Top 20 Photos of 2013 starts tomorrow

Starting tomorrow I'll be posting my best 20 photos from 2013, one per day. I have spent some considerable time deciding which photos to include, which were the most meaningful, and which had stories behind them. I'm also looking forward to visiting others who have signed up for this blog-hop to see the images and stories they have captured.

Here is a photo that didn't make the top 20:

Posting this photo today is making me think twice. I really love this picture! It's our human tendency to rank things. We like to put things in lists. Perhaps there is no such thing as a Top 20 of photos taken in a year. Maybe we just have a whole collection of equally satisfying photos.

Here's another of my favourite photos of 2013:

Took this early one morning. I usually switch off the flash for sunrise/sunset pictures. Forgot to change the settings and captured this palm tree leaf lit up in clear detail with the soft blurry colours of the sunrise behind it. Came out just perfect! It ranked just outside my top 20 as I have another favourite sunset picture which you'll see in the coming days.

One more photo I'd like to share today:

I love watching the birds on a day to day basis here. I actually have a number of photos of them lining up on electricity lines outside our house. A nice picture, but I have no personal story to tell about it, or any standout reason why I love it.

So tomorrow we'll begin with #20 on our lists. Perhaps ranking our photos sorts out what is really and truly meaningful to us, something that goes beyond the image we see with our eyes, which carries a deeper sense of purpose. Hopefully, I have a few of those sort of photos in my Top 20.

Check it out from 1-20 January, 2014 at *The Kuantan Blog*.

Kuantan Skies #21

This is part 21 in a series of 26 photographs of the Kuantan Skies taken this year. All but 3 were taken from my window or balcony.

Kuantan Skies #21 - The glorious hues of yellow and orange signal the beginning of another day

Kuantan Skies #17

This is part 17 in a series of 26 photographs of the Kuantan Skies taken this year. All but 3 were taken from my window or balcony.

Kuantan Skies #17 - My personal favourite photo, the green palm tree leaf contrasts with the early morning sunrise displayed in shades of orange, yellow, pink and purple

Kuantan Skies #6

This is part 6 in a series of 26 photographs of the Kuantan Skies taken this year. All but 3 were taken from my window or balcony.

Kuantan Skies #6 - The peachy glow of the rising sun fills the sky between 7-8am

Sunset below the hill

When I look out my window to the right I see the sunrise over a hill. Looking out to the left I observe the sunset below another hill. Here is the beautiful sunset on one evening in Kuantan:

Do you have good views of the sunrise/sunset where you are?

Sunrise at The Zenith Hotel

I was fortunate to witness a beautiful sunrise at The Zenith Hotel the other week. It's not a bad photo given that I had to shoot through a glass window.

Sunrise at The Zenith Hotel, Kuantan

This sunrise was a nice blend of blue sky, greyish clouds and an orange glow. A great start to any day!

Blog Flashbacks

A year ago to the day I witnessed a lovely sunrise when I woke up inadvertently early, way before my alarm. I was so glad I did! Not only did I see a beautiful event in the skies, I also learned some life lessons which I couldn't have gained had I rolled over and gone back to sleep.

Appreciating the journey - November 2010

I remember well back in November of 2009 I created a large Geography quiz spanning over 60 questions. It was a good test. Here I posted some starter questions. Click the link, and see how many you can answer!

Basic Geography Quiz

CPB members, vote for my photos here

Blog Flashbacks

A year ago this weekend I visited the Sikh Temple here in Kuantan for the first time. Although I could barely make out what the man was saying to me, I had a good time there!

September 2010 visit to the Sikh Temple

A couple of years back I often woke up before the sun to catch its arrival at the start of a new day. This particular time was stunning!

Great sunrise in Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan, September 2009

How often do you catch the sunrise?

Duta Village Resort Kuantan Part 3 - The Sunrise

During our stay at Duta Village Resort in Kuantan I took the opportunity of waking up early to catch the sunrise over the sea. I remained at the beach from just before 7am until 7:30am and these were the best pictures I managed to snap . . .

The little balls of sand made by tiny crabs digging homes created a lovely foreground to this image

Basking in the early morning light . . .

We met these people from KL the night before

Their silhouette figures were perfect for a picture!

The sun finally appeared above the clouds at around 7:20am

Love the sun's golden glow across the sea

It was so peaceful and calming that I felt I could reach out and touch the sun . . .

If you'd like to see some more beautiful pictures today, visit my other blog by following this quick link:

Refreshing images of flowers in the window

Is appreciating nature one of your priorities in life? What do you do to relax and find peace?

Blog Flashbacks

A year ago this week I shared a photo of my family standing at the sea staring out onto the horizon. We all need some time to ponder life, our roles in it, and just chill out and relax.

Taking time to be quiet

Two years ago to the day I shared some images of the sunset and sunrise in Kuantan. I love waking up early to see sunrises like this:

Some more images of the sun from September 2009

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend!

Sunrises and Sunsets of Kuantan Photographic Exhibition

Two words I love, just for the way they fall off the tongue:

"scrotum" - the pouch of skin that encloses the testicles in most male mammals.

"soliloquy" - the act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when alone or regardless of hearers, especially by a character in a play.





Now, onto the stunning post for today...


Sunrises and Sunsets


All of these glorious pictures of the sun in action were taken in Kuantan, the vast majority of them from my balcony, back window or downstairs. I'm fortunate enough to have a great view of both the sunrise and the sunset. These are a compilation of my favourite images I've collected down the years.

Sunrises

1. Taken a minutes' walk from my apartment

2. This image was taken from just up the hill five minutes walk away

3. I snapped this lovely sunrise picture from the 9th floor of the Zenith Hotel

4. Again, from the 9th floor of the Zenith Hotel

5. A glowing orange sunrise outside my apartment

6. Taken just yards away on a different day. Love the shaft of light bursting through the clouds.

7. From the top of the hill - same position as the 2nd picture

Sunsets

8. We start the sunsets exhibition with a beautiful pink/purple sky, taken from my balcony

9. From my balcony, the apartment block appears to have caught fire on this particular evening

10. From the 3rd floor car park of East Coast Mall, a 5-minute walk away

11. Burning oranges and pinks combine just outside my apartment

12. A bronze/copper sky looms over my balcony

13. Taken on the grass fronting my apartment. I love the trees in silhouette.

14. Grey clouds attempt to block the sunset in Bukit Sekilau

15. Taken from a vantage point a couple of minutes from my apartment. I love the solitary dark cloud behind the palm trees.

16. Another pretty view from my balcony

17. Golden sunset as observed outside my apartment

18. A blanket of pink, orange and yellow cloud covers the sky, as seen from my back window.

19. The sunset-infected cloud invades the blue evening sky, as witnessed from my bedroom window.

20. This was an evening like no other in Kuantan...

21. ...the sky became dramatically filled with this warm, fiery light, and a deep, golden glow filled the streets. This is the only time such a sunset has happened during my 5 years living in Kuantan!

22. Stripy clouds lead toward the setting sun. Taken from my balcony.

23. The ball of fire makes its way towards the darkening horizon as I snapped it from my balcony.

Which are your favourite pictures?