Ringing in the New Year

January 1st. Welcome to 2011.

In the waning days of December I took a few opportunities to do some photography and got out into the field on a few mornings.

It was a time to make a few last images for 2010. It was also time to review my year in photography as well as to look forward to what the new year will hold.

My 2010 list was a winter trip to Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon in February, a long weekend on the New Mexico plains, a long weekend on the Lost Mesa, a week in Acadia, and a week in Big Bend.

I made a few images I think are real keepers. I also seemed to see way too much clear blue sky.

Looking into 2011 I am planning another winter trip, this time to Moab. I'll be spending a week in Canyonlands and Arches. If I am lucky I will see snow and great dramatic light. I am also planning on returning to the Guadalupes for fall color and a couple of long weekends if I can work them in.

Here in these last few days of the year I went in search of landscapes on day drives. After several months of mostly blue sky, we finally got some fog and clouds. I ran with it.

The horses here were running across a pasture with the white one out front. My first thought was- Shadowfax. I wonder how many get that reference? I had to try for an image and this was probably the best. One thing I relearn every time I try to photograph animals is-I aint a wildlife photographer.

Then there is the foggy field. Now this is much more my speed. Trees do not run very fast and even I can normally get a picture before they scamper away.

Lastly is the image up top, my first of 2011. I continued my New Years Day tradition of being out to photograph the sunrise. Most people stay up late, I get up early.

This year there was just a sliver of a moon so I went to the Trinity to frame it over the river and downtown.

Out on the river in the crisp winter weather watching the sunrise. What a way to start the year.