It’s just about time to close out the year. 2017 has taken me across more than 3,000 miles to an solar eclipse, two national parks, five hikes at Devil’s Den and other sights new and old. I hope I always remember daylight falling behind the moon as my manic excitement reached ever higher in the middle of Nebraska back in August. Not a bad year for photos.
(From Through the Wall, taken Aug. 23)
(The center of the world, Aug. 22)
(The eclipse, Aug. 21)
(Nebraska, Aug. 19)
The year was eventful in other ways simply as a guy who takes pictures and wants to share them. I made a Facebook page, went to one of Fayetteville’s First Thursdays and took a shot at doing some family portraits this fall. I dream about doing what I do on this blog for a career and creating photo books and traveling the world, and I agonize with insecurities about whether I’m actually any good. Maybe I’ll get a little further with all of those things next year, too.
(In the wind, Sept. 16)
(Devil’s Den in white, Jan. 7)
(The forest floor, June 19)
(Mushrooming III, May 29)
As it happens, this post is #200 since I officially made this WordPress into a photo blog a little more than four years ago. This place been a lot of things for me: a photo diary for friends, family and exploring my home; a travel blog; an extension of work; an experiment in storytelling and new ways to shoot. Basically all of my fear and joy in photography goes here. I’ve tried to learn and deliver at least a touch of art. Some of my shots, especially early on, are embarrassing, really, and I needed to learn a lot about editing down to the best images. Other early pictures aren’t bad. I’ll probably feel the same about my recent shots in another four years.
If there’s anyone from the earliest days who still visits, bless you. For everyone else, thanks for joining me. I look forward to another year.
(The Hawksbill, Dec. 3)
(Twin Cities, Aug. 26)
(Fools’ parade, Feb. 25)
(One day, two cities, June 24)
(June in February, Feb. 11)
(Fall’s first days, Sept. 24)
(Belly of the beast, March 9)
If you’d like to see my past year-in-review posts, they’re just a click away: 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Dan
The forest sounds different without its leaves. Rather than rustling millions of leaves, Sunday’s gusts roared like a distant waterfall between the trees’ bare bones. A good strong wind always seems to accompany hikes along the heights of the Ozark National Forest.
The overlook at the end is obviously the primary draw of this trail, but the scenery on the way deserves its own attention. The trail runs along the top of a bluff line peppered with boulders and crowned by trees growing right out of the rock. The Boston Mountains swell and fall all around like immense ocean waves. These bluffs, like many around the Buffalo, can be 
And here’s a view from on the crag itself. An unseasonably warm December afternoon wound up being a terrific time to get acquainted with this landmark. Someday I’ll come back to see its greener self.
Thanks for lookin’,
Viewfinder 