Our Top Ten Images of 2021!

One of my favorite things to do each year is look back at my favorite images from the year and pick my top ten. As my kids demand more time and our travel gets more focused on family activities, my focus is trending more travel than photography, but it is still a fun endeavor and always encourages me to get out more in the next year to make a better top 10, which I will definitely do in 2022.

We also do a community top 10 and share the work of others. If you create your own list or want to in the future, check out our submission form here.

To see some of my past top 10 images of previous years, check out these links: 2020 2019 2018 2017  2016  2015  2014  2013  2012.

And now, lets get to my favorite images:

10. Fairy Falls, Oregon

This was not the most impressive waterfall I saw this day (that was Wahkeena Falls) and this was not the best image of Fairy Falls I made that day, but for some reason, Mallory and I just really like this shot. Mallory said it makes you feel like you are walking through a fairy land, and I think I like that it is not the obvious shot and the view from the trail makes it feel like the viewer is there.

9. Spanish Harbor Key, Florida

This was definitely the quickest shot I made during the year. We were driving back to Miami from Key West and I was longing after the beautiful sunset when I saw these trees just off the road. I jumped out of the car, grabbed my camera and ran barefoot to this location unfortunately learning that the side of the road was littered with nasty thorns and goat heads. I rattled off a few shots with bloody feet then continued on the drive.

8. Folly Beach, South Carolina

I am a sucker for pier shots. I already have one in 2022 from California that my make the list for next year. I wish I had better light for the shot below, but my family was getting too cold at the beach to wait for sunset. I loved the colors on these pillars though!

7. Roman Main Event, Nevada

I was fortunate to shoot some more college basketball this year after not being permitted to last season. I love the main event tournament in Las Vegas and it is my favorite event to shoot. I always come away with so many great images, it is hard to choose which one to feature. I chose this one because it is not often you get to shoot a fast break dunk from right under the hoop.

6. Magnolia Plantation, South Carolina

We did a week in South Carolina and the beautiful Charleston area makes a prominent showing in this list. Magnolia Plantation is considered one of the most beautiful places in Charleston and this location was my favorite spot at the huge Plantation grounds.

5. Audubon Swamp Garden, South Carolina

A secret of mine is that I love wildlife photography, but I have never dedicated the time to do much of it or get really good at it. Nevertheless, I couldn’t pass up the chance to visit the Audubon Swamp Garden next to Magnolia Plantation. This might be the best bird image I have ever made with the story of the heron coming back to the nest with hungry kids waiting.

4. Bridal Veil Falls, Utah

This is a place I have shot many times since I went to college just down the road at BYU. I was in town for a football game and made the trip down the canyon during a rainy day. Due to construction, the trail to the base of the falls was closed so I had to get creative shooting from above the falls. I ended up making this shot to avoid the construction equipment, but I really liked the idea of featuring the mountainside and falls colors with the waterfall being less of a focus.

3. Waterfront Park, South Carolina

Another surprising entry that I did not think would make it onto the list, but I just really liked it and couldn’t delete it when the narrowing process was underway. The famous pineapple fountain in Charleston was difficult to shoot because there were a ton of people standing around, taking selfies or playing in the fountain.

2. Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Another shot I am surprised ended up this high. In a day where I shot Wahkeena Falls, Fairy Falls and Lemmon’s Viewpoint, I fell in love with this place where the two streams come together just below Fairy Falls, which you can see the top of in top left of the image.

1. Snow at Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

This definitely isn’t my best shot of the year, but the chance to shoot snow at Red Rock Canyon was a first for me in the almost-11 years that we have lived in Las Vegas.