Win a Free Print – Plus My 5 Favorite Photos of 2013

Win a Free Print!

As a photographer looking ahead to the next year, I always like to reflect on what I have accomplished in the past year. I review all of my photographs from the year and decide what worked, what didn’t, which are my favorite, and what I would like to do more of in the upcoming year. It really does help me to understand where I have been, and to help me understand where I would like to go with my photography in the upcoming year!

I am really excited about the upcoming year, there is already several exciting things coming up that I cannot wait to share with you! Keep checking back, as I will be making two very big announcements! One will involve a press conference, so you don’t want to miss that!

So, what does any of this have to do with winning a free print? Well, I am glad you asked! I want YOU to pick which one of these photographs is your favorite and let me know in the comments.  On Saturday, February 2, 2014 I will take the names of all the people that voted and put them in a hat and draw the name of one luck winner! That person will receive a FREE 8″x10″ print of the photo that they voted for. I will pay for the cost of the print, the mat, and the shipping! The only restriction is that you have to  be in the United States.

My 5 Favorite Photographs of 2013 and Why I LOVE Them!

So without any further delay, here are my favorite 5 photographs from 2013, with a little bit of the reason why:

1 – Sunrise at Whale Rock

Whale Rock in Rhode Island is actually the smallest island in Narragansett Bay, and sits on the horizon in the photograph “Sunrise at Whale Rock”. This long exposure photo was taken from the beach, and with the blur of the water and the soft colors in the sky and reflected in the sand takes on the feel of a watercolor painting. It is the soft colors, and painterly feel that make this one of my favorite photographs of the year!

Sunrise at Whale Rock

2 – Providence Highways at Night

I love the city of Providence at night, and I visit the city with my camera every chance that I get! What really drew me to this scene is all of the curves, and as I explored some different compositions I really fell in love with this one. What really sells me is the lights of the cars as the move through the curve of the highway on-ramp at the bottom of the frame! As the cars enter the highway on the left you see the while lights of the headlights as the head towards my camera, but then as they go through the turn you see the red taillights!

Providence Highways at Night

3 – Docked Boats Under Fall Colors

On a quiet Sunday afternoon, my wife and I loaded up the car, stopped for an ice coffee and headed out to see the fall colors in Rhode Island. I took a ton of photographs that day, as we followed RT 102 from one end of the state to the other! This ended up being my favorite fall photo, simply because of the scene. The fall colors, the boats and the small dock all just scream out “Rhode Island” to me! You can read more about this photograph in my article titled “Fall Photography in Rhode Island”

Docked Boats Under Fall Colors

4 – Two Trees on a Hill

Each year I make the short drive to a local farm that plants acres and acres of sunflowers as part of their annual Sunflower Festival. The fields are gorgeous at sunset, and photographers come from all over New England to get a chance to photograph their beauty. Across the street is two trees, and I have photographed them many times. I love the trees in silhouette in this photo, it helps to lend a bit of mystery to the scene. I think of the trees as two lovers, holding hands on top of the hill watching a beautiful summer day come to an end. You can read the full story “Photographing Two Trees On A Hill”

Two Trees on a Hill

 5 – Newport Harbor at Dusk

Newport, Rhode Island is one of my favorite cities for photography. This artsy seaside community is full of great subjects, and the summer light can be beautiful. This photograph reminds me of what a beautiful summer night it was. Calm and quiet, I was also afforded the opportunity to make talk a little with the folks strolling through the small park, enjoying a beautiful night on the water. It also reminds me to keep an open mind – I had originally researched and planned to create a much different photograph that night, but Mother Nature gifted me with something much better instead. You can read about how I do my research and planning for many of my photography outings in the article “Seascape Photography at Newport Harbor”

Newport Harbor at Dusk

Which photograph is your favorite? Please take a moment to vote for the photograph that you like best in the comments. You HAVE to vote in the comments in order to be eligible to win the free print!

I hope that you have enjoyed viewing these photographs as much as I enjoyed making them. I look forward to hearing your opinion!