2008: Year in Review

At the end of each December, I like to make a photo collage that recaps the year. These aren't necessarily my best shots of the year, but each of them holds a special memory for me.

 

See past editions of my year in review [2007] [2006]

 

January (PHOTO - Football Fan):

In January of 2008, I bought my Canon 5D camera. I also spent a lot of time tinkering with my new studio lights - a set of strobes from Alien Bees. Once I got comfortable with all the new equipment, I officially started my mobile pet photography business. The shot I chose to share for January is one of the first practice "studio light" shots I was really happy with. Recently, the shot won an honorable mention in a dog photography contest. It's the only contest I've ever entered, so I was really excited to be recognized at all. You'll notice the Seatlle Seahawks are featured in the shot. This year, Wookie will not be wearing his jersey in the NFL post-season, because the Seahawks simply won't be making the playoffs this year. Adam is very unhappy about that.

 

February (PHOTO - Icy Cub Run):

The winter of 2008 was one of the least snowy winters I can remember having. We only had a couple days all season with accumulating snow. I chose this shot of Cub Run in George Washington National Forest because it's one of my only wintry shots from all of 2008. I actually saw more snow in June/July than I did in January/February... but more about that later! I sure hope we get a bit more of the white stuff in 2009. February is usually a notably slow time for me and photography, This year, I did something a little out of character for me and started shooting portraits. My brother and his wife had their first child in January, so I did a photo shoot with my new niece in February. The photos were special because we were able to send them to my brother in Iraq.

 

March (PHOTO - Goodbye, Friday):

In March, I came down with the flu and missed over a week of work and my scheduled trip to SXSW. I remember feeling really bizarre on a hike to Kennedy Peak. By the next morning, I was sick as a dog. I didn't end up taking many photos at all this month. March was also a tough month for me because I had to part ways with my beloved horse, Friday. The cost of keeping a horse had skyrocketed the past few years. That, coupled with the high gas prices, forced me to sell him. He ended up going to a fantastic home with a twelve-year-old girl as his rider. I've talked to friends from the barn since then, and apparently they've been a perfect match. I'm glad he's happy and well cared for, but I still miss him terribly.

 

April (PHOTO - Arboretum in Bloom):

We had a gorgeous spring this year! The tree and flower bloom was so lush and colorful. The weather was perfect most of the season, too. Adam and I did a ton of hiking in GWNF, SNP and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. My favorite hike of the month was the walk down to Corbin Cabin. I chose this shot of the James Madison University arboretum to share for April. It's always a beautiful place, but I have never seen it as lovely as it looked on this particular spring morning. It looked like a scene from a fairytale.

 

May (PHOTO: Whitewater Kayaker):

In May, Adam and I headed to Canaan Valley, West Virginia for a few days. We got a flat tire up in the Dolly Sods wilderness, did tons of hiking, and saw lots of rushing waterfalls. The area had experienced a lot of rain, so all the streams and rivers were running higher than usual. The shot I chose to share is from Swallow Falls State Park in Oakland, Md. The kayakers were fun to watch coming over the falls.

 

June (PHOTO - Newborn Fawn):

June was a great month to spend time in Shenandoah National Park. The park had one of the lushest mountain laurel blooms I ever remember seeing. Wildlife was out in full force, too. Every time we went to the park, we saw bear cubs, barred owls and (of course) lots and lots of fawns. At the end of June, we headed out west to visit Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Parks. We spent the first half of the trip trudging through crazy amounts of snow. I had my own version of winter on our trip. In June, I also shot my first (and likely only) wedding. That was stressful work!

 

July (PHOTO: Sol Duc Falls):

We kicked off July in Washington State, specifically in Olympic National Park. I'll never forget the giant rainforest trees, seastacks and magnificent mountain views from Hurricane Ridge. We spent the 4th of July in Seattle, where I finally got to meet one of my favorite Flickr pals, Super Mellow Man. I chose to share this shot of Sol Duc Falls. I thought it was the prettiest of the falls we saw out there and I had a lot of fun shooting there. We got home from our trip on July 6th, spent a few weeks at home and then headed to Maine for a couple more weeks of vacation.

 

August (PHOTO - Stormy Bass Harbor):

We love the Acadia/Bar Harbor area of Maine. I've vacationed there most of my life. This year, we had the roughest trip up there that we've ever had. We were up there for fourteen days, and it rained for eleven of them. We tried to make the best of the trip - we biked, hiked, went whale watching and ate lobsters. But in the end, it was still definitely our worst vacation ever. We'll be back again in 2009, so better luck next time, eh? The stormy shot of Bass Harbor really sums of the trip for me. In August, I got to go out shooting with another favorite Flickr friend, Deb Snelson. We've gone out shooting several times since then.

 

September (PHOTO - Canaan Valley Marshland):

In September... we went back to Canaan Valley for my birthday. I got a new bike as a gift, so we rode the Allegheny Highlands trail and on some of the area forest roads. We also did a lot of hiking. I skipped visiting all the waterfalls on this trip. The water was so low, it wasn't worth visiting. I chose to share this sunset shot from one of Canaan's many wetlands.

 

October (PHOTO - Shenandoah Sunrise):

This year, it turned out that fall paled in comparison to spring. Fall happened early and fast. The leaves never really turned the vibrant colors I wanted. Instead, they dried up and fell to the ground. Whenever we visited the park, we saw lots of bears and bucks. We did lots of hiking, too. One of my favorite shots from the month was this sunrise shot from Thorofare. The sky was so dramatic. In October, my brother returned home from Iraq. That was the best part of the month.

 

November (PHOTO - Frosty Ferns): In November, we enjoyed the tail end of fall colors with several hikes. We hiked Kennedy Peak with my parents to celebrate my dad's birthday. The next day, we headed down the Blue Ridge Parkway and hiked at the Peaks of Otter with Adam's brother. We spent Thanksgiving morning on the Rose River and then went home for a quiet dinner. The photo is from our Thanksgiving Day hike. It was a cold, frosty morning!

 

December (PHOTO: Strickler Knob Hike):

The month seemed to fly by! It was a pretty uneventful month for photos. I met Simplygeeky and Deb Snelson one morning to shoot at Lake Shenandoah and Cub Run. I did a scaled back pug Christmas photo shoot, instead of my typical shoot with all three. We spent Christmas on the road traveling between our families' homes. We still have another full week off of work, so we're planning some bike rides and hikes. The weather has been so warm and sunny lately. The photo I've selected for this month is one that's not actually in my stream yet. It's a shot from the summit of Strickler Knob - a new hike we tried out just yesterday. (on the recommendation of my flickr friend RyaninVa) In closing, I just want to say thanks to all my friends on Flickr. You guys make the community so much fun!

Done