As we near the end of the year, I decided to look back and try to choose my favorite 13 images of 2013.  I reviewed all 257 images taken in the past year and was able to narrow down to 35 photos that stood out from the rest – whether due to composition, light or the backstory of how the image came to be.  I then turned to my Facebook page for help in narrowing down to a final 13.  While the choices made by the public were both interesting and helpful in making my final choices, in the end, I decided to go with a few personal favorites instead of the popular picks.  Here in order are the top 13 of 2013 representing what I believe are my best images of the year and a little background on each.

1. Marblehead Lighthouse, harbor and Abbot Hall from the water

This image came from a boat trip in and around Marblehead Harbor with a good friend.  The composition (with Abbot Hall lined up perfectly) was a difficult one on a moving boat and the soft evening light with great clouds as well as the reflection in the water and single buoy were the clinchers to make this my favorite image of the year.  At once familiar for the elements but unique in its view of Marblehead.

This image came from a boat trip in and around Marblehead Harbor with a good friend. The composition (with Abbot Hall lined up perfectly) was a difficult one on a moving boat and the soft evening light with great clouds as well as the reflection in the water and single buoy were the clinchers to make this my favorite image of the year. At once familiar for the elements but unique in its view of Marblehead.

2. In a Fog on Washington Street

The fog came from a rapid warmup after freshly fallen snow which added a great element to an already amazing scene.  I was happy enough with this view and then this stranger started walking down Washington Street and the light from behind cast an incredible shadow that elevated the image.  Winner of Best of Show at the Marblehead Festival of Arts.

The fog came from a rapid warmup after freshly fallen snow which added a great element to an already amazing scene. I was happy enough with this view and then this stranger started walking down Washington Street and the light from behind cast an incredible shadow that elevated the image. Winner of Best of Show at the Marblehead Festival of Arts.

3. The Lobster Shanty

This is one image that did not get a ‘popular vote’ but which I had to include.  I had wanted to capture this row of shanties for a while and finally had all of the elements come into place on this day.  The angle of the sun served to accent the second floor door.  The tarp was a perfect foreground element.  A long exposure left streaks in the sky and I was able to achieve a black and white conversion (with deep blacks in the sky) that I had failed to achieve consistently in previous attempts.  The clincher, the nameplate states ‘…for Perry Asher, Fisherman’ and my son’s name is Asher

This is one image that did not get a ‘popular vote’ but which I had to include. I had wanted to capture this row of shanties for a while and finally had all of the elements come into place on this day. The angle of the sun served to accent the second floor door. The tarp was a perfect foreground element. A long exposure left streaks in the sky and I was able to achieve a black and white conversion (with deep blacks in the sky) that I had failed to achieve consistently in previous attempts. The clincher, the nameplate states ‘…for Perry Asher, Fisherman’ and my son’s name is Asher

4. Abbot Hall – Towering in the Fog

I cannot count the number of times that I have captured images of Abbot Hall.  But to see the familiar landmark utterly transformed by the incredible late day fog was eye opening.  The lighting conditions, while beautiful, were difficult to deal with and I was thrilled with the resulting image.  With the rays of light extending around Abbot Hall, the contrasting shadows on the right edge of the building, details still visible in the houses beneath and boats in the foreground, everything fell into place perfectly.

I cannot count the number of times that I have captured images of Abbot Hall. But to see the familiar landmark utterly transformed by the incredible late day fog was eye opening. The lighting conditions, while beautiful, were difficult to deal with and I was thrilled with the resulting image. With the rays of light extending around Abbot Hall, the contrasting shadows on the right edge of the building, details still visible in the houses beneath and boats in the foreground, everything fell into place perfectly.

5. The iconic beauty of Abbot Hall

Another long exposure image to go along with the lobster shanty above.  For the past few years, I have been working more on my long exposure black and white images.  Inspired by masters of this art form (Joel Tjintjelaar in particular), I sought to properly capture the timeless and iconic beauty of Abbot Hall.  On this particular day, everything fell into place with great light, clouds, and the perfect long exposure timing.  The added patriotic bunting was a perfect accompaniment to the final image.

Another long exposure image to go along with the lobster shanty above. For the past few years, I have been working more on my long exposure black and white images. Inspired by masters of this art form (Joel Tjintjelaar in particular), I sought to properly capture the timeless and iconic beauty of Abbot Hall. On this particular day, everything fell into place with great light, clouds, and the perfect long exposure timing. The added patriotic bunting was a perfect accompaniment to the final image.

6. Stacked Houses and Abbot Hall

This image was not in my original top-13 but was by far the most popular image on my Facebook page.  I had to accept the public’s wisdom on this one and include it as well.  I have captured this view on a number of occasions and in various seasons but nothing has matched the beauty of this particular image.  The freshly fallen snow on the rooftops, the houses seemingly stacked on each other and the bare trees framing the scene all amount to a perfect Winter view of Marblehead.

This image was not in my original top-13 but was by far the most popular image on my Facebook page. I had to accept the public’s wisdom on this one and include it as well. I have captured this view on a number of occasions and in various seasons but nothing has matched the beauty of this particular image. The freshly fallen snow on the rooftops, the houses seemingly stacked on each other and the bare trees framing the scene all amount to a perfect Winter view of Marblehead.

7. Falling Snow at Redd’s Pond

This was an early Winter snow fall (note the pond is not yet frozen) and I still remember the feeling of being out at Redd’s pond with snow falling around me and grinning like a kid at this perfect scene I had found.  The freshly fallen snow had not yet been disturbed by foot falls and the entire scene seemed so perfectly tranquil and classically New England.  This was the first time I had though to include the Redd’s Pond signage in the composition and I thought it worked really well in the end.

This was an early Winter snow fall (note the pond is not yet frozen) and I still remember the feeling of being out at Redd’s pond with snow falling around me and grinning like a kid at this perfect scene I had found. The freshly fallen snow had not yet been disturbed by foot falls and the entire scene seemed so perfectly tranquil and classically New England. This was the first time I had though to include the Redd’s Pond signage in the composition and I thought it worked really well in the end.

8. Full Moon over Marblehead Harbor

A perfect night.  I went out in hopes of capturing the full moon rising over Marblehead Harbor from a new vantage point and ended up meeting and befriending a home owner who happened to be having work done on the house.  I was offered a rooftop view and quickly climbed the ladder for this once in a lifetime image of the moonrise.  A full harbor, the moon perfectly balanced by the lighthouse and tree lines, an incredible blue/pink/purple sky – all added up to a perfect moment.

A perfect night. I went out in hopes of capturing the full moon rising over Marblehead Harbor from a new vantage point and ended up meeting and befriending a home owner who happened to be having work done on the house. I was offered a rooftop view and quickly climbed the ladder for this once in a lifetime image of the moonrise. A full harbor, the moon perfectly balanced by the lighthouse and tree lines, an incredible blue/pink/purple sky – all added up to a perfect moment.

9. Marblehead Lighthouse Aglow in the Colors of Sunset

I chased a great sunset to Chandler Hovey Park and arrived just as the sun offered a last explosion of color.  I actually shot an image from near the lighthouse looking out over the harbor but quickly realized the angles were perfect for what became the better image.  I ran back out to the parking lot with tripod in hand and set up so that the light of the sun lined up with the base of the lighthouse.  The contrast of the lighthouse’s straight lines with the worn and curved lines of the tree offered a nice juxtaposition but the sky and light clinched this as a favorite image of the year.

I chased a great sunset to Chandler Hovey Park and arrived just as the sun offered a last explosion of color. I actually shot an image from near the lighthouse looking out over the harbor but quickly realized the angles were perfect for what became the better image. I ran back out to the parking lot with tripod in hand and set up so that the light of the sun lined up with the base of the lighthouse. The contrast of the lighthouse’s straight lines with the worn and curved lines of the tree offered a nice juxtaposition but the sky and light clinched this as a favorite image of the year.

10. Looking Down at Castle Rock

I had recently delivered a print to the residents of a house that sat at the highest point on Marblehead Neck.  While there I was shown this view from their balcony and given the generous offer to return to shoot when I so desired.  On this particular day I had gone out near sunset and was literally chasing that small cloud in the sky when I realized it would show up perfectly from the balcony view.  I arrived with only minutes to spare and captured this as the sun began to set.  The familiar outcropping of Castle Rock set against the majestic beauty of the castle like home with its manicured lawns seems to capture the timeless beauty of Marblehead and why it had become a vacation spot all those years ago.

I had recently delivered a print to the residents of a house that sat at the highest point on Marblehead Neck. While there I was shown this view from their balcony and given the generous offer to return to shoot when I so desired. On this particular day I had gone out near sunset and was literally chasing that small cloud in the sky when I realized it would show up perfectly from the balcony view. I arrived with only minutes to spare and captured this as the sun began to set. The familiar outcropping of Castle Rock set against the majestic beauty of the castle like home with its manicured lawns seems to capture the timeless beauty of Marblehead and why it had become a vacation spot all those years ago.

11. Storm Chasing at Chandler Hovey Park

I was down at the Pleon Yacht Club shooting across the harbor and hoping to capture the great cumulus clouds over the harbor when the sky turned ominously dark.  I quickly left and headed to Chandler Hovey Park where I switched to an ultra wide angle lens and stood on a bench to capture the 7 images that would make up this final panoramic shot.  It was difficult to appreciate the storm’s beauty at the time as I expected wind, lighting and rain to begin at any moment but the storm ended up missing us to the North and I came away with an incredible view of a storm forming over our lighthouse.

I was down at the Pleon Yacht Club shooting across the harbor and hoping to capture the great cumulus clouds over the harbor when the sky turned ominously dark. I quickly left and headed to Chandler Hovey Park where I switched to an ultra wide angle lens and stood on a bench to capture the 7 images that would make up this final panoramic shot. It was difficult to appreciate the storm’s beauty at the time as I expected wind, lighting and rain to begin at any moment but the storm ended up missing us to the North and I came away with an incredible view of a storm forming over our lighthouse.

12. The Cherry Blossoms at Harris Street Cemetery

Another personal (not crowd) favorite.  I’m a sucker for cherry blossoms as they are forever intertwined with Spring for me having spent several years in Washington, D.C.  This year, I discovered the incredible cherry blossoms at Harris Street cemetery and found them at absolute peak and perfect bloom (rare conditions indeed).  This was taken on one of my four visits in two days to capture sunrise and sunset with these perfect trees.

Another personal (not crowd) favorite. I’m a sucker for cherry blossoms as they are forever intertwined with Spring for me having spent several years in Washington, D.C. This year, I discovered the incredible cherry blossoms at Harris Street cemetery and found them at absolute peak and perfect bloom (rare conditions indeed). This was taken on one of my four visits in two days to capture sunrise and sunset with these perfect trees.

13. Lighting up the Fog at Chandler Hovey Park

The most recent image to make my Top 13 of 2013 list but one that was incredible to witness and capture.  Taken on an early December night when dense fog took over Marblehead – this was one of a series of black and white images I captured during a two hour photoshoot.  The way the light was broken by the tree and made visible by the dense fog was simply amazing.  The added shadows made for a more complete scene.

The most recent image to make my Top 13 of 2013 list but one that was incredible to witness and capture. Taken on an early December night when dense fog took over Marblehead – this was one of a series of black and white images I captured during a two hour photoshoot. The way the light was broken by the tree and made visible by the dense fog was simply amazing. The added shadows made for a more complete scene.

Crowd favorites and near-misses

In no particular order, a few more images that were either personal or crowd favorites from the past year and just missed the cut-off for the top 13 of 2013