2012: A year in review - Images of the Month

2012 was a great year of photography for me. It was full of challenges but I met them all head on and succeeded. I only got up to the North Shore of Lake Superior once which forced me to dig deep and look closer locally and I learned a lot.

January did not have a lot of snow (all winter we were without) but, there was ice and that presented a subject that changed everyday. This image was taken in Camden State Park in the Redwood River. I was drawn by the teeth-looking icicles on the edge and the movement of the river close by. A long shutter speed was used to blur the movement of the water, which is a favorite technique of mine.

February brought a wonderful day where everything was covered in a thick hoarfrost. With no snow there were brown grasses along with white frost and a bright blue sky to use as contrasting color elements.

March brought an early spring with trees budding and showing their bright new yellow and green colors.

April is one of my favorite months when the grasses green up with the most brilliant and brightest greens possible.

All the previous images were taken in Camden State Park. The month of May brought a partial solar eclipse which I photographed over Goose Lake.

In June, the Minnesota state flower blooms, the Pink and White Showy Lady Slipper. I have a semi-secret spot near Sauk Center, MN that I have been visiting the last few years where there are literally hundreds of these orchids blooming in a wet boggy area. Another favorite place to view and photograph these, as well as the yellow lady slipper, is in Itasca State Park and Lake Bemidji State Park.

In July, a local pond reflects the sunset like a mirror. Water is one of my favorite subjects because of it's reflective qualities and the life that it has inside and around it.

These White Pelicans made for a perfect subject in this August sunset on a local duck puddle.

Fall is my favorite time of the year because of the changing leaf color and the cool air. This September image was made in Camden State Park right next to the lower campground. I used a reverse graduated neutral density filter to balance out the bright sky with the trees and river in the shade.

I love the little things that you see along the trail that you just can't see unless you SLOW down. This October image was the last of the color for the year.

November is one of the toughest months for photography. My attention usually turns to birds and other wildlife because you can see them easier with all the leaves off the trees. This is a Red-Bellied Woodpecker that visited me while I was hanging out in my blind in Camden S.P.

My last favorite image of the year is of the Mississippi River near Baxter, MN in December.

I hope you enjoyed these photographs as much as I enjoyed creating them. Best of luck to all of you in the new year!