2006: A Look Back (DIAL-UP WARNING)

[regnaD kciN]

It's been quite a year for taking photos -- I took as many in 2006 as I had in all the previous years since getting a digital camera! Looking back, I thought I'd try to put together a collection of twelve photos, one per month, but without including any images I'd already posted here. The latter restriction proved to be the sticking point...I didn't realize before trying this just how many threads I'd put up during the summer's prime shooting times. I first thought I would have trouble finding images for the winter months, but it turned out June-August were the hardest times, as I'd already posted virtually every photo I thought was any good, and had to scramble to find something new to DU. (NOTE TO SELF: Next year, try holding back some images!)

January was a month in which I took very few photos. One exception was on a (rare!) clear morning, when I had the chance to do some silhouette work.




Early in February, I drove up to Snoqualmie Pass in the hopes of getting some winter nature shots. However, my favorite of the bunch turned out to be this abandoned-looking truck, parked alongside an abandoned-looking cabin.




March was the month of my shoot at the Experience Music Project and precious little else. This is one of the images I didn't post in my thread back then.




In April, good photo-shooting conditions began to return. I already posted a series of photos taken early one morning at the Skagit tulip fields -- here's another shot, this time of the harvesters working the fields (and coming **** near to running me over, as my car got stuck in mud just before this picture was taken).




In May, Maple Valley showed why it's well-named...




...while June brought the start of the civic-festival season, with my daughter Lizzie waiting to "test the reins" on a horse.




July brought many already-posted photos, along with this sunrise at Mount Rainier.




In August, a score of mountain shoots have been the subject of various threads here. This image comes from the infamous fogged-in Ruby Beach shoot -- an abstract of tree-trunks taken at the head of the slope down to the beach.




September brought one last trip to the Pacific beaches, with this sunset shot.




The leaves of October...




...give way to the bare branches of November.




Finally, December brings the year to an end, with this sunset at Lake Meridian.




(I encourage other photographers here to put together their own retrospectives -- although, for the sake of those with dial-up, it would probably be best if each person put theirs in a separate thread of their own, rather than adding it here.)

[priller]

1. Stunningly good photos!

I mean, really, you've set a very high bar here. I like the one-photo-per-month thing, too. Great job!

[JeffR]

2. This is a great idea, and it's a treat to see more shots from your archives

Very, very good. Especially the final sunset.
:toast:

[Blue_In_AK]

3. Lovely, regnaD

I am always in awe.

[Eurobabe]

4. Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing...

I love your tulip photo. That's almost worth coming to Washington State in April to see. But I think I will go to Holland in April this year, with my cache of lenses. We love your State!! Hubby wants to move there. The ocean, the mountains, what else could you wish for?

I'll put together my retrospective too. Great idea! -48

Happy New Year - -

[babylonsister]

5. Some lovely, diverse shots there. I just went through last year's

pics, and there are way too many of the garden, the primary thing I look at in the summer. Having said that, I love the tulips!

[Maestro]

6. You are an incredible photographer!

If I could only achieve a quarter of your talent I would be more than happy!

[F.Gordon]

7. Simply beautiful and a great idea

:applause:

What an incredible treat. Not just the fantastic photos but the sharing of your year in images. The way you put this all together. It's also waaay kewl that you've motivated others to do the same. I'm even trying to slap something together but I've only gotten 3 pics so far. :eyes: I'll see what else I can come up with....

[LeftCoast]

8. These are some absolutely amazing photos

The colors are just stunning.

[CC]

9. I love all of these

and not even going to try to pick a favorite. Just too many to choose from. Thank you for a great idea too. I have been looking but not posting much. Not going to look at everything and try to catch up while tired again. I am slowly trying to get 12 pics together but most are on cds now because I took time a few weeks ago to back up everything and clean up the computer. I also noticed there were months where I just didn't take many if any photos. I'm going to use your retrospective idea for this year as a reminder to find the time to go out and take pics at least a couple times every month this coming year.