As a way to wrap up the year, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite photos from 2010. Some of these will seem familiar (yes, more pictures of golden retrievers), and some not so much (wedding photos? Huh?).
This is Jasper, our golden retriever, running like a moron through a field of foxtails. Foxtails pose a real threat to dogs when they burrow into their eyes, ears, and nose, and if not caught in time can even result in death. Scary stuff. (As always, Jasper got a thorough going-over after this hike, and was happily foxtail-free.)
Dog (golden retriever) running through a field of foxtails in California. Foxtails can burrow into dogs through their nose, eyes, and even skin, and can be life-threatening.
Another potential danger for dogs on the trail is snakes. This is actually a gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer), and is completely harmless. (To dogs, anyway — not so friendly if you’re a mouse.)
A woman restraining her dogs (golden retrievers) to keep them away from a (non-poisonous) gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer), California
I started experimenting with underwater photography this year, and had a lot of fun photographing dogs underwater. This photo is from our local river (South Fork American River) which is quite cold. You learn to shoot quickly.
A dog (golden retriever) swimming, photographed from below.
But it wasn’t all dogs in 2010. I managed to get some landscape photography in, as well. I ended up spending a bunch of time in Half Moon Bay, CA this year for family reasons, and tried to balance it with trips to photograph Pescadero Marsh, Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pillar Point Harbor, and the redwoods in Purisima Creek Open Space.
Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve, California
Sun rising through redwoods along Purisima Creek, Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, California
Full moon setting behind Pigeon Point Lighthouse, California
Full moon rising over Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay, California
An autumn leaf of a bigleaf maple (Acer macrophylum) resting in Purisima Creek, Purisima Creek Open Space, near Half Moon Bay, CA
Lastly, I finally got serious about wedding photography. I’ve shot several weddings over the years for friends, but took it to the professional level this year with Sydnie and Scott’s wedding at the historic Bayley House in Cool, CA. It’s quite a different kind of photography for me, but I really do enjoy it and look forward to photographing more weddings in the future. Know anyone getting married?
Gorgeous Sydnie — she was a natural
Sydnie and Scott