Top 10 Photos - 2024

When I started the Cognitive Dissonance Dispatch, one of my goals was to help strengthen and provide an outlet for my photography. A year later, it’s time to look back and see how I did. So today I am going to review and share 10 of my favorite images posted in 2024.

I took a lot of pictures over the past 12-18 months, something in the order of 4,000 images across 50+ locations. Many of these I have not shared yet, so you have more to look forward to! But I need to narrow the list down a bit for this exercise. So, I will use the following criteria for consideration for the Top 10:

• Pictures must have been featured in the newsletter, either in a normal post or in one of my ‘Five Picture Friday’ features.

• Must have been posted in 2024. (Not necessarily taken in 2024, just posted).

With that said, let’s get to it!

Piranha: I spent a morning at the Oregon Zoo, trying to capture images for Five Picture Friday. I was fairly disappointed with the results, except for this haunting picture that I dropped into one of my earliest posts. To capture this, I mashed my camera right up against the aquarium glass, and hoped the focus would take care of itself. I love the moody lighting, the ghostly background of other fishes, and how the dead eye stare of the subject Piranha looks through your soul. The fish seems to be sizing you up - and finding you lacking.

Devil’s Backbone: Moving to Colorado opened up a whole new array of landscapes and ecosystems to explore, and we wasted no time. About 15 miles from our new home, the Devil’s Backbone is a spectacular rock formation that snakes through the foothills of the Rocky Mountain Front Range. This image captures the mood of a short hike there, and I am proud of the simple, three-layered composition - sky and grass intersected by the orange rocks of area’s namesake geology.

Brick Lane graffiti: One of the surprising themes of my photography in 2024 was the amount of street art and graffiti I shot. This visual interest and controlled chaos shows up numerous times, including this image from my post on Brick Lane. I appreciate the composition and bifurcation of the frame, with the staircase in the middle, separating the more formal mural on the right from the bashed metal image on the left.

Whistler Sk Area: I am not sure why, but again and again I found myself photographing signs and nature. I suppose I find the contrast between wilderness and signage interesting…perhaps a metaphor for man’s need to control nature. In any case, this image captures the drama of the terrain around the Whistler Ski resort, and I find the select focus, the orange color against the blue sky, and the shadows creeping up the mountain a visually interesting combination.

Portland Waterfront: I deliberately composed the ‘frame within the frame’ here, one bridge showcasing another and highlighting a dominant architectural feature of Portland’s waterfront. Again graffiti shows up as a theme, and the river does a nice job of drawing your eye through the image to the ship and beyond. For those of us who have spent time in Portland, this picture rings true on so many levels.

Redwood root: The photographer Robert Capa famously said “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.” This is a rule I try to remember, not always successfully. But this shot of a root growing on a dead redwood tree along the Boy Scout Tree trail in Northern California comes close. I like the simplicity and the implied story revealed here…that of the regenerative aspects of nature and the relentless march of time.

Slot canyon: Some locations are so amazing and grand that it is hard NOT to take a good photograph. Little Wild Horse Canyon in Utah is an example. Here the shape shifting sandstone, windswept patterns etched in the rock, and pastel color palette do the heavy lifting, providing endless photographic opportunities. To capture this image, one simply has to not-overthink things - compose carefully, and let nature speak for itself.

Dr. Pepper Museum: Another topic I spent a lot of time photographing was architecture and buildings - particularly historic structures in varying states of disrepair. Spending time in my hometown of Waco, Tx, I framed this shot of the Dr. Pepper Museum, a rather interesting structure built in 1906. I love the unique brickwork, stone arches, textures, and geometric composition of this image captured on a cloudy day.

Boat: Speaking of cloudy days, I never really expected to be in a place like Sandy Point when I took this image. A small coastal community in the NW corner of Washington State, I really enjoyed walking around the harbor on a grey day in January. This image strikes me for two reasons. First, I nailed the lighting, which is not usually my photographic strength. But the reflective water, overcast skies, and muted colors combine very well. Second, I love the subject itself, the sunken boat juxtaposed against a rapidly changing real estate market - a metaphor perhaps, or story of aquatic gentrification, if you will.

Badlands sign: Another ‘nature and sign’ image, this time in Badlands National Park. Here the message of the sign seems non-sensical and a little obvious when faced with the cliffs and treacherous drop-offs in the background. I enjoy the disconnect illustrated here between the peace and grandeur of the natural world with lawyerly gibberish.

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The end. I actually had a hard time picking just 10 images for this post. My initial cut was around 20, and I left some good photographs behind. I do believe I settled in and got progressively better over the year, both because I was getting more familiar with the capabilities of my camera and just plain practice. It’s interesting to see the themes that emerged, buildings, nature and signs, graffiti, and more. I am curious to see if that trend continues into 2025.

Tell me what you think. Were there pictures this year (or locations) that struck you? Did you have any favorites? I’d love to hear from folks about what you they like and enjoy. Shoot me an email.

And off we go into 2025! I already have some fun locations planned, and have crafted some artistic philosophical rules to shape my work. More to come on that.

Happy New Year, and stay tuned!

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Disclaimer:

All content and opinions are solely those of the author (Jack), and not representative of my employer, former employers, clients, anyone in Congress, my family, former college roommates, Baptists, the good citizens of Colorado, or my dog Mabel.