My Favourite Images From 2022

Hills and Valleys
It was great to visit one of my favourite spots in December. Even though it’s mostly known for its grand panoramic views there are some hidden gems if you take a good look around. This is a reef I always visit when I’m in the area; around this time of year, the moss is exceptionally green. I found the rocks behind my main subject distracting so I tried a few different shots with the incoming waves to help simplify the scene.

Red Leaf Falls
Hearing the sounds of the water rushing over the rocks at this river always puts me in a great mood. I usually enjoy looking for more abstract shots in the water but when I saw this leaf stuck in the fall I thought it was worth investigating. Finding a good place to stand took me a while since the rocks were mossy and slippery. Shooting here is a great reminder that it’s sometimes best to slow things down.

All Together Now
I first noticed these colourful berries in a puddle a few weeks before I took this shot. I didn’t have my camera with me then, but I decided to revisit the spot after the next big rainfall. While I was looking for a composition, I noticed the leaves and decided to include them.

Escape Velocity
More fun with water and light. I used an ND filter so that I could get a long exposure to capture the movement of the highlights in the water. Having a variable ND filter makes the whole process easier since it takes a few trials before I get the look I’m going for. Zoom in to see the details.

Electric
This is from the same session.

Chalice
These are probably my favourite leaves to shoot on the island. I’m still trying to find out the name of the tree. They are extremely delicate when they get old and take on unusual shapes.

El Toro
The light brushing the side of this tree trunk caught my attention. It was only after I started to edit it that started to see the head of a bull emerge. Do you see him?

Flux
The ocean doing its thing.
A continuous change.

Islands in The Stream
This was actually taken in a river with the green reflections coming from the overhead canopy.

Stumped
The trunks from this particular tree were remarkable. Besides the bright orange colour there were mottled spots of white and green. Definitely, one I’ll return to again.
Overall, this was a significantly different year for me, especially regarding my photography.
I wasn’t able to get out as much and as a result, shot most things close to home. I tend to like to simplify my images and leave out as many distractions as possible. This is more difficult to achieve in the developed areas of the island so I ended up using my 70-200 for most of my shots. I enjoyed the process but I’m looking forward to giving my wide-angle lens some more attention this year.