[GaliWalker]

Here's the thread for your best THREE photos of 2021. Feel free to only post your best one (or two). Previous years' threads here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010. To reiterate, the guidelines are that you decide the criteria for why it makes your top-3, technically or otherwise. However, please let us know that reason.

[GaliWalker]

#1

K2

This is hands down my favorite photo of the year, because it has all the elements I find exciting in landscape photography. For one, it's K2, arguably the world's most impressive mountain. While the summit had been shrouded in clouds for most of the day, I was lucky enough to get a clear shot of it, with a dramatic sky and flattering light to boot. The two hikers on the ice mound was just divine providence. There's even a story behind the hikers. The reason they were standing atop that hill was because they were trying to locate an optimal route through the tricky transition from the Godwin Austin Glacier to the Baltoro Glacier. Four glacial streams had to be crossed, which required having to find four ice bridges. I had done something similar earlier in the day, climbing up one scree-covered ice mound after another to try and work out the route. It had taken me 2.5hrs to extricate myself from there and make it to camp. #2

Trango Towers

The 1300m rock face of the Trango Towers is the tallest in the world. In order to take this photo, I hiked down from camp to a string of glacial lakes in the middle of the Baltoro Glacier. The lakes would freeze overnight, but thaw later on in the day. I had scoped out the location the day before. #3

New River Gorge National Park

I could easily have picked my third shot from my Karakorams trip, but decided to choose this one for a bit of variety. Earlier in 2021 West Virginia's New River Gorge National Park became America's newest National Park, so making a return trip down there was pretty high on my agenda. It was raining and the wind was whipping the spray around. This photo was a hurriedly taken from under an umbrella.

[zimmertr]

Your photos from the Karakorams this year have definitely motivated me to consider the Baltoro Glacier Trek sometime in my life. I've told a few hiker friends about it this year but am struggling to get anyone to bite on doing it with me. I wish I had more adventurous friends. With respect to the Trango Towers, they are seriously impressive. But I think the award for the tallest vertical relief of a face belongs to Mount Thor on Baffin Island, Nunavet. (This is another trek I really want to do but can't get anyone to do it with me.) But it depends on how you define "vertical relief". Here is some discussion I found on the nuance. Also a Wiki article. For your post, however, here are my three favorite photos of 2021. I don't do any editing so they probably won't be as impressive as others posted here. But here it goes: 1. Dragontail Peak

Dragon Tales

I really appreciate the contrast in this photo. Green shrubs, gray rocks, golden larches, black rock, and gray clouds. Dragontail dominates the sky and looks stunning when covered in a recent layer of water. The only thing this photo is missing are the snow flurries that were in the sky earlier that day and maybe some better framing. 2. Lake Ann

Not Sandy, Mucky

When I first took this photo I remember liking it but I didn't really look at it in earnest until a few friends commented on how much they liked it. I like the placement of the boulder, how the rocks buried in the muck are visually distorted, and the reflection the trees cast on the water in the background. Once again the framing could be improved and I wish my camera captured more details of the trees in the background. I should start carrying a DSLR camera instead of just my phone. 3. Horseshoe Lake

Jack Ridge

I like this photo because of how layered it is. From the foreground to the background there are distinct objects that draw the eye. My partner walking on the snow, the trees and frozen lake, Jack Ridge, and finally the clouds in the sky. Everything flows from bottom to top and I appreciate how candid the scene is.

[coldrain108]

This picture was taken right at the magic hour, great lighting, layered composition, wide view very well focused.

This is why I like to hit the High Divide trail as early as possible, before the snow has melted out.

Peak-a-boo with Olympus.

[zimmertr]

[Gil]

Alll three of mine are nighttime photos.

Reflecting on the Rockies

Larch and Milky Way in the North Cascades

Moon rise at Mesa Arch.

[ScottP]

The Phantom Ship of Crater Lake

Lost Coast of CA

Middle Fork Snoqualmie

[Tom]

No reason other than my 3 favorites:

Olde Town Cherry Blossoms

Cloudy White Chuck

Fall Color at Upper Beaverpuss

[coldrain108]

[kite]

[GaliWalker]

That moose shot is amazing!

[lanzscape]

Yes, the moose image is great, but I prefer the fox. Well done. Gali, great capture of the light and conditions on K2

[lanzscape]

I always difficult to pick "favorites." But here are three that I like from my trip from Ohio to Washington this summer. Two of these were posted previously in the calendar contest.

[awilsondc]

My first favorite photo of the year came early in the year, January 9th. It was my 4th sunrise hike up to Tusk O Granite and all of them had been spectacular, but this one was by far the best. The sky was gorgeous and sunrise was stunning. It was windy and cold up there. I was shivering even with all my layers on, my quads kept cramping up, and my fingers and toes were numb but it was all worth it. This is my favorite winter shot I've taken so far.

Winter's Fire

I spent two separate week long family vacations in Bandon, OR in '21, but got completely skunked on quality sunrises and sunsets except for one. The one day that looked like it might be a good sunset I headed down to this spot on the Samuel H Boardman corridor with my wife. Sunset indeed was a good one and I got this shot that I'm very happy with. I've got it printed and hanging in my office.

Magic Island

Finding a scenic view that perfectly lines up with the milky way is a difficult task, especially finding one that isn't a well known hot spot for milky way photography. I was really happy to find this spot late summer. I got in a summit bivy and hit the trifecta of gorgeous sunset, clear skies for the milky way, and a stunner of a sunrise too. While there were some things I would have done differently if I had to do it again, I'm still pretty happy with this shot.

King Daniel

[InFlight]

Went for some warm weather photos today! Caldera at Volcano National Park at sunset. Rainbow was pure luck. This has since erupted again two months later after this photo.

Hawai?i Volcanoes National Park

Kealakakeua Bay on the Big Island. I likely took 20 photos before I got caught a crashing wave I liked.

Kealakakeua Bay

From Saguaro National Park. I saw these two monsters from a distance. Ended up taking a randomly long foot path around prickly pear cactus for a net 250 yards to get this picture.

Saguaro National Park