Steve Bruno Photo

WordPress recently informed me that I have been on their site for a year now.  To those of you who have followed, liked, commented or enjoyed my posts – Thank You!

It was a little over a year ago when I was spending way too much time on a computer because a leg injury was keeping me inactive.  Those who know me know I don’t do well at sitting.  I came across a page that explained why photographers should start a blog and listed some sites.  I really had no idea what I was getting into, but I have a lot of photographs that never made publication, and many that have a story behind them.  I was always disappointed when I came across other photographer’s websites and saw interesting images that had no words to convey the thoughts, motivation or process behind the image.

I suppose I should start with my title.  Quite a few years ago, I had the chance to meet with Josef Muench.  Josef was one of the pioneers of modern day landscape photography, and around that time an editor told me that Josef was still submitting photos to the magazine, some of which couldn’t be used because the emulsion had started to degrade.  As I was talking with Josef, I asked him, “Out of all your photographs, which is your favorite?”  He responded quickly with “The one I haven’t taken yet!”  He was an inspiration with his images, but even more so with his philosophy.  I want to reach that age and continue taking photographs that I still care about.  That’s where the name Gottatakemorepix got its initiation.

I had a couple stories that I wanted to write when I first started, but I wasn’t sure how long I would keep this going.  Then I started noticing blog posts that all had the words “Weekly Photo Challenge” in the title, and soon began posting those.  I’ve participated in other blogger’s challenges, and as much as I enjoy seeing what other people respond with, I never knew how time consuming this could become.  I also noticed a lot of people posting “Wordless Wednesday”.  After doing a couple of these myself, I thought I can’t do this…I need words.  So my alternative is Mid-week Mixings.  This allows me to get away with Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, too!  To those of you that post every day, my hat’s off to you – I don’t know how you do it.

If you don’t see a post from me for a while, it’s a good bet that I’m travelling or just plain busy.  My priorities are still real life, family, and friends before cyberspace.  My end of December and beginning of January were way too busy to do a 2015 recap, so I’m going to do it here.

Starting with your favorite post, we have this from Weekly Photo Challenge: Doors

Not far behind in your favorites was this one, another Weekly Challenge of Grid

While the most liked/commented images were in the Daily Post’s Challenges, many of you enjoyed these images from one of Cee’s Challenges

This grasshopper shot was another challenge that the blogging community seemed to enjoy

The Daily Post’s Symbol challenge gave me a reason to go out and photograph something that everybody and their brother has a shot of, and when I got there, I discovered more subjects fitting the challenge

Although not a challenge, but close to home, I enjoyed capturing fireworks last summer

Away from the challenges, this one was a little departure for me, but has become one of my favorites, as well as yours

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before that I really don’t enjoy shooting with clear blue skies, but I found a situation where it worked well

Crescent moon in the skies above an ocotillo plant in the Arizona desert by Steve Bruno

Late season bloom of yucca plants, as twilight approaches, in the Arizona desert by Steve Bruno

Weather is a little more to my liking for taking photos, and I showed this in one of my first posts of the year. I don’t know what grinder WordPress uses to compress images, but the first time I posted it did not look as good as it does on my screen. I like unique captures, and this is a favorite so far this year, and hopefully it looks better this time

Weather also makes for great sunsets, and before I shot the video that I posted on Thanksgiving, here was the still view

You know by now that I can’t resist the view out of airplane windows, and I have plenty of those from last year. Here’s one more that you haven’t seen yet. Over Montana, I believe

I can’t go a year without returning to my Muse, and here’s one from last year at Valley of Fire State Park

And lastly, I know phone cameras have improved, but I still consider my DSLR my real camera.  My shots in the rain in Seattle last November started making me appreciate the phone a little more