Jim and Jim. North Platte, Nebraska. October 26, 1972.
This is hands down my favorite image for October 26. I am holding our son Jim III a few days after he was born. We were visiting family and friends in North Platte, Nebraska. The camera was a simple Kodak Instamatic (you can see it in this article). It would be a few more years before I had a camera with actual controls.
El Capitan Reflection, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California. October 25, 2015.
With so many photos to choose from it was hard to pick a favorite photo for today’s date.
The “House of the Lord”, Kirtland, Ohio. October 24, 2004.
When I lived in Ohio I would be in kirtland in the fall almost ever year. The fall colors were especially vibrant the year I took this photo. This is my favorite image for October 24.
Jesup Path, Acadia National Park. October 22, 2017. Click for a larger version.
If you have been following along for the last few posts, you know what is coming: More photos from Acadia National Park. October 22, a year ago today, was my last morning in the park.
Evening, Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine. October 21, 2017
If you have been reading the last few posts, it will not surprise you to know that most of my favorite photos for this date were taken in Acadia National Park. It is one of our very best national parks for fall photography and it is still looking great this time of year.
Stars over Otter Cliff, Acadia National Park, Maine. October 20, 2018. Click for a larger version.
My “favorite photos” folder covers 30 plus years of photography, but all but two of my favorite photos for October 20 were taken the same day in Acadia National Park.
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.