My favorite Instagrams from 2012

In 2012 I became almost obsessed with the iPhone app Instagram.  It gave me a different way to look at the world and share those images.  With Instagram's new and then subsequent revision to those new terms of service, I am uncertain how much I will utilize the app in 2013.  So here are some of my favorites from the past year...and they are just that favorites, for one reason or another...

goo, goo g'joob

Long overdue update

I know, I know...I haven't posted anything since last fall.  I guess we have some catching up to do...

Actually we don't need to talk about winter, there wasn't much snow, so the skiing sucked.  Moving on...

In February I was fortunate enough to pick up three more photo awards in the annual Colorado Press Association contest.  That makes 12 in the past four years, but who's counting?  This photo won first place in sports:

I also picked up third place awards in news and photo essay:




















In March my son, Erik, returned from his year-long deployment to Afghanistan.  I had my best night's sleep in a year the night after he got back.

In April my father passed away.  We were somewhat prepared for this, but it was still hard to say goodbye.  Thanks to all of the family and friends who helped make saying goodbye to my easier by providing lodging and food, fond memories, kind words...the list goes on and on.  Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and prayers.

This is the poem read at his service:

He loved to till  the verdant soil and watch his garden grow,

And now he tills another spot--a beautiful spot I know.

He plows where fields are always green

With furrows straight and true,

And where the day is always bright

And life begins anew;

But we shall miss him here on Earth

Until our day is done

When we shall be with him again,

When our rewards are won.

This spring I had the pleasure of coaching an amazing group of girls on the Middle Park HS junior varsity soccer team.

We finished the season 8-2-1, all eight wins were shutouts--a record for our JV program.  We scored 29 goals while only allowing five, and what I am probably most proud of, sixteen of the players scored a goal.  I always look forward to the girls' season, so in case anyone is interested, just 225 days until next season!

Let's get back to talking about photography...sort of.  While I was back in Iowa for my dad's funeral, one of my uncles mentioned to me how much my dad enjoyed seeing my photographs in the paper (my parents had subscribed to our weekly paper ever since they sold their condo in Fraser 10+ years ago).  Apparently he was quite proud of my work, although I don't remember him ever coming out and saying it directly to me.  Hearing that has really had an impact on me in the subsequent months.  I find myself working the situations/events I am at to shoot images that he would be proud of.  These past several months I have had numerous occasions where I have really felt like I was "in the zone" photographically and produced some quality work.  Here are some of my favorites:

 

After the dry winter, a dry and warm spring has increased the fire danger in my area to the point where Rocky Mountain National Park decided to staff it's only fire lookout tower for the first time in more than 30 years.  At the end of June I made the trek up Shadow Mountain to get some photos for a story for the paper.

If you are interested, you can follow me on Twitter or on Instagram (zbpix).  You will also note I have added a feed of my recent Instagram photos to the right side of this blog.

To close out this rather lengthy update I leave you with a photo I took of my dad for a photo story I did for a photojournalism class at the University of Iowa in either 1983 or 84.

Miss  you dad.

goo, goo g'joob

Fire, Friday Night Lights, Fall Color

A few favorites from the past week.

It was homecoming week for Middle Park High School and last Tuesday they had a bonfire, that started burning so hot that no one was able to stay very close to it.  A few students had brought marshmallows to roast for s'mores, but couldn't get close enough, so they convinced this firefighter to toast them.

The sun has been setting earlier each day, so for the homecoming football game on Friday evening, the sun was going to set shortly after kickoff.  The were scattered clouds which were only going to help with the color in the sky, I just wish there would have been better action to put against the background.

On Sunday morning I was covering the Fraser Valley Fall Duathlon and was fortunate the changing of the aspen was in high gear and gave me a multitude of shooting possibilities to play with while I waited for the competitors to come by.

I was able to find a location where the mountain biking course would enter an amazing stand of changing aspen and made the most of it.

goo, goo g'joob

Rediscovering the Maroon Bells

I had a photographer friend visiting from out of town and he had never been to Aspen or seen the Maroon Bells, so we made plans to make the trek last weekend.  I hadn't been there in something like 15 years, so I was anxious to make a return trip to what has to be the most photographed location in Colorado.

I could go on and on about all of the other photographers who were there capturing the beauty of this amazing place and the variety of approaches they all took, but suffice to say, no matter what the technique, it is virtually impossible to get a bad photo of the Maroon Bells...some are just better than others.

Here are my favorites:

goo, goo g'joob