Capturing Moments: My Favorite Shots of 2024 by Michael Frye

The votes have been gathered and tallied, presenting my favorite photographs of 2024!

This year, we received a wonderful response: 627 individuals reviewed my preliminary selection of 45 images and cast their votes for the ones they liked best. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who dedicated their time to browse through these photographs and share their thoughts! I am especially grateful for the warm comments many people left, either online or via email. Although I wish I could reply to each one, please understand that I have read them all and sincerely appreciate all your encouragement.

As a token of our appreciation, we’re giving away a print to one of the voters. Each individual who voted was assigned a number, and we utilized a random number generator to select the winner. And the lucky recipient is… Joe Kenny! Joe will receive a signed and numbered 16×20 print of his choice from among the 45 original selections. Congratulations, Joe!

I opted to create this final list of twelve, rather than just ten, because I believe the top twelve offer a more diverse selection. Here’s the listing of my top twelve images from 2024:

1. Image #38, Moon, Half Dome, and cottonwood trees, Yosemite NP, California, 355 votes
2. Image #14, Dappled light above the Colorado River, Grand Canyon NP, Arizona, 295 votes
3. Image #8, Dunes in a sandstorm at sunrise, Death Valley NP, California, 274 votes
4. Image #12, Hoodoos, stars, and clouds, New Mexico, 233 votes
5. Image #30, Crashing wave on a foggy morning, Oregon Coast, 224 votes
6. Image #1, Light and mist on Washington Column, Yosemite NP, California, 220 votes
7. Image #24, Aurora above St. Mary Lake, Glacier NP, Montana, 215 votes
8. Image #20, Sunset clouds, Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite NP, California, 214 votes
9. Image #17, The Teton Range from Jackson Lake at sunrise, Grand Teton NP, Wyoming, 188 votes
10. Image #32, Sun setting behind a small tree, Oregon Coast, 187 votes
11. Image #44, Sun, oaks, and sunbeams, Yosemite NP, California, 174 votes
12. Image #4, Half Dome above a fog layer at sunrise, Yosemite NP, California, 172 votes

If you’re curious, numbers 26, 7, and 3 completed the top 15.

Last year’s final collection included no expansive landscape scenes, while this year’s top twelve primarily consists of magnificent landscapes. I suspect that’s likely due to my limited opportunities for photographing grand landscapes in 2023, whereas 2024 offered me more chances, which is reflected in the initial selections.

Although the majority of the final twelve are grand landscapes, they don’t exclusively feature wide-angle perspectives. In fact, numbers 38, 14, 30, and 1 – which ranked first, second, fifth, and sixth in the voting – were captured using telephoto lenses. Some individuals appear to associate landscapes with wide-angle lenses, but I believe there are numerous ways to perceive and represent landscapes. My preferred lens is the one that aids me in narrating the story I wish to convey at that time.

I’m pleased so many of you enjoyed #38, Moon, Half Dome, and Cottonwood Trees. It was delightful to observe people’s reactions to it, and for me, it was enjoyable to photograph as a tribute to Ansel Adams and his renowned image Moon and Half Dome. However, my version of Ansel’s photograph is not precisely original, so I feel the other images in this final collection encapsulate my work and vision more accurately.

Nonetheless, it’s always exciting to see what selections people prefer, and I hope you have enjoyed this journey as well. Here are the top twelve images:

Related Posts: My Best Images of 2024: the Nominees; My Top Photographs of 2023; My Top Photographs of 2022; My Top Photographs of 2021

Michael Frye is a professional photographer focusing on landscapes and nature. He is the author or primary photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, Yosemite Meditations for Women, Yosemite Meditations for Adventurers, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters. Additionally, he has authored three eBooks: Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, Exposure for Outdoor Photography, and Landscapes in Lightroom: The Essential Step-by-Step Guide. Michael has contributed numerous articles to magazines regarding the art and techniques of photography, and his visuals have been featured in over thirty nations globally. Michael has resided in or near Yosemite National Park since 1983, currently living just outside the park in Mariposa, California.