This is the year I made landscape photography an official hobby rather than just a thing I enjoyed doing with my iPhone. All of these photos were shot on a Fujifilm X-T5. These aren't in any particular order. It was hard enough just choosing ten!
1. Bryce Canyon
This is from spring break with the family last April. It was sunny and warm the day before, then an overnight snow blanketed the park. This was the first photo I took where I looked at it later and thought, “Holy cow. I took that?!?” I’ve since learned that I do that a lot, with my favorites being more accidental than deliberate. 😂
2. Flaming Gorge at Sunrise
On a campout with the young men in our congregation. I was up early in my tent and realized that I’d rather be out with the sunrise than laying in my sleeping bag failing to get more sleep. This photo is, I think, the best composition I did, even if I didn’t know at the time of shooting.
3. Flaming Gorge at Sunset
Same camping trip, but at sunset. There’s something about the colors in this one—orange, blue, and deep green—that I absolutely love.
4. Flaming Gorge Overlook
My son and I were driving home from this trip and decided to take a different way home than we came. There was an overlook sign so we pulled over. (How many overlooks have I driven past in my life?) I love the shapes and angles in this one.
5. Proposal Rock, Oregon
The couple in the distance here is my son and his now-wife, our first daughter-in-law. They were engaged at the time of this picture, but it wasn’t posed. I just happened to look up at the right time. This was a family trip in August and we had just one day of rain that week. Rather than spend it inside all day, we braved this little excursion. Bad weather makes some of the best photos.
6. Sea cave in Oregon
I love these colors so much. As I’m starting out with this hobby, I instinctively look for vistas. But I’m learning to see things closer to me.
7. The view from Timp
Katie and I hiked Mt. Timpanogos this fall. (Well, most of it. I had to turn around because of a strained calf.) This isn’t Timp itself, but the view across the valley on Timp’s north side. I don’t know how I got the sky to come out this color, but I love it so much, especially with the fall colors on the mountain.
8. John Irvine Trail, CA
We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and my 50th birthday in October, so Katie and I took a trip to the coastal redwoods in California. It was an absolutely magical week. This was a long hike, about 13 miles round trip. I’m glad I had more experience with my camera by the time of this hike, so I could better capture the contrasting light and dark of a redwoods trail.
9. King of Gold Bluffs
Coming back from this same hike. Elk roam this part of California, and I’d been hoping to see some but there weren’t any all day. And then on the drive out from Gold Bluffs Beach, we ended up driving through an entire herd of them. The patriarch was just ten feet from the car, so we paused to get his picture. That stare!
10. Sunrise over Capitol Reef
Another trip from the summer, while Katie was in charge of Girls’ Camp for our congregation. I came down to help cook dinners and woke up early one morning, couldn’t sleep, and went into the park. The funny thing about this picture is that it’s a pretty big crop of a much larger composition. Someday I’ll have a lens long enough to punch in on details like this without much cropping.
Looking back at this year just has me even more excited for the year to come! I don't know where I'll be going, but I look forward to seeing beautiful places.