By the way, the Alabama Hills are actually in California

Alabama Hills on New Years Day by Richard Lewis

Alabama Hills on New Year’s Day by Richard Lewis 2015

Early in the morning on New Year’s Day, I was hiking through the Alabama Hills in the Eastern Sierra Mountains of California to get to a great view of Mt. Whitney. It was cold, windy and I was all by myself. This isn’t the way one normally spends New Year’s Day, but what the first light revealed was amazing. I love being a photographer because it motivates me to seek out and experience places such as this.

Waiting for sunrise  in the Alabama Hills gave me time to reflect on 2014. Last year was a big growth year for me as a photographer. I went beyond the landscape and started photographing other things. I’m now working with iPhoneography and even re-started my long dormant commercial photography work.

Of all the things that I’m happy about in 2014, the ability to interact with a lot of amazing photographers is the one thing I cherish the most. All of you, in some small or big way, helped me refine and improve my vision. Heck, I’ve had to rewrite my artist statement and now need to do it again. If you are reading this, thanks!

Of all the people I have to thank, the biggest one goes to my wife, Vivian. She not only puts up with my passion, she is by my side on most of these journeys and gives me the space and inspiration to grow.

My photographic New Years Resolution is to work even harder, learn more, do more, help more, and most importantly, see more.

Enjoy