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The Best of 2010

I feel like this year has been pretty good for my photography. I’ve taken tons of photos and learned a lot. I’ve brought together a collection of what I feel like are this years best photos. I hope you enjoy!

In chronological order, here are my favorite 25 from 2010:

1)

Taken in January, I got the idea for this shot when I took this shot on my way to work one morning. I was trying to get a composition without the light trails but I couldn’t do it. When I got home and saw the shot, I realized that the light trails could be an awesome inclusion next time. So, a couple days later the skies were shaping up for a great sunset. I pulled off of Highway 840 on my way home from work onto an overpass and captured the shot. On flickr this shot has over 950 hits and 109 faves and appears in 4 galleries. The location of this shot

2)

Another shot taken in January. I saw a shot from this location on flickr and I asked the photographer about the location. He was nice enough to share and I headed out there one evening. I really like the shot because there is so much to look at. The light is different on every floor, the trash cans are all in different locations – I just found myself looking at this shot for quite a while. I never expected it to be popular on flickr, but it has received over 800 hits and 95 faves. The location of the shot

3)

A third from January, I spent a long time in the cold to get this one! This was pretty much the start of me chasing birds and other wildlife. I took tons of shots of this bird all over my back yard and got a few that I liked, this one probably being the best. I had the camera wrapped up in plastic because it was really snowing hard. By the time I got inside, my fingers were frozen and my clothes were pretty wet – but it was worth it! Over 750 hits on flickr and 65 faves. The location of this shot

4)

Taken in March. This is a sunrise at the Stones River Battlefield in Murfreesboro Tennessee. I snuck out early one Saturday morning to get this. I think the composition and tones are very nice in this shot. Over 375 hits on flickr and 37 faves. The location of this shot

5)

Taken the same morning in March as the previous shot. I really like how it turned out. I was fairly new to using textures at that point so this was me experimenting some. I just like the vintage look and feel to this image. Over 180 views on flickr and 21 faves. The location of this shot

6)

This shot was taken at the end of April at the same location as shot number 2 of this series. I went up there on a stormy afternoon hoping to catch some awesome storm clouds or maybe even lighting over the city. I never got lightning and the storm clouds dissipated but I was able to come away with a definite keeper! Over 3,700 views on flickr and 29 faves. The location of the shot

7)

Taken in May when Nashville endured the flooding of the Cumberland River. I think it rained like 18 inches in 36 hours in Nashville. Though this may make the flood look beautiful, it really was a tragic event. This was taken from the LP Field parking lot. Over 1,200 views and 28 faves on flickr. The location of this shot

8)

Also taken in May. This shot felt perfect for black and white, the skies are pretty amazing. This shot won a small local photo contest this year also. Over 260 views and 10 faves. The location of this shot

9)

Taken in June. I love the skies in this shot and I think having my Wife stand in was a great idea. I almost didn’t get this shot. The kids were both taking a nap so my Wife and I decided to take a short walk down the street. I originally didn’t even bring the camera, but after a couple minutes I saw these skies and I had to run back to get it! 370 views and 36 faves. The location of this shot

10)

My first shot to make the list from Radnor Lake. This shot was taken one evening in June. This is one of my favorite Radnor Lake Lakescapes to date. I love the sky and colors throughout. Over 1,000 views and 35 faves. The location of this shot

11)

Woooooooow! I love this shot! Taken in June at Radnor Lake. I saw the deer eating on either side of the trail so I decided I was going to wait there as long as it took. I knew eventually one of them would cross the path. Sure enough, about 15-20 minutes later, she crossed. I’m very lucky there were no other hikers out to scare them off while I waited. Radnor Lake is usually a very busy place. Over 650 views and 48 faves. The location of this shot

12)

I think this is one of my all time best Nashville skyline shots. I took this July 4th weekend. I like that there was a concert going on and that the General Jackson showboat is there. Over 390 views and 40 faves. The location of this shot

13)

I may be the only one who would pull this shot out as one of my best in 2010. I love the light, her hair, and the fact that you can see her smiling and having fun even though you don’t see her face. This shot was just perfect for black and white. Over 130 views and 7 faves. The location of this shot

14)

Taken in July at Radnor Lake. I spotted this little guy all by himself near the path. I crouched down to get the shot and was stunned when he actually turned and took a few steps in my direction. Not the sharpest of photos but it was taken with a fairly slow shutter (1/50) at 200mm. I was lucky to get it this sharp. Over 350 views and 19 faves. The location of this shot

15)

Hours of work here! Taken in July in my back yard. We set up hummingbird feeders and had several hummingbirds visit frequently. I sat out there for hours over the summer hoping to get an in-flight hummingbird – and here is the result! Over 180 views and 21 faves. The location of this shot

16)

Definitely my favorite sunrise or sunset shot of 2010. This was taken in August at Radnor Lake. The sun rays coming over the clouds are just amazing! 4,950 views and 36 faves. The location of this shot

17)

Also in August. I was bored at the house one Saturday afternoon. I decided to try a splash shot so I got some lemonade and headed outside. This was the last shot I took, I literally threw the lemon into the glass! Over 1,850 views and 17 faves. The location of this shot

18)

Maybe one of my faves for personal reasons but I think it’s an awesome shot all around. I had the idea in my head before we even got to the school and it worked out perfectly. I love the colors and tones and the composition is perfect! This will be one we hang on the wall eventually! Over 260 views and 20 faves. The location of this shot

19)

My fourth from August. I just love the flare in this one. I think the colors and light on the porch are great too! Almost 200 views and 23 faves. The location of this shot

20)

Just a beautiful September sunset! Middle Tennessee really gets some great skies. Almost 500 views and 43 faves. The location of this shot

21)

Another sunrise at Radnor Lake. This one taken in October on a stormy morning. I really didn’t think I was going to get much from the skies that morning but then some color finally broke through probably 30+ minutes after the sunrise. 82 views and 1 fave. Location of the shot

22)

Another from October. I’ve had this idea for a while and finally decided to try it. It was much harder than I thought. I stood under some trees at Radnor Lake for probably an hour on a windy day. I took hundreds of attempts, finally snagging this one – A leaf in mid fall. 128 views and 18 faves. The location of this shot

23)

I spent a lot of time on this shot and I love how it turned out. This was really an impressive cathedral. 165 views and 12 faves. The location of this shot

24)

What can I say? Absolutely adorable! I was taking some pet photos for a vet clinic and this guy was there watching. I just had to snag a few shots and I love how they turned out! 109 views and 10 faves. The location of this shot

25)

Last but certainly not least, a shot I took in November. This is the Kentucky lake from the Big Sandy Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge. I love the reflections and the hazy, dreamy look to this photo. Over 200 views and 21 faves.

I hope you enjoyed viewing as much as I enjoyed taking the photos. I have a lot to learn and a lot to work on but I’m really looking forward to viewing 2011 from the viewfinder of my Canon.

Thanks to everyone for the support, comments, tips, and advice shared throughout the year – I really appreciate it!

Happy New Year!

This Week at the Lake – 42/52

Merry Christmas everyone!

Only 10 weeks remaining, on the down hill slope now! I was off of work all week this week staying at home with the family. I was, however, able to sneak out one morning and head to the lake. Wednesday I got up early and was on the trails by 6:15 or so. The sunrise wasn’t much because of some heavy clouds so I just headed on down the trail.

I decided to take the Ganier Ridge trail since I had the time and have only been on that trail once.

On the way, I spotted Rudolph!

Because of the overcast conditions, I had to get creative with some processing. I added texture layers and tones to the next couple of photos:

The hike up the Ganier ridge is tougher than the lake trail, but once up there it’s very peaceful.
Part of me wanted to sit and enjoy the quiet, part of me wanted to lay down and take a nap, and part of me wanted to keep on hiking!

Toward the end of the hike, I found a Barred Owl doing his best turkey impression!

It took nearly 15 minutes, but he finally turned around and gave me a look:

And that’s it for the week!

Thanks for looking!

Check out all the previous weeks by Clicking HERE

Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!

Malcolm MacGregor Photography is on Facebook, check it out and become a fan!

All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)

Merry Christmas!

A collection of some random Christmas photos I’ve taken over the last couple of weeks:

A random collection, Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for Looking!

This Week at the Lake – 38/52

A very quiet week this short week. I was only able to visit Radnor Lake a couple times because of the Thanksgiving Holidays.

The first day I went was Monday mid-day. I only came away with one decent shot:

I got up to go early Tuesday morning but as soon as I left the house it began to pour down rain on me and it continued to rain all day. So I tried again Wednesday morning. No rain this time so I arrived at the lake at about 6am. I got the lead shot waiting for the sun to rise. Although there was a lot of color on the water, there really wasn’t much of a sunrise. So I headed out on the trails:
I soon spotted this buck missing half his rack – I’ve seen several bucks like this so far this year.

I didn’t get much that morning so I went back later that day before heading home from work.

Soon after taking this shot at the beginning of the trail, it began to pour again! So I covered the camera with some plastic and headed back to the car. Along the way I stopped for a few more shots:

I actually passed several people on the trail when it was raining very hard. I was surprised to see so many people out at the lake in such ugly weather

And that’s it for the week!

Thanks for looking!

Check out all the previous weeks by Clicking HERE

Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!

Malcolm MacGregor Photography is now on Facebook, check it out and become a fan!

All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)

Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge – Big Sandy Unit

This past Saturday I met up with a few local photographers again and headed out to the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge near Big Sandy or Paris, Tennessee
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=36.37997,-88.058338&spn=0.081817,0.247192&z=13&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

It was a beautiful day and we saw a few bald eagles. They were out of the range of my 70-200 but still awesome to see!

The lead shot is one of the views we saw, looking out at the Kentucky Lake

Other shots from the day:

I thought this was so cool, the colors that showed up on the web were amazing!

Abstract of the Kentucky Lake

In the shot: Titus Bartos

I had never seen an armadillo before, there were TONS of them there!

This Week at the Lake – 37/52


Say “Cheeeeese”!

It’s definitely deer season at Radnor Lake. There are always lot’s of deer there but there seem to be an extra amount now. Here are a few more deer photos captured this week:

10 pointer!

This buck wasn’t going anywhere, he had is eye on a doe that was laying near the path.

Other shots from the week:

This one was part of an engagement session I did last Saturday at Radnor Lake

And that’s it for the week!

Thanks for looking!

Check out all the previous weeks by Clicking HERE

Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!

Malcolm MacGregor Photography is now on Facebook, check it out and become a fan!

All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)

This Week at the Lake – 36/52

So here’s a first for my Radnor Lake project! I was at the lake for the sunrise last Saturday and I actually saw 3 beavers swimming around near the shore. I watched one of them eat, then I took this shot of one that swam close to me. I think that’s when they realized I was there because the started swimming in circles and hitting their tails on the water.

I got a few other shots early that morning:

After that, I met up with a few people from the Nashville Photography Meetup Group as well as a few people I met in the Radnor Lake Group on flickr. Half way around the lake, we had a Red Tailed hawk fly right by us! He landed in a tree a ways away. When we caught up to him, he took off chasing a bird:
This is the best I could get this time. Before this project is through I’m going to get a good shot of one of these hawks…

I little while later, we spotted this barred owl:

(Thanks to Scott, aka Mugmar for the extra reach on this shot. He let me borrow his 100-400 for a few minutes)

Other shots from later in the week:

And that’s it for the week!

Thanks for looking!

Check out all the previous weeks by Clicking HERE

Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!

Malcolm MacGregor Photography is now on Facebook, check it out and become a fan!

All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)

This Week at the Lake – 35/52

I figured this was an appropriate lead shot this week as we enter November and get closer to Thanksgiving!

I’m posting late today because I got up early this morning to go to…… Radnor Lake! I met up with a few people from the Nashville Photography Meetup Group as well as a few people I met in the Radnor Lake Group on flickr. Lot’s of fun, and good to meet some more photographers. I’ll have those pictures up for next weeks post.

For this week I was only able to visit twice, Wednesday and Thursday. I didn’t get much Wednesday morning because shortly after I got on Otter Creek Road it started to rain on me. Here is what I got before the rains came:

The rest of my shots all came on Thursday. I took a half day off work because it was my sons birthday. I had a few hours to kill before he got home so I headed to the lake. Here is what I came away with on Thursday:

I know I take a lot of these type shots but I really like them!

The clouds starting rolling in right about the time I got to this overlook. They really made for a great lakescape.

One of the few times this lens ever comes off my camera!

I saw this guy sitting there so I would take a shot and then take a couple steps toward him, take another shot and then another couple steps. Just trying to see how close I could get. I think I could have gotten closer but some other hikers came up behind me and he ran off.

Not the best shot, but I had to put this up for the Brentwood Police Captain I was talking to. We were both watching the HUGE buck for a while. He was down in a ravine and never came closer to the path.

More turkeys

One of my favorites from the week….

And that’s it for the week!

Thanks for looking!

Check out all the previous weeks by Clicking HERE

Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!

Malcolm MacGregor Photography is now on Facebook, check it out and become a fan!

All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)

Jacob

While I was shooting (photo shooting of course!) the Pets at Petmed (from the previous post), this guy was watching. Every once in a while I would snag a few shots of him. I’m glad I did as I think they were my best shots of the day!

Petmed Pets

Petmed, an animal hospital in Antioch Tennessee, asked me to stop by last Saturday to get some photos of some of the employees’ pets. It was a fun afternoon and I think we got some good stuff! Here are a few, more are available on my Facebook page.

Thanks to all those who participated!