So here we are at the end of the year. I started the year declaring that I would post one photo each day this year and I am very happy to say that here, December 31, 2012, I’ve done it! 365 photos for each day of the year! I have to admit it was much more of a task than I thought it would be. Especially with all of the photos I’ve accumulated over several trips, it took quite a lot of time selecting and processing. But I did it! Even when I was out of town I was able to make my posts. The world was threatened with doomsday, but even that couldn’t stop me (I’m crossing my fingers that the end doesn’t come anytime soon, he he). Posting one photo each day isn’t anything new. It’s a task that many have done time and again. But this is my accomplishment. It was a goal I made for myself to help motivate me to get out and shoot, process, and improve my skills with a camera. So to celebrate achieving my goal for the year I thought I’d share this shot from Rancho Palos Verdes simply because it embodies several things I’ve come to love dearly since taking up photography. The seascape, the clouds, and the sunset.

I’d like to thank all of you that have taken the time to visit my blog throughout the year. But don’t stop visiting because this isn’t the end for The Marke’s World, rather it’s just the beginning. I’m going to continue trying to post one new photo each day for as long as I can for as long as this site still stands. So enjoy yourselves for New Years! Party hard, have fun ringing in the new year with loved ones, and come on back tomorrow because I’ll have another photo posted for all to see!

My year in review!

Being that this is the last post of the year 2012, I thought I’d take some time to reshare some of my personal favorite shots from this past year. I’ve been rather fortunate to be able to travel to various places around the world. Utah to Japan to San Francisco to the Eastern Sierra Nevada and back to L.A. Granted it’s not that much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s the most travelling I’ve done in a single year. And if I were to go back a bit into the end of 2011, I can add Indonesia (including Bali), Singapore and Death Valley on my list! He he.

So without further ado, here are some of my favorite shots from this past year!

I’m starting with one of my favorite photos of my favorite person in the world. My sweet +Yumi Shoji! She has not only been my closest and most dearest friend, but she’s also been my biggest supporter! She constantly encourages me to take photo trips and to try and come back with some decent shots. So I couldn’t have a year in review without mentioning her! He he. Thanks Yumi!

And by far a big highlight of my year was my not only my very first trip to the great state of Utah, but also my very first time to attend the Holi Festival of Colors! Thanks to the efforts of Scott Jarvie organizing a great photowalk in his town I was able to experience the most fun I’ve had with colors as an adult! Though I must admit, leading up to the event itself I was concerned about the colors getting on and into my gear, but once the colors hit the air, all of those worries went away. It was also thanks to the event that I was able to snap this shot, which got me a top nod on Picasa! Lucky me!

And how could any year be complete without a trip to what I’ve come to consider as my home away from home, Japan. I love Japan so much that I visited twice this year! Granted the latter visit was so I could be with Yumi for her birthday week, but any chance I have to visit Japan, I’ll probably take it! I took this during the Hanami in the Nakameguro district of Tokyo. Fun times with great people and a beautiful scene. I’m already planning my next trip out there. He he.

Another amazing place I was able to visit this year was the Eastern Sierra Nevada. I can honestly say that there wasn’t one spot there that wasn’t incredibly scenic and it made it quite difficult to take a bad shot. My goal is to eventually see the area during each season of the year. Maybe not all in one year, but I’ll get to it eventually, count on it!

Before this year I hadn’t been to San Francisco in very many years so while a bunch of my photographer pals were in town, this past summer was the perfect time to make a return visit. Yes I’m a Dodger, and yes S.F. is Giants territory, but it didn’t keep me from enjoying such a beautiful city!

And of course, everyday in the City of Angels is always enough of an adventure to keep me busy all year long. There are still so many spots where around town that I want to shoot that I don’t think I’ll get to it all in my lifetime, but that won’t stop me from trying to get those shots!

So there you have it, a brief review of my year and a few of my favorite shots from this past years travels. I wanted to include several more portraits of all of the great people that I’ve met, but I have so many, but yet not enough to cover everybody so I’ll just have to save those folks for another post. He he, but I hope you enjoyed these as I posted them, and I hope you enjoyed seeing them again. Here’s to what was a great year, and here’s to great things in the year to come!

Thanks again for your support!