Favorite photos of 2014

The end of the year is always a good time to look back over the past twelve months to see what has been done, so here is a look back at my top ten favorite photos of 2014. These choices are based on nothing more than whether I liked them or not. And as has often been seen, the photos that I like the best are not necessarily the most popular photos. So feel free to disagree, but these are my favorites.

10. Alone in the Ocean - I liked this one because of how the colors of the water turned out. Much different than what came straight out of the camera, but that’s a good thing. This was really just an experiment in processing, and it turned out well.

9. A Classic Car - This one another one where I was experimenting with the processing, and once again, I was happy with the results. I liked the somewhat modern processing look to go with this classic old Ford.

8. Alligator in Florida - Whenever we are in Florida, I am always watching for alligators. So when we got to see lots of them at the Circle B Bar Reserve, I of course took lots of photos. But this one was my favorite. And it almost looks like he is smiling for the camera, too.

7. The Burns Family - On this particular Sunday, we all chose shades of purple to wear without planning it out in advance, so I thought it was worth a photo. And then I added an overall purple tint to the photo as well.

6. Seven Seas Lagoon at Night - This is one of those sentimental favorites. It makes this list because I like the location. That little island with palm trees in Seven Seas Lagoon near the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World has always interested me, and I really liked how this night view turned out, especially with the passing ferry in the background.

5. Trees at Circle B Bar Reserve - We enjoyed seeing all of the unique trees at this nature preserve in Florida, but I especially liked this view of the curving trunks and Spanish moss with the sunlight filtering through.

4. Laura Strikes a Pose - This was one of those fun, quick, unplanned photos where I was testing out the light, and Laura decided to do more than just stand there looking at the camera.

3. Laura at the Hotel - This is another sentimental favorite, because it reminds me of the great week that we had on our visit to Cocoa Beach. Yes, Laura appears in several of the photos on this list, and that is just fine with me. She is my favorite, after all.

2. Nighttime at the Grand Floridian - This particular night when we watched the Electrical Water Pageant from the beach at the Polynesian Resort was just about perfect. Well, not really, because it was actually sprinkling rain on us, but the clouds added a lot to this view of the Grand Floridian across Seven Seas Lagoon. And those reflections in the water were nice, too.

1. Laura on the Dock - This view from a lake in the town of Cocoa Beach, Florida, pretty much sums up what I enjoy about our visits there - going unusual places, enjoying some natural scenery, slowing down, and relaxing. Who could ask for more?

So there you have it - my favorite photos of the past year. Thanks for reading, and be sure to watch in 2015 for even more!