The five photographs below represent my personal favorites that I made in 2013, from various categories. The process, as always, for selecting my favorite images of the year is based on if the photo made me feel emotion. Another factor for choosing is if the particular photograph was a breakthrough for me in terms of technique or content.
Severe lightning strikes in St. Petersburg Florida during a powerful June 2013 storm - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 bulb mode lens covered until strike tripod mounted with cable release
1 - Lightning Strikes Downtown St. Petersburg - category: nature, long exposure
This was by far the most dangerous photograph I have ever made. I did not purposefully go out into a lightning storm. I was teaching a photography lesson along the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront as I had done hundreds of times before. You may have heard the saying that a storm can come out of nowhere, well that is what happened this time. Dark clouds could be seen rolling in that including funnel clouds dipping down! Then the lightning started. It was a lesson teaching how to shoot from a tripod which allowed us both to get a chane to capture lightning. The crack from this lightning bolt was the loudest I had heard in over 20 years. I ran to cover along with the student just after making this shot as rain began pouring down. It was a bit scary and a little risky, but it resulted in the photograph that makes me feel the most emotion from 2013 because of it. (read the original photo story for this image)
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Tampa Car Photography Shoot in Ybor City - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/320th with two speed lights behind custom ADV.1 Wheels
2 - Lamborghini Gallardo in Ybor City - category: car, strobist, Photoshop
It was a good year for photographing cars as I got to photograph a number of special sports cars and super cars. I ended the 2013 shooting year with this Lamborghini Gallardo shoot. It was a mid-day shoot, but I knew I wanted to create a dark, atmospheric shot nonetheless. Using mostly digital photo editing skills, I transformed the shady street the Lamborghini was parked on to look like a dark alley. I also placed two speedlights under the wheels creating the glowing effect at the bottom, something I had never done before. (read the original photo story for this image)
Father holds his baby girl in the air at Madeira Beach Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/6.3 ISO 200 1/250th - Strobist: SB-800 @ 1/4 power beside camera & SB-600 @ 1/4 power to frame right
3 - Father Holding Up Baby Daughter - category: portrait, candid, strobist
Making portraits on the beach is always an unknown due mostly to weather. If there is no great sunset, so be it. If there is, then the sunset background canvas helps make any ordinary photo look special. Then if you can add subjects willing to do something different placed in optimal lighting from two speedlights, the results can be one of the best beach portraits I have made. This type of shot is full of pitfalls from shadows falling on the subjects face to the baby not having a happy expression. For this particular portrait, everything fell right into place. (read the original photo story for this image)
After 10 seconds, a swinging ship on a pendulum looks elliptical at St. Rafael Church Festival Snell Isle Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/16 ISO 200 10.5 sec tripod mounted with cable release
4- Carnival Ride on Snell Isle - category: night photography, long exposure
I am a nostalgic person. It delights me greatly that a small carnival travels from who knows where each October to setup right across the way from my apartment. One day just a grass soccer field, the next a wonderland of excitement that reminds me of going to them as a kid. Now when I visit this carnival I do not go on any of the rides, I just observe with my eyes and then my camera capturing what the eye cannot even see. Then I eat deep fried Oreos and go home and overnight the place returns to a quiet soccer field. (read the original photo story for this image)
Great Egret looking straight at the lens in St. Petersburg Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/1000th
5 - Great Egret Looks Awkward From Straight-on - category: bird, nature, perspective
This area of Florida provides close access to all kinds of large wading birds, like the Great Egret. From most angles, they are very beautiful and elegant birds with their long slender necks and white plummage. However, if you remove the dept of their shape and look at them from straight-on, to me, they look incredibly odd and like another creature entirely. One is so used to seeing these birds from the side perspective, that from the front, they look almost unnatural, not unlike how Beavis should only be observed from the side. (read the original photo story for this image)
My Favorite Five Images of 2012
My Favorite Five Images of 2011
My Favorite Five Images of 2010
My Favorite Five Images of 2009
--please post links to your own favorite photographs in the comments below
Watching the sunset on Treasure Island family beach portraits - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/6.3 ISO 200 1/200th - Strobist: SB-800 & SB-600 left & rightVisiting Florida from South Dakota, Sarah and family had to brave an unusually chilly and windy evening on Sunset Beach Treasure Island for our candid family beach portrait session. At least Mother Nature provided clear skies and a bright sunset for a background. 
Mother & daughter test the waters at Sunset Beach on Treasure Island Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/4 ISO 200 1/400th natural lightEveryone was pretty tough and still put on a smile, except for the youngest who was not impressed at all by the beauty of the beach! She was crying the whole time, but in mom's arms tried out the water. When she's older I wonder what she will think of these photos?
Bright sunset on Treasure Island family beach portraits in Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/6.3 ISO 200 1/200th - Strobist: SB-800 & SB-600 left & rightThe family chose color over the usual white and blue jeans. I think it was a great choice and I will suggest such attire to future clients. I think colorful clothing pulls the color out of the sky even more.
Not a happy baby at Sunset Beach Treasure Island Florida portraits - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/4 ISO 200 1/320th - natural lightOne smile out of two is not bad! As you can see the wind was blowing pretty strong from the west. 
The kids out of the picture for a little romance time on Sunset Beach Treasure Island Florida portraits - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/10 ISO 200 1/160th - Strobist: SB-800 & SB-600 left & rightA little break for romance letting the kids play on the sand behind camera for Sarah and Matt to have the frame to themselves. 
