2014 is coming to a rapid close – there’s only a few hours left in this amazing year.  For me, 2014 brought many changes to my life.  This blog is the greatest evidence of the changes.

The changes actually began in early December 2013, when my doctor gave me a not so gentle lecture about the evils of making bad choice in my diet and the virtues of changing my lifestyle.  As a result, I lost 43 pounds in 6 months.  I’ve managed to keep them off, too, in spite of so many wonderful treats this holiday season.

At the end of January, the company that I worked for lost their contract and laid everyone off.  I found work as a Project Manager – the drive was a mere 67 miles one way.  After a few months of the long drive and figuring out what the company was about, I walked away and began looking for a job again.

In April, my son and daughter-in-law met my brother-in-law and a few thousand Mustang enthusiasts in Las Vegas to celebrate the 50th Birthday of the Ford Mustang.  I drove my ’66 hardtop and my son (very happily, I will say) drove my 2008 Bullitt Mustang to the show.  What a wonderful time we had.

Over the course of the Spring, I made contact with friends from elementary, junior high, and high school – many of whom I hadn’t heard from for over 43 years.  I was happy to see many of them at the 40 year reunion in July.  The best part is that we have maintained contact since, and I look forward to continued sharing with all my new ‘old’ friends.  On my way home from the reunion, I drove through parts of Wyoming I hadn’t seen in a while.  I truly enjoyed being in Wyoming with friends and family.

The job market hadn’t improved much over the Summer, so I made another major change in my life and started my photography business.  The PHOTOROGR Project was born!  I have enjoyed building the business these past 5 months, and truly appreciate the love and support from my family and friends as I did so.  Your encouragement is wonderful and helps me to stay motivated.  That so many of you have purchased my pictures is very nice, too.

Of course, one cannot begin a journey like this without support from one’s best friend, and I am so fortunate to be married to my best friend.  Throughout this year of change, she has helped me maintain my sanity and stay focused (pun maybe intended).  And then there’s my Mother, my very first customer, who loves following my adventures.  A really BIG thanks to my photo buddies who tell me where the eagles are and share photo tips, and to the professionals at my favorite photo store, Gordon’s Photo Service, who never tire of my stupid questions and who make my images look even better.  Thanks to Craig, Katie, Gordon, Lisa, and Jim – you guys are awesome!

2015 will bring many changes as well – mostly as I continue my journey and strive to make better images.  I am upgrading camera and lenses, pursuing various learning opportunities, and will be trying to learn new editing software.  And I thought this photography business was just jumping in the Expedition and finding subjects for pictures.

With this post, I am starting a new tradition.  I have selected 5 of my  images from this year to represent this part of my journey, and I will share 5 images every year.  These images may not be my best from the year, but they are important to me in some way.  5 is an arbitrary number, and it’s extremely difficult to live within my self-imposed limitation.  This process, however, is another part of the journey.

With the stage set, here are the 5 images that I’ve selected to represent The PHOTOROGR Project for 2014!

This is my 1966 Mustang at the Big Mamas Car show, last May. I parked with My friend Rich, whose 1964 Olds 442 can be seen on the right side of the image. Rich took the picture that I use for my profile! This image is significant for a couple of reasons – first, the Mustang’s 50th Birthday and second, trying to take better pictures of cars was a major factor in my interest in photography!

I made this image in February, on a cold winter morning. While taking Susan to work, I came on several Bald Eagles with a Golden Eagle hunting from a utility pole, just south of our home. This is one of the many images I made that day – one of the first really good Eagle pictures I ever made.

We are fortunate to have several bands of Wild Horses so close to our home. One evening last June, my lovely bride asked me to take her to see the horses and then out to dinner. We found three bands near the water tanks. While taking pictures, one of the bands came down the hill and straight toward me. These four horses were part of that band. The little guy on the right is the main focus of one of my best selling pictures, taken after this image was made.

I was sneaking up on a Hawk one day in early December when I scared a bunch of Finches. This little guy landed on a branch not too far away and posed for me. Some days, I’m more lucky than good (where have I heard that before?)!

Rich and I made a trip to Bodie CA last summer. We were enjoying the scenery and I was trying a few new techniques, with limited success, when Rich pointed out the reflections in the glass and commented that they would make good pictures. This picture helps me remember to keep my eyes open for those pictures that I’m not necessarily looking for.

Happy New Year – thanks for being a part of mine!

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR