Favorite Photos: July to December

About a week ago I posted my favorite photos from the first part of the year. As I mentioned then, I did a pretty good job of taking photos consistently during the summer, but struggled once the school year started. In October and November I really fell off the wagon -- in part due to an obsession with Instagram. I was posting photos there almost daily, but failed to pick up my DSLR much for a few weeks. Even so, I managed to take some photos that make me smile. Here are my favorites from July to December.

July: I took a lot of photos that I really liked in July. That month I went to Madison for a wedding; I spent two weeks in New York City working on a project; finally, Mark and I drove six days from the Midwest to Alaska. I'm cheating a little bit and sharing two photos. The first is one that I took on a Monday afternoon spent wandering around Central Park. I love the subjects of this photo: the bike with its basket, the pond, the greenery. I also love the quality of light.

The second photo is from our drive to Alaska. I snapped this photo quickly from the passenger side of the car, feeling lucky that we'd had plenty of time to brake. The bear was just sauntering across the highway. It was only one of the many amazing things that we saw on the trek.

August: In August I returned to New York for another two weeks. My favorite photo from the month is one that I took while exploring the High Line with a friend.

September: In September I didn't take that many photos that I liked. It was a hard month with a lot going on. I was starting a new job that didn't get off to the best of beginnings, we had roof damage and tree carnage from a windstorm, and I frequently felt lonely and isolated. Toward the end of the month things started to look up, and I ran a 10K the last weekend in September. This photo is one that I snapped on my phone coming back from the race. The first snow of the season (that fell earlier that morning) was melting off the roads but had transformed the mountains. I love the way the clouds were breaking up, and the mountains are beautiful.

October: This was the month that I got into Instagram and really fell of the 365 wagon. My pool of non-instagramed photos is pretty limited, but this one of the swanky hotel bar in Cincinnati, where I attended a conference, is my favorite. This one was taken with my phone.

November: After a dreary early autumn, this month was full of days that were (incredibly) cold but frequently clear and bright. And we had some amazing sunrises and sunsets over the mountains. This photo is one of the most lovely that I was able to capture.

December: Although the month is still underway and I have plans of taking even more awesome photos of my niece and at the bowl game I'll be attending, I thought I would share one of my favorites taken so far. This was taken earlier in the month on a short walk around my neighborhood. There's a small pond near my home that often offers some idyllic subjects. I took this photo of the ice covered branches of a some bushes on the macro setting.

I hope you all had a happy solstice, that your airing of grievances is full of humor and your feats of strength go unmatched, and that those of you who celebrate the holiday have a very merry Christmas! Happy holidays, dear readers!