While I made a fair number of images last year, most were shot on vacations or while out and about with the family. This was one of the very few outings I took last year just to take pictures ... a short hike past Abbott's Lagoon in Pt. Reyes National Seashore on a rainy day in May. I was hunting for wildflowers and as I neared the beach found a bunch of purple irises in bloom. These two were picture perfect just a few hundred yards from the beach, with the stormy lagoon in the background. Wind and rain forced me to shoot at a higher ISO, and the flat light required a little more post-processing than I typically do, but overall I am pleased with the result. Mostly done in Lightroom4, then some Topaz DeNoise before resizing and adding a border in Elements 8.
(The crop is dead straight with the far horizon line, but looks a little crooked because the foreground iris is not vertically straight. I kept going back and forth between lining the crop up with the horizon and the flower and settled on the former. Will be interested to see if anyone comments on the perceived tilt or not).
Expecting about a 5.75, good chance it will be lower. At best maybe it squeaks above 6. But whatever the score, it will be another nice benchmark to throw out there as I start 2014.
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