourite because of the circumstances I was able to capture it. It was taken around 5:00 in the morning in early September in the Joshua Tree forest in the west end of Death Valley National Park.

If I had to choose one from 2018, this photo of Palouse Falls in Washington would be the one. It is a spectacular location with very dark skies. The combination of the night sky, the falls and the layers of rock in the canyon appeal to me greatly.

Grace Island anchors the west end of Isle Royale in northern Lake Superior. This image, my favorite of the year, reminds me of a perfect day on the Lake. Diane and I set out from Thunder Bay, Ontario and sailed across to Isle Royale with winds at first favorable, then adverse and finally back to favorable.