First and foremost, it needs to be stated that there is some amazing work on this thread. Every photographer who has posted their work should feel proud of what they've done and shared... I am just amazed by the vision of my friends and colleagues here.
As for me, my year was one filled with great loss. As many of you know, I lost my beloved wife of nearly 33 years in April, and this forum has been a refuge for me during periods of extreme grief. Like Steve and Rose, Tamy was my photographic partner. She went where I went, took pictures by my side and afar, and loved to be on adventures that took us everywhere from deep country backpacking, roadtrips, and international excursions. As Tamy declined, I'd continue to shoot whenever I could find a subject within a few miles of my home. Her gradual decline from fully functional to physical/cognitive impairments lasted for about 18 months, and photography was the one piece of therapy that I gave myself. Pursuing nature photography was so important to me during this time that I recently wrote an article about the "Therapeutic Power of Nature Photography" that was published in the current issue of Nature Photographer Magazine.
With all of that stated, my year's work represents a mix of 20 minutes of shooting here and there, to long hours of sitting and watching nature as I grieved the loss of my one true love.
Just last week I returned from Bosque del Apache. This was my first real trip without Tamy, and was a trip that almost never happened. Tamy had always been my travel companion and I left on an 8 day road trip with the fear that I would not be able to do this on my own. Fortunately my golden doodle Luca, was there to keep me company and I endured... making the trip happen. I think some of my best work of the year was made at Bosque, but... with the exception of a few pictures, the work is currently unedited. The last picture in this series was posted earlier in the week, and is among the best shots I've made in a long time... so I present it here as well.
Ok... that's a huge confession of life's reality. These 8 photos are presented in the order they were taken.
Good shooting and Happy New Year to you All!!
bruce
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