Sunset from Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park
This shot, taken from the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, Maine is as close to "straight out of the camera" as I ever get. The colour was exactly as in the original file and the only adjustment necessary was a slight contrast boost to bring out the layers. What a gorgeous evening that was!
Tobermory Harbour, Isle of Mull
The colourful harbour in Tobermory, the largest town on the island of Mull off Scotland's west coast. This postcard shot made my "Best of 2014" list partly because I loved the colour and light that day but mostly because it reminds me of the wonderful week our family spent on Mull this past July.
St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Lanark
The newly-restored interior of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in my home town of Lanark, Scotland. This image made my "Best of 2014" list as much for nostalgia as for photographic quality. I do love the crispness of the image and I'm very happy with the HDR processing choices I made. Its link to my home town and the lovely week I spent there celebrating my father's 80th birthday probably bumped it up in the decision making process slightly.
Kayla
An outdoor portrait of Kayla leaning against a piece of rusted agricultural equipment. I'm not exactly known as a portrait photographer but I do enjoy taking pictures of people and get rather pleased when one of the shots turns out exactly as I had planned it, especially when flash is involved. This was one of those pictures. I used a single off-camera flash and shot with the glorious Nikon 85mm f/1.8D lens giving a result that I'm very happy with.
Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa
One of my photographic highlights for 2014 was getting to shoot the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas from trackside. I would love to do more of this (does anyone have a press contact needing a freelancer for motorsport work?) but, for now, I'll be happy to look at this shot of Marc Marquez on his way to another world championship.
Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel, four time Formula 1 world champion driver, driving his RB-10 at Circuit of the Americas, Austin prior to this year's United States Grand Prix. This shot made my "Best of 2014" list as one of my favourite United States Grand Prix pictures. Yes, it's just another shot of a racing car but the contrast, colour and crispness really make this exposure stand out for me.
The Library at Fontainebleau Chateau
An HDR image of the library at Fontainebleau Chateau just outside Paris in France. My trip to Paris with my wife in March was a big surprise (I got to go by accident on 1 day's notice) and wasn't a photography trip but I did get quite a few pictures I like. My favourite is undoubtedly this wide-angle shot of the amazing library in Fontainebleau.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas
This shot of Lewis Hamilton driving at Circuit of the Americas made my "Best of 2014" list. I love the contrast between the dreamy blur of the stripes and the sharp car.
Otter Cliffs, Acadia National Park
Otter Cliffs in Acadia National Park, Maine, taken shortly after sunrise. Yes, I know this is a postcard shot that every photographer who ever visits New England shoots but it still made my "Best of 2014" list. This location taught me a valuable lesson - always check the tide tables when you are shooting on a beach in a line of photographers. As the tide came in, no-one was willing to move because doing so would mean losing your valuable spot. As a result, we all ended up with waves lapping over our tripod legs and splashes on our lenses.
Atlantic Puffin
Who could fail to love puffins*? The highlight of our trip to Mull this past summer was a visit to the island of Lunga, a well-known birdwatching destination off the west coast of the island. Knowing that we may be going there, I had lugged a 150-600mm lens assuming the birds would be timid and keeping their distance. When we got there, though, it became apparent that puffins are pretty darned friendly and the trick was to keep far enough back from them that the lens was still able to focus! This is my favourite shot of the day. I wish I could figure out how they get all those fish lined up so perfectly. *Bob Lussier - this is what a puffin really looks like.