Closing out 2015

At the end of each year, I enjoy looking back at the images I've taken and assessing which ones I like best.  Here are my favorites for 2015 and the reasons why I chose them.

I originally published this image on my blog, but in black and white.  I returned it to color here and think it does a good job of capturing the interesting skyline of Idyll Farms.

This late summer photo expresses the bucolic nature of Leelanau.  I like how the foreground hay roll guides your eye to the whole landscape.

I love my deer visitors!  Each spring I enjoy getting my first glimpses of the new fawns who visit my feeding station with their mothers.

Okay, okay.  You know how much I enjoy photographing my two-year old mini-GoldenDoodle, Gracie.  While she's usually quite active, I was able to capture her enjoying a more sedate moment on her dog bed.

In March of this year, we had a G-4 level geomagnetic storm, which produced the finest auroras in years.  This one from Peterson Park attests to the beauty that filled the sky that night. 

Living close to Lake Michigan, we often get to experience its raw power.  That was so true on this fall day at Empire Beach when the winds roiled the waters and laid the beach grass nearly flat against the sand.

On a trip to the Upper Peninsula in August, we crossed the Mackinaw Bridge on a windy, stormy day.  I think the clouds make this picture look almost like a painting.

Like our own Grand Traverse Lighthouse, the Point Betsie Lighhouse is roofed in red, which make it really stand out against the blue, blue sky.

Kehl Lake is one of my favorite haunts to photograph.  On this foggy, misty morning, I was struck by the atmospherics captured in this image.

It's not uncommon to have a sunrise or sunset photo be my favorite of the year, and 2015 is no different.  Taken from Peterson Park, this sunset with its dramatic backlit clouds painted the sky orange and only allowed occasional glimpses of the setting sun.  The drama of this sunset make it my favorite image of 2015.