Last year I put together a slideshow of some of my favorite photos from 2014. I thought I would continue the tradition again this year. So, for Photo Friday, here is a compilation of some of my favorite photos from the year 2015. Some of them are favorites because I liked the shot from a photographic point-of-view, and others are favorites simply because of the moment and the memory.
Enjoy!
Last night we had a spectacular view of the lunar eclipse from our back porch. Wendy, Taylor and I stood outside and watched the event. It was a gorgeous evening and I set up my camera and tripod to take some shots and experiment. I loved some of the results like this photo.
I was up early a few weeks ago and the morning star was burning bright just above the horizon as the glow of impending morning created a gorgeous silhouette of the tree line behind our home. I grabbed my camera and snapped this shot.
Sometimes photo opportunities come from paying attention to details. While in Edinburgh this past summer I began noticing that many of the old buildings contained small decorative flourishes with a message. They were often Bible verses or a moral reminder. Once I started noticing them I began to take photos of them. Themed photos can make for fascinating collages.
Some photos just happen in an unexpected moment, and this photo has become one of my favorite personal examples. Wendy’s favorite color is red. This past June while visiting Scotland’s Museum of Contemporary Art in Edinburgh, Wendy took a seat on a bench in one of the galleries to rest. I turned to look at her and realized that the artwork behind her made this gorgeous red halo. How apt. She had no idea why I lifted my camera and snapped her picture, but I loved the result.
We were at our nephew’s wedding last weekend. I had my camera out and was snapping away. When the the processional music swelled I rose with the crowd and turned to see Sam’s bride, Lydia, walking the aisle with her father.
“Sam!” Wendy urgently whispered in my ear. “Take a picture of Sam!”
I turned and snapped a series of pictures of Sam as he watched his bride walking down the aisle toward him.
So glad Wendy prompted me.
Priceless.
Last Sunday morning I woke early as the sun was rising. I could not help but notice how gorgeous the wildflowers looked at the back of our lot. So I grabbed my camera and snapped a few pics. I especially liked the way this one turned out and used it to update the header on my blog. Sometimes the most beautiful scenes are right in front of us. The play of the sunlight through a window, or the sun rising through the wildflowers. We simply have to open our eyes to see it, and be willing to take a moment to appreciate it.
I’ve come to realize that there are some photos that you love, and you don’t really know why. This photo from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh is one of them. Every time I’m flipping through my photos and I see this one my soul smiles. I love the simple joy lying on the grass, napping in the sun. I love the way Wendy and Taylor are placed in such natural, beautiful surroundings. I love the blue of the sky meeting the green of the trees and the lawn. Of course, I loved experiencing that morning in the gardens when it happened and perhaps that is the most powerful attraction the photo has for me.
Anyway, I hope it makes your soul grin a little too.
This is another favorite shot from Scotland. I love the way the vast landscape and the path on the plain funnel your vision to Wendy making her way up through the crevice, her blue sweater providing a colorful contrast to the earthen rocks surrounding her.
This is one of my favorite shots from Edinburgh, Scotland. There was something that struck me about the juxtaposition of this massive, man man edifice that has stood for hundreds of years commanding the view from miles around, and these fragile, temporal wild flowers residing nearby in the simplicity of their seasonal beauty.
Wayfarer 