Here are my Top 10 Best Photographs from 2011.

All but two were photographed with my normal camera (currently a Canon 5DII). The other two were photographed with my iPhone 4 camera.

One photo was initially photographed back in 2008, yet remained silent on my hard drive until late in 2011 when I went back to that photo and processed it into what it is now. And all but three photos are HDR photographs (photos consisting of multiple exposures blended together).

I hope you enjoy my favorites!

(P.S. See the bottom of this post for a coupon code for a limited-time special offer on the purchase of a print from any of these photos.)  

"Still Standing Tall" - Utah - (Click on photo for a larger view)

“Still Standing Tall” – Utah

While this was photographed in Zion National Park in 2008, it stayed in my RAW archives until late 2011 when inspiration struck and I ended up processing this image. l used Lightroom to process the RAW file. I then used onOne’s Perfect Photo Suite 6 as well as Nik’s Viveza 2 software to perfect the image.

Equipment: Canon 5D and 24-70mm lens

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"Frontier Gas Station" - New Mexico - (Click on photo for a larger view)

“Frontier Gas Station” – New Mexico

This was photographed in Northern New Mexico. For this 8 exposure HDR photograph, I converted the original color image into a rich sepia, and allowed the red from the old gas pumps to shine through with the red from the Coca Cola sign and cooler, as well as other red objects. I love how the red turned out against that great sepia color.

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"Engine #487" - Colorado - (Click on photo for a larger view)

“Engine #487″ – Colorado

This train was photographed in Southern Colorado during a somewhat stormy summer afternoon. I was traveling in my RV heading from NM to Colorado to participate in an art festival when I noticed this trainyard. I am glad I stopped because as I was walking up to the tracks, this train just happened to be arriving.

It was photographed with my Canon 5DmkII and 17-40mm lens. It is a 3 exposure HDR processed with HDR Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, and Silver Efex Pro.

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"Weathered Daisies" - Arizona - (Click on photo for a larger view)

 ”Weathered Daisies” – Arizona

These daisies were photographed with my iPhone. The cracked texture was blended into the photo using an iPhone app.

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"Cow Canyon Trading Post" - Utah - (Click on photo for a larger view)

“Cow Canyon Trading Post” – Utah

I have driven past this location over a dozen times in the last few years with never stopping for a photo. Finally after all that time inspiration struck and this is the result, photographed in 2011.

This was photographed with my Canon 5DmkII and 17-40mm lens. It is a 3 photo HDR that was processed with the following software: Lightroom, Photoshop, HDR Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, and Color Efex Pro.

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"Cathedral Rock Sunset" - Sedona, Arizona - (Click on photo for a larger view)

“Cathedral Rock Sunset” – Sedona, Arizona

I have photographed in Sedona a number of times, but was never before pleased with what I had from the Red Rock Crossing area. This was photographed in the Spring of this year (2011) – a few years since I last photographed in Sedona.

A fairly boring sky was rendered interesting with the use of a photo texture that was blended into the entire photo.

Equipment: Canon 5DmkII and 17-40mm lens, tripod

Processing: 3 photo HDR. Raws were processed in Lightroom. HDR Efex Pro was used for the HDR processing. Image was also processed using Nik’s Silver Efex Pro 2, Color Efex Pro 4, and Viveza 2. The photo texture is from FlyPaper Textures

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"Old Betsy at Sunset" - Arizona - (Click on photo for a larger view)

“Old Betsy at Sunset” – Arizona

I spent quite a bit of time photographing this old truck for 3 months at the beginning of 2011. The fact that it was parked right near where my RV was parked made it all the easier. The cloud cover was really quite striking this particular evening.

Equipment: Canon 5DmkII and 17-40mm lens, tripod

Processing: 6 photo HDR. Raws were processed in Lightroom. HDR Efex Pro was used for the HDR processing. I had to go back to one of the original RAW files to blend in the sky because the HDR software was not able to handle the ghosting due to the clouds moving between exposures.

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"Flowers Below the Bells" - Colorado - (Click on photo for a larger view)

“Flowers Below the Bells” – Colorado

Photographed during sunrise at the ever popular and beautiful Maroon Bells in Aspen, Colorado in the summer of 2011.

This 8 exposure HDR was first processed in HDR Efex Pro. I also processed the 8 images in Photomatix Pro. I took the resulting version from each and then manually blended the two versions together in photoshop – keeping the best parts from each. I then took one of the original 8 images and used the sky in that and replaced it in the hdr version. I then used Viveza, Color Efex Pro, and ultimately Silver Efex Pro, as well as many tweaks in photoshop, to achieve the look I was after.

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"Tilting Saguaros" - Arizona - (Click on photo for a larger view)

“Tilting Saguaros” – Arizona

This is an iPhone 4 photo of the saguaros that line the entrance to the beautiful RV park I have been staying at in Florence, Arizona.

The distortion in the saguaros was done in-camera taking advantage of the iPhone’s rolling shutter. The texture layer came from post processing in Nik Software’s Snapseed app.

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"Phillips 66" - New Mexico - (Click on photo for a larger view)

“Phillips 66″ – New Mexico

This was photographed in Northern New Mexico. The interior of this building had a lot of old gas station pumps, license plates, neon lights, and other car themed antiques. It is an HDR image from a combination of a number of different exposures.

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For a Limited Time Only:

Click on your favorite photo above to see a larger view. Then click on the “Buy” link above the photo to view available prices and sizes for photographic prints, canvas giclee prints, and stunning new aluminum prints. When completing your checkout use the coupon code: Bestof2011 to save 20% off your order total, and receive free shipping!! 

Don’t delay, as this special offer ends at midnight on January 31, 2012.

This coupon code is only good towards photos in the following gallery: “My Top 10 Best Photos from 2011“.

I spent quite a bit of time photographing this old truck for 3 months at the beginning of the year (2011). The fact that it was parked right near where my RV was parked in Scottsdale, Arizona made it all the easier.

This is a multi-photo HDR image that was processed in Nik’s HDR Efex Pro software (use coupon code mattsuess at online checkout to save on any of their great plugins)

(Click on photo for a larger view)

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I have to admit it – I really don’t like going to the dentist. Despite how most dentist rooms are – bright, clean, and cheerful – this is probably how I actually see them – dark, dirty, and fearfull.

That reminds me – I think it’s time to see the dentist again

I don’t know where the fear comes from. Maybe its the retainer I had to wear as a kid, maybe the braces… had to be something from childhood, right?

For #TonemapHDRTuesday

In album Suess Photography (60 photos)

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It’s #TexureBlendThursday curated by myself and +Christine Hauber!

“Vintage Bennett” – New Mexico

Equipment: Canon 5DII and 24-70mm lens

Misc: This was photographed this September during a workshop +Christine Hauber and I were teaching. I processed it earlier this week using Lightroom, OnOne’s Perfect Photo Suite 6, as well as Nik’s HDR Efex Pro (this is a three image HDR), Nik’s Color Efex Pro 4, Viveza 2 and Silver Efex Pro. The Texture layer is from a photo I took that day of a close-up of rust on the side of a car at that location.
This is my contribution to #TextureBlendThursday that +Christine Hauber and I curate. A page has been created to see all of the best photos from today’s theme here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116571037948517819975/116571037948517819975/posts

Share your own photos that have been blended with a separate texture layer by using the tag #TextureBlendThursday

In album Suess Photography (48 photos)

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New photo release of mine being offered as an Original – edition of just one – canvas photograph!

“Still Standing Tall” is offered as an Original 30″x44″ canvas print on my website – I will only print it once on canvas, so only one lucky collector will be able to own it.

Why release this as an Original with an edition of just one? Well I have already been releasing a few photos every year as Originals for a number of years now. However I am now planning on releasing the majority of new work as originals based on feedback from my current collectors as well as feedback from others involved in selling my work.

Selling photography in editions of just one is extremely rare – in fact the only other photog I know that is actively doing this is +Christine Hauber . She and I exhibit together quite often and you can expect many more Original Photographs from us in the near future.

This does go against the “traditional rules” of photography, where the vast majority of photographs available for purchase are comprised of limited or open edition prints. Photography has always been about reproduction from an original negative or digital file – so why am I limitting it to just one print?

From a collector’s standpoint, many want the only copy of something. Painters have always sold just originals – until recently when giclee reproductions became popular. So in a sense I am following the “rules” of fine art painters and other artists whose work is available as Originals. I will offer small unsigned reproduction prints of Originals just like painters do, but just one signed large canvas photograph will now be available for my Originals.

From a personal standpoint, I am always creating new artwork. I am a full-time artist and sell my photography at juried art festivals and other locations such as galleries and a museum. It is no problem for me to constantly produce new and fresh work. Why keep displaying and selling the same limited or open edition photos year after year? Generally speaking, the longer a limited or open edition print is on the market, the less it continues to sell.

What about you? Have you ever thought of selling your photography as in just an edition of one? Know any others who sell their artwork that way?

About the photograph:

“Still Standing Tall” – Utah

Equipment: Canon 5D and 24-70mm lens

Misc While this was photographed in Zion National Park in 2008, it stayed in my RAW archives until yesterday when inspiration struck and I ended up processing this image. l used Lightroom to process the RAW file. I then used onOne’s Perfect Photo Suite 6 as well as Nik’s Viveza 2 software to perfect the image.

#TreeTuesday #PlusPhotoExtract

In album Suess Photography (47 photos)

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Covering three-plus themes with one photo: #MyTownTuesday #TreeTuesday and #TonemapHDRTuesday with a slight nod to #TuesDecay (although this truck isn’t abandoned it sure is showing some beautiful decay).

“Old Betsy at Sunset” – Arizona

Equipment: Canon 5DmkII and 17-40mm lens, tripod

Processing: 6 photo HDR. Raws were processed in Lightroom. HDR Efex Pro was used for the HDR processing. I had to go back to one of the original RAW files to blend in the sky because the HDR software was not able to handle the ghosting due to the clouds moving between exposures.

Misc:I spent quite a bit of time photographing this old truck for 3 months at the beginning of this year. The fact that it was parked right near where my RV was parked made it all the easier. The cloud cover was really quite striking this particular evening.

In album Suess Photography (39 photos)

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“Flowers Below the Bells” – Colorado

This was photographed in Central Colorado at Maroon Bells outside of Aspen in the summer of 2011 at sunrise.

This 8 exposure HDR was first processed in HDR Efex Pro. I also processed the 8 images in Photomatix Pro. I took the resulting version from each and then manually blended the two versions together in photoshop – keeping the best parts from each. I then took one of the original 8 images and used the sky in that and replaced it in the hdr version. I then used Viveza, Color Efex Pro, and ultimately Silver Efex Pro, as well as many tweaks in photoshop, to achieve the look I was after.

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The other month ago I published in my photo galleries a new photo from this year called “Empty Bottles”. It was photographed in Northern New Mexico in a old fountain drink type of trailer.

"Empty Bottles" - New Mexico

The glass bottles feature Dr Pepper, Sunkist, and Coca Cola with a rusty old Pepsi sign in the background. Subjects like this make great HDR photos as the HDR technique brings out so much detail and character.

These bottles have been left in place for quite some time. I photographed it just the way I saw it. I didn’t move or rotate any of the bottles. Sometimes the way you see a scene is much better than if you change of move items for a “better” visual.

This was photographed with my Canon 5DmkII and 17-40mm lens. It is a 3 photo HDR that was processed with the following software: Lightroom, Photoshop, HDR Efex Pro.

Click on above photo for a larger view.

The three photos on the left show how each image looked straight out of Lightroom. The photo on the lower right shows how it looked after HDR Efex Pro. And the photo in the upper right is the final result.

Interested in learning how to create your own HDR images? Join me in one of my workshops or live online webinars.

Save 15% on Nik Software including HDR Efex Pro by entering the coupon code mattsuess at checkout.

I have just updated my website with a brand new photo that I photographed in Southern Utah the other month.

"Cow Canyon Trading Post" - Utah

The photo is titled, “Cow Canyon Trading Post”. I have driven past this location over a dozen times in the last few years with never stopping for a photo. Finally after all that time inspiration struck and this is the result.

It was photographed with my Canon 5DmkII and 17-40mm lens. It is a 3 photo HDR that was processed with the following software: Lightroom, Photoshop, HDR Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, and Color Efex Pro.

Click on above photo for a larger version.

The three photos on the left show how each image looked straight out of Lightroom. The photo on the lower right shows how it looked after HDR Efex Pro. And the photo in the upper right is the final result.

Interested in learning how to create your own HDR images? Join me in one of my workshops or live online webinars.

Save 15% on Nik Software including HDR Efex Pro by entering the coupon code mattsuess at checkout.

"Smiling Billy" This old Ford truck and old gas station were photographed out in Jerome, Arizona.

“Smiling Billy” was photographed the other month in Jerome, Arizona (a location that may soon be included in one of my upcoming photo workshops). It was photographed mid-day and my intention from the start was to create a gritty HDR image.

HDR photography involves taking multiple exposures and then blending them on the computer using special software. “Smiling Billy” was created using 6 different exposures, allowing me to retain detail in dark shadows as well as bright highlights. I used Nik Software’s HDR Efex Pro software (for a discount on all of Nik’s software titles use software code: mattsuess ) to blend all 6 photos together after I exported the RAW files from Lightroom.

Here is what one of the photos looked like with a normal mid-range exposure. Six different exposures were eventually combined for the HDR image.

Once I was done blending the exposures and making many adjustments in Nik’s HDR Efex Pro software, I then took the exported file and opened it up in Nik’s Color Efex Pro software for some additional creative modifications.

A few more tweaks in Photoshop got me to where I was very satisfied with the truck, garage, foreground and background, with the exception of the sky. The blue sky just wasn’t working for me, acting more like a big distraction than anything.

The photo is just about complete at this point, however I just am not satisfied with the blue sky.

Using a photo texture from FlyPaper Textures, I blended the texture into the sky, adjusting the color, contrast, and the feeling until I was satisfied with the results. Looking at the final results on the top of this page, you can notice that I chose a texture that complimented the shrubs on the hill. This allowed the textured sky to blend in with the hill in the background and complete the feel I was looking for in this photo.

Wanting to learn how to do this type of creative work to your own photos? Consider taking one of my photography workshops.