Can one both abhor and love the same thing simultaneously? The fear of another frigid winter is tempered by the excitement that these seasonal conditions create. Candy for the eyes, winter’s crisp and clean light emphasizes form and minimizes distractions, yet it is these same conditions that amplify physiological pain and stress. As the winds of winter penetrate layers upon layers of clothes, the atmospherics unique to these short days suggest a visual drama unique to the season. Winter embodies the essence of the Yin and the Yang. The dichotomy of blacks and whites, subject and shadow, complexity from simplicity, makes this season the perfect photographic muse.

2015 is a memorable year for many reasons, but my photographic exploits will not be at the top of the list. While my year in photography included trips to Costa Rica, the Olympic Peninsula, Moss Landing, Badlands National Park and multiple locations throughout Minnesota, these travels are insignificant when compared to the loss that defines the previous 365 days. Watching a parent age and succumb to an aggressive cancer is the seminal memory that now haunts me at unexpected times. While I was fully prepared for this loss at an intellectual level, I failed to grasp the emotional impact this event might have. To date, a day rarely passes without experiencing some fleeting thought about a mother who challenged me to live life as if it were the ephemeral thing that it is.

Image #2: Sunrise Over Lake Superior, MN

Loss and aging are like fraternal twins; two peas in a pod that seem the same yet maintain their unique characteristics. In this year that I said goodbye to a mother for the last time, I also bid farewell to my forties. The decade where I hit my professional stride in teaching and grew as a photographic artist ended with an abrupt and somewhat anxious invitation to join AARP and purchase term life insurance

For this post I scanned my 2015 folder to find ten memorable or transformational images. In the year where I joined The Arcanum as a way to grow and refine my vision, I challenged myself to make images that were something more than technically accurate, well exposed and composed nicely. My goal was to see nature for the story it tells. While I intended to share only ten photographs, the astute observer will see that there are fourteen. To save face, I have labeled the last four as honorable mentions, but this is a bit disingenuous; in truth, I am a lousy editor and have serious difficulties when it comes to defining favorites.

Image #5: Morning Reflections, MN — Image #5: Morning Reflections, MN

Image #6: Gray Tree Frog dressed in Green, WI — Image #6: Gray Tree Frog dressed in Green, WI

Image #7: Los Tres Amigos, CA — Image #7: Los Tres Amigos, CA

Image #8: A Pensive Spider, Costa Rica — Image #8: A Pensive Spider, Costa Rica

Image #9: Bison Dreams, SD — Image #9: Bison Dreams, SD

Honorable Mention #1: After Dinner Stroll, CA

Honorable Mention #2: Watching Mom for the Signal, SD

Honorable Mention #3: Me and My Better Half, CA

Image #1 (top of spread): The Wind, SD

Winter’s White - The Muse

Notable Moments from 2015

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