I usually find it hard to pick shots I like. The shots I like are often not the ones that get the most views or faves. I went through my Zooomr photostream and picked the ones I like best that were also favorites of the Zooomr community. So here are my best shots of 2008, in no particular order:

Dreaming of Summer

Elk Lake, Oregon. One of my favorite places.

Seeing Stars

My wife always has fresh flowers in the house, so I get a lot of opportunities to take flower shots.

Barack Obama, plate 6

I had to include one of these shots. I was one of the highlights of the year for me, and the nation.

Return to Earth

Morrison Planetarium, Academy of Sciences, San Francisco

Heartland Dreams

Somewhere near Southwick, Idaho. Another shot from our summer vacation.

What do you hold in

A fence post near Petaluma, CA

Everything you want

Taken in Redding, CA at the Sundial Bridge. Also from the summer vacation.

untitled

Another shot of flowers in my house.

Visual Pollution

Power lines in Petaluma, CA

Benches

Petaluma, CA

It was crowded, but not jammed with people. There were lines to get into the Rainforests of the World exhibit, but it moved quickly. The show at the Morrison Planetarium was completely packed, but we had no problem getting tickets and all the seats had good views of the show. It was a little too crowded at times to truly enjoy and experience all that the Academy has to offer, but we’ll have plenty of time over the next year to see everything.

After spending a couple of hours exploring and enjoying the Academy, we sat down on a bench to rest and have a snack. An older man walked up and asked us how we liked it. Turns out he was the Director of the Academy of Sciences. We told how much fun we were having and how much the kids enjoyed it. I thought it was cool that the director was out just casually chatting with guests. He seemed very pleased, and for good reason. The opening was huge success.

From a photography point of view there is no lack of shots. The vast concrete and metal structure housing the Academy is an exhibit itself, drawing your eye into the prominent geometry of the design. The main level features two giant spheres that house the Rainforests of the World display and the Morrison Planetarium separated by a naturally lit plaza.

One suggestion, go see the series of black and white wildlife prints on level 3. They are spectacular. Since I love photography, they were my favorite exhibit. They are essentially wildlife portraits. I didn’t make it to the gift shop, but if they have book of these shots, I’m definitely getting it.

View all the shots in the set.

Yosemite isn’t really known for its Fall colors, but I thought they added some contrast to the landscapes. Yosemite has a lot of conifers that don’t change colors, but there are enough Black Oaks, Maples and Pacific Dogwood’s to mix in a splash of yellow and red. The colors make up for the lack of water at this time of year. The meadows with Black Oaks are really beautiful.

Another thing that makes up for the lack of water is the bears. We saw bears in broad daylight foraging for food to fatten up for the winter. Fortunately they are pretty tame and if you don’t bother them, they don’t bother you. But it’s good to keep your distance. I tried to get a picture, but wasn’t fast enough.