Top Nine, 2024

When I sat down to pick my favorite nine images from 2024, I had a few realizations. Firstly, I could have easily picked all nine from the one day I spent in Tahoe in the company of bears. It was my most productive day of photography in a long, long time. Equally, without that experience, I might have been struggling to pick nine that I was excited to share.

Secondly, a prominent theme from the year was intention. When I went to Tahoe, I had the intention of photographing black bears (Ursus americanus). The location, the tactics, and the effort were all in pursuit of those images. Equally, when I realized my dream of photographing orcas (Orcinus orca), I’d been strategic in finding that opportunity and creating those images. Even with elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) images, I intended to work the scene to capture behaviors that I hadn’t photographed before.

Ultimately, I’ve had more successful years, but given my limited time in the field in 2024, I think I made the most of it. I had a smaller collection of images, but they were photos I could take pride in.