Last weekend we were experiencing the same thing, a winter storm was rolling across the Bay Area as I headed to Tiburon for a friends birthday party. Having camera in hand to capture the fun of the evening, I also capture the changing weather conditions of the evening. The following two images were photographed only 90 minutes apart from the same location.

Stormy San Francisco Skyline during the end of a Winter Storm as seen from Tiburon.

Tiburon Docks under a full moon after a winter storm passed with the distant San Francisco Skyline seen across the Bay.

The first photo was as the last storm clouds moved through and I zoomed in to 70mm to focus on the San Francisco skyline.  The second photo was after the storm had passed and the full moon could be seen with some scattered high clouds and I had zoomed out to 24mm to capture the entire scene. It was pure luck that I got the boat leaving the port…didn’t realize it until after I took a sequence of 4 photos).

Don’t be afraid of the weather.  The best time for landscape or location photography is during the transition periods of storms.  Get out there and photograph the magic…

Matthew - 4 Days Old

Of couse my favorite photos from 2010 are all of Matthew, our son born in September. This has definitely been the year of Matthew as we prepared for his arrival and then adjusting to the new routine of family life.  As the first four months of life with Matthew comes to a close, looking back at this photo of Matthew at just 4 days old brings a lot into perspective.  The hat which was too big for him then won’t even fit now; it’s amazing how quickly he is growing up!

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L)

February

X Marks the Horsetail Falls Firefall in Yosemite National Park

For a few days each February, the angle of the sunset in Yosemite valley lines up such that the setting sun creates a sliver of light on Horsetail Falls.  This sunset lights up Horsetail Falls like the Yosemite firefalls of the past. All of this assumes that mother nature cooperates with the clouds and weather. This past February I was lucky to get good weather during my trip to Yosemite to capture the Horsetail Falls firefall two days in a row. The above HDR photo capture the wider scene as the sunset approached it’s narrowest and just after two airplanes had just flown over, creating this X in the sky over the fire falls like a real world treasure map.

Note: The same angle happens in October as well, but since Horsetail Falls is a ephemeral waterfalls you usually don’t have water flowing over it in October.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS with Canon 1.4x Extender)

April

Purple Lupin Growing Along a Hillside near Oroville, CA.

In April, myself and a friend drove up to Oroville, CA to Table Mountain to check out the wildflowers that always propagate this area. The fields were full of small yellow flowers and purple lupin.  From a distance creating a carpeting affect.  I like how the above photo shows the diversity of this area with the lupin in the foreground, the carpet affect in the mid-ground, and the hillside of trees in the distance.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L)

A Lone Oak with Weathered Fallen Branches near Oroville, CA.

While exploring Table Mountain, I discovered a lone Oak tree in a ravine.  It had a collection of fallen branches that had weathered over the years and create a very intriguing set of patterns and lines. Once converted to a black and white photo, the lines became even more apparent. It seems like every year there is a few photos of mine that just seem to work best in Black and White.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L)

Lobby of One Bush Plaza in Downtown San Francisco, California.

While walking through downtown San Francisco, on a route that I frequent monthly, I suddenly realized this wonderful scene that I have been walking past for years.  Maybe it was the time of day and the way the light was illuminating the area, maybe it was my frame of mind (maybe it was both).But I walked 50 feet past and stopped, turned around and created the above image.  It’s the layering of details and lighting that keep me coming back to this photo time and time again.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L)

June

Field of Wild Iris with Distant Snow Capped Eastern Sierra Peaks

While visiting Bodie State Historic Park east of the Sierra Nevadas, I happened to stumble across a wonderful field of wild iris’.  The with snow still capping the Sierra Nevada Mountain peaks in the distance, I had to take an hour detour to photograph the scene.   The idillic nature of the place still speaks to me when I see this photo.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II)

Front Display Window of Boone Store and Warehouse (Westward View of Standard Stamp Mill, Firehouse, and Dodge Graham Truck)

Years ago I had the idea for a unique way of documenting Bodie State Historic Park, the abandoned ghost town maintain in a constant state of decay in the high desert east of the Sierra Nevadas. As it can sometimes happen with a project, a single image sticks with you and becomes central to the project.  For this project it was this image of the front of the Boone Store on Bodie’s main intersection. The reflection of the nearby buildings in the large window while at the same time showing the preserved state of the interior of the store became the genesis of my photography book Reflecting on Bodie (and became the cover image).

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II)

Cab of Refurbished 1921 Dodge Graham Truck (Southwest View Down Main Street of Morgue and Miner

Part of the challenge in creating the photos for my Reflecting on Bodie book was looking beyond he obvious for reflections of Bodie. This photo of the windscreen of the Dodge Graham Truck sitting on the mainstreet in Bodie is one of my favorite non-obvious reflections.  The way you can see the inside of the car cab, through the rear window of the car to the buildings behind, as well as the reflection of the buildings sitting infront of the car perfectly symbolized the duplicity the reflections at Bodie can provide.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L)

July

Seawall and Seal Rocks at Dusk

July was the Scott Kelby World Wide Photowalk.  I joined the photowalk lead by Jim Goldstein at the Sutro Baths in San Francisco. This photo of Seal Rock was the winning photo chosen from all the photos submitted from Jim’s photowalk. It was my favorite long before this though, the moodiness of this photo keeps drawing me in.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS)

October

Halloween Decorations at Night

Halloween always kicks off the house decorating season.  My wife usually mixes Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations and this year it was a combination of pumpkins, candles, and jack-o-lantern lights. The great textured pumpkins and the soft candle light made for a great combinations for a HDR photo project.  This photo was my favorite from that evenings work.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II)

November

Colorful Autumn Leaves on Pebble Sidewalk

This year I wasn’t able to make my fall pilgrimage to the Eastern Sierras for autumn leaves display.  However, the late in the season color change of all the trees in our neighbor hood allowed me to get my fix right in my own front yard.  This collection of leaves on the pebble sidewalk was waiting for me just a few feet from my front door!

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Zeiss Macro 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar T*)

December

Sunrise over Dublin Hills East Bay Regional Park

Winter is the time for landscape photography in the Bay Area.  We finally get interesting clouds in the sky and the rain helps to create more mood with lighting and fog.  One early morning I checked out a newly opened regional park on the hills a few miles south of my house.  The early morning light combined with ground fog made for this wonderful view to start the day.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS)

Coyote Silhouetted in Orange Glow of Sunrise

While returning to my car after the previous sunrise photo was taken, I meet up with a local coyote who was also enjoying the morning sunrise.  After following him around for about 30 minutes, I was able to photograph him on the ridge of the hill just as the sun came up over the horizon.  Then he disappeared down the other side of the hill.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS with Canon 1.4x Extender

Yosemite Lodge Holiday Tree

Before Christmas, the family and I spent the weekend in Yosemite.  I was all exciting about the potential for a dumping of snow during our stay (naturally it rained, then snowed the day after we left).  However, the holiday lights set up at Yosemite Lodge made for the perfect HDR photo opportunity (thanks to my trusty Golf umbrella).

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L)

Yosemite Lodge Mountain Room Restaurant & Christmas Tree

This night time view of Yosemite Lodge Mountain Room Restaurant at Yosemite Lodge just cried out to me to be photographed.  So in the middle o the rain storm, while the rest of the family was enjoying Hot Totties in the lounge, I was out in the cold rain to create this magical image.

(Photo taken with Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L)

Looking back on 2010, it was a great year of photography, accomplishments, and change.  I hope your 2010 was as memorable and 2011 is even better!

(Note: click through on the photos to view more details, purchase prints, or license stock usage via the photo archive.)

Update:  This yearly tradition continues in large part due to a blog project that is coordinated each January by Jim Goldestein.  I want to thank Jim for continuing his efforts in this project, I anxiously look forward to his posting of all of this year’s participants.

If you found this post via Jim’s blog project, Welcome!  Please subscribe to my RSS feed, join me at my Facebook page, or follow me on Twitter to stay in touch through 2011!

Sunset over San Francisco Bay Area

A hidden gem that I found this afternoon while digging through the photo archive between sprints of Christmas tree ornament hanging…

Part of the San Francisco gallery in the Archive where prints can be purchased or the image license for stock use.

San Francisco Downtown Skyline Accented in Orange for 2010 Giants World Series Win

Above you see the iconic Ferry Building, the Embarcadero Center towers, and the pinnacle of the Transamerica Pyramid all accented in orange.

When I stopped to take these photos, my main objective was to create a World Series skyline panorama.  It was a perfect late fall night with warm weather and almost no marine layer and I ended up with a panorama that stretched from the Bay Bridge all the way to Coit Tower.  I ended up dividing this into two panoramas in order for them to be printable:

San Francisco Skyline World Series Pano I

San Francisco Skyline World Series Pano II

Both Panoramas are made up of 8 individual images digitally stitched together. Panorama prints (1:5 aspect ratio) of both images are available by clicking through on the above photo.  They make for quite a unique view of San Francisco that we can only hope to have recreated again next year.

(For an alternate view, I also have the panorama that is used in my current blog header available as well.)

Aerial View Down The Embarcadero

Perfect Spring day in San Francisco with pedestrians out enjoying the sunny day along the Embarcadero.

Lobby of One Bush Plaza, San Francisco, California

A favorite photography habit of mine when I travel into San Francisco for work is to spend extra time wandering around with my camera discovering hidden, or not so hidden, views of the city.  When I go into the city early in the morning, I walk past One Bush Plaza as part of my morning routine.  This view of the glass cube lobby entrance to the building jumped out at me during my visit today.  Only took a few hundred times to make me see this image.

Watch my San Francisco archive for more cityscapes like this from San Francisco as I work through a backlog of photos from previous wanderings.

State Street Bridge with the Marina Towers

I’m slowly working through a couple of photo related tasks: work on this website and processing photos from my holiday trip to Chicago.  Here is one of the latter with links to work in progress.

March

Yosemite, CA

For some people pulling into Yosemite Valley and coming around that first turn on Highway 120 only to see a valley full of clouds would be a disappointment.  For me, it was a chance to look past the obvious wonder of the valley and capture other marvels.  Like this rocky outcropping with this lone tree peaking through the clouds on the other side of the valley.

Yosemite Valley, CA

Of course, nothing the view of Yosemite Valley in it’s ever changing beauty can’t be passed up.  During this trip, the last winter storm of the season was just starting to break up and granted me this wonderful view down the length of the valley.  I just love how the patchy light from the breaking storm adds such texture to this image.  It has become one of my favorite desktop images and a great way to release my mind during the day.

May

Bay Area – Newark Slough

Nestled along the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, just south of the Dumbarton bridge is the Newark Slough.  I’ve driven past this area hundreds of times and never gave it a second thought until this past year.  During one visit, I noticed how the picnic shelter’s window created a nature frame for the view of the Slough.  I just love how this photo tricks you by being a framed photo within a photo.

August

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Nothing is more rewarding than capturing that decisive moment, except maybe catching that moment while driving by at 20 KM/hour. While visiting Victoria in August I really wanted to photograph the front of the historic Empress Hotel.  Timing during the trip allowed only this one shot as we were driving by the hotel in our car.  In retrospect, the people on the bench are a key element of making this photo work.  Something I might not have gotten if I had more time…

September

Bay Area – Las Trampas Regional Wilderness

September can bless the San Francisco Bay Area with high pressure systems that result in  days and nights of wonderfully clear skies and warm weather.  This year, I was able to capture this unique view of San Francisco from thirty miles away in the Las Trampas Regional Wilderness area.  By hiking up to the highest ridge at sunset, I was granted with this distant silhouetted San Francisco Skyline.  Many thanks to my friend Chris Chin for the loan of the 400mm lens needed to capture this photo!

Bishop, CA – North Lake

As we ascended from Bishop, CA to North Lake, it was completely dark and the eventual sunrise was starting to create a white outline above the mountains to the east of us.  Reaching the North Lake parking lot, we were the first to arrive.  This early morning wake up call allowed me to capture this wonderful early morning alpenglow on the mountain peaks around North Lake during the height of the fall color.

October

Bishop, CA – Eastern Sierra Nevada

Taken at a much lower elevation from just north of Bishop, this pre-dawn view of Mount Tom with snow capped peaks shows how many photographic opportunities exist in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.  This morning it was just myself, my coffee, and a few dozen ducks to enjoy this mountain view.

Bishop, CA – Eastern Sierra Nevada

Too often I’m out photographing sunrise or sunset and see other photographers around me leave right after the the sun fully rises or dips below the horizon.  Waiting around for 30 minutes before and after these moments presents light that is continually changing and can result in amazing photos.  This photo was taken just 30 minutes after the previous one.  While I can’t claim to see in black and white as well as some other photographers, the stronger light of this post sunrise vista resulted in this magical image.

Napa, CA – Mud Slough

The softness and subtlety of the pre-dawn light on the Mud Slough near Napa, CA made this one of my favorites.  Something about this image projects stillness and quite that only these magical early morning times can provide.

Succulent Closeup

Changing things up quite dramatically, the pattern, texture and color of this succulent closeup captures my attention.  One of the challenges with photography is learning the skill to be constantly zooming in and out with your vision.  Looking not only for the grand vistas, but also for the close up details.  It’s a skill that I continually work on.

December

Chicago, IL – Downtown Skyline

Right before Christmas I was able to spend a few days in downtown Chicago.  The storm front that was moving over the city created this wonderful reflective sky over downtown.  This image was taken from the Shedd Aquarium along the lake front.

Central Wisconsin – Lone Oak

One of my famous images that broke my tripod, trying to capture the perfect tree photo for my wife has become an ongoing project.  While she hasn’t told me yet if this is the one she has been waiting for, it definitely made it onto my list of favorites from the year…regardless of the damaged gear.

I hope your 2009 was a photographic as mine.  Let me know which of my favorites were your favorites too; you can buy art prints of your favorite using the buy button below each photo.  Stay tuned for some website and blog updates that I plan on releasing in the next few weeks as well as more great photos.

2010 is looking to be another great year of challenge and change…here’s to more great photo moments in the year ahead!

Chicago’s State Street as seen from the 20th floor…

During my holiday stop over in downtown Chicago I ended up with a hotel room on the 20th floor over looking State Street. I found myself decompressing from the hectic days leading up to my trip by just watching the city from my perch. The second day I ended up doing it again as I watched the city transform itself with a fresh layer of snow.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful and happy holidays!

The above was taken on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago a few days ago. My holiday’s started off in downtown Chicago and continues through the new year visiting family in Wisconsin. The ramp up to the Holidays was extremely busy for me with closing out quarter and finishing projects that needed completing before my trip.  It has been nice to wind down over the last few days and recharge.

Look forward to more posts and photos after Christmas.