Below is a selection of my favorite photographs of 2024.To see a complete list of my Annual Favorite Photographs, follow the link to my blog tag that will show you 15 years worth of entries.
It is important to note, as always, that these are personal favorites, and do not necessarily represent the best aesthetic or most technically demanding images. These are, simple enough, my favorites, no matter how they may be evaluated in my larger portfolio.
Here are the 12 images for 2024.
The Images – 2024
SD366
This photograph was my February 2024 Photo of the Month. I generally avoid Hospitals in the afternoons/evenings, when there are crowds of people around. And I have been going there in mornings with reader and colleague Alex. There are still people around, but the pace is nice and slow, and you have time to think about composing your image.
I always loved this spot, and I didn’t really feel I nailed this particular image until I got home and sat down to process. I like symmetry in my photos, and I still love the result.
TP305
As my March 2024 Photo of the Month, many have already seen this image. It remains a favorite. These Torrey Pines, all pointed and twisted from light and salt spray, are always picturesque. This particular one, silhouetted against a stormy sky, kept me busy for many minutes and too many exposures.
SC852
I love history, and I have always had a love for old roads. Few get older in California than this abandoned portion of the Ridge Route, which connected Southern and Northern California. This particular spot was referred to as Deadman’s Curve, and you can see why. It actually predates US Route 99, and because of the danger in the blind curves, would later be bypassed. You can also see the difference in the superhighway that was built into Grapevine Canyon that is modern Interstate 5.
SNT505
My solar filter doesn’t get much use, but when it does, I love the result. A lot of people expressed disappointment that this only a partial eclipse from the view of San Diego, and yet I can say I enjoyed making the series of images and love the results. This was near the highest point of eclipse from the rugged terrain of my front patio.
CBA56
I took a Workcation that was also in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and wouldn’t you know it, there were a ton of great images available. This one was from a hillside hike on Russian Ridge as it was starting to get dark. This is far from a perfect image technically, but it doesn’t represent the many days where the Summer fog rolled in at the end of the day. It never got old.
CBA223
When you are from Southern California, visiting up North and seeing so much “Green” is wonderful. The locals probably aren’t quite as impressed. But I have long enjoyed trees with interesting branching, and I thought this one worked very well.
CBA239
With all that green, water has to be around. There are a million little creeks like this in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and plenty of spots to make images like this.
I will note, I left the tripod at my friend Jeremy’s place. Obviously, I didn’t hand-hold this photograph, but I was able to carefully balance my camera on a rock that allowed me to create a long exposure. This was when I was still using my old, sturdy, and very heavy, aluminum tripod that I often didn’t want to lug around. My new carbon fiber Benro tripod feels light as a feather in comparison.
CBA623
In that search for interesting shape and symmetry, I walked up to this scene in Henry Cowell Redwoods. I love the framing, and I also like that the largest redwood in the scene was nicely lit. This image probably doesn’t work as well give or take a few minutes from when I was standing there. Sometimes walking and observing will help you find something interesting.
WND508
This couldn’t be an annual photo blog post without something from Windansea. This was my July 2024 Photo of the Month. This took a little experimenting to get the tiny waterfalls just right. I always love this particular spot.
LM809
This photograph was my September 2024 Photo of the Month. While Foster Point remains my very favorite viewpoint in San Diego County, and much of that is because of the beauty and shape of Garnet Peak from that vantage-point, I can’t help but see that Granite Mountain behind it is once again trying to steal the show.
With the right moisture and air flow, these “islands in the sky” also create or influence the weather around them, and this thunderhead is building up right at the peak.
CH459
Chaco remains a sacred place, where a culture millennia ago thrived in a favorable climate, and then became climate refugees as one of the biggest droughts in continental recorded history hit. The Jackson Stairs were something I long wanted to visit, and after a great visit with my friend James, we picked one day to walk the northern rim to get a good view. These stairs would have been supplemented by ladders, but they still look quite intimidating to scale up or down.
RRC148
Count yourself lucky if you visit Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas and a storm is clearing. This was part of a larger hike I did with my friend James. There was a lot of wind, and the clouds were moving fast. I will take that over all the times I have been here in searing heat. While many people are acquainted with the loop drive here, there are many other spots available to hike and discover.
Further Viewing
T.M. Schultze Fine Art America Print-On-Demand Store
T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographer’s Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.