{"id":5049,"date":"2008-12-31T00:00:47","date_gmt":"2008-12-31T07:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/?p=5049"},"modified":"2020-03-08T03:33:53","modified_gmt":"2020-03-07T19:33:53","slug":"best-photos-of-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/best-photos-of-2008.html","title":{"rendered":"Best Photos of 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"

Best Photos of 2008<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2008, my photographic pursuits took me (and often, Tracy and the girls as well) all over San Diego, the central coast and deserts of California, Canada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, up in a plane and south of the border. Here are the photos from 2008 that I consider my favorites, mostly for sentimental reasons but also because I think they are good images.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah. The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only.
\nImage ID: 20607<\/a>
\nLocation: North Coyote Buttes<\/a>, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness<\/a>, Arizona<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Blue<\/a><\/p>\n

Blue whale. The sleek hydrodynamic shape of the enormous blue whale allows it to swim swiftly through the ocean, at times over one hundred miles in a single day.
\nImage ID: 21250<\/a>
\nSpecies: Blue whale<\/a>, Balaenoptera musculus<\/i><\/a>
\nLocation: La Jolla<\/a>, California<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Brown<\/a><\/p>\n

Brown pelican head throw. During a bill throw, the pelican arches its neck back, lifting its large bill upward and stretching its throat pouch.
\nImage ID: 20257<\/a>
\nSpecies: Brown Pelican<\/a>, Pelecanus occidentalis<\/i><\/a>, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus<\/i><\/a>
\nLocation: La Jolla<\/a>, California<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Middle<\/a><\/p>\n

Middle Coronado Island, viewed from the south.
\nImage ID: 21322<\/a>
\nLocation: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado)<\/a>, Baja California<\/a>, Mexico<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

A great white shark swims underwater through the ocean at Guadalupe Island.
\nImage ID: 21346<\/a>
\nSpecies: Great white shark<\/a>, Carcharodon carcharias<\/i><\/a>
\nLocation: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe)<\/a>, Baja California<\/a>, Mexico<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Sunrise<\/a><\/p>\n

Sunrise in Joshua Tree National Park.
\nImage ID: 22100<\/a>
\nSpecies: Joshua tree<\/a>, Yucca brevifolia<\/i><\/a>
\nLocation: Joshua Tree National Park<\/a>, California<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Male<\/a><\/p>\n

Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight in the surf for access for mating females that are in estrous. Such fighting among elephant seals can take place on the beach or in the water. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides.
\nImage ID: 20369<\/a>
\nSpecies: Elephant seal<\/a>, Mirounga angustirostris<\/i><\/a>
\nLocation: Piedras Blancas<\/a>, San Simeon<\/a>, California<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Sea<\/a><\/p>\n

Sea otters mating. The male holds the female’s head or nose with his jaws during copulation. Visible scars are often present on females from this behavior. Sea otters have a polygynous mating system. Many males actively defend territories and will mate with females that inhabit their territory or seek out females in estrus if no territory is established. Males and females typically bond for the duration of estrus, or about 3 days.
\nImage ID: 21606<\/a>
\nSpecies: Sea otter<\/a>, Enhydra lutris<\/i><\/a>
\nLocation: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve<\/a>, Moss Landing<\/a>, California<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Coyote,<\/a><\/p>\n

Coyote, pausing to look for prey as it passes through Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
\nImage ID: 21803<\/a>
\nSpecies: Coyote<\/a>, Canis latrans<\/i><\/a>
\nLocation: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge<\/a>, Socorro<\/a>, New Mexico<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Sunset<\/a><\/p>\n

Sunset at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, with sandhill cranes silhouetted in reflection in the calm pond. Spectacular sunsets at Bosque del Apache, rich in reds, oranges, yellows and purples, make for striking reflections of the thousands of cranes and geese found in the refuge each winter.
\nImage ID: 21804<\/a>
\nSpecies: Sandhill crane<\/a>, Grus canadensis<\/i><\/a>
\nLocation: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge<\/a>, Socorro<\/a>, New Mexico<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"California<\/a><\/p>\n

California poppy plants viewed from the perspective of a bug walking below the bright orange blooms.
\nImage ID: 20539<\/a>
\nSpecies: California poppy<\/a>, Eschscholzia californica<\/i><\/a>, Eschscholtzia californica<\/i><\/a>
\nLocation: Del Dios<\/a>, San Diego<\/a>, California<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Dune<\/a><\/p>\n

Dune primrose (white) and sand verbena (purple) bloom in spring in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, mixing in a rich display of desert color. Anza Borrego Desert State Park.
\nImage ID: 20464<\/a>
\nSpecies: Dune Evening Primrose<\/a>, Sand Verbena<\/a>, Oenothera deltoides<\/i><\/a>, Abronia villosa<\/i><\/a>
\nLocation: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park<\/a>, Anza Borrego<\/a>, California<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"UCSD<\/a><\/p>\n

UCSD Library glows with light in this night time exposure (Geisel Library, UCSD Central Library).
\nImage ID: 20142<\/a>
\nLocation: University of California, San Diego<\/a>, La Jolla<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The Bellagio Hotel fountains light up the reflection pool as the half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas rises above them, at night.
\nImage ID: 20559<\/a>
\nLocation: Las Vegas<\/a>, Nevada<\/a>, USA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

A bubble ring. A young girl watches as a bubble ring ascends through the water toward her.
\nImage ID: 20776<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Mariner<\/a><\/p>\n

Mariner Mountain, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, part of Strathcona Provincial Park, located 36 km (22 mi) north of Tofino. It is 1,771 m (5,810 ft) high, snow covered year-round and home to several glaciers.
\nImage ID: 21107<\/a>
\nLocation: Mariner Mountain<\/a>, Strathcona Provincial Park<\/a>, British Columbia<\/a>, Canada<\/a><\/p>\n

See also: Best Photos of 2007<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Best Photos of 2008 In 2008, my photographic pursuits took me (and often, Tracy and the girls as well) all over San Diego, the central coast and deserts of California, Canada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, up in a plane and south of the border. Here are the photos from 2008…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9109,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[211],"class_list":{"0":"post-5049","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-the-years-best-photography","8":"tag-best-photos-of-the-year"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5049"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5049\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanlight.com\/log\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}