Wednesday, January 4, 2012

2011 Firsts and Favorites

My top twelve (13) of 2011
Linda Lantzy~Idaho Scenic Images

Firsts and Favorites
Every year many photographers do a post on their top images from the previous year.
It's fun to look back on what you've done in the year,
but incredibly hard to narrow down your images to just a few.  These may not be my best images, but as usual, I seem to like the ones that I have a personal connection to.

Photography to me, is very much about exploring new places and having new experiences.
It is mainly those experiences that will elevate an image to make my top list of the year, and so as I've traveled this year, many of my favorites are not just from Idaho locations.

In January, a trip to Bellingham, Washington where I would leave my son to embark on the next stage of his life. Not really knowing what lie ahead, this predawn shot of the Bellingham pier reflects the transition and reflective mood I was feeling at the time.

My first visit to Rowena Dell in Oregon, and even though the flowers were dancing in the wind, I really like this scene.

Representing my favorite season, this autumn trail in Zion National Park was a very slow walk for me, as I had to stop and photograph each new bend in the trail.

Taken the day of the eathquake in Japan, a world away on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, ID. I was thinking a lot about what was going on in Japan. I titled this image "Hope" and donated profits from the sale of this print to The Red Cross relief efforts.

A perfect spring evening that me and my dog sat amongst the lupine on Steptoe Butte,
waiting for Sunset on the Palouse.


 Arriving mid day at this popular photo spot in Grand Teton National Park,
I didn't expect to photograph at all. A steady stream of photographers were leaving as the rain started coming down. I decided to walk out to the ponds anyway, and after a short wait under a tree, it stopped raining and I had the place all to myself.


Standing amongst thousands of daisies in the pink morning light as the sun and mist rose above the Snake River in Island Park, Idaho. An amazingly beautiful place to start a day.

I love places like this. These rain water pools on the Arizona Strip could have entertained me for hours...even though I'd never seen the Grand Canyon only minutes away.

Silver Creek in the Central Cascades of Washington state slides through lush green forests and represents my love of the creeks and trees of the Pacific Northwest.

First time I've attended a balloon festival. Something that has long been on my to do list. Prosser Balloon Rally.


The first time I ever camped by myself. Pre dawn light over a pond on the Red Rock Lakes Wildlife Preserve in Southwest Montana.
I listened to coyotes howl and discovered my own independence.


Frozen frost covered trees along the Pend Oreille River in northeast Washington.
An atmospheric scene of calm and cold.

 A Sandstone puzzle on the rim of the Grand Canyon.
My first visit with some great memories created.

OMGosh that was hard!