Ah, the new year. A time to reflect on another splendid turn of the Earth and set our lofty intentions for the next 365 days.

As a photographer, one of my favorite ways to reflect is to revisit and share the year in photos.

While most of 2017 was spent within 100 miles of my home in Santa Cruz, CA, there were still plenty of opportunities for the click of the shutter.

Here are 40 of my favorite images from an unforgettable year.

Nature’s Splendor 

 

We are surrounded by beauty — it’s in a gust of wind, the glimmer of dawn’s first light, and the reflection of moving clouds in a still pond.

It’s in the sun illuminating the redwood forest with a bath of golden rays – and in the endless cosmos above. It’s in the smiling face of a child, the kindness of strangers, and in your own heart.

 

Life in Santa Cruz, CA

 

Located alongside the Pacific Ocean and about 75 miles south of San Francisco, Santa Cruz is a popular destination for beach lovers, surfers, hippies, college students, and awesome people from around the world.

It’s also home sweet home for the Goodman Family — aka, me, Carrie, Bodhi, Falcor, and our 11 chickens.

Driving Highway 1
aka, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)

It’s amazing how a simple bit of inclement weather can change your life forever.

In 2017, California was in the middle of its wettest winter in decades. Landslides were a common occurrence … especially on the two-lane highway connecting Santa Cruz to Silicon Valley.

One morning, after learning that the main road from Santa Cruz to San Francisco was impassable, I had no choice but to take the scenic route to work. Instead of merging traffic, honking horns, and irate commuters, I was treated to a breathtaking drive up Route 1 – aka, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).

Along the way, I saw six rainbows, stopped at a lighthouse, and photographed this other-worldly display of the sun breaking through the clouds. Plus, the whole commute only took 20 minutes longer than the freeway usually does.

As you may imagine, Highway 1 has since become my new go-to route for getting to San Francisco. 🌈  

 

San Francisco

 

It’s great living so close to San Francisco. From work events to baseball games, friends visiting, concerts, boat rides, and more, there’s always a reason to visit the “City by the Bay” … usually with my dSLR. 

Instagramming it Up

I just read a stat that 9/10 of all photos taken in 2017 were on a phone. I’d say that’s about my ratio as well. Despite my large dSLR kit – lenses, flashes, filters, tripods, etc – I take the majority of my photos with my trusty phone.

For most of 2017, it was an iPhone 6S. However, I recently upgraded to a Google Pixel 2 XL, which blows the iPhone out of the water in picture quality. But that’s a whole other conversation. For now, here are a few of my favorite Instagram photos from 2017.

See more on my Instagram account – @adventuresofagoodman

 

OMG! We bought a house

After nearly 4 years of searching, Carrie and I had pretty much given up on finding a home in Santa Cruz. The condo we were renting was being sold, and after exhausting the available rental market, we decided to get Bodhi a passport and travel to Thailand.

I guess the universe had other plans (or was just waiting for us to resign to our fate), because shortly after the passport arrived, we stumbled upon our dream property. Nestled in amongst the redwood forests above Santa Cruz, our converted farmhouse is surrounded by nature, families, a fruit orchard, vegetable beds … and a never-ending list of things that need to be done 🙂 Ahh, the fun of home ownership!

I love my family!!!

Above all else, 2017 was a year for family! Bodhi is simply amazing – talking up a storm, figuring things out, and exploring the world with a neverending sense of awe. He’s smart, curious, fearless, determined, bold, funny, silly, snuggly, charming, and all around the greatest kid ever (said with complete bias). Then, of course, there’s Carrie – the love of my life – who I could write endless posts about. Oh wait, I did that earlier this year … 🙂 <3