To be honest, the year 2025 was somewhat of a down year for me photographically. I managed to allow long gaps between outings and many of the ones I did manage to follow through..well the results fell well short of what I expect from myself. However, I spent a little time reviewing some of the 2025 results and discovered several favorites...there are always a few. Let's take a look at some of those.
This first image is perhaps my favorite from 2025. Taken during an overnight canoe camping trip on Barren River Lake, the only one I made in 2025. Early morning before the sun lifted above the ridge behind me, fog floated across the surface of this backwater slew and the contrast of green and blue set this one apart from most of the others. There is a surreal atmosphere exhibited in this image, the kind that takes me back to the early hours of that morning.
Image nbr two was taken very close to where the first image was made only taken several weeks earlier on a day trip canoe outing. Oddly enough, I used my cell phone to capture this one. I love black and white and summer clouds drifting across a blue sky over water on a summer day allows for some fantastic Ansel Adams style of imaging.
Photographing deer near where I live is something I enjoy doing year round but especially in late fall. I really liked the dark hues in this one and how the tall tuffs of grass seem to frame this beautiful doe.
This nice looking buck whitetail is one of several I watched and photographed this year. This was taken very early in the year in January. They are so alert and latch on to the slightest movement or unnatural sounds. The black and white version of this one really brings out the rustic flavor of the moment.
This nice buck was following a herd of does during the rut. Taken late in the year, November, a few minutes before sundown, the low angle warm light of the setting sun caught him as he made his way into the field. At least two other nice bucks frequented the area and I really enjoyed watching them turn their attention to the does who pretended not to be interested in them.
Whenever snow is on the ground, I almost always make an effort to photograph the deer herd near home. There is just something about the nature of snow that transforms the landscape to provide a pristeen backdrop for the wildlife. Taken in January of 2025, I do believe the deer enjoyed the snow as much a I did.
This treeline runs behind my house where I watch the deer. Sometimes, the deer do not show up or are late in doing so. As a result to keep from getting bored, I look for landscape opportunities as I sit inside my makeshift blind. Normally, these trees are just ordinary trees, but add a little snow to outline their limbs and they become an abstract symbol of nature.
Late spring this past season provided some fun photo ops around the pond where dozens of dragonflies spend their day buzzing around. Capturing them is not always easy. What you have to do is simply watch them for a few minutes and you will notice a pattern in behavior where they tend set on a specific perch for a few seconds then dart off again only to return over and over to the same perch. The trick is to be ready and positioned when they return. I love the background bokeh effect on this one along with the dark green flavor.
Kingfishers are difficult to photograph as they dart around like little blue banshees. Spent some time below the spillway on Barren River Lake and managed to capture a few images of a pair of them darting around and flying low over the water. There are techniques you can employ to lure them in requiring a hide and bait, none of which I have ever used to capture them. They are amazing birds and fun to watch.
Summer time means the wheat is ready to harvest. Being surrounded by farm country offers a grand opportunity to capture this most beautiful of crops. Throw in a few storm clouds in the background and a distant tree or two and you have the makings of nice landscape.
Summer also means the remnants of Tallgrass Prairie come to life across Kentucky. Most people are probably not aware that at one time the Kentucky landscape supported a significant but isolated area of original Tallgrass Prairie that covered the landscape in and around Bowling Green extending westward across the southern flanks of the state. Nationwide, the Tallgrass Prairie once covered over 400,000 square miles across America, but over 90% of it is now gone, destroyed by urban development, extensive farming land use, and the loss of a vital ingredient the prairie needed to survive; The American Bison. So when I find a remnant patch of Tallgrass Prairie, my camera and I are very happy.
Shanty Hollow is one of my favorite places to hike into. With its rugged texture, tall trees, and an amazing waterfall capping the backend of a collapsed ravine, the fall season provides a wonderful opportunity for the photographer. This image taken with my cell phone turned out rather nice.
The Aurora Borealis is extremely rare to see this far south, but the past couple of years it has made it down this far several times offering a wonderful opportunity to capture this amazing natural phenomena.
Panoramic landscapes are a great way to capture the wider extent of what you visually see. Throw in a blue sky and some fall clouds and even the most ordinary of scenes can often become a wonderful addition to your collection.
Okay...so there you have it. A short list of some of my favorite images taken during the 2025 season. There are others, but these do reflect the efforts I did manage to capture. All in all, for a down season, I think I managed to capture a few compelling images that reflect the nature of Kentucky around where I live.
