January Eagle Hunt

Something I want to try to do more this year is to post more short and simple posts with photos.  This Christmas, Sarah got me a new Canon DSLR, which I love using.  But, along with taking pictures, I want to post some of my favorites.  So, today and yesterday, I went out in search of eagles, as they seem to be super active this time of year.  Below are a few of my shots from my eagle hunt.  I am just beginning to learn how to use the camera and need to get used to adjusting the shutter speed and aperture depending on what I'm shooting and in what light conditions. 

Top Photos from 2017

I have really come to look forward to this post as each year comes to a close.  It gives me a chance to go through every single picture that was taken over the past 12 months.  This past year our family was fortunate to travel to some pretty cool places.  We took a family trip to Upper Michigan to see Pictured Rocks National Shoreline and then a couple months later we went out west to South Dakota.  For whatever reason, as I was looking through the past years pictures, it hit me that we are extremely blessed and fortunate to have the opportunities that we do.  I am one lucky guy.  I have an awesome relationship with my wife as we let each other have our freedom all while taking time to enjoy each other's company.  I have three beautiful, unique daughters, who inspire me and bring me joy nearly each and everyday.  And I have a great supporting cast including parents, in-laws, brother, and my brother and sisters-in-law.  Sarah and I also have great friends that we try to spend as much time with as we can.

So without going on and on....here are my top photos from 2017.  All of these photos were taken by me and most (if not all) were on my iPhone 7.  Some of them have been edited, but no filters, or anything like that.  Not all the top photos are not necessarily the most photogenic, but all of them have some meaning to me.  Below the top photos are the honorable mentions from the year.  This year, I narrowed it down to 12 photos.  In order starting at #12....

#13

Back in January we had a short stretch of warm weather which allowed me to get out in shorts.

#12

Although autumn in Wisconsin means winter is not long off, it sure is beautiful.

 #11

This past year, I made a concerted effort to run on more scenic routes, which includes running along the Fox River.

#10

This was my first year going to the Green Bay Botanical Gardens for their Christmas light display, we went early, right as the sun was setting, which set up this shot.

#9

While in South Dakota, we took a day to drive into Wyoming to see Devil's Tower.  It was a lot bigger than I expected.  Native Americans still worship the rock formation and tie bandanas and flowers around the trees.

#8

Our home in Hill City, SD, was right on a 100 mile trail that ran through the mountains.  The scenery made these runs easily my favorite runs ever.

#7

While in Upper Michigan at Pictured Rocks National Shoreline, we did more hiking in three days, then the girls have done in their short time here on earth.  I was proud of them for not complaining (too much).

#6

My father, brother, and I made it back up to Eagle River, WI for the second year in a row for our annual musky fishing trip.  Again, this year it was rainy, even more rainy than last year.  This was the sunrise on our final day.

#5

This was taken along an overlook on a cliff side.  The pure beauty and magnitude of these shorelines is just not captured in photographs.

 #4

Another picture from Pictured Rocks, and probably my favorite.  It reminds me how lucky I am to be a dad.

#3

These two burros were on the rode side along the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park.  All the other burros would come up to your car to sniff for treats.  But these two stayed side by side.

#2

Although I Bella is my favorite pup, this one is growing on me.  Her gentle demeanor and her strange love of the camera is hard not to love.

#1

This burro fell in love immediately with Delaney and Delaney immediately fell in love with it.  It probably didn't help that she named it Winter.

Honorable Mention

Top Photos from 2016

In 2016 I set out to try something new with my Instagram account.  I wanted to take a new photograph everyday and post it...a Photo of the Day type thing.  A guy I work with is a photographer on the side and he has been doing it for who knows how long and I took the idea from him, as I enjoy taking pictures.  Most of my pictures are from my runs or are of my family, but ultimately, I enjoy taking pictures.  Pictures are tangible memories.  They can bring back a very vivid and detailed story.  I don't think there's anything else like them.  That's part of the reason I love taking pictures.  I enjoy going back and reminiscing of the past.  Honestly, I've been looking forward to this post since I started doing it last year around this time.  It forces me to go through every picture I took over the last year and pick my favorite photos.  With setting out forcing myself to take a minimum of one picture everyday, I was left with exponentially more photographs than last year, so I had a ton of great pictures to choose from this year.  This explains the lengthy "Honorable Mention" section.  Oh, and I should mention, I couldn't rule out the final one, so this year, I am giving you my top 11 photographs - I hope you forgive me.  So, without further ado...

The rules are the same, the criteria of what makes my top list of photos varies.  Not every photograph is "beautiful" or "artistic."  Some of the photos are, or so I think.  But all photographs hold a special feeling or story with them which is probably the main criterion.  Also, all pictures were taken on my iPhone, with no lens or other fancy things.  And finally, you can click on each individual picture to see the full size version.

11.

With the goal of taking a photo every day, I began taking a lot of selfies of me running.  Say what you will about that whole statement, but some of my pictures turned out pretty neat.  I think in the end the scenery is part of the reason why I love running so much.  So capturing the combination of the world around me and a still frame of a dynamic movement is pretty neat.  This picture reminds me of some running shoe advertisement...but that's probably just me...

10.

This year Delaney really started taking to sports, which meant a lot to me, as a very driven and motivated parent.  She isn't the biggest kid out there, nor is she the most talented, but this year I think she finally started to simply enjoy sport for what it is, and I think this photo captures some of that.

9.

I'm not really sure what it is about this photo, but I love it.  I love the look of Delaney and the ocean and beach in the background.  This is from our full family trip to Anna Maria Island in Florida this past May, which is definitely one of, if not the, best vacations I have been on.

8.

Our family has a tradition of allowing our kids to make a stuffed animal at Build-A-Bear Workshop when they finally give up their nu-nu (pacifier).  I love how a child looks at the simple things in life and finds joy and wonderment in it.  I think as adults we don't do this enough, or ever.

7.

My kids love the pool...and I mean LOVE.  This picture was captured at just the right moment and I love how Harper is still laughing.

6.

Did I mention that our kids love the water.  Here is another one that was taken at just the right moment.  If only that dude in the pool was another 3-4 feet to the left.  This picture just screams "summer fun" to me.

5.

This holiday season, our kids got reindeer to go along with their Elf on the Shelf.  They couldn't have loved those reindeer any more than they did.  It was a joy watching them embrace the holiday spirit and just soak up the magic of the season.  Being able to capture this picture was just shear luck, as Harper was sitting perfectly with her reindeer AND watching Rudolf.

4.

This past year I tackled, most likely, my most difficult achievement of my life, completing a 50 mile race.  I never imagined becoming or being a runner, but I have followed in my father's footsteps (pun intended).  This picture is so much more than my dad and I running.  In a way its a metaphor on my life.  My father has always been there for me, no matter what.  This picture was taken around mile 40ish and, without a doubt, the most difficult point in the race mentally...and look whose at my side, my father.

3.

This past September, my dad, brother, and I planned a three day trip up to Eagle River, WI to do nothing other than fish.  It was the first trip we have ever taken together, but, I have a feeling it will become an annual trip for us.  It literally rained 95% of our trip, which wasn't as bad as it sounds, but this was just at sunset of our first day up there.

2.

In September, Harper gave us one hell of a scare when she came down with appendicitis and needed emergency surgery.  I have never been more scared in my life as a parent.  I ended up being a full week at our local children's hospital and this was her first smile, which literally brought tears to my eyes. 

1.

In July, just Sarah, the girls, and I took a family camping trip to Eagle River, WI (which sparked the whole fishing trip idea).  One of the evenings, we brought the girls out fishing and saw 5 different eagles all right around us.  All we were catching were small, like very small, pan fish.  Unfortunately for them, they were all swallowing the entire hook and only a couple of the dozens we caught survived.  Fortunately for us, the ones that didn't make it, became dinner for the eagles in that bay, which allowed me the capture this picture.

Honorable Mentions