2021: My Year in Pictures

December 30, 2021

Every year, in late December, I go back and review the images I captured over the previous 12 months. I love reminiscing about the trips I took, reliving the moments I experienced, the things that I saw. I love seeing how I grew as a photographer. And I love thinking about the people I shared those moments with- my wife, my kids, my friends, and colleagues. So here is my review of 2021 in pictures. Despite all the obstacles, 2021 was a pretty amazing year.

Morning Glow on Bailey Island

The sky glows a soft pink and orange as sun rises over Casco Bay as waves crash against the rocky shoreline of Bailey Island near Giants Stairs.

Sunset at Two Lights

The waters of Casco Bay rush in over the rocky shoreline of Cape Elizabeth, Maine at Two Lights State Park.

Winter at the Grist Mill

A fresh blanket of snow covers the ground and trees on a winter morning at the grist mill in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

2021 saw me start the year at home in Maine. I've always enjoyed winter weather, and I love getting out and photographing a good snow storm. So while I waited for the snow, I got out to photograph some coastal scenes where I didn't necessarily need snow, but also didn't need lush green foliage. Maine's rocky coast is perfect for that. By the end of January a good snow was predicted in central Massachusetts, so I headed to Sudbury where I made the above image of the Wayside Grist Mill, just as the snow stopped falling. It was an idyllic scene and made for a great day driving around in the snow with my friend Kristen Wilkinson.

Late Winter Morn on Casco Bay

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse stands watch at the end of a breakwater marking the entrance to Portland Harbor from Casco Bay.


By April, it was time to get outside of New England a little bit. This is when my year started to get a little crazy. Somehow, 2021 became the Year of the Beach for me, as Kristen and I headed to North Carolina to photograph the Outer Banks. It would be quite a change considering that 2020 seemed to be the Year of the Mountains for us.

The Dunes of OBX

The late day sun casts long shadows across the beach on Bodie Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Coquina Sunrise

Waves wash over the sand as the sun rises above the Atlantic Ocean on Coquina Beach in North Carolina's Outer Banks.


When I returned from the Outer Banks, my wife and I spent a few days in New York City. I enjoyed showing her my old haunts, and having as much of the best pizza anywhere as we could stomach! We also spent some time in Central Park, where I made the photo below.

Central Park South from Gapstow Bridge

The buildings of Central Park South rise up over the Pond, as seen from Gapstow Bridge on a spring day in Central Park, New York.

Spring Evening on the Brooklyn Bridge

Clouds pass overhead walking across the the Brooklyn Bridge heading into Manhattan on a spring evening.


In May, things really kicked into high gear. I kicked off an epic three week plus road trip that took me from my home in Maine, to Cape Cod, to the Smoky Mountains, to the Gulf Coast, to the bayous of Louisiana, and then back again. It was incredible. While Cape Cod and the Smokies weren't new to me, it had been a while since I had explored them at all. I had been to Louisiana before, but never photographed there. My friend Andy Crawford took me to places I'd never have been able to find, let alone reach, without a boat and an experienced guide.

Race Point Lighthouse

The sun sets on Cape Cod as Race Point Lighthouse stands tall above the dunes near Provincetown on a spring evening.

Spring Glow in Cades Cove

Spring comes to Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a walnut tree blossoms on a May morning.

It was a peaceful morning on Lake Maurepas as I waded waist-deep in the waters with my camera and tripod to catch the first light on the cypresses in the swamp.

It was a peaceful morning on Lake Maurepas as I waded waist-deep in the waters with my camera and tripod to catch the first light on the cypresses in the swamp.

Hodgson Water Mill

Constructed in 1897, Hodgson Water Mill sits on Bryant Creek in Ozark County, Missouri. It's pictured here on a spring afternoon.


After returning from my road trip to the south, it was time for a few weeks in Maine. Kristen and I headed up to Acadia National Park for a few days of photographing and exploring the area. I never get tired of Acadia, and I know there are still nooks and crannies I have yet to capture with my camera.

Afterglow at Bass Harbor Marsh

The sky glows after sunset over Bass Harbor Marsh in Tremont, Maine, on a spring evening.


My son graduated high school at the end of June. I had wanted to spend some time with him before he headed off to college, so I proposed a road trip. After discussing several destinations, we decided on two main stops: Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, and Sun Valley, Idaho, and the Sawtooth Mountains.

Sawtooth Dawn

The Sawtooth Mountains tower over a stand of pines on a summer morning in Idaho as the sky glows with the first light of the day.


Once back from the mountains out west, my wife Jess and I took some much deserved and needed time together. First stop was the Jersey Shore to visit my mom, where I captured Jess during a misty pink sunrise on the beach on Long Beach Island.

Once back in Maine, Jess and I headed down east to Lubec for a long weekend. I was supposed to go photograph puffins but unfortunately the weather prevented that, with rough seas keeping the boat the dock. So we decided to hike the Cutler Coast Trail. The trail proved to be a bigger challenge than we imagined, but the views were breathtaking and we were together, so it made for an awesome day together. And we hiked the entire 11 miles, so we were proud of ourselves. The image below was our favorite view of the day.

The Cutler Coast

The rugged Bold Coast near Cutler, Maine, on a summer morning as a light fog rolls in.


In September I headed to the Oregon Coast for the first time in six years. I first fell in love with the area in 2013, and returned in 2015. Both of those trips focused on the Cannon Beach area. And while I did spend a few days in Cannon Beach this trip, I got my first taste of the southern Oregon Coast too, visit Bandon for the first time. I'll be returning to the northern Oregon Coast in June 2022 for a workshop based around Cannon Beach.

Evening on Cannon Beach

Sea birds gather at sunset on Cannon Beach Oregon as Haystack Rock stands tall in the distance.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Heceta Head lighthouse greets a new day from it's perch on a headland on the Oregon coast 13 miles south of Yachats, Oregon.


I spent the fall back in New England, beginning with a return to Acadia in October. Acadia is magical when the leaves are turning. Unfortunately, this year the leaves were a bit later than usual so the foliage wasn't quite as colorful as it had been in the past. However, the great thing about Acadia is that it is beautiful no matter when you go, so we made the best of things and were gifted with some incredible views along the way.

Gorham Mountain Autumn

Gorham Mountain looks out on the Atlantic Ocean as Otter Cliff stands in the distance on an autumn morning in Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor, Maine.


Once I returned from Acadia, my focus (no pun intended) was more on building this new website, as well as preparing for the holidays, so I didn't get out quite as much. I did spend one day photographing in Boston, and headed out nearby to Squirrel Point Lighthouse, just across the Kennebec River from my home. I finished up the year by photographing an early snow storm and capturing a classic New England fishing shack with a Christmas tree lit up.

Just south of Bath, Maine, Squirrel Point Lighthouse sits on the southwestern tip of Arrowsic Island, watching over the Kennebec River on a chilly autumn evenin

Just south of Bath, Maine, Squirrel Point Lighthouse sits on the southwestern tip of Arrowsic Island, watching over the Kennebec River on a chilly autumn evening.

2021 was an amazing year for many reasons, both personally and professionally. It's been my pleasure to be able to share the experience with those of you who have followed and supported my work through the year. I hope you'll stick around to see what I manage to capture and explore in 2022!