My Favorite Photos of 2017

"Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best" 
– Henry Van Dyke

Happy Holidays!  

At the end of each year it is enjoyable to look back and review the places I've visited.  I also enjoy looking through old photos and remembering the fine times I had in each scenic spot.

My viewpoint of photography is changing and evolving on a regular basis.  What I like today I may not be fond of a year from now. As my friend and fellow photographer, PJ Finn, has helped me realize, it's all about finding my "voice", just as I did as an actor and director when I was working in the field of Dramatic Art. Indeed, just as all artists should do.

In the next few years I believe my photos will be more of what I LIKE to photograph as opposed to what I think I SHOULD photograph. This is a leap for me but, at my age, what do I have to lose?

​The photo above is on a deserted road near the tiny town of Cantil, CA. It's my personal favorite as, to me, it captures that lonesome western highway feel. 

This photo below is taken from the Ajo Mountain Drive in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument one evening toward dusk in January.  

My next trip was to Death Valley. I made several photos that I liked there and this simple black and white captures the stark and barren yet beautiful landscape of Death Valley near Zabriskie Point. 

The next photo is of the Grapevine Mountains from the Valley floor the day after a rare winter storm. 

After a soggy winter (finally) I decided to visit Steinbeck Country in Central California in March. This afternoon photo was taken along the Fremont Peak trail overlooking the city of Salinas.  This trail was one of Steinbeck's favorites as a youth.  

In April I was asked to make some photos of a United Farm Workers March in Madera, CA.  I was proud to do so. 

Lupe and I went to Chicago in April also and I got to see legendary Wrigley Field.  We fell in love with the city and its Midwestern friendly vibe. 

In May I was blessed to have been able to camp in Utah with my son, his wonderful wife and her brother, and my itty-bitty grandchildren. It was sheer heaven. The photo below shows Zion Red Rock in a layer of clouds. When I posted it on social media only a few folks "liked" it. But I like it quite a bit.  

I don't normally make or show too many photos of people but when they're  the two cutest people in the world whats a guy supposed to do? These are my grandchildren, Finley and Joaquin, at Kodachrome State Park in Utah. 

Marty and I had a terrific time, as usual, at Gaviota on our annual trip there. 

My daughter and I spent a few fantastic days in Pismo in June.  Every day spent with the apple of my eye is a blessing. 

In June I was at one of my favorite spots in California, Point Mugu State Park, and took this photo directly from my campsite at sunset. ​

In the summer I took my daughter Lilly and her friend Kennedy to the Giant Sequoia National Monument in the Sierra Nevada.  I admire the stubborn independence of that solitary pine. 

Lupe and I also visited the state we love the best, New Mexico.  These are ruins in the Juniper country of Bandelier National Monument.   

In early Fall I visited sublime and renowned Yosemite National Park with my dear Bay Area family. 

in November I visited Pismo Beach once again.  Man, I love the Central Coast. 

I spent a fascinating day with the BLM and Mojave Desert Land Trust exploring George Patton's old WWII Training Center. The photo below is from an old place of worship near Camp Ironwood. 

This last photo is another personal favorite that I recently took near the ghost town of Garlock, CA.  

I thank you for coming along and wish each of you the most marvelous of years in 2018.  Cheers! See you on the road...