In 2018 I learned that planning and completing a cross-country move did not leave a lot of time for photography. Nevertheless I identified these eight photographs as favorites from my photographic year.
1. Niagara at Night
The CanAm Photo Expo was held in Niagara Falls, Ontario in April. A friend was fortunate to be assigned a hotel room overlooking the falls, so several of us crammed our tripods in her window one evening to shoot the illuminated falls. I was struck by the otherworldly ice sculptures at the base of the falls.
2. Boathouses at Sunset
I participated in an informal photo shoot one evening in May at the city pier in Canandaigua, NY. The clouds initially looked promising for a spectacular sunset, but it never materialized. However, the warm light of the setting sun was perfect on this row of boathouses.
3. Words and Music
Just before we left New York I served for the last time as the photographer for the Geneva Music Festival, an annual chamber music festival held in Geneva and surrounding communities in the Finger Lakes. A highlight of the 2018 season for me was “Collaboration: Music and Poetry,” a joint effort of the Cavani Quartet and poet Mwatabu Okantah. Here, Okantah reads his poetry, interwoven with the music of Dvorak’s “American” string quartet.
4. Edge of the Forest
This photograph was taken on a multi-generational family walk (not a dedicated photo shoot!) at Tahoe Meadows, an alpine meadow (~8500' elevation) just on the Lake Tahoe side of the summit on the Mount Rose Highway between Reno and Incline Village. This stand of pine trees, with the sunlit dry grasses in the foreground, seemed to be a perfect subject for creating an abstract image using intentional movement of the camera during a long exposure. This image was selected as an Editor’s Choice by the editorial staff at Nikonians.org.
5. Broken Dreams
Our brief camping trip to the eastern Sierras in October yielded the remaining four favorite images for 2018. This abandoned cabin, along the side of US 395 near Lee Vining, spoke to me of risks and hardships encountered by those who settled the high desert east of the mountains. This image was also selected as an Editor’s Choice by the editorial staff at Nikonians.org.
6. Young Buck
The mule deer hanging around the campground and resort at Convict Lake didn't pay much attention to humans. We encountered this young guy and his female companion (sibling? girlfriend?) munching the foliage along Convict Creek just across from the campground.
7. McGee Canyon
Fall color in the eastern Sierra is all about the aspens -- quite different from what we were familiar with in the Finger Lakes. We hiked partway up McGee Canyon and were treated to this glorious display of color.
8. Head in the Clouds
Mt. Laurel dominates the view to the west across Convict Lake from the campground. Here, the intricate details and colors of the face are highlighted by the low morning light coming through the broken cloud cover. Of many images taken over three days, this is my favorite — a quick shot grabbed while hitching up the trailer. Always have your camera ready!