Document filed on October 2, 2019

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Documents filed on July 25, 2019

• Plea Agreement and Sentencing Stipulations [Lori K. Detloff]
• Plea Agreement and Sentencing Stipulations [Jeffery J. Detloff]
• Plea Agreement and Sentencing Stipulations [Detloff Marketing]

Documents filed on July 19, 2019

• Plea Agreement
• Information

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• Indictment

Documents filed on February 3, 2020

• Plea Agreement Letter
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Documents filed on February 3, 2020

• Plea Agreement Letter
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• Indictment

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• Deferred Prosecution Agreement

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• United States' Sentencing Memorandum

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• Plea Agreement

Proposal to temporarily loosen restrictions on on-site sales faces uncertain prospect in session's final days.

After closing amid the coronavirus pandemic, the National Park Service is testing public access at several parks across the nation, including two in Utah, with limited offerings and services. Visitor centers and campgrounds remain largely shuttered at Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef, but visitors are welcome at some of the sites.

A sheriff's deputy in North Carolina is facing criminal charges after authorities say he led a group of armed people to wrong home in a search for a missing girl.

Two legislative stalwarts lose endorsements as a wave of younger, more liberal challengers emerges in Minneapolis.

Bruising convention battle calls into question party unity behind the Peterson challenger.

The decision to shelve detailed advice from the nation's top disease control experts for reopening communities during the coronavirus pandemic came from the highest levels of the White House, according to internal government e-mails.

This past week was the optimal time to photograph moonbows in Yosemite Valley. I revisited photographing the moonbow at Upper Yosemite Falls as I had last year, but this time there was considerable more water and as a result the moonbow (rainbow by moonlight) was more easily seen. It was considerably larger, more vivid in color and wider arching. Conditions were great and at times a little too good as the 3 cameras I set up were completely drenched. If you’d like to read about what it took to get this photo be sure to check out my last blog post, Upper Yosemite Falls Moonbow – Getting The Shot, as it goes into a lot of detail about the hike and the challenges I faced.  If you’re curious about gear and settings this was taken with a Canon 5D Mark IV and Canon 11-24mm f/4 lens. Settings were ISO 640, 15 seconds at f/4.

Over at All Things Photo, I’ve shared a video detailing a scam targeting photographers selling prints online. Also included in the video are 7 tips to avoid being scammed online. While the video is on the long side it’s worth a listen to protect yourself and learn the limitations of fraud protection with your bank and insurance companies. If you’re driving you can also listen to the podcast recording via the All Things Photo podcast. If you haven’t already I welcome you to follow All Things Photo on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

13 Questions You Should Ask Before Backing A Crowdfunding Project on Kickstarter, Indiegogo and Beyond

It’s that time of year again and if you’re a regular JMG-Galleries reader that means one thing… it is time to kick off the 11th annual best photos of the year blog project. This is by far my most popular blog project with hundreds of photographers taking part last year (see Best Photos of 2016,  2015, 2014, 2013,  2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007).  It’s great to see the community of photographers that have developed around this blog project. As always I hope the exercise of picking your best photos helps improve your photography (10 Ways to Top Your Best 20xx Photographs). So without any further delay here is how you take part to submit your best photos of 2016. How to Participate (Read Carefully) Review & select your best photos from 2017. Note: Photo edit carefully narrowing down your results to your best 10 or 5 photos. Reference Pro Tips: Photo Editing with Gary Crabbe for pointers. Create a blog post on your website or a Flickr/500px set containing your best photos from 2017. Complete the form below by Tuesday JANUARY 2rd at 11:59PM PST to take part. The following Tuesday, or thereabout, I’ll post a link to all submitted sites and photos on my blog. Throughout the week I’ll also share the results across all my social media accounts. Spread the Word! Feel free to spread the word of this project on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, photo forums you frequent and/or your blogs. All who are interested in taking part are invited. Loading…

I’m happy to report 2017 was a much better year than 2016 on many fronts. Family was healthy, we avoided experiencing the passing of family members, there was a fair amount of travel, a few great photos were taken and most importantly to me my boys continue to experience nature and ask for repeat camping trips. In past years yearly recaps I’ve emphasized how much of my focus has shifted from taking nature photos to instilling a sense of wonder about and deep respect for nature in my two young sons. That continues to be the case.   I’ve never delved into it too deeply in past yearly recaps why my prioritization has shifted. In part it’s likely very obvious for some. That said I do want to call it out. I became a photographer because of my love for nature. If I hadn’t been so intrigued by nature I’d never have had a reason to pick up a camera. With the onset of social media and mobile phones with cameras I’m not sure that can be said of many young photographers today. More and more as I view photography online I wonder whether people are truly interested in their subjects (all styles of photography not just nature) or just trying to increase their follower stats because that’s the thing to do in this day and age. Perhaps my cynicism is getting the better of me after working at Borrowlenses where I dealt with photography talking heads & professional and aspiring professional photographers on a daily basis. An element of my becoming a jaded photographer I’m sure (kudos to my friend Richard Wong for writing that post). I’ll avoid going down the path of airing dirt for now as that’s a series of posts unto itself. Anyhow once my boys got old enough it was quite natural for me to want to go back to my roots enjoying nature over photography. I’d like my children to deeply respect and value our natural world. What would I be teaching them, about nature and in general, if I was always taking photos on our trips versus living the moment? For that reason my yearly recap photos have and will continue to be split between family photos and everything else. While my boys are in their most formative years I’ll continue to put my emphasis behind experiencing nature versus artistically capturing it. The fact that my boys regularly tell me, often out of the blue, they want to go camping again means the world to me. I’m incredibly grateful one aspect of my professional outdoor photographer mind has not lost a beat and that is timing our trips for optimal conditions. This used to torment me as I’d leave my DSLR behind, but the more my boys reminisce and ask for more nature experiences the more I know I’ve made the right call. Now that that’s out of the way… my favorite photos, in no particular order are below. Enjoy and thanks for taking the time to view this post and my blog in general.  If you happen to have a recap of your best photos of 2017 I invite you to submit it to my blog project, where I list the best photos of photographers who read my blog. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to get inspired at the beginning of the new year. Best of  Landscape & Nature I took my boys to witness the total solar eclipse in August of 2017. We went off road to an isolated mountaintop with 360 degree views in eastern Oregon. My focus for the eclipse itself was on the experience with my boys, but we did star gaze a lot at night before the big day. In trying to explain how the earth moves I set up a quick star trail sequence to show the boys. This was the result. Water levels were near record levels this spring in Yosemite Valley. I made what has become a regular hike to Upper Yosemite Falls to take time-lapses of moonbows with my friend, Brian Hawkins. Like me, he seems to have enough screws loose to think this night hike is a good idea along with huddling in ice cold mist to capture this view. At the beginning of the year I timed a trip to Yosemite Valley to capture some long overdue winter star trail photos. This was a single 2+ hour exposure taken with my Canon 5D Mark II. Pictured is Three Brothers with star trails reflected in the Merced River. Another single 2+ hour exposure taken with my Canon 5D Mark II. Pictured is Upper Yosemite Falls as seen from the valley floor. For most of my family trips this year I’ve rented an SUV outfitted with a rooftop tent via PacificOverlander. I took this photo on the first night of one of my trips with the boys as we explored the Owens Valley. While they slept I snuck in this photo of our truck/tent under the Milky Way. If you’re unfamiliar with PacificOverlander it’s well worth investigating. I’ve had several amazing experiences and my boys keep asking me why I keep giving the truck back. They regularly have so much fun on these trips it would seem they’re sold on having a truck/rig like this of their very own.   Best of Family Taken on our trip to see the total solar eclipse, the boys enjoy hanging out in the tent atop our PacificOverlander SUV. This photo sits atop both my home and work desk. It’s probably my favorite photo of the year as it captures the raw joy my boys have on our camping excursions. I spoiled my kids with ice cream atop the Glacier Point lookout in Yosemite National Park. A moment I enjoy remembering through this quick snapshot. Wrangling family for a group photos is… a challenge. This is especially true when the boys enjoy making faces and test the patience of my wife. Every so often though a photo comes out just right. This was one that I took while we enjoyed a sunny day at a beach near Half Moon Bay. Not a technically […]

Get ready to start 2018 off on the right foot with some creative inspiration. The results of my 11th annual Best of Photos project hopefully will provide just that by introducing you to photographers and their work from all over the world. Get ready to travel around the world in 100+ links. For those who are new to my blog project, photographers taking part span the gamut of photo enthusiasts to professionals. The great thing about photography is that no matter what your skill level we all can relate equally in our love for the art of photography and visually exploring. With that in mind I encourage you to reach out to photographers whose work you enjoy to keep sharing & growing as an artist.  I am incredibly thankful that this tradition has been embraced and enjoy seeing how familiar faces have evolved their work & grown over the years.  I hope reviewing your best photos of the year and comparing them to years pasts keeps you inspired and aware of your progress as a photographer. If you’d like to take part next year and be informed when submissions open for the “Best Photos of 2017? blog project add your name to my mail list. You won’t be spammed. I send out newsletters quite infrequently. Thank to everyone who took part!  I invite you to visit each link below as I have and introduce yourself to many of the participating photographers. Best Photos of 2017 Jim M. Goldstein – Best Photos of 2017 by Jim M. Goldstein Randy Langstraat – My Ten Favorite Photos of 2017 Michael Russell – My Top 10 Photos of 2017 Phil Colla – Best Natural History Photos of 2017 Greg Russell | Alpenglow Images – 2017 year in review Mike Matenkosky – My Favorite Photos from 2017 Khürt Williams – 2017 Favourites Carl Donohue – Expeditions Alaska Kevin Ly – Kevin Ly | Best of 2017 Martin Quinn – Quinn Images – Best of 2017 Robin Mayoff – RHM Images Best of 2017 Craig L. Howe – On the Move Johann A. Briffa – 2017: A Photographic Retrospective Harold Davis – Harold Davis—My Best of 2017 Denise Goldberg – top photos :: 2017 William Bean – Bill’s Blog Greg Clure – Best Images of 2017 Rick Holliday – Best Images of 2017 Peter Carroll – Peter Carroll – Favourites of 2017 Mike Chowla – My 10 Best Photos of 2017 Wendy M. Seagren – wendy seagrens best photography 2017 QT Luong – 2017 in Review, Favorites, and Seasons Greetings Jenni Brehm – Changing Perspectives Rachel Cohen – Rachel Cohen Photography Brian Knott (FMKphoto) – 2017 year in review Shikha Shrivastava – My favorite photos of 2017 Dave Wilson – Dave Wilson Photography – Best of 2017 Larry Millican – Millican Photography Alexander S. Kunz – My Favorite Photos from 2017 Mark Duffy – 500px Stefan Baeurle – Top 10 Favorites of 2017 Adrian Klein – Favorite Photos of 2017 Alan Majchrowicz – Photo Highlights 2017 Russ Bishop – Russ Bishop Photography | 2017 – The Year in Pictures Todd Henson – Best Photos of 2017: My Favorites of the Year Peter Tellone – My 2017 Top Ten Best Images Aaron Hockley – thisGruntled – Best Photos of 2017 Tony Wu – Favorite Photos of 2017 T.M. Schultze – T.M. Schultze Website Andrew S. Gibson – My Favorite Photos From 2017 John Pemberton – JPSquared – Images of 2017 Scott Thompson – Scott Shots Photography’s Top 10 Tahoe photos of 2017 ElDuro Tuco – ElDuro Tuco The DarkSlides – The DarkSlides Jon McCormack – From Ancient Cities to Endangered Animals – 2017 in Photographs Fred Mertz Photography – Fred Mertz Photography Richard Valenti – Richard Valenti Photography Jeff Hubbard – My Favorite Photos of 2017 Andrew Scharlot – 2017 Best Pictures Deb Snelson – Favorite Photos of 2017 Richard Wong – Favorite Photos From 2017 – Richard Wong Caleb Weston – Dubland Gary Crabbe / Enlightened Images – My Favorite Landscape Photos of 2017 – A Year-End Retrospective Tom Whelan – Nature Diary Robert Varley – Robert Varley Kyle Jones – Favorites from 2017 Neil Creek – Neil Creek – Photographer tim fiddimore – North Devon 2017 Richard Murphy Photography – Best of 2017 Alan Dahl – Favorites of 2017 Gabor Ruff – Natural History Photography – Highlights from 2017 Kevin Ebi – Living Wilderness: Best of 2017 Clint Losee – 10 Best Landscape and Scenic Photos of 2017 Mark Hespenheide – Best of ’17 Ilias Katsouras – Okrivadas David J Grenier – 2017 Top 12 Photographs J. J. RAIA – 2017 Jim Goldstein Project Rob Tilley – Best of 2017 – My Favorite Images of the Year Björn Göhringer – Top 14 From 2017 Bernt-Inge Madsen – Bernt-Inge.com USKestrel Photography (Pete Miller) – My favorite images of 2017: A Different Perspective Milan Hutera – 2017 in Pictures Fred Murphy – Fred Murphy Photography Harry Hitzeman – My Top Photographs of 2017 Andrew Thomas – Best of 2017 – Aerials Dean Foster – 2017: Year in Review Simon Ng – 2017 A Year of Water Michael Katz – Michael Katz Photography Drake Dyck – Top Ten (favourite) Images of 2017 Jose Manuel Santos – The Magnificent Douro Valley Gary Buzel – Gary Buzel Studios Bryan William Jones – Top Photos of 2017 Peter Knott – 2017 Favourites Kamala Venkatesh – Kamala Venkatesh Jason Frye – My Top 10 of 2017 Jackson Frishman – Favorites of 2017 Thomas Yackley – Top Ten Landscape and Nature Photos of 2017 Mark Graf – 2017 – A Year of Despair and Dragons Kurt Lawson – 10ish Favorites of 2017 Jorge Ramirez – Selection 2017 William Neill – William Neill’s Light on the Landscape Photoblog Daniel Leu – Favorites – 2017 Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston – Top 10 Favorite Images from 2017 ~ Journey of Light Photography Mike Christoferson – 2017 Has Come and Gone Carol Schiraldi – Best of 2017 – My Top Images Robin Black – My 10 best photos (or personal favorites, anyway) of 2017 Bryn Tassell – […]

It’s that time of year again, it is time to kick off the 12th annual best photos of the year blog project. I’m proud to say over the years that hundreds of photographers have taken part (see Best Photos of 2017, 2016,  2015, 2014, 2013,  2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007).  It’s great to see the community of photographers that have developed around this blog project. As always I hope the exercise of picking your best photos helps improve your photography (10 Ways to Top Your Best 20xx Photographs). So without any further delay here is how you take part to submit your best photos of 2018. How to Participate (Read Carefully) Review & select your best photos from 2018. Note: Photo edit carefully narrowing down your results to your best 10 or 5 photos. Reference Pro Tips: Photo Editing with Gary Crabbe for pointers. Create a blog post on your website or a Flickr set containing your best photos from 2018. Complete the form below by Friday JANUARY 4th at 11:59PM PST to take part. The following Tuesday, or thereabout, I’ll post a link to all submitted sites and photos on my blog. Throughout the week I’ll also share the results across all my social media accounts. Spread the Word! Feel free to spread the word of this project on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, Google+ (even if it is about to die), photo forums you frequent and/or your blogs. All who are interested in taking part are invited. Loading…

2018 has been quite the year. You wouldn’t know it from my blog, but it’s been one of the most hectic years I’ve had in a long time. Much of that centered around establishing a new home base for my family, albeit in the same area. Uprooting a family of 4 in the SF bay area is not for the light hearted. Luckily everyone has been quite excited about our move, but it has taken up most of my free time. I’m happy to say that I’m starting to get my nose above water and eager to do a bit more photography. Another development this year was my acquisition of the domain calphoto.com and the CALPHOTO California photographic condition mailing list associated with the domain. Interested in real-time photo conditions across California? Then be sure to join. CALPHOTO is comprised of a great community of people who share a common interest in photographing and preserving the beauty of our state. With limited time this year I focused on trips for my kids versus dedicated photo trips. In years past I’ve mentioned how my focus was to foster a deep appreciation of nature and the outdoors with my boys and that has firmly taken hold. I am regularly asked when our next camping trip will be and what other cool places we can visit. I also get a great deal of joy from the kids when we’re driving around town and an epiphany hits that we haven’t been to Yosemite in a while. I suppose that adds to the prospect of more photography and photo trips as they’ve been picking up an interest in taking photos too. That should give you an idea of 2018 in a nutshell. Here are my 8 best photos of 2018… Landscapes Fall Color Abstract Redwood Circle of Life Fresh Snow in Yosemite Valley Rays of Sun in the Redwoods National Forest Family Fun Someone has picked up good tripod technique by watching his dad. He started doing this on his own randomly during our trip. He was insistent he use my tripod even if he was just resting his camera on top of it without a base plate. Fun at the Trees of Mystery Trees of Mystery Portrait Holiday Photo Hijinks Thanks for looking and have a great new year!

I’m excited to share the results of my 12th annual Best of Photos project.  115 photographers from around the world (amateur and professional alike) have shared their best photos of 2018.  I’m always amazed at the quality of work shared and I hope it’s a source inspiration to you for the coming year. For those who are new to my blog project, photographers taking part span the gamut of photo enthusiasts to professionals. The great thing about photography is that no matter what your skill level we all can relate equally in our love for the art of photography and visually exploring. With that in mind I encourage you to reach out to photographers whose work you enjoy to keep sharing & growing as an artist.  I am incredibly thankful that this tradition has been embraced and enjoy seeing how familiar faces have evolved their work & grown over the years.  I hope reviewing your best photos of the year and comparing them to years pasts keeps you inspired and aware of your progress as a photographer. If you’d like to take part next year and be informed when submissions open for the “Best Photos of 2019” blog project add your name to my mail list. You won’t be spammed. I send out newsletters quite infrequently. Thank to everyone who took part!  I invite you to visit each link below as I have and introduce yourself to many of the participating photographers. Best Photos of 2018 Jim Goldstein – Best Photos of 2018 by Jim M. Goldstein Michael Russell – My Top 10 Photographs Of 2018 Dave Wilson – Best of 2018 Joseph Smith – 2018 Favorites – A Baker’s Dozen Randy Langstraat – My Ten Favorite Photos of 2018 Chuq Von Rospach – Chuqui 2018 Best Of Photos Rachel Cohen – Best of 2018 Lucy Autrey Wilson – A Thousand Words Romain Guy – Best of 2018 Alexander S. Kunz – My Favorite Photos from 2018 Stefan Baeurle – Top 10 Favorites of 2018 QT Luong – 2018 in Review Jenni Brehm – Best pf 2018 – Changing Perspectives Sean Bagshaw – My Favorite Photos Of 2018 Johann A. Briffa – 2018: A Photographic Retrospective Exploring Light – 2018: A Year In Review Drake Dyck – Top Ten (favourite) Images of 2018 Richard Wong – Fine Art Photography Prints – 2018 Ramen Saha – 2018 – Ten moments Martin Quinn – Quinn Images 2018 Favorites TheDarkSlides – TheDarkSlides Best of 2018 Denise Goldberg – top photos :: 2018 Peter Carroll – Favourites of 2018 Jeff Hubbard – Ten Favorite Photos 2018 Gary Crabbe – My Favorite Landscape Photos of 2018 – A Year-End Retrospective Harold Davis – Harold Davis – Best of 2018 Werner Priller – My Favorite Images of 2018/ Phil Colla – Natural History Photography – Best Photos Of 2018 Aaron Hockley – Tech Photo Guy: Best Photos of 2018 Dan Baumbach – 2018 in Review Jao van de Lagemaat – Jao’s best images of 2018 Pete Miller-USKestrel Photography – Favorite Images of 2018 Shikha – Eastern Sierra – My favorite images of 2018 Bruce Leventhal – Reflecting on 2018 Christopher Sheppard – The Stories Behind My Favorite Photographs of 2018 Alan Majchrowicz – Photo Highlights 2018 Tom Whelan – Nature Diary Todd Henson – Best Photos of 2018: My Favorites of the Year Khürt Williams – Island in the Net Patricia Davidson – My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2018 Russ Bishop – 2018 – The Year in Pictures Jim Coda – Some of My Favorite Images from 2018 Steve Cole – Birds Eye View of 2018 Fred Mertz Photography – Best Photos of 2018 Martijn van der Nat – Best of 2018 Graf Nature Photography – Twenty Eighteen Wanderings Scott Thompson – My Top 10 Tahoe Area Photos of 2018 Kyle Jones – 2018 Favorites Clint Losee – My Best Landscape and Nature Photos of 2018 Caleb Weston – Caleb Weston – Dubland Media Greg Clure – Best of 2018 Rick Holliday – Favorites from 2018 J.J. RAIA – J.J. RAIA Best Photos of 2018 Francis Gagnon – Francis Gagnon Best Photos of 2018 Mike Chowla – My Ten Best of Images of 2018 Carl Donohue – 2018 in photos Kurt Lawson – 10 Favorites of 2018: From Lava Rivers in Hawaii to Yosemite Snowstorms William Bean – William Bean T.M. Schultze – My Favorite Photographs of 2018 Andrew Thomas – Aerial Adventures – Best of 2018 Matt Conti – 2018 Top 20 Photos Daniel Leu – Favorites – 2018 Carol Schiraldi – Best of 2018 from Carol’s Little World Alan Dahl – 2018 Favorite Photos Milan Hutera – 2018 in Pictures Kathy Barnhart – Flickr Sensing Light Best of 2018 Album Greg Russell – Alpenglow Images 2018 Year in Review Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston – Top 10 Favorite Images from 2018 Kevin Ebi – Living Wilderness: Best of 2018 Jackson Frishman – Favorites of 2018 Greg A. Lato – My Favorite Photos of 2018 Mike Shipman – Mike Shipman’s Best of 2018 Beth Young – Best Photos of 2018 Dale Grosbach – My Favorites – 2018 Brent Huntley – Photography and Travel Charlie Russell – Best Wildflower Photos for 2018 Bryan William Jones – Jonesblog Tony Wu – Favorite Photos of 2018 Adrian Klein – 2018 Photo Retrospective Scott McGee – Top 10 of 2018 William Neill – My Favorite Photographs of 2018 Thomas Yackley – Yackley Photo Anne McKinnell – Best Photos of 2018 Holly Davison – Top Ten of 2018 Brian Knott – Brian Knott Photography 2018 Year In Review Anna DeStefano – Affirmation Photography’s Best of 2018 Ingeborg Fernau – Magicalglow Photography Blog Emil Powella – Top 10 of 2018 Elduro Tuco – Elduro Tuco Eric Chan – Favorites From 2018 TP Chapman – Best of 2018 Ilias Katsouras – Okrivadas Molly Dean – Best Photos of 2018 Sarah Marino – 2018 Wrap-Up and a Few Favorite Photographs Michael Frye – My Top Photographs of 2018 Jim Stamates – Memories of 2018 Tim Aston – Favorites from 2018 Samantha Decker – My Best […]

It is time to kick off the 13th annual best photos of the year blog project! I’m proud to say over the years that hundreds of photographers have taken part (see Best Photos of 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007).  It’s great to see the community of photographers that have developed around this blog project. As always I hope the exercise of picking your best photos helps improve your photography (10 Ways to Top Your Best 20xx Photographs). So without any further delay here is how you take part to submit your best photos of 2019. How to Participate (Read Carefully) Review & select your best photos from 2019. Note: Photo edit carefully narrowing down your results to your best 10 or 5 photos. Reference Pro Tips: Photo Editing with Gary Crabbe for pointers. Create a blog post on your website or a Flickr set containing your best photos from 2019. Complete the form below by Sunday JANUARY 5th at 11:59PM PST to take part. The following Tuesday, or thereabout, I’ll post a link to all submitted sites and photos on my blog. Throughout the week I’ll also share the results across all my social media accounts. Spread the Word! Feel free to spread the word of this project on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, photo forums you frequent and/or your blogs. All who are interested in taking part are invited. Loading…

Thanks for checking in to see my best photos of 2019. This year for a variety of reasons I didn’t have many opportunities to get out and pursue photography to the degree I’d have preferred. Some of the reasons why were good (new house, settling in, kid activities with both boys being in elementary school for the first time, etc.) and some were downright bummers (passing of my grandfather, getting used to this aging thing, etc.). Through it all though I got the kids out on some bigger trips this year beyond our regular trips to Yosemite. We drove from California to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Glacier National Park in Montana. With my focus on the boys having a great experience my normal serious photographic endeavors were kept on the sideline. As always I felt good with that decision after hearing how much they loved Glacier National Park, especially given Glacier it is a personal favorite of mine. In 2020 I’m looking forward to exploring more of my favorite locations with them and seeing it all a new through their eyes.  All that being said enjoy my best of the year…   Landscapes & Wildlife Much of my time outdoors this year was spent showing the boys more of my favorite locations and experiencing the great outdoors while indulging them with great views and of course many evenings of campfires and s’mores. The following view at Two Medicine lake in Glacier National Park was incredibly memorable as we explored the shore and skipped rocks.   Of all my time at Glacier National Park I’ve never once seen a Pika… until this year. Not only are they well camouflaged and hard to see, but they’re incredibly fast. Being small even photographing them with a 400mm lens isn’t nearly enough magnification. The first photo below is a severely cropped photo taken at 400mm. The uncropped photos, 2 down, is included to give you an idea of how hard it is to find them in a rock pile. Add in their constant state of running, to forage food for the winter, you have an even tougher subject to photograph. That said I do have a good number of Pika butt photos now.   While in Glacier National Park it’s always fun to see marmots scurrying about. On a hike at Logan Pass my boys and I saw several. One of the more interesting was perched in a tree surveying his territory.   Adventures with the Kids My boys enjoying a brief encounter with a curious ground squirrel was amusing. Even more amusing was the play structure my youngest son built for him with rocks near his den.   My youngest still has not shaken his interest in photography. While he wasn’t as steadfast about using a tripod this year he still seemed to enjoy taking some ‘serious’ photos.   A brief moment my kids weren’t a blur from running around, tackling each other, and/or tackling me.   A personal favorite of mine taken by a passing hiker. Thanks unknown hiker, I salute you and your ability to capture a well framed photo while maintaining focus. You’d be surprised how hard it is to get that even with an iPhone. Thanks for checking in and Happy New Year!

I’m excited to share the results of my 13th annual Best of Photos project.  112 photographers from around the world (amateur and professional alike) have shared their best photos of 2019.  I’m always amazed at the quality of work shared and I hope it’s a source inspiration to you for the coming year. For those who are new to my blog project, photographers taking part span the gamut of photo enthusiasts to professionals. The great thing about photography is that no matter what your skill level we all can relate equally in our love for the art of photography and visually exploring. With that in mind I encourage you to reach out to photographers whose work you enjoy to keep sharing & growing as an artist.  I am incredibly thankful that this tradition has been embraced and enjoy seeing how familiar faces have evolved their work & grown over the years.  I hope reviewing your best photos of the year and comparing them to years pasts keeps you inspired and aware of your progress as a photographer. If you’d like to take part next year and be informed when submissions open for the “Best Photos of 2020” blog project add your name to my mail list. You won’t be spammed. I send out newsletters quite infrequently. Thank to everyone who took part!  I invite you to visit each link below as I have and introduce yourself to many of the participating photographers. Best Photos of 2019 Best Photos of 2019 – JMG-Galleries – Jim M. Goldstein My Top 10 Photographs Of 2019 – Michael Russell My Ten Favorite Photos of 2019 – ADVENTR – Randy Langstraat Favorite Photos of 2019 – T.M. Schultze My Favorite Photos from 2019 – Alexander S. Kunz Best of 2019 – Dave Wilson Harold Davis—Best of 2019 – Harold Davis 2019: A Photographic Retrospective – Johann A. Briffa Top 10 Favorites of 2019 – Stefan Baeurle My Best Natural History Photos of 2019 – Phil Colla My Best Photos From 2019 – Daniel Brinneman Best Photos of 2019 – Peter Tellone Rétrospective des meilleures photos de l’année 2019 – Francis Gagnon Best of 2019 by Rachel Cohen – Rachel Cohen Photo Highlights 2019 – Alan Majchrowicz My Top 10 Nature Photos of 2019 – Greg Vaughn 2019 – The Year in Pictures | Russ Bishop Photography – Russ Bishop 2019 Favorites – A Split Year – Joseph Smith My 12 Favorite Photos of 2019 – Chuq Von Rospach Wild Drake Photography – Drake Dyck Matt Payne Photography – Matt Payne My Favorite Images Of 2019 – Werner Priller Favourites from 2019 – Bryn Tassell My Favorite Photos of 2019 – A Year-End Retrospective – Gary Crabbe / Enlightened Images 2019 Favorite Photographs – Pat Ulrich Without reflection we go blindly on our way – Bjorn Kleemann 2019 – Ten moments – Ramen Saha top photos :: 2019 – Denise Goldberg Changing Perspectives – Best of 2019 – Jenni Brehm Island in the Net – Khürt Williams Best Photos of 2019: My Favorites of the Year – Todd Henson My Ten Best of Images of 2019 – Mike Chowla 2019 Favorite Photos – Alan Dahl Tech Photo Guy – Best Photos 2019 – Aaron Hockley 2019 Favorites – Martin Quinn Best of TheDarkSlides 2019 – TheDarkSlides 2019 Jim Goldstein Project – J.J. RAIA My Favorites of 2019 – Rich Greene My Favorite Images of 2019 (aka ‘Best of 2019’) – Pete Miller 2019 Year in Review, Decade in Review – Robin Black Photography Under Pressure Photography – Scott McGee My favorite Slovenia photos of 2019 – Luka Esenko 5 Moments in Time – 2019 – Gavin Crook My favorite photos of the decade – Matt Payne My Ten Favourite Images of 2019 – Jens Preshaw 2019 in Pictures – Milan Hutera Twelve from 2019 – Tom Whelan My Favorite Photos of 2019 – Jeff Hubbard 2019 Favorites – Rick Holliday Best of the Best 2019 – Richard Valenti Best Landscape and Nature Photos of 2019 – Clint Losee Best of 2019 – My Favorite Images of the Year – Rob Tilley 2019 Year in Review – Greg Russell | Alpenglow Images Best of The Decade Including 2019 – Adrian Klein Best of 2019 – Brian Knott Natural History Photography – Highlights from 2019 – Gabor Ruff Best of 2019 – Jeff Dupuie Top 2019 – Eric Chan Best of 2019 – Greg Clure Twenty Nineteen: In retrospect – Charlotte Gibb Favorite Blog Photos of 2019 – Jim Coda My Favorites 2019 – Beth Young Living Wilderness: Best of 2019 – Kevin Ebi 2019 Favorites – Mike Cleron Best of 2019 – Romain Guy 2019 Favorite Images – Sam Folsom Michael Katz Photography – Michael Katz Twenty Nineteen – Mark Graf 2019 in Review – and Happy New Year” Photography & Travel – brent huntley Top 10 Favorite Images from 2019 – Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston My Photo Highlights of 2019 – Caleb Weston Lagemaat Photography – Best images of 2019 – Jao van de Lagemaat Favorites from 2019 – Kyle Jones A Baker’s Dozen – Mike Christoferson 10 Favorites of 2019: An Amazing Year – Kurt Lawson Top 20 Photographs of 2019 – Year-End-Retrospective – Landscape Photography Reader/David Leland Hyde Favorite Photos of 2019 – Deb Snelson Favorites – 2019 – Daniel Leu Best of 2019 – Steve Cozad Fog from Above in 2019 – Andrew Thomas Favorites of 2019 – Mick McMurray Some Favorites from 2019 – Josh Meier Top 10 Images of 2019 – Stephen L. Kapp Top Ten of 2019 – Holly Davison Best 2019 – Barbara Michalowska The Creative Photographer – Andrew S. Gibson My Favorite Photos of 2019 – Patricia Davidson A Thousand Words – Lucy Autrey Wilson 2019 Top Twelve Photographs – David J Grenier Urban Dinosaurs – Steven M. Bellovin Best of 2019 – Thomas Yackley Carol’s Little World – Best of 2019 – Carol Schiraldi My favourite shots of 2019 – Catalin Marin Top 2019 Photos – Matt Conti Top Ten 2019 – Phyllis Whitman Hunter Favorites from […]

Parkdale. Toronto, Canada 2019 Follow me @benhuang.photography

Ginza. Tokyo, Japan 2012 Follow me @benhuang.photography

Minamisoma, Japan 2014 Follow me @benhuang.photography

Dear pigeons, Self-isolation does not mean you can SHIT on my BALCONY!!! ハトへ 外出自粛だからこそ勝手に俺のベランダでウンコするってゆるさん！🤬

Ginza. Tokyo, Japan 2012 Follow me @benhuang.photography

Seagate. Rikuzentakata, Japan 2019 Follow me @benhuang.photography

Found the culprit! (犯人発見！)

Yonge Street. Toronto, Canada 2020 Follow me @benhuang.photography

Wow, you really do have a ball…🤦🏻‍♂️ (あんたやるね！🤦🏻‍♂️)

Ikebukuro. Tokyo, Japan 2012 Follow me @benhuang.photography

Quote of the day… Reporter: How do you achieve the 80% decrease in spreading of the virus? Respondent: A good time to dump my bf…

Minamisoma, Japan 2014 Follow me @benhuang.photography

To be a caregiver at home for someone who is severely injured is to surrender. You surrender your time, put your ambitions on hold, and surrender many of the simple pleasures. You also surrender your peace of mind, your good night’s sleep, and routine. But there are ways to make life a little easier and more enjoyable...

Stephen Hawking, a world-renowned scientist who recently passed away, had a brilliant mind that was trapped inside a paralyzed body, and I could not stop thinking about how the opposite is often the case with traumatic brain injury.

The truth is, all family members are both a source of joy and a burden at one time or another. That’s what family life is: the art of weaving webs of joy between strands of pain is what creates the intricate fabric of family love. It’s not the people in our care who burden us; it’s our anger over circumstances...

We’ve all see that face. The well-meaning face of pity: the downturned brows and lips, the misty eyes. After Hugh’s TBI, I seldom met a friend or acquaintance who did not flash this expression at me every time we met. My daughters felt it, too. The funny thing is, we did not want pity. We’d had our fill of it in the ICU.

It happens slowly, like that metaphorical frog you’ve heard about. Possessiveness and controlling behavior in TBI caregivers is something that creeps up on you, and I suspect it is common — not because people are trying to be annoying, but because they care so much and want to see that their loved one is treated well in every respect.