Otter Cliff, Acadia National Park, Maine. October 19, 2017.
It was my first full day at Acadia National Park and I was in photography heaven. My research into the best season to photograph each of the national parks made one thing clear, Acadia was one of the best places to be in the fall, and this was my first trip to check the place out.
Graceland University Residence Life Staff, Lamoni, Iowa. October 15, 2007.
This is the only photo in my “favorite photos” folder for October 15. There are over 3400 images in my favorite photos folder. That averages out to about 9 photos per date, scattered across all of the dates of the year. But in real life it doesn’t work out that way. For one relatively recent date (September 29) I have over 50 favorite photos and for some dates I have no favorite photos at all.
Point Iroquois Lighthouse from Lake Superior Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. October 13, 2008.
My favorite photo for October 13 started with a note from a photo editor asking if I had a nice fall image of Pt. Iroquois Lighthouse. I said I didn’t but I was heading up north and I would try to get one.
Shannon Miller on the Beam. The Myriad, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. October 11, 1992.
Shannon Miller is the most decorated U.S. gymnast, male or female, at the Olympic Games, with a total of 7 medals. She was part of the gold medal winning “Magnificent Seven” team at the 1996 Olympics. It was my happy privilege to photograph her a few months after she won several medals at the 1992 Olympics.
River of Sky through Autumn Maple Leaves, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. October 9, 1998.
My favorite photo for today is also one of my all time favorite fall color images.
Upper Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. October 8, 1998.
It was a gorgeous day in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and I was at Michigan’s iconic waterfalls. It doesn’t get much better than this. This is my favorite photo for the day and one of my all time favorite photos.
Tahitian Wave. Tahiti Nui’s western shore. October 6, 2004.
I was on the west side of Tahiti Nui and big waves were rolling in. The wind was out of the east so it was blowing a fine mist off the top of the waves. It was impressive. This is my favorite photo for October 6.
Michelle and Aaron, Kalamazoo, Michigan, October 5, 1996.
The choice for today’s favorite was really difficult. I have several favorite photos taken in Michigan, Colorado, and Banff National Park, and a couple of them are among my all time favorite photos. And there was also a special wedding. I ultimately chose two most favorite images for this date. This is one of them.
Vermilion Lakes, Banff National Park. October 4, 2012.
Today’s choice was a fairly easy one. For some reason there are only a half dozen photos for this date in my favorite photos folder, and for another, one stands out to me as a clear favorite. Continue reading
Double Arch at Night, Arches National Park, Utah. October 3, 2014.
It was hard to pick my favorite photo for October 3, with so many to choose from. I finally decided on this photo of Double Arch at night. It was a splendid evening and photographers were everywhere taking long exposures of the night sky and the arches.
O’Haver Lake, Mt. Ouray, Colorado. October 2, 2014.
My favorite photo for this date was taken on a photo safari with Bob, my brother-in-law and photo buddy. We worked our way across southern Colorado to Utah and had a great time.
Dawn at Sprague Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. October 1, 2014.
It was an amazing morning at Sprague Lake. A long row of photographers was lined up on the lake shore, looking east. The light just kept getting better and better and shutters were clicking like crazy.
Aspen and Porphyry Peak. September 30, 1986.
My favorite photos for September 30 are especially significant to me and represent a turning point in my life.
NOTE: This was originally posted January 10, 2011. Thanks to a recent thank you note from Mike’s wife, I decided to expand and re-post this article October 5, 2018.
I just received an e-mail from one of Mike Baroli’s cousins with the sad news that Mike passed away December 19, 2010. The memorial service was yesterday at Spring Creek Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. Mike Baroli is the photographer that changed my life.
Aspen grove, Marshall Pass, Colorado. September 28, 2010.
My favorite photo for September 28 is not only my favorite photo for today’s date but also one of my all time favorite images.
Lunar Eclipse, Blood Moon, Horseshoe Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. September 27, 2015.
Today’s favorite photo was a hard choice to make. I looked in my “favorite photos” folder and there are 34 photos taken on September 27. All of them were created in Colorado. So I have three most favorite photos for today.
Autumn, Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
UPDATE: The August 2019 update of this page is here.
Fall color is sweeping the country. To make the most of it, you want to be at the right place at the right time. With some help from the internet, I will help you find the best fall color locations at the peak of the season.
Bob Walker at Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, September 26, 2016.
We are getting into the time of year that I have a lot more favorite photos for each date. I am usually chasing wildlife and fall color toward the end of September, usually in Colorado.
Night photography field trip, Sprague Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, September 25, 2015.
In my “favorite photos” folder there are 15 photos taken on September 25. One of my two most favorite images is a night shot taken during one of my photography workshops in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Maroon Bells, Maroon Lake, Colorado. September 24, 2015.
If you looked at yesterday’s favorite photo, today’s photo won’t surprise you. I was back at Maroon Lake and the Maroon Bells in the morning.
Maroon Bells and Maroon Lake in the moonlight. September 23, 2015.
It was an amazing night at Maroon Lake and the moon was lighting the Maroon Bells. This is one of most favorite image for this date.
Kristen’s Eye. September 22, 2003.
This image is different from what I usually do. I was in a camera store in Denver Colorado.
Sorry. No favorite photo for September 19. There are over 3,400 images in my “favorite photos” folder, taken over a period of over 30 years, and not a single one of the was taken on September 19.
Dinka, “Legs”
This was an easy favorite image to pick. I was doing a photo shoot with the model Dinka to create images for her portfolio and we decided to do an image of her legs.
Alpenglow. Sprague Lake, Hallett Peak, Flattop Mountain. September 17, 1996.
It was an amazing morning at Rocky Mountain National Park. Sprague Lake is one of my favorite sunrise location with a nice view of the mountains.
Photo Exhibit, Changes Salon and Day Spa. September 16, 2013.
When I looked at my favorite photos for September 16, there weren’t many choices, and most of them were from day two of my cheap Chinese lens test. But one photo caught my eye. Continue reading
Ohio Health Prism Awards. September 14, 2011.
Ohio Health is a big medical conglomerate in central Ohio with 10 hospitals and lots of medical clinics. I was documenting their Prism Awards ceremony, Ohio Health’s equivalent of the Academy Awards. Several individuals or health care teams are nominated in advance each of a number of categories. Like the Academy Awards, the winner in each category is announced at the ceremony.
Dewi. September 13, 2007.
There are are only two images for September 13 in my “favorite photos” folder, and both of them are of the same model. This is a casual, natural light image of Dewi.
Nicole, Illusions. September 12, 2008.
This is far and away my favorite image for September 12. I was working with Nicole to create a series of images using back lighting and multiple layers of fabric.
“The Old Gray Hymnal”. September 11, 2018.
Today’s favorite photo is filled with happy memories tinged with sadness. September 11, just three days ago, I went to the funeral of Barbara Coolman, a long time and dear friend. Back in the 1970s we both taught music in the same small, rural village in eastern Nebraska. She was the school choir director and I was the school band director.