Another year has come to an end, which leads me to look back on the best images I snapped over the last 12 months.
In past years I’ve split this into two posts — “landscapes” (here’s the best of 2013 and best of 2014), and then “people, wildlife, and food” (best of 2013 and best of 2014). This year I’ll mix it up. This post will display ALL of my best images from 2015, and then tomorrow I’ll be back with a Year in Review — not necessarily my top photos, but the ones that best document all of the adventures of the last year.
Without further ado, here are the photos I’m most proud of from 2015. It’s relatively chronological however all images from my European trip (Iceland, Spain, Portugal) are at the bottom of the post.
Sunset in Santa Monica, California.
A glowing sunset illuminates the Santa Monica Pier, with Catalina Island in the distance.
Pasadena, California.
Easter Sunday at Leo Carrillo beach in Malibu, California.
Hiking in Griffith Park with views of downtown Los Angeles.
Silhouette of stretching hikers in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.
Echo Park, Los Angeles.
Experimenting with flashlight photography while camping under the stars near Havasupai, Arizona.
One of the prettiest spots in the United States — Havasu Falls, Arizona. Difficult to reach but worth the effort.
Best campsite of my life at Havasu Falls, Arizona.
Swimming in the pools under Havasu Falls.
Flying over the Colorado Rockies.
Flying over Ft. Myers, Florida.
An empty beach before the summer rush in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Harwich, Cape Cod.
Classic Cape Cod home in Chatham, Massachusetts.
Beach roses in Harwich, Massachusetts.
Stellar sunset in West Dennis, Massachusetts.
Walking the beach in Chatham at the height of summer, keeping an eye out for sharks.
Hiking in Guilford, Connecticut.
Pink clouds at sunset over Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut.
A calm summer evening at Silver Lake summer camp in Sharon, Connecticut.
Late afternoon in Stony Creek, Connecticut.
A stroll through falling leaves near the Little Pond Boardwalk Loop Trail at White Memorial Conservation Center in Connecticut.
Admiring the fall foliage in Sharon, Connecticut.
World Trade Center memorial in Manhattan, New York.
Philipsburg Manor the week before Halloween in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
Main Street in Stockbridge, Massachusetts just before Christmas.
A quiet morning at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.
Soaking with a face mask at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.
Best salmon of my life at KEX Hostel in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Inside the magma chamber of an extinct volcano in Iceland.
Exposed lava tubes in Iceland.
Hallgrimskirkja church in Reykjavik, Iceland. That statue in front is Leif Erikson.
View over Reykjavik, Iceland from the top of Hallgrimskirkja church.
Godafoss, one of Iceland’s many scenic waterfalls.
Camping at Lake Myvatn, Iceland.
Spotting a glimpse of the Northern Lights a few weeks ahead of schedule at Myvatn Nature Baths in Iceland.
A hot spring inside a cave called Grjotagja, perhaps better known as the ‘Game of Thrones’ sex cave.
Boiling mud pools and steaming fumaroles at Hverir geothermal area in Iceland.
Powerful Dettifoss waterfall in Iceland.
Icebergs at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon in Iceland.
A wider shot of Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Iceland.
Svartifoss waterfall by the Skaftafell Visitors Center in Iceland.
Turf houses in Iceland.
The ridiculously scenic Fjadrargljufur canyon in southern Iceland.
Another shot of Fjadrargljufur canyon, Iceland.
Skogafoss waterfall in Iceland.
Icelandic horses by the side of the road in southern Iceland.
Seljalandsfoss is my favorite waterfall in all of Iceland because you can walk behind it!
The Northern Lights shine brightly as I depart Reykjavik, Iceland around 1am.
Roman aqueducts in Segovia, Spain.
Another angle of the Roman aqueducts in Segovia, Spain.
Alcázar castle in Segovia, Spain.
Impressive courtyard horticulture at the Alcázar in Segovia, Spain.
Tapas and sangria in Madrid, Spain.
Churros and chocolate in Madrid, Spain.
The Alhambra in Granada, Spain.
The Alhambra in Granada, Spain.
Church plaza in Granada, Spain.
Postcards and a frappuccino in Granada, Spain.
The village of Ronda, Spain, perched above this gorge.
A flamenco dancer strikes a pose in Seville, Spain.
Plaza de España in Seville, Spain. It was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.
Bright blue flowerpots in Cordoba, Spain.
A sandbar beach in Fuseta, Portugal.
The city of Faro, Portugal glows pink just after sunset.
Best beach in Europe — Praia da Marinha along the Algarve coast in southern Portugal.
Rock formations along the Algarve coast in southern Portugal.
Benagil Cave, the best in a series of caves along the Algarve coast in southern Portugal.
Commerce Square in Lisbon, Portugal.
The incredibly tasty pasties de Belêm — a flaky pastry with custard inside — in Lisbon, Portugal.
Pena National Palace — the most impressive of the castles in Sintra, Portugal.
Castle of the Moors in Sintra, Portugal.
An inverted tower spiraling deep into the ground at Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal.
Best cod of my life in the Douro Valley wine region of Portugal.
Trolley car in Lisbon, Portugal.
A view overlooking Porto, my favorite city in Portugal.
The famous Lello bookstore in Porto, Portugal.
Sunset in Porto, Portugal.
And that wraps up a year for which I am overwhelmingly grateful. These photos don’t even touch upon the great memories I made with family and friends this past year, not to mention some great work experiences (more on all those tomorrow) — so to combine those moments with the beautiful spots I was fortunate to photograph in this post, and I can only bow down in gratitude.
Awesome photography Erica!
XO, Mom!
Great show !!
Thank you, Mr. Wing! It was fun putting this together!
Erica, I absolutely love following your photos and your posts. Thoroughly enjoy my armchair travels with you! I feel like I know you and your family….Keep it coming!!!
I look forward to your escapades in 2016! Mary Ellen
Thank you so much, Mary Ellen! I love hearing that! It’s a pleasure to share my photos and adventures here, and it’s all the more rewarding to know that people like you enjoy them. Happy New Year!
After enjoying all these pictures, I feel so grateful you were able to fit me into your busy, busy, busy schedule. Happy New Year. Here’s to 2016 and more pictures!
Mr. Marquardt, I am so thrilled to have seen you this past year. Let’s make it happen again in 2016! Cheers to the New Year, may it be a happy and healthy one for you and your family!