Best of: 2022


January 11th

I remember not liking this lens very much, specifically because it handled contrast very poorly at its maximum length. This was a hazy, overcast day, though, and I think it worked to an advantage here.

Patchwork Light over Marsh
Three Forks Marsh, Brevard County, Florida

January 28th

It was very misty this day. I drove to the park to look for birds. There were plenty of birds and a notable lack of light. It stayed consistently dismal the entire time I was there. Again, a disadvantage turns into an advantage with one good image that really stuck with me even years later.

Channel Markers in Mist
Front Street Park, Melbourne, Florida

February 12th

I spent quite a long time on the beach after the sun went down. I remember trying very hard to get this image cleanly on my way back to the boardwalk.

Dunes after Sunset
Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Florida

February 19th

I don't remember much about this day. Around this time, I had gotten into the habit of stopping by the beach whenever I could.

Break in Clouds over Ocean
Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Florida

March 17th

Wait, did I know there would be a full moon this evening or not? I remember anecdotally that I didn't, and that it came up on me by surprise, but I also remember waiting out for a moonrise and trying very hard to spot it as soon as it was visible through the sea haze. I'm not sure what happened here, actually. I do remember noticing several other photographers on the beach that night.

Moonrise over Atlantic
Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Florida

July 16th

I'm not sure what to say about this one. Metrocon 2022 was my first convention. I almost feel a little insecure admitting that.

Candy Coordinate
Metrocon 2022, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Florida
@feathers.and.frills

July 17th

This was the last day of Metrocon.

Ivory Coordinate
Metrocon 2022, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Florida
@prince.fraise

August 18th

I spent a lot of time driving, or riding in passenger seats, the last two years I lived in Florida. It bothered me that nothing I photographed really captured that. I don't like the popular portrayal of Florida as some idyllic vacation paradise. It's not like that. I don't want to contribute to that image.

Drive Home (Double Exposure)
I-95, Melbourne, Florida

September 16th

I brought my old, tiny D40 with me to visit Albany, a year before I moved. This was halfway, in Charlotte. Leaning into the window kept me from getting motion-sick, and I had a nice time taking pictures too.

Taxiing to Albany
Charlotte International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina

October 11th

This is something of an interesting ending note. I consider this my most positive beach image. It's one of my favorites, overall, and maybe representative of... something.

Afternoon Light over Beach
Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Florida

Looking back, from early in 2024, what I see here is a lot of growth. At the start of 2022, I had not been back in photography for very long. I was still figuring things out; still getting stuck. By the end of the year, I had business cards. I'd been to two conventions, met new friends, taken new clients, made real money (for real!), and had new bodies and a whole new set of lenses. I went through a lot of images to pull out these ten. What I saw in December was completely different from what I saw in January. I think that's interesting.

I also have a top ten for 2023.