Top 23 Photos from 2023

The old adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, comes to mind as I look through the thousands of pictures I took this year and select my favorite 23 captures for this blog post.
This first picture is a case in point.  Not even a thousand words could describe the unusual juxtaposition of the elements in this scene.  The picture shows a garden worker in an aerial lift cleaning the individual glass spikes in the 30-foot tall Chihuly glass sculpture Radiant Yellow Icicle Tower at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.On the other hand, a few words are needed for context on this next photo.  It shows Kosaku Kitahama, a Nationally Designated Artisan of Wajima Lacquerware in Japan, demonstrating the traditional art of maki-e.  He paints each small section of the design with lacquer and then quickly sprinkles it with gold powder before the lacquer hardens.  You can see the golden dragon emerging below.

The next few photos require very little explanation.  Shown below is a striking pair of Great Egrets (Ardea alba) busily building their nest in the Kraft Azalea Garden rookery in Winter Park, Florida.
Sticking with the bird theme, the below Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) was spotted in the garden at the Oyama Jinja Shrine in Kanazawa, Japan.  While these birds are a common sight throughout Europe and Asia you don’t often see them in this pose.  Herons raise their head crest and neck feathers in preparation for a forward thrust when they feel threatened or want to protect their territory.  I took dozens of photos before capturing this one.
And speaking of dozens of photos, I lost count of how many photos and how much time I spent trying to capture a shot of the hummingbirds in our flower garden.  This is a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) enjoying the brilliant blue flowers of a Salvia (Salvia guaranitica ‘Black & Blue’).
The next few photos didn’t require as much waiting as they required careful planning and targeted travel.  This American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), dressed in its seasonal coral finery, was spotted at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Florida.
A little more effort was required to see Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica).  I was fortunate to visit the Puffin Viewing Site in Elliston, Newfoundland during nesting season this past summer.  These puffins landed on the cliffsides right in front of us!

Speaking of making an effort to view wildlife in person, travelling to observe the wild snow monkeys at the Jigokudani Monkey Park in Yamanouchi, Japan was definitely a highlight of my year.  The snow monkey or, more accurately, the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) is native to this remote mountainous region and the park offers a rare opportunity to observe them in their natural habitat.  This is my favorite capture from the hundreds of shots I took that day.
We timed our Japan trip to see the cherry blossoms and they were spectacular.  So, it’s only suiting that at least one of the top photos for the year would feature these beloved flowers.
There are an endless number of beautiful, fascinating and intriguing sights to be seen, and photographed, in Japan.  The spectacular Zenkoji Temple in Nagano is another example.
At the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine in Kyoto, the Senbon Torii leads visitors up the tranquil mountainside through a tunnel of stunning vermilion torii gates.
Lucky timing, assisted by some determined searching, was a key factor in capturing this next scene—a visual feast of koi nobori (carp streamers) fills the sky in celebration of Japan’s annual Children’s Day.
I was hoping to see icebergs during my visit to Newfoundland so we traveled to specific locations where we had a good possibility of spotting them.  We were rewarded with this amazing scene in Twillingate Harbour.
This charming capture of crisp, white bedding on a backyard clothesline in Fogo Island was a chance sighting which quickly became one of my favorites.
When I discovered the Large-leaved Lupines (Lupinus polyphyllus) were in full bloom during a visit to Prince Edward Island, we got the inside track on the best viewing spots and headed to Hostetter’s Viewscape in French River.  Colorful swaths of flowering lupines, in every shade and tint of purple and pink, were visible in every direction.
Always being on the lookout for interesting subjects and taking lots of photos increases your chances of getting a good shot.  This shot of small boats on a foggy morning in Boothbay Harbor, Maine is a case in point.
The abstract patterns created by natural bubbles and river foam on the Liscombe River in Nova Scotia were an unexpected surprise.
A visit to the historic fortress of Louisburg on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia also yielded some noteworthy photos.

A few of my favorite photos from the past year feature projects specifically staged and styled for the blog.  I love this shot of my lavender sachets hanging in front of a moody overcast sky.
Along the same lines, I’m really pleased with this shot showcasing “evidence of process” on the enameled copper panel I made during a recent enameling class.
Sometimes being in the right place at the right time is sheer luck.  For instance, catching this shot of a vibrant orange zinnia just before the dewdrop fell was pure chance.
Occasionally, the best photos result from simply looking out my living room window as evidenced by this final favorite photo taken in the early morning over Lake Oconee.

More Info

I hope you’ve enjoyed my favorite photos from 2023.  You may also like these blog posts from previous years.
. Top 22 Photos from 2022
. Top 21 Photos from 2021
. Top 20 Photos from 2020
. Top 19 Photos from 2019
About one third of the photos shared in today’s Top 23 Photos from 2023 blog post have not been shared previously.  The other two thirds were shared previously in the blog posts listed below.
. A Flamboyance of Flamboyant Flamingo
. The Astonishing Atlantic Puffin
. Monkeying Around at the Jigokudani Monkey Park
. Postcards from Japan #2
. Postcards from Japan #3
. Postcards from Japan #4
. Postcards from Newfoundland #1
. Some Day on Clothes
. Lupines: Invasive Beauty or Next Big Thing?
. Right as Rain
. Travel Through Time to 1744
. Maker Heart Challenge #3: Froufrou Sachet – DIY Tutorial
. Endless Texture and Color with Copper Enameling
. Walk with Me at the Folk School

Today’s Takeaways

1. Traveling to selected locations at desirable times can lead to some great photos.
2. Being on the lookout for interesting subjects and taking lots of shots can also help.
3. Sometimes great photos are simply the result of being in the right place at the right time.