BEST OF 2022 – My Favorite Images of the Year

During 2022 I felt like things were getting back to nearly normal, but we still did not travel as much as we did pre-COVID. Hopefully we will be traveling more in 2023. In February we took a brief trip to Arizona primarily to get some sunshine. While there I was able to capture this sunset with saguaro and cholla cactus in the foreground.

AZ, Scottsdale, McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Saguaro Sunset

In April I visited Skagit Valley several times to shoot the tulip festival. I like the bands of color in this image of the tulip fields

WA, Skagit Valley, Tulip Fields

I decided to try something different shooting the tulips. This is a multiple-exposure image. I was hand holding my camera so the different exposures do not line up exactly which gives this photo an impressionistic feeling.

WA, Skagit Valley, Tulip Abstract

In May we visited Japan to celebrate my father-in-law’s 103rd birthday. After the celebration I traveled on to Kyoto and Nara to do some photography. This is Ryoanji Temple Garden, one of the most famous zen gardens in Japan. I just love this minimalist garden with the early spring trees in the background.

Japan, Kyoto, Ryoanji Temple Rock Garden

In Kyoto I also visited the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. There were some iris blooming and I was able to capture the iris with a reflection of the Golden Pavilion in the back ground. I like the abstract golden reflection which makes this image look like a byobu painting.

Japan, Kyoto, Kinkakuji Temple, Iris

The azaleas were blooming when I visited Kyoto. I found these blooms at Fushimi Inari Shrine. This image is a double exposure with the first exposure sharp and the second exposure out of focus. I think it gives the image a soft feeling.

Japan, Kyoto, Azalea

After Kyoto I visited Nara and Hasedera Temple. I like this view of the pagoda with part of the temple in the foreground.

Japan, Nara, Hasedera

In July we attended a family reunion at Lakeside, OH. On the 4th of July they had a fireworks show and I was able to capture this image using a long exposure with a tripod. In Japanese the word for fireworks literally means “fireflowers”. In this image they really do look like flowers.

Ohio, Lakeside, 4th of July Fireworks

In August we took a brief trip up to British Columbia. This is Ganges Harbor on Salt Spring Island at sunset.

Canada, British Columbia, Salt Spring Island, Ganges Harbor Sunset

After Salt Spring Island we spent several days in Victoria. One morning I got up early to shoot the Inner Harbour at dawn. I like the illuminations and reflections in this image.

Canada, British Columbia, Victoria, Inner Habor at Dawn

Happy New Year Everyone. I hope 2023 will see a return to more normal times and with some luck our paths may cross. Feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear which images you like.

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Best of 2021 – My Favorite Images of the Year

2021 was another challenging year. We decided against any international travel and only did a few domestic trips so many of this year’s photos were taken close to home. Most photographers are collectors. One of the things I collect are images of tree trunks. I found this one at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. I think it almost looks like a beautiful porcelain vase.

Crape Myrtle Trunk

It has been difficult to travel this year so I spent a lot of time this spring photographing flowers nearby. This is a star magnolia I found in Bellevue. Such a beautiful flower!

Star Magnolia

In April we took a brief trip to Hood River, OR in the Columbia River Gorge. Hood River is known for its cherry orchards and we timed our trip to be there when the cherry trees were blooming. I like this shot of the cherry blossoms with Mt. Hood in the background.

Oregon, Hood River, Cherry Orchard & Mt. Hood

In our new house’s garden we decided not to have any lawn, but we do have several different ornamental grasses. This is called fountain grass and it does resemble a fountain. I like the selective focus of this image.

Fountain Grass

In July we took a brief trip to Mt. Hood to do some hiking. This is Trillium Lake which has a wonderful view of the mountain. I like the red & yellow kayak in the foreground of this image.

Trillium Lake & Mt. Hood

The Dahlia Association of Puget Sound maintains a dahlia garden at Volunteer Park in Seattle. I always try to go there in August when the dahlias are blooming. This is my favorite for this year.

Dahlia

In October, I took a brief trip up to Mt. Baker. When I arrived at Picture Lake I was disappointed that the sky was overcast, but as I was shooting the sun broke through the clouds to illuminate parts of Mt. Shuksan. Such a beautiful sight to see with the mountain reflected in the lake!

Mt. Shuksan & Picture Lake

We visited Sedona in November & one morning I got up early to shoot the sunrise. I found a nice spot looking down on Cathedral Rock & shot this image just before the sun rose over the butte in the distance.

Cathedral Rock Sunrise

Sedona is high desert country so the climate is quite arid. But there is a large creek which flows through the valley. Oak Creek is like an oasis in the desert. I like this location with Oak Creek in the foreground and Cathedral Rock in the background.

Oak Creek & Cathedral Rock

In Sedona we visited Tlaquepaque a high-end shopping district which is designed like a Mexican village. They had some interesting illuminated decorations so I got up early and to catch the illuminations with a deep blue dawn sky.

Tlaquepaque

Happy New Year Everyone. I would be interested to hear which images you like the best. Please leave a comment with your favorites.

I hope 2022 will bring an end to all the COVID restrictions and with some luck our paths may cross.

Best of 2020 – My Favorite Images of the Year

Every year I like to review my photos and choose my favorite images for the year. 2020 was a challenging year in many aspects, but I was still able to create some new images. These images are published in chronological order so the order is not any indication of my preference for a particular image. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed shooting them!

In February we traveled to the Yucatan peninsula for our first and only long distance trip in 2020. The ocean in Cancun was such a beautiful color. I like this image of a small dock I found near our hotel with some fabulous clouds in the sky.   

Dock on the Ocean, Cancun, Mexico

The Yucatan Peninsula has many cenote which are underground caves with pools of water. This area is mostly limestone which is easily eroded by water. There are also many underground rivers which create pools of water in the cenote. Most cenote have an opening to the ground above, but Suytun Cenote above has a very small opening so it looks like you are totally underground. I like the platform which allows you to walk out over the water. It was a magical place to see!

Suytun Cenote, Valladolid, Mexico

The Pandemic became a real issue in March and the state of Washington was under lock down orders for several months. So I decided to do some photography at home.  We get a lot of rainfall in the spring and I noticed that many of the plants in our garden were often covered with water drops. So I shot a series of photographs of close up views of water drops in our garden. This one is my favorite of this series. 

Water Drops on Grass, Bellevue, WA

During the lock down I also spent a lot of time walking around our neighborhood. Since it was springtime there were lots of plants blooming. I would take my camera on many of these walks and found myself shooting many of the flowers and trees blooming in the neighborhood. These tassels are actually the flowers of a corkscrew willow tree. I like the selective focus of this image.  

Corkscrew Willow Flowers, Bellevue, WA

Later in the spring the total lock down ended and it became possible to travel locally. So I decided to take several brief trips to the Palouse in eastern Washington state and Idaho. One of my favorite spots for photography in the Palouse is Steptoe Butte which has the highest altitude in the Palouse and offers wonderful views of the countryside. This image was taken just after sunrise and is a typical view of the Palouse countryside 

Palouse First Light, Steptoe Butte SP, WA

On one of my trips to the Palouse I spent some time exploring the Idaho side which I had not visited previously. One evening I came across these fields of canola and wheat illuminated by the late evening sun. I like the bands of color in this image. 

Canola & Wheat Fields, Latah County, ID

On another trip to the Palouse I spent one morning at the base of Kamiak Butte. While I was not at a very high altitude, the elevated position provided a wonderful view of the farm fields surrounding Kamiak Butte. I like this abstract composition of the Palouse farm fields. 

Palouse Farm Fields, Whitman County, WA

In the summer we visited Mt. Rainer to do some hiking and see the wildflowers. One morning I got up early and hiked up the Naches Peak Loop Trail.  When I arrived at the trailhead there was very thick fog with very little visibility, but after I hiked for 20 or 30 minutes I got above the cloud layer and was treated to this view. In Japan this phenomenon is called a Sea of Clouds which I think is a very appropriate name. 

Sea of Clouds, Mt. Rainier NP, WA

As summer turned into autumn long distance travel was still very problematic so I decided to shoot some autumn images locally. One of the locations I like to visit locally is Kubota Garden in south Seattle. On one of my trips there I found these bright red Japanese maple leaves. I like the selective focus of this image. 

Autumn Leaves, Kubota Garden, Seattle, WA

Another local spot I like to shoot in the autumn is the Seattle Japanese Garden. One day when it looked like the autumn colors were at their peak I visited and was able to capture this image. The autumn leaves were so red that it almost looked like the trees were on fire and as an added bonus they were reflected in the small pond in the center of the garden. What a beautiful sight to see! 

Autumn Color at the Japanese Garden, Seattle, WA

So as you can see, even with the pandemic it is still possible to find some interesting images to shoot. I only hope that next year the pandemic will become a thing of the past and we can resume traveling where ever and when ever we want. 

Happy New Year!  Wishing you the Best in 2021. I hope our paths may cross!  All of the above images are available to purchase as prints.

Best of 2019 – My Favorite Images of the Year

Happy Holidays!

It has become a tradition for many photographers to publish their favorite photos of the year. I embrace this tradition because it helps me review my photography for the year and also is a good way to introduce new images to my followers. Unfortunately, my mother-in-law passed away at the end of 2018 and I did not have time to publish favorite images for 2018 so I have included a few images from 2018 in this post as well. These images are published in chronological order so the order is not any indication of my preference for a particular image. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed shooting them!

The Pacific Northwest has some great autumn color. This is a small private road near Snoqualmie, WA which has become very popular with local photographers. I waited for an overcast day which enhances the vibrancy of the colors. I like this combination of red and green which are opposites on the color wheel.

Autumn Country Lane

In November, 2018 we traveled to China and visited several cities in the central and northern regions of the country. This is West Lake in Hangzhou which has been the subject of many Chinese poems. I captured this image just after sunset one evening. West Lake is very popular with Chinese tourists who often take trips onto the lake in boats. You can see the silhouettes of these boats this image.

West Lake Sunset

My last stop in China was Beijing which was the Imperial capital for many centuries. Domestic tourism is very popular in China and all the famous sites are very crowded. I arrived at the Temple of Heaven when it opened at 8AM, but there were already many tourists. After waiting 20-30 minutes though I was able to catch this famous site without any people. It was such an impressive sight to see!

Temple of Heaven

In April, I took a road trip to Oregon and California. One of the highlights of this trip was visiting the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt County. These trees are some of the tallest trees in the world and they were truly an impressive sight to see. Looking up you can get a sense of just how tall they are!

Avenue of the Giants

The Oregon coast was another highlight of this trip. I fell in love with the southern Oregon coast. The landscape is spectacular and there are not so many tourists. When I was in Brookings, OR just north of the border with California there was a full moon which I was able to capture over Harris Beach early in the morning.

Full Moon over Harris Beach

In June we took a trip to Slovenia and Italy. I had been to Slovenia once before by myself and I liked it so much I decided to take my wife. One morning I got up early to shoot Lake Bled and the sky was filled with the most beautiful clouds which I was able to capture in the early dawn light. If was truly a beautiful sight to see!

Lake Bled Dawn I

After Slovenia, we spent several nights in Trieste, Italy. Trieste has always been ethnically Italian, but for over 5 centuries it was the main port of the Austrian empire. On the coast several miles north of Trieste an Austrian noble family built Duino Castle. We toured the castle and I was captivated by this spiral staircase.

Duino Castle Spiral Staircase

After Trieste, we visited Verona, Italy. Verona has been an important town since Roman times. Verona’s opera festival is held in the ancient Roman Arena. Near the amphitheater is Ponte Pietra which also dates back to Roman times. I set up my camera and tripod after sunset to capture this image at twilight.

Twilight Ponte Pietra

Next we spent some time in Padua, home to one of Italy’s oldest universities. This is Prato della Valle, the main square in Padua and the largest square in Europe. There is an oval canal lined with statues, unlike anything I had seen in other Italian towns.

Prato della Valle at Dawn

Our last stop in Italy was Venice. One cannot go to Venice and not photograph the gondolas. One morning I went to St. Mark’s Square in the early morning and shot these gondolas at the waterfront. You can see San Giorgio Maggiore church in the background.

Gondolas at Dawn

San Marco Piazza or St. Mark’s Square is usually crowded with tourists, but I got up early to shoot it in the early morning light. This square is the heart of Venice and when the Venetian Empire was at its height, St. Mark’s Square was dubbed the “Drawing Room of Europe”. It must have been such an impressive sight to see when visitors arrived during Venice’s heyday.

San Marco Piazza at Dawn

In August we took a brief trip down to Mt. Rainier. This is the aptly named Reflection Lake which is just down from Paradise. I got up early and was able to capture Mt. Rainier reflected in the lake at dawn.

Reflection Lake at Dawn

One morning while we were at Mt. Rainier, I hiked up the Skyline Trail before dawn. I was able to get up to the top of the ridge by sunrise. Along the trail I found some heather blooming and I made this image with Mt. Rainier in the background.

Heather & Mt. Rainier

Happy New Year! Wishing you the Best in 2020. I hope our paths may cross! All of the above images are available to purchase as prints.

https://www.robtilleyphotos.com/galleries

Best of 2017 – My Favorite Images of the Year

Happy Holidays!

It has become a tradition for many photographers to publish their favorite photos of the year.  I embrace this tradition because it helps me review my photography for the year and also is a good way to introduce new images to my followers. I have included some background information for each image below as well as why it was chosen.  These images are published in chronological order so the order is not any indication of my preference for a particular image. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed shooting them!

It is rare for the Seattle area to have a large snow storm, but in February we had several inches accumulate.  When I woke up to this winter wonderland, I decided to visit my favorite tree at the Seattle Arboretum.  I named another image of this tree “Dancing Tree” so I decided to name this one “Dancing in the Snow”.  It was a beautiful sight to see, but it did not last very long.  The next day most of the snow had melted.

Dancing in the Snow

Seattle can be a bit dreary in the wintertime so we like to travel to sunnier climates for a break.  In March we visited Hawaii and the weather was great.  We stayed with a friend in Honolulu for several nights and one day we visited Waimea Botanical Garden on the North Shore of Oahu.  I love to photograph at botanical gardens because the plants are so well taken care of and you can often find very unusual species.  This is a spider lily.  I think it almost looks like an abstract painting.  Mother Nature is such a wonderful artist!

Spider Lily

I like to shoot abstract images whenever the opportunity presents itself.  One of my favorite places to find abstract images are marinas.  While I was in Honolulu I spent an afternoon shooting at the Ala Moana Marina.  This marina is near several high rise hotels which were reflected in the water with the yachts.  The ripples in the water created some interesting abstract designs.

Marina Reflections V

In May and June we traveled to Scotland and England.  Our first stop on this trip was Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.  One evening I walked up to the top of Calton Hill which has a wonderful view of the city.  This was the view after sunset when the lights came on.  In the distance you can see Edinburgh Castle on top of the hill and just to its right is the clock tower of the Balmoral Hotel. The monument in the foreground is a memorial to Dugald Stewart, a Scottish philosopher.

Twilight Edinburgh

After Edinburgh we spent several nights in Glasgow.  One of the highlights of our trip there was a visit to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens.  During the 19th century, Glasgow was a major ship building center and the second largest city in the UK.  The botanic garden was founded during this period of prosperity and they built several large hot houses to display their extensive botanical collections.  This image is looking up at the roof of Kibble Palace.  The foliage visible around the roof are tree ferns imported from New Zealand.

Kibble Palace Roof

After Glasgow we drove up to the Inner Hebrides Islands and took a ferry to the Isle of Mull.  At the far west of Mull is the Isle of Iona.  This small island is called the cradle of Christianity in Great Britain because St. Columba first came here from Ireland in his quest to spread Christianity to Scotland in the 6th century. Iona is on the western edge of the Inner Hebrides and is physically very close to Ireland. The monastery flourished from the 6th to the 9th centuries when it was attacked and pillaged by Viking raiders. In the 12th century, it once again became an important Christian center after the Vikings were banished, but was once again abandoned after the Scottish reformation. This current building was rebuilt in the 20th century, and while not ancient one can still feel the history of this place.

Iona Abbey

  On our trip to Scotland we ventured up to the Orkney Islands which are located above the northern tip of the Scottish Highlands. These are the Stones of Stenness which are thought to date back to 3100 BC in the neolithic age. While their original purpose is not known, scholars believe they were used as a ceremonial site similar to Stonehenge and most likely predate Stonehenge by several centuries. I thought it was interesting that sheep were allowed to graze near this very important archaeological site. I like the setting sun peeking through the clouds in this image.

 

Stones of Stenness Sunset

I am always looking for interesting abstract designs. This is lichen I found growing on a standing stone in the Ring of Brodgar on the Orkney Islands. These standing stones are more than 2,500 years old so one could wonder how old the lichen is. Perhaps the lichen is not very old, but it does make you wonder. I like this abstract design created by Mother Nature.

Lichen Abstract

After touring around Scotland I flew down to London and spent several nights in England’s capital.  One evening I walked from Trafalgar Square down to London Bridge.  This is a view of Whitehall from Trafalgar Square with Big Ben in the distance.  I used a long shutter speed for this shot which created some motion blur of the bus in the foreground.  I think this image captures the feeling of London.

Whitehall & Big Ben

Whenever I am traveling I like to shoot iconic places because everyone recognizes them.  This is Tower Bridge which is one of London’s most iconic scenes.  Many people think this is London Bridge, but London Bridge is next to the Parliament Buildings.  This bridge is called Tower Bridge because it is near the entrance to the Tower of England.  I waited until well after sunset to capture the illuminated bridge against a dark blue twilight sky.  I like the illumination along the river promenade as a frame.

 

Twilight Tower Bridge

Autumn is always a great time for photography.  When the colors were at their peak I visited Kubota Japanese Garden in Seattle.  These are some autumn leaves I found there.  I like the selective focus of this shot.  The leaves in the foreground are so sharp you can see every water drop, but the background is pleasantly out of focus.

Autumn Leaves

 

 

I am a big fan of trees and I found a wonderful one at Kubota Garden this year. I decided to name this image “Reaching For Heaven” because it looks like it is doing just that. I just love these twisted branches with the autumn foliage and the pond in the background.

Reaching for Heaven

 

Happy New Year! Wishing you the Best in 2018. I hope our paths may cross!

Best of 2016 – My Favorite Images of the Year

Happy Holidays!

It has become a tradition for many photographers to publish their favorite photos of the year.  I embrace this tradition because it helps me review my photography for the year and also is a good way to introduce new images to my followers. I have included some background information for each image below as well as why it was chosen.  These images are published in chronological order so the order is not an indication of my preference for any particular image. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed shooting them!

We visited Florida in February.  Our trip was planned primarily to see my relatives, but I was able to find some time to take a few photos.  This first image is looking out to the ocean from a private dock on Captiva Island.  Docks are a fascinating subject because they are literally a bridge between two different worlds, dry land and open water.  It was a bit cloudy on this day which made the dawn light very blue.  I like the moodiness of this image.

Captiva Dawn

 

I love to make abstract images using various techniques.  Shooting close up and photographing reflections are 2 great ways to make abstract images and this shot combines both techniques.  I like the graphical composition of this image.

Marina Reflections

I love shooting the new green leaves in the springtime.  The Japanese call this time of year “The Time of New Greenery”.  This is a shot of a small waterfall at the Portland Japanese Garden.  I used a slow shutter speed to make the falling water look silky.  I like the contrast of the motion blurred water against the sharp, green leaves.

Japanese Garden Waterfall

 

I took a road trip down to California in April.  My first stop was San Francisco so I decided to shoot the city skyline at twilight.  This shot was taken from Yerba Buena Island which is conveniently located between Oakland and San Francisco and can be accessed from the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge.  I like the illuminated bridge and buildings against this beautiful twilight sky.

Twilight City by the Bay

 

After Spending time in San Francisco I traveled up the coast of northern California.  One night I stopped in Fort Bragg and visited Glass Beach.  The city of Fort Bragg had a trash dumping sight next to the ocean and over the years many glass bottles and other objects were washed into the ocean.  After many years these fragments of glass were eroded into smooth glass pebbles.  The white and brown pebbles in this image are actually small pieces of glass that were eroded by the surf.  I like the abstract design of real pebbles and glass pebbles in this image.

Glass Beach Pebbles

 

In May we visited Italy starting in Rome.  One morning I got up early to shoot Trevi Fountain during the blue hour.  I love shooting at this time of day because there are so few people wondering around and everything is very quiet and beautiful.  I like this very impressive monument with the twilight sky in the background.

Trevi Fountain Dawn

 

On our trip to Italy we spent some time in Naples.  This is the Toledo Metro Station of the Naples subway.  I am a big fan of modern architecture and when I saw a photo of this station I decided I had to go shoot it early in the morning.  It was designed by a Spanish architectural firm along the themes of water and light.  I like the surreal feeling of this ultra modern architecture.

Toledo Metro Station

 

When we were in Naples we took a tour of the opera house. Naples was the birthplace of opera and Teatro di San Carlo is the oldest continuously active public opera house in the world. It was originally commissioned by King Charles and was completed in 1737. As you can see the royal box is very impressive and such a beautiful building!

Teatro di San Carlo

 

After Naples we flew to Palermo in Sicily.  Palermo was the capital of the Norman kingdom of Sicily. This is a mosaic mural of Christ Pantocrator in the Palantine Chapel which was the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily It was built in the 12th century. The Normans defeated the Arabs who ruled Sicily for over 200 years until 1061. Since Sicily was a crossroads of mariners in the medieval Mediterranean Sea, its culture is a mixture of Roman, Byzantine and Arab which is known as the Arab Norman style. The mosaic murals are truly amazing and were the highlight of our trip to Palermo.

Palatine Chapel

 

When we were in Palermo we joined a tour of the opera house, Teatro Massimo. Since Palermo is the largest city in Sicily and was its capital in the past, it has the most impressive opera house on the island. This is a view looking directly up at the ceiling. They just do not make buildings like this anymore!

Teatro Massimo Ceiling

 

While I was in Sicily, I spent some time in Syracuse.  In the  5th century BC Syracuse was the largest Greek city in the ancient world with a population larger than Athens.  It was the home and birthplace of the famous mathematician Archimedes which is why this square is named Piazza Archimede.  I like the movement of the water and the horse stature against this beautiful twilight sky.

Twilight Piazza Archimede

 

While I was in Sicily, I made a brief trip to Malta via the ferry.  I had lunch in the small fishing village of Marsaxlokk and I fell in love with the design of the traditional fishing boats.  So I went back early the next morning to shoot the reflections in the early morning light.  All of these boats have eyes painted on their bows to protect against storms and calamities at sea.  I like the colorful, abstract composition of this image.

Maltese Fishing Boat

 

After Malta, I spent a night in Ragusa.  Ragusa along with Syracuse and Noto are known as the Baroque Triangle because of the abundance of baroque style buildings.  In the late 17th century there was a large earthquake in southern Sicily.  After the earthquake, most of the building had to be rebuilt and because baroque architecture was in vogue at this time all of the buildings were  built in what is now known as Sicilian baroque style.  Ragusa offers some beautiful vistas because it is built on several hills.  I found this viewpoint and then went back the next morning to shoot the sun rising behind the city.  It was such a beautiful sight to see.

Ragusa Sunrise

 

Wishing you the Best in 2017. I hope our paths may cross!

Parklane Gallery Featured Artist – March, 2016

COLORS OF NATURE

PARKLANE GALLERY FEATURED ARTIST – MARCH, 2016

I will be featured artist at Parklane Gallery in March with a large display of my photography in the front of the gallery.  The exhibit titled “Colors of Nature”  will include both landscapes and closeup detail shots.  I have traveled near and far in my quest to capture the amazing colors, patterns and beauty of the natural world.  All of the images in this exhibit will be photographs printed on aluminum.  If you have not seen metal prints before, you will be amazed at their luminosity, clarity and almost 3 D appearance.   You can see a preview of some of the images in the exhibit attached below.  I hope you can join me for the opening reception on March 11, 5-8 PM.

Abraham Lake First Light

Event:	Parklane Gallery Featured Artist “Colors of Nature”
Dates:	March 8 – April 3 Tuesday – Sunday 11am – 7pm Friday 12 Noon – 8pm Reception, Friday, March 11, 5pm – 8pm
Location:	130 Park Lane Kirkland, WA 98033 Tel. 425.827.1462

Aspen Trunks II

California Poppyl Coast

Boneyard Beach Dawn

Water Drops on Aspen Leaves

Winter Forest Abstract

Best of 2015 – My Favorite Images of the Year

Happy Holidays!

It has become a tradition for many photographers to publish their favorite photos of the year.  I embrace this tradition because it helps me review my photography for the year and also is a good way to introduce new images to my followers. I have included some background information for each image below as well as why it was chosen.  These images are published in chronological order so the order in which they are published is not any indication of my preference for any particular image. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed shooting them!

The first trip I took in 2015 was to Yellowstone in February.  I was traveling with my good friend Gary Hamburgh and we had a great trip.  At lower elevations, there was not much snow, but it was a winter wonderland in the higher areas.  This first image is perhaps the most iconic spot in the whole park, Lower Yellowstone Falls.

Lower Yellowstone Falls, Yellowstone NP, WY

 

While I never pass up the opportunity to shoot impressive landscapes, I also like to use different techniques to produce impressionistic images.  While we were in Yellowstone, we stopped at a forest that had been burned in a forest fire.  The burned trunks were very black and stood out against the white snow.  So I decided to use intentional camera movement.  For this image I used a long shutter speed and moved the camera up while the shutter was open.  This produced the abstract feeling of the image below.

Winter Forest Abstract, Yellowstone NP, WY

 

I also like to shoot close up shots of details which can also produce an abstract feeling.  I was walking along the boardwalk near Old Faithful which has many hot springs and geysers where I found this scene.  This image is frozen geothermal runoff from the nearby geothermal features. I like the colors and lines of this composition which I call Earth Tones.

Earth Tones, Yellowstone NP, WY

 

We took a photo tour while we were in Yellowstone on one of their snow coaches.  Our guide was familiar with the wildlife and in communication with some other tour leaders.  One of the other tour leaders said that they spotted a bobcat near the Madison River and when we got there we found the bobcat stalking a muskrat.  I decided to use a pan blur to capture the bobcat as it leaped into the river.  This technique kept the bobcat relatively sharp, but blured the background as the camera moved with the bobcat.  I like the sense of motion in this image.

Leaping Bobcat, Yellowstone NP, WY

 

 

In February we visited Mexico and for the first time Oaxaca which is known for its indigenous culture.  One evening we attended a demonstration of Mexican folk dancing at a local hotel.  I was fascinated by the colorful costumes and energetic dancing so I decided to use motion blur.  For this shot I used a long shutter speed and mounted my camera on a sturdy tripod.  This technique caused the dancers to blur while keeping some parts of the image sharp.  I like the sense of motion and vibrant colors in this image.

Mexican Folk Dance, Oaxaca, Mexico

 

In March we visited Kauai for the first time in many years.  One morning I got up early and hiked out to Mokolea Point with a photographer friend in the dark to shoot the dawn light.  I was very pleased to find the crescent moon low in the horizon just as the dawn sky was beginning to light up.  I like the simplicity of this image with the crescent moon above the ocean and this ancient lava field.

Kauai Moonset, Kauai, HI

 

In late May we traveled to Portugal for the first time.  We started in Lisbon and slowly worked our way up to Porto and the Douro Valley.  When we were in Porto I found a great spot to shoot the Douro River at sunset.  I like the illuminated buildings of the waterfront against the beautiful sunset sky in this image.

Douro River Sunset, Porto, Portugal

 

After Porto we spent several days in the Douro Valley.  This area has been growing wine grapes since Roman times and the hillsides have that well tended look which comes from centuries of cultivation.  It is the custom of the Portuguese to grow olive trees mixed between the vineyards which makes for some pleasing compositions.  This shot is a typical scene of the Douro Valley. 

Hillside Vineyards, Douro Valley, Portugal

 

After touring Portugal we traveled up to Spain and visited Santiago de Compostela for the first time.  Because it is home to St. John’s grave, this town became famous as the destination of many pilgrims from all over Europe.  Since it was such an important town for the Catholics, they built many monuments.  The image below is in a former monastery which is now used as the Museum of the Galician People.  I had never seen a triple spiral staircase before and I thought it looked best looking up towards the ceiling.  Looking up is often an effective way to create an unusual point of view.

Triple Spiral Staircase, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

 

In late September we visited Colorado to see the autumn color.  Colorado has the best aspen trees of anywhere I have been and we were lucky to catch the autumn color near its peak.  I found these aspen trees growing just outside the town of Aspen.  I like these very tall trees with very white trunks and the yellow foliage in the background.

Aspen Trunks near Aspen, CO

 

When I was driving one of the back roads of Gunnison NF, I came across this aspen grove.  The trees in the foreground had already lost most of their leaves so the early morning sun created very dramatic shadows on the road while the trees in the background still had most of their autumn color.  I like this combination of dramatic shadows in the foreground with yellow foliage and blue sky in the background.

Autumn Shadows, Gunnison NF, CO

 

On my last day in Colorado, it was rainy. It was not pouring, but a soft, gentle rain. I knew the conditions were not good for landscapes so I started looking for closeup shots. There were many water drops on the fallen leaves, but the way they had fallen was not particularly attractive. So I started moving the leaves I liked to a different location. It was very difficult to move the leaves without loosing the water drops and I was not always successful. But I was able to assemble a fairly large number of leaves with the water drops in tact and this image is the result of my efforts. I like the different colors in the image ranging from red to yellow and of course the water drops make it eye-catching. 

Waterdrops on Aspen Leaves, Gunnison NF, CO

 

Wishing you the Best in 2016. I hope our paths may cross!

Best Regards,

Rob Tilley

Best of 2014 – My Favorite Images of the Year

It has become a tradition for many photographers to publish their favorite photos of the year.  I embrace this tradition because it helps me review my photography for the year and also is a good way to introduce new images to my followers. I have included some background information for each image below as well as why it was chosen.  These images are published in chronological order so the order in which they are published is not any indication of my preference for any particular image. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed shooting them!

The first trip I took in 2014 was to Hawaii in February.  We visited Molokai and Oahu and this was my favorite shot. It was such a beautiful sight to see the sun rising between these 2 islets on Lanikai Beach on Oahu.

Lainikai Beach Sunrise, Oahu, HI

In March we visited Mexico and my favorite place was Guanajuato. Whenever I am traveling I try to seek out unique architecture and make some images. This is Teatro Juarez, Guanajuato’s elegant old opera house. The opulent interior reflects the wealth which came from the nearby silver mines which at one time produced more than 70 percent of the world’s silver. Such a beautiful building!

Teatro Juarez, Guanajuato, MX

In April I flew into LA to attend a friend’s wedding and afterwards I drove up the coast to Big Sur. It was such a wonderful trip driving near the ocean. Just south of Big Sur I found these poppies blooming near the side of the road. It was such a beautiful sight with the orange poppies in the foreground and the deep blue ocean in the background. Springtime on California’s central coast was fantastic!

California Poppies near Big Sur, CA

This is another image from my trip to California in April. I was driving up to Big Sur in the early AM and it was so foggy I could hardly see anything. So I decided to drive up to Paso Robles to see what I could find there. When I was able to get above the fog I found this hillside with wild mustard in full bloom. It was such a beautiful sight with the rolling hills leading your eye to the foggy coast and a pink dawn sky. I like the subtle colors in this image.

Mustard Hill Dawn, near Paso Robles, CA

In May I visited Slovenia for the first time. I highly recommend this destination for anyone who enjoys traveling in Europe. The second stop on my trip to Slovenia was Lake Bled
which has a small island with a medieval church in the middle of this beautiful alpine lake .It is such a picturesque spot and almost looks like a fairytale. I got up early to catch the dawn light and was lucky to have these beautiful clouds reflected in the still waters of the lake. What a wonderful way to start the day!

Lake Bled Dawn, Bled, Slovenia

In late May and early June, I toured Croatia after my trip to Slovenia. We ended our trip in Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic, which did not fail to live up to its nickname. Dubrovnik is built on a peninsula that juts out into the Adriatic Sea. I wanted to make an image showing the city surrounded by the sea so I found a spot on a nearby hill with a great view and waited for the sun to go down. This is my favorite composition taken that evening. It was such a beautiful sight to see the city lights come on with the sunset sky in the background.

Dubrovnik Sunset, Dubrovnik, Croatia

In October, I visited Italy and my first stop was Rome. I was staying at a small hotel near St. Peter’s Basilica so it was just a short walk to the Tiber River. This is Ponte Vittorio Emanuele and the dome in the background is St. Peter’s. I like the deep blue twilight sky and the reflections in this image. Rome is such a beautiful city!

Twilight Tiber River, Rome, IT

On my last day in Rome I got up early and went to Piazza Navona before sunrise. I like to shoot illuminated buildings during the blue hour and this was my favorite shot that morning. In the middle of the piazza is the Four Rivers Fountain which was designed by Bernini. Above the fountain is an Egyptian obelisk which was first brought to Rome when Egypt was a province of the Roman Empire. This square was first built as a racetrack during the reign of Emperor Domitian. I like seeing the piazza without any people which would be impossible during daylight hours.

Piazza Navona Dawn, Rome, IT

On my trip to Italy, we spent one night in Florence and I got up early to shoot the cathedral at dawn. The area around this beautiful old building is quite congested so I decided to shoot it from one corner. I like this beautiful illuminated building against the deep blue color of the sky in this shot.

Duomo Dawn, Florence, IT

Over the past several years I have visited Italy many times, but I had not been to Cinque Terre so this year I decided to go there. Cinque Terre has many hiking trails which provide fantastic views of the towns. This is a view of Vernazza we found while we were hiking on one of these trails. I am always on the lookout for good view points looking down on famous spots so from that point of view Cinque Terre is a great place to photograph.

Vernazza, Cinque Terre, IT

This is another shot of Vernazza. I got up early and walked out to a vantage point I had scouted out the previous day to shoot the town at dawn. I like the illuminated buildings against this colorful dawn sky. Cinque Terre is so photogenic. Now I understand why it is so popular with photographers.

Vernazza Dawn, Cinque Terre, IT

When we had some unusually clear weather in November I made a brief trip down to Portland, OR to shoot some cityscapes. While I have visited Portland before I had not shot the skyline from the opposite side of the Willamette River. I found a great location near OMSI where I made this image. Luckily it was a calm evening and the reflections of the city lights in the river were fantastic. It was such a beautiful sight to see so many different colors reflected on the water’s surface!

Twilight Skyline, Portland, OR

Wishing you the Best in 2015. I hope our paths may cross!

Rob Tilley

Trinity Parish Church Gallery Exhibit

The Trinity Parish Church Gallery on Pill Hill in Seattle is hosting an exhibit of my photography  I will be exhibiting some new images from Seattle and my travels to Europe, Japan, and New Zealand as well as displaying older images.  The new images will be displayed as metal prints.  If you have not seen photographs printed on aluminum, you will be amazed at their luminescence. The gallery is open to the public every Sunday after church services and on week days by appointment.

Parliament Through the Arches

This exhibit will be on display April 6 – May 17.  The gallery is open every Sunday after church service and by appointment.  The Opening Reception will be Sunday April 6, 12 Noon – 2PM.  Trinity Parish Church is located  at 609 8th Ave., Seattle, WA .  For viewing appointments, please contact Sheila Comerford, tel. (206) 448-8630, email – sheilapcomerford@gmail.com

Fisherman’s Bastion Twilight

Twilight Charles Bridge

Moria Arch

Moeraki Boulders Sunrise

Dancing Tree