So if you are here you probably read my January Photo of the Month Email post and came to check out the rest of the images I talked about. I had a great year taking images of the Eastern Sierra and I just could not narrow it down to 10 or so. So with no further intro here we go.

2019 was a great year for clouds. This weekend the clouds were forming in masse, there were micro bursts all over the place and I spent the entire day chasing here and there to capture them. Toward mid-day this massive cloud started forming and morphing. It was just incredible to watch. I chased it for a couple of hours. For those of you who know this spot you will realize just how big this cloud actually is.

The weather was perfect this day in Bodie. The clouds were awesome and it only drizzled a little bit. I went with the goal of seeking unique compositions so was really pushing what I wanted out of the images. The painted barber sign was a perfect frame to show the rest of the town. In the image I was able to get the barber shop, the firehouse, and the school. Then there were the clouds testifying what a tough life living in Bodie must have been!

The vehicles in Bodie get their photos taken a lot. I wanted to get a unique take and this old truck was the perfect vehicle (pun intended.) While it is going nowhere it shows it wants to go forward, but at the same time keeping an eye on the past. A perfect analogy for Bodie. Did I say the clouds where awesome that day?

I love the layers in this. The buildings showing their wear and tear but still standing defiantly against the harsh elements.

This spot by the Silver Lake Resort is one of our favorite places to unwind. There is a grassy area with picnic tables where you can sit and just let this scene suck all the tension out of you. I was lucky as it was late in the day and the lake was still like glass. It is a view you cannot beat.

I have been working on framing my images in such a way to create what Ian Plant calls a visual flow. As we were driving down this road we spotted this gorgeous Lupine with a view of the snow capped mountains. I slammed on my breaks threw it in reverse and took this image. It actually is one of my personal favorites form 2019.

I also have a Facebook post on this image. The Green Church is an instantly recognizable icon to anyone who regularly comes to the Eastern Sierra around Mammoth. For me it brings the sense that my adventure is about to begin as a lot of the dirt roads I like to explore are down the road from this Church. It is hard to get a good image of this Church as there is a lot of visual clutter very close to it including a power pole, fences, and a very ugly propane tank. It took me years to get an image I liked but I do like this one. In the image the Church is the beginning of the adventure represented by the Mother Ship cloud in the background.

It was so cool to see the Full Moon on the horizon that was being lit up by the morning sun.

Horsetail Falls in the June Lake Loop is another icon that amazes people with its power during the Spring. It is difficult to get a good image of the falls as there are trees and other objects that crowd your view as you look up from the floor below. It took me a couple of trips driving around different narrow streets to find this unobstructed angle. I really like the fact you are almost at the same level as the falls.

Many will instantly recognize this spot. For me it is another icon that tells me my adventure is about to begin. This day with the clouds and the snow covered mountains it was an adventure all by itself!

The entrance to Hot Creek was not lying when it told me there would be adventure. It was late in the day, well after the golden hour, so I did not expect to get a remarkable image. But the light had not gotten to harsh yet and snow and the clouds created a perfect frame for this beautiful gorge.

I have fallen in love with Hwy 120 heading east from Hwy 395. It is such a wide open vista that it reminds me of the old western movies. Add some snow and clouds and I have an image I want to print as big as I can make it!

I had scouted this spot out as a great place to get an unobstructed view of Mammoth Mountain. I found the sunrise occurring behind me was even more beautiful than the image I had come to capture!

Sometimes you just get lucky. I set up my camera on a tripod way down low. So low it was difficult to see into the viewfinder. I eyeballed where the lens seemed to be pointing and hit the remote shutter. I ended up with another of my personal favorites from the year.

We took a trip back east to help our favorite Aunt and Uncle go from Pennsylvania to Florida. It was right during the peak of the Fall Colors. North Lake itself was no where near peak but the road to it was gorgeous. Oh ya, and those clouds!

I love this spot but I have never been able to capture an image that did it justice. This time the light was right and I moved off the bridge down to the edge of the stream. It made all the difference.

I almost did not take this image. I thought it did not have a strong enough focal point to tame the kaos. I did take the image and it has gotten the most emotional reaction from folks that have viewed my images. Sometimes the fool has to rush in where the wise man fears to tread.

Another image gotten via luck. We were coming back from June Lake and decided on a whim to take the Scenic Route into town. Wow that road really looks good in white!

There was no luck in capturing this image as it was all planned. I had scouted out the area the day before and knew exactly what I wanted to capture. Other than standing in 17 degree temperature for an extended period the only other thing that had me worried was that a fog had rolled in and was threatening to obscure the mountains. It dissipated just before the aplenglow started. So I guess even though it was well planned I did have some luck after all.

I will end this post with the image of the stream that ended my camera. About 15 minutes after I took this image my camera fell into the stream. My wife was amazed at how calm I was but I have been reading the Daily Stoic and realized no amount of cussing, screaming, or pouting would bring the camera back. The good news is the CF card was fine and I did not loose this image!

If you can believe it I actually did not post all of the images I had planned to. 2019 was a banner year for my photography. I would be very interested in hearing from you which image you think was best. So feel free to post here on the post, email me, or post on my Facebook page.

Hoping 2020 is even better that 2019!

Bob Kent Photography

Sierra Sublime Blog

Best Images of 2019