Is it too early to say Merry Christmas?  I certainly hope not.  🙂  With Christmas falling on Wednesday this year it will be tucked in the middle between now, and my end of the year post – so I’ll just say Merry Christmas to everyone now!  I hope you all have a nice Christmas with friends and family, and hopefully a good break from work.

I also hope you enjoyed my fall color series, which I wrapped up last week. This week I wanted to do something a little different, which is to share a handful of images that I took this year that I never posted, for whatever reason.  Each are infrared images that I really liked, but I just couldn’t make fit anywhere in a series – so to end the year this year, I’m just going to make a post about them!  Perhaps I’ll do a ‘misfits’ post from now on as part of my end of the year traditions.  Let me know if you like the idea.

In any case, the image above I captured on a hike to Mt LeConte that Holly and I did last month.  I had gone up there to take some pictures for a secret project I’m currently working on (shhhh), and on the way down, the clouds settled on the top of the mountain, giving everything a super foggy feel.  I love this part of the Alum Cave Bluff trail, and to see it with this foggy look I thought was extra special.

The first image below is from a different hike I did this year.  My buddy Andy and I did the Honeycreek Loop Trail up in Big South Fork during the summer, which I find to be a really beautiful trail.  The diversity of landscapes you see along the trail makes it really interesting, and a really fun hike I think. The picture you see here is just one of many unique things you see along the way.

Finally, the next image you’ll see is a shot of Vermillion Falls, which is near Orr, Minnesota, where I went in August to photograph black bears.  My friend Steve and I arrived a day early to the tour, and so we went wandering around the area, and found this spot to be especially beautiful.  When I think of Minnesota, I can’t say I think of waterfalls, but I really loved the look of this one.

Well with that, that’s a wrap on Picture of the Week for 2024!  I can’t believe the year is already gone, but so it goes!  Next week I’ll be sharing my Five Favorite Photos from the year, which I’ll be posting on the 30th.  I hope you’ll take a look.

Merry Christmas everyone!

–Dan Thompson