2010 Favorites

(Update 1/13/11: I have also posted a video version of the 2010 Favorites for those who might prefer to sit back and watch rather than scroll down the page. Hint: the image quality is better here.)

Since it is the evening of December 30… I guess it is time to finalize my page of 2010 Favorites, a selection of some of my favorite photographs from the past year.

I produce such a page each year as part of my year-end process of reviewing all of my raw files from the year – a huge task but one that always turns up a few photographs that somehow escaped my notice at the time I made them. It is also an opportunity to reflect on all of the places I’ve visited and the subjects I’ve photographed and people I’ve met. (For those of you with way too much time on your hands, you can also see my favorites from 2009 and 2008.)

As enjoyable as the retrospection is, actually selecting a manageable number of “favorites” turns out to be a very difficult task. After a first pass that I thought was fairly brutal… I found myself with nearly 60 favorites! In order to narrow them down at least a bit – but only a bit, as it turns out – I tried something new this year. About a week ago I put together a draft of the list and invited readers to tell me what they thought of the photos. Lots of folks chimed in, and I’m very grateful for your kind words and for your hard work! (In the end, I still probably posted too many. Ah, well!)

With that in mind, I have listed this year’s favorites in an order based on reader feedback. In order to make things a bit more organized I have divided the collection into two sub-groups, one for landscape and nature photographs and one for what I call human world photographs. Every photograph has a story, and regular readers know that I post a story with every photograph. I haven’t included that text here, but if you copy titles and use the search box you can go straight to any photograph about which you want more information.

Enjoy!

Morning Squall, South Tufa
Morning Squall, South Tufa
Sunset Virga Above Mount Dana, Tuolumne Meadows
Sunset Virga Above Mount Dana, Tuolumne Meadows
The Manifold, Star Trails - Zabriskie Point
The Manifold, Star Trails – Zabriskie Point
Abandoned Buildings, Eastern Sierra
Abandoned Buildings, Eastern Sierra
Ferns and Rocks, Artist Point
Ferns and Rocks, Artist Point
Evening Clouds Reflected in Melt-Water Pools
Evening Clouds Reflected in Melt-Water Pools
Fog and Trees, Yosemite Valley
Fog and Trees, Yosemite Valley
Aspen Grove, Bishop Canyon
Aspen Grove, Bishop Canyon
Aspen Color, North Lake
Aspen Color, North Lake
Big Sur Coastline at the Rocky Creek Bridge
Black and white photograph of winter surf and rugged cliffs and rocks along California’s Big Sur coastline at the Rocky Creek Bridge.
First Light, Tioga Meadows
First Light, Tioga Meadows
Edge of Gower Wash, Zabriskie Point
Edge of Gower Wash, Zabriskie Point
Fall Aspen Leaves, Sierra Nevada
Fall Aspen Leaves, Sierra Nevada
Abandoned Pier, Davenport
Abandoned Pier, Davenport
Shoreline Reflections, Tenaya Lake
Shoreline Reflections, Tenaya Lake
Winter Ferns and Log
Winter Ferns and Log
Dawn, Alkali Lake, Eastern Sierra
Dawn light on Alkali Lake and the peaks of the eastern Sierra Nevada near Convict Lake.
Last Light on Trees, Upper Young Lake
Last Light on Trees, Upper Young Lake
Pelican Trio
Pelican Trio
Photographer, Sabrina Basin
Photographer, Sabrina Basin
Shoreline Trees and Boulder, Morning
Shoreline Trees and Boulder, Morning
Sunrise Rainbow and Virga Above the Buttermilks
Sunrise Rainbow and Virga Above the Buttermilks
Yankee Point and Cypress, Carmel Highlands, Dusk
Yankee Point and Cypress, Carmel Highlands, Dusk
Lodgepole Forest, First Light
Lodgepole Forest, First Light
Crouching Marmot
Crouching Marmot
Late Winter Ferns, Muir Woods (Black and White)
Late Winter Ferns, Muir Woods (Black and White)
Morning Fog on Hot Creek, Mount Morrison
Morning Fog on Hot Creek, Mount Morrison
Upper Yosemite Fall and Lost Arrow, Autumn Storm Clouds
Upper Yosemite Fall and Lost Arrow, Autumn Storm Clouds
Young Trees and Pond, Dana Meadows
Young Trees and Pond, Dana Meadows

Coit Tower, Fog
Coit Tower, Fog
Portal, Wall, and Cable
Portal, Wall, and Cable
Umbrellas, Getty Center Garden
Umbrellas, Getty Center Garden
P, With Umbrella, Getty Center
P, With Umbrella, Getty Center
Lance Armstrong, Stage One, 2010 Amgen Tour of California
Lance Armstrong, Stage One, 2010 Amgen Tour of California
Moonlit Stairway, Wall, and Window
Moonlit Stairway, Wall, and Window
Garage Doors, Virgil Street
Garage Doors, Virgil Street
Parking Lot Near High Line Park
Parking Lot Near High Line Park

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.

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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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