We spent the days surrounding the turn of the year again buried in snow in the beautiful mountains of the North Cascades. Now that I’ve been home for a few days, I’ve made the time to sit down and look back over 2024- another incredible year of experiences and adventures.

I took well over 5700 photos in 2024, but that’s the number that currently sits in my Lightroom catalog as I continue to work through my backlog of culling and polishing. In addition to digital, 2024 was the year that I fell in love with film, having been gifted a Canon ae-1, uncovered my Grandfather’s Yashica, and purchased the newly released Pentax 17 half frame camera. I also spent the year using my phone camera more intentionally, embracing the motto of “the best camera is the one you have with you.”

Looking back on my 2023 reflection post, I considered the words that I had written that I continue to strive towards.

I wish to live a life of meaningful experiences and to record those experiences with my camera.  To use my camera as a pen to record entries into the journal of my life.  A tool of exploration, discovery, wonder, and expression.  An extension of my senses.  An expression of gratitude.

While I have more photos to sort through and countless stories to share, I’ve chosen one photo from each month to share here in reflection of 2024.

January began in winter wonderland. I was under the weather so I didn’t come away with many photographs, but this iPhone image taken from a roadside viewpoint is one of my favorites of the year.

February had me searching for color in the deep darkness of grey Seattle winters. I spent an afternoon wandering around Bellevue Botanical Gardens where the camellias were in full beautiful bloom.

March took us to the warm beaches of Costa Rica. One of my favorite afternoons was spent watching a troop of Howler monkeys play in the backyard of our friend’s home. The monkeys alternated between playing, fighting, eating, and resting. I loved this monkey’s day dreamy look as it took a moment of rest.

In April, I headed to the east coast and took a road trip to Wilmington with a group of photography friends. I captured one of my favorite photos on film while my friends chatted and waited on our lunch order. Taken with my Contax t-2 and Ektar 100 film.

May was spent walking the beaches in Avon, starting each morning soaking in the peace and quiet that can only be found at dawn. I carried my camera each morning and one of my favorite moments was observing this incredible group of clouds melt away as the sun began to rise.

In June, my friend Michele and I planned to capture the Bodie Island Lighthouse under the Milky Way but we were chased away by mosquitos, neither of us willing to battle the beasts for the shot. We did stop to photograph the lighthouse at blue hour quickly and the results became one of my favorite photos of the year.

July brought the return of underwater photography with a scuba diving trip to Australia. I captured dozens of images that I love, but these clownfish in an anemone are my absolutely favorite. Image taken with my Sony a6700 in Nauticam underwater housing.

August had us itching for the beach and we set off for Westport, Washington’s surf beach. The water was freezing and the air wasn’t much warmer, but having the sand between our toes made us feel a little closer to home.

September took us back to Avon and the east coast, letting summer linger a little longer as the temps dipped on the west coast. I made evening walks more of a priority, especially during the days closest to the full moon rise. Fighting the clouds and wind, I was still able to capture this image of an amazing full moon.

October was filled with incredible Saltwater Retreats each with special moments and memories to be cherished, but the most unexpected moment was when the Aurora Borealis made an appearance on the last night of the first retreat. I never imagined checking off this bucket list item at home in the Outer Banks.

During November, I visited New Mexico with my sister-in-law. After snowfall cancelled our camping trip, we shifted plans and explored the areas around Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu walking in the footsteps of Georgia O’Keefe. The landscape is utterly breathtaking and inspiring and I can see why it draws so many artists of all mediums.

In December after spending the holiday in Virginia Beach with family, we set off for the deep mountains to close out the year. Plenty of snow fell in the weeks leading up to our trip, coating the land with deep snow. As I drove through town with my camera on the seat next to me, I wasn't fast enough switching lenses to capture this trio of deers as they made their way through deep snow towards their den in the trees. But I love how the trees give scale to the tiny deer below.

As I spent time evaluating my 2024 collection of images, I set a goal for 2025 to return to a mindset of risk taking. I’ll be spending the year letting go of attachment to outcome, pressing the shutter to see what happens, and taking the photos that might not turn out. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement in my photography journey ❤️