Well, 2018 is quickly coming to a close. Just as I did last year, I want to take some time to look back at my favorite shots from the year. So, without further ado, let’s jump right in and take a look at the shots!
9) Bridge Rock Falls
This is one of the last images I captured in my 2018 season. This small beauty is located within the Laurel County portion of Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest. While it’s not the most impressive waterfall I’ve ever seen (far from it, in fact!) it has quite a lot of character. There’s just something about these falls that stands out to me.
8) Mountain Cascade
I cannot possibly overstate how much I love the Great Smoky Mountains! This particular morning, I decided to drive the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. This particular area is one that had never been on my radar previously, but it’s certainly a beautiful spot!
I was already on a bit of a high after experiencing one of my coolest bear encounters to date when I came across this beauty on the side of the road. I couldn’t help but throw the car in park, grab my camera, and wade knee-deep for this shot. I certainly think it was worth it!
7) Split Falls
To be honest, I’m not sure if I chose this one as number seven because of the shot itself, or because of the effort required to reach these falls. It’s a bit of a pain in the butt to reach the base of this waterfall!
6) Rock Bridge
When the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon went rolling through Ohio, myself, Bill Fultz, and Chris Morris all piled into a car and made the drive up to the Hocking Hills area. I’ve got to be honest, when they told me they wanted to go to an arch, my first thought was “whatever. Ohio doesn’t have impressive arches”. Boy was I wrong!
This is one of the most impressive arches I’ve seen to date. Not only is it a huge arch, but it also has a nice little waterfall flowing under it!
5) Somewhere in Red River Gorge
Yeah, you guessed it. This is another one of those times where I’m going to be vague on the details. Blame the vandals and those that can’t practice responsible visitation of sensitive areas!
Either way, this is a very nice waterfall and one of my personal favorites.
4) Natural Arch
This fall I was lucky enough to have the chance to visit the McCreary County portion of the Daniel Boone National Forest during near-peak color. Upon arriving at the overlook of Natural Arch we were greeted with an ethereal, foggy scene. It made for, in my opinion, an amazing photograph!
3) Copperas Falls Frozen Selfie
My 2018 photography season got off to a great start this year when we visited Copperas Falls. I arrived at the trailhead before sunrise and the temperature was about negative five degrees Fahrenheit. By the time myself and my buddy Brian made it to the falls I had icicles hanging from my hat.
Our efforts were well worth it, however. Seeing Copperas Falls as a complete ice pillar is still one of the highlights of my year! Fun fact, I even did a video of this trip:
2) Gorgeous Sunset
This is by far my favorite sunset that I’ve captured. Not just this year, but in general. I took this shot during a busy holiday weekend, but we had this lesser-known Red River Gorge overlook all to ourselves!
1) Half Moon Milky Way
This brings us to my number one shot from 2018. It might come as no surprise that it’s my milky way shot from Red River Gorge. This shot was a lot of work to get and required me to utilize everything I’ve learned up until this point about photography and editing. I am overjoyed by the results!
More to Come in 2019!
Well, there you have it, my top 9 shots from 2018. This past year has been my best year to date in terms of adventure and photography. I have gotten some of my best images to date and have been to some amazing places. I intend for this trend to only continue in the coming year!