My Favorite Photos from 2014

This will be my second year participating in Jim Goldstein’s Annual “Your Best Photo From 2014“. Last year I selected my favorite 10 photos from 2013 here.

I had planned on being more active, landscape photography-wise, but that didn’t pan out as I had hoped. Thankfully, my medical/health issues from last year are now a distant memory.

So these are my favorite 10 (ten) landscape, nature and some “other” photos that I’ve taken this year.

March 18, 2014
Always trying to capture the moon from places that are familiar. I decided to drive to Merced and capture the Full Moon setting over Yosemite Lake.

Setting Moon at Lake Yosemite
Setting Moon at Lake Yosemite

March 20, 2014
Took a trip to the refuge and came home with this simple composition.

Abstract weeds forming a next arrow
Next

May 5, 2014
Another Full Moon image and this time I drove to the Merced Regional Airport and framed a static Lockheed P-80 “Shooting Star”, and the flag flying above.
Merced Airport

August 3, 2014
Our church’s youth group went to Point Lobos for the day. I took this at the parking lot.

A picture of Cyprus tree on a rock at Point Lobos State Reserve.
A Cyprus Tree on a Rock

August 18, 2014
Not a landscape shot, but I had to include my two kids’ first day of school.
Hannah and Sarah

September 9, 2014
I used to build plastic models when I was a kid. One of my favorite airplanes is the F4U Corsair. I recently found my old models and I spent a few days photographing them. This is a 1/72 scale F4U-1A Corsair that I built about 35 years ago.
F4U Corsair in 1/72 Scale

November 28, 2014
I finally managed to get up to Yosemite in November, so the last 4 images are from that trip. This was the first time I photographed Half Dome from the river.
Half Dome and it's reflection in the afternoon sun..

I wanted to try another long exposure I took (and botched) two years ago.
A long exposure of El Capitan in Yosemite

I wanted to show more of the colors and reflections in the ice, than the actual ice/textures here.
Ice at the Beach

A close-up of some ice crystals in the river reflecting the sky and part of El Capitan.
Blue and Gold

I hope you enjoyed viewing the images as much as I did taking them. I can’t wait to see what 2015 has to offer!


Mike is a Central Valley California landscape and nature photographer whose subjects include scenes from Merced County, Yosemite, SeKi, and the eastern Sierra. He is currently living in Atwater, CA.

The text and photographs are © Copyright Mike Matenkosky (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 Mike Matenkosky.


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Comments

16 responses to “My Favorite Photos from 2014”

  1. Congratulations on a productive 2014! The ice abstract at the end is especially fantastic. Cheers for a healthy 2015.

    1. Thanks you Sarah and have a great New Year too!

  2. Mike, these are great images. I’ve always enjoyed your Yosemite photos and your last two above, with the abstract ice, are my favorites of your collection. Cheers and have a great 2015 !

  3. Beautiful images Mike – thanks for sharing these! Blown away by the first of the Yosemite images – all I can say is WOW!

    1. Thanks Deb, being at the right time has a lot to do with that!

  4. Beautiful images Mike! I love the ones from Point Lobos and Yosemite, but my favorite of all is your last one, the abstract ice crystals, stunning!

    Have a wonderful 2015! 🙂

  5. Very nice Mike. I really like your ice photos. Someday I hope to get an ice shot I’m happy with.

    1. Thanks Richard! I’ve done them in the past too, and this was the first time I’m pretty happy with them.

  6. Great set of images, Mike. I especially like the ones from Yosemite.

    Ed

  7. I just have to echo the others and say how much I like the last ice shot. Very different view of Yosemite I think. Great set of shots for the year Mike.

  8. Terrific set Mike, enjoyed the abstracts and the Yosemite images. Have a great 2015!

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