Best Photos of 2013 by Jim M. Goldstein

2013 was a busy year all around and as such I focused primarily on personal projects and family.  I took about half as many photos as last year, 36,000 photos to be specific ( 21,000 DLR and 15,000 iPhone). My timelapse projects carried over into 2013 from 2012 and again I selectively (more than normal) chose my DSLR photo subjects. If there is one nice thing about shooting timelapse it is that you quickly become a more accurate and less wasteful photographer. In a strange paradox by taking more photographs overall thanks to my time-lapse efforts, I take less yet more focused (fewer sister shots)/better still photos (non-timelapse). One other interesting observation relates to what lenses I used most frequently in my final best of selections for  2013. As it turns out nearly half  of the photos were taken with the  Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 (5 of 11) and Canon 50mm f/1.0 (5 of 11) . The remaining photo was taken with the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 Mark II.  As was the case in years past it is impossible to rank my best photos (best photos of 2012, best photos of 2011, best photos of 2010, best photos of 2009, best photos of 2008 and best photos of 2007). So in no particular order here are my 10 favorite photos taken in 2013. Enjoy and feel free to let me know if you have a favorite!

Before I forget if you haven’t submitted your best photos of 2013 for my Blog Project: Your Best Photos From 2013 be sure to do so. The deadline is Saturday January 4th midnight PST.

Transformation
Drab, gray, foggy and raining my day was on track to be a total bust the day I took this photo. Fortunately I knew better than to bail on my day of shooting and after a good nap I woke up to get in position for a sunset shoot. Still raining, a pipe of late sunset light helped create one of the most dramatic scenes I’ve ever witnessed in Yosemite National Park.

Transformation – Rainbow above Yosemite’s iconic Half Dome

Sky Rock and Milky Way III
Connecting Sky and Earth was a goal through out the year and this photo is one of many that fell into that body of work.

The Milky Way rises above ancient petroglyphs in the volcanic tablelands of the Owens Valley, California

Sunset Club – Haleakala Summit
One of the highlights of my year has been sharing the natural world with my 3 year old son, particularly the night sky. While my son was powering up with food for a late night of stargazing I took this quick shot of a growing crowd of people taking in sunset atop Haleakala.

A crowd gathers to watch the sunset atop the summit of Haleakala in Haleakala National Park – Maui, Hawaii

Sky Rock Under the Stars
This might be my favorite photo of the year. I really liked being able to see the entirety of the petroglyph panel in contrast to the entirety of the night sky above it. Check out my original post If you’re curious about technical photo details.

Sky Rock Under the Stars 

Bar Legs I
I attended a good number of photo conferences this year providing me the opportunity to dabble in some experimental work on off hours. My photographer ways are nearly impossible to turn off even when lounging in a bar.

Bar Legs I 

All That Glitters – Milky Way Above Yosemite Forest
Photographing the stars has a tendency to be clinical with little variation. Amidst my running around in Yosemite I decided to stop in the middle of my drive back to camp, exhausted and cold, to experiment. This photo was my first foray into making my astrolandscapes a little more ethereal.

All That Glitters – Milky Way Above Yosemite Forest

Dogwoods, Yosemite National Park
“Macro”ish photography with a 50mm portrait lens? Indeed and I loved the outcome.

Dogwoods, Yosemite National Park

The Ancients
Believe it or not this was my throw away photo effort on my 3rd camera, while I operated 2 other cameras on a very adventurous night shoot. What is unique about this photos is that it’s a single uninterrupted exposure on a DSLR. Not the norm these days so be sure to check out my original post If you’re curious about technical photo details.

The Ancients – Bristlecone Pine National Forest

Stardust – Here & There
No technique was ignored in my year long effort to explore relationships between Sky and Earth.

Stardust – Here & There

Family Day at the Beach
Quite simply a fun family moment I could not let pass without capturing on camera. I really liked this photos sense of action, emotion and selective focus.

Family Day at the Beach

Honorable Mention: 1st Day of Preschool
Let’s not forget photography is great for documenting life’s milestones and this year my son started preschool. This was his first day and the excitement showed before he hopped in the car. Of all my “Dad” photos this was my favorite this year.

My son’s first day of preschool