My Ten Best Photos of 2018

I made almost nine thousand photos in 2018; whittling this number down to select the top ten is a daunting task.  My criterion was simple, and I rated the photos based on how much joy they gave me.  For example, my titular image featuring the Milky Way, while not included in the ten, is important because I never photographed the Milky Way before 2018.  I felt this first attempt deserved a place in this post, and so it’s part of the banner. As for the Top Ten, I’m not going to say much about each one.  I’ll simply post all of them.

A Penchant for Old Houses

1 The Entrance to the William S. Hart home, now a museum, in Santa Clarita.  I loved the curves and textures in this photo.

2 Another entrance.  It is the front hall at the Gamble House in Pasadena.  The most outstanding feature for me is the wood, but most people are in awe of the stained glass front door.

3 Near the Gamble House is the Fenyes Mansion.  It is very different from the home shown above.  One of my favorite rooms was the family’s sitting room or drawing room.  The lamp on the piano caught my eye.

American West

The next set seems to go together because all the images are either rugged or feel like the Old West.

4.  Santa Clarita celebrates its frontier heritage each year with a Cowboy Festival.  This event is a great place to photograph reenactors, like this cowboy.

5.  In keeping with my theme is this bronze sculpture from a recent trip to Palm Desert to see the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden.  The piece is called “Walks Among the Stars,” and it’s by Dave McGary.

6. My last photo with a western theme is one of a slot canyon in the desert near Palm Springs.  This canyon exists because of the tectonic activity along the San Andreas Fault.The path through the canyon was only about as wide as my foot!

Santa Barbara

7.  A few months ago I traveled to Santa Barbara to see the mission.  I arrived well before dawn which gave me plenty of time to wait for a bit of light.  In the end, it wasn’t the sunrise that impressed me as much as did the glow from the mission.  It’s a beautiful place.

8.  I avoided the familiar hotel chains in favor of something more unique.  The Ala Mar Motel was right on the beach.   It isn’t modern, but for photographs, it can’t be beat.  I felt like I was in a 1940’s movie.

Museums

9.  I visit many museums, but the Petersen Automotive Museum was by far one of the most impressive.   On display were cars of all periods from supercars to the first automobile.  The museum sparkles with chrome and high-gloss finishes.  It was difficult to choose one photo from the many I made the day of my visit.  I selected the Duesenberg because of its color, chrome, and circles.

10.  While the Aquarium of the Pacific isn’t exactly a museum, I’m grouping the next photo in this slot.  It is one of my favorites because it speaks to me of joy, innocence, and wonder.  

All of the above images have been posted in various blogs throughout 2018.  If you would like to see more photos, click here.  This link will take you to a page featuring all my galleries.

Happy New Year!   May you find joy and wonder in 2019.