I’ve mentioned in a few of these “favorites posts” that I’ve gone back and done these in reverse order (I didn’t do the first actual favorites post until 2015).  I’m starting (stopping?) here though, because 2010 was really the year I starting working super hard at my photography.  I learned a lot this year, and I got hooked this year.  It’s interesting that even as I’m writing this (in 2018), I still really like some of these images from a long time ago.  Sub-par cameras and all, the images still work for me!

–Dan Thompson

Number of Pictures Taken Annually

2010

4474

Hyatt Lane in Morning

This image I got of “the tree” in Cades Cove was my ‘ah ha’ moment.  I had taken (and posted) many pictures before it, but this is the one where I finally saw light, color, and contrast, all working in concert.  This is the image that set the hook, so to speak, on my hobby and moved me past “travel pictures”, to working towards art. Read the full post here

White Trillium

In much the same way as the Hyatt Lane picture above got my juices flowing for landscapes, this image of a white trillium got me excited about macro photography.  When I took it, I was blown away by the detail that could be found, and how interesting shapes and textures could be.  Original post here

Temple of Heaven

This picture actually never made it to Picture of the Week, but is one of my favorites from our original trip to China.  For me, I loved the colors and shape of the building, I also loved that there were people in the photo, but not so many people it was obnoxious (like so many other photos from China!).

Sera Monastery Debate

Though I didn’t publish this image until 2012, I actually took it in 2010, and it remains one of my favorite images from our first trip to China.  These debates, though largely a show for tourists, were a lot of fun to watch.  I just wish I had known what they were arguing about!

Lhasa, Tibet and the Potala Palace

The Potala Palace is something I’d wanted to see in person for years and years, and getting to see it was truly a dream come true.  I really like this image because it captures the scale of the palace, but also gives you a sense for the Lhasa is like in modern times.  Original post here