The Most Popular Posts of 2011

As we’re wrapping up 2011, I took a look back at what posts on this blog generated the most page views during 2011. Here’s the top twelve list (in honor of 2012!) – along with my commentary on each post:

1. The Winner Is: Oven Roasted Tri-Tip for Football Sunday – My link to the actual time tested recipe I use for making roasted tri-tip in the oven the easy way. This recipe and my other favorites can be found over on my ScottsKitchen.com site.
2. My Life in a Sling! – Rotator Cuff Surgery – In late 2009, I had rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder to deal with a “massive rotator cuff tear”. Going into the surgery, expectations were low – but I couldn’t have had a better outcome! I do hope I never again have to spend 6 weeks in a sling!
3. Happy Fourth of July! – A post from July 4, 2010 that includes an earlier July 4th parade image that I took of the Redwood City parade a few years back. This was early in my renewed photography “career”!
4. HOW TO: Setting up the Canon PowerShot S90 to Shoot HDR – One of the impacts of my rotator cuff injury was that I was no longer able to raise my Canon EOS 5D Mark II to my eye to shoot with it. As a result, I bought one of the first Canon PowerShot S90’s when they became available – and began experimenting with using it for High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography.
5. Some Initial HDR Explorations with the Canon S95 – An update on shooting HDR photography with the S90’s newer brother – the Canon PowerShot S95, another amazing pocket camera. I took this camera around the world with me on my travels and continue to recommend it – and the more recent Canon PowerShot S100 whenever anyone asks me for a pocket camera recommendation. These cameras produce fabulous results!
6. Yosemite – Handheld HDR with Canon 5D Mark II – On one of my first trips out after my rotator cuff surgery, I went to Yosemite in June 2010 and captured this image with my Canon EOS 5D Mark II while just entering the park. Yosemite is an amazing place – and a real treat for photographers. One of the best trips I made there was with my son David to spend a day shooting with Michael Frye. Be sure to check out Michael’s website – and spend a day with him for a Yosemite photo shoot you’ll never forget!
7. First Time Out with HDR Photography on a Canon 40D – My first DSLR was the Canon 30D which I bought based upon an evaluation posted online by Doc Searls. When the 40D was introduced, I upgraded – and it’s still one of my favorite cameras. The 40D was a lot of fun for handheld HDR shooting because of its quick multishot performance. I ended up selling both the 30D and 40D on Amazon. Coincidentally, the buyer of the 40D lived here in Menlo Park – and we arranged a face-to-face delivery of the camera! What are the odds of that happening?
8. The Power of Black and White – Canon S95 HDR – One of the things I learned from my late friend Chris Gulker (a dedicated black and white photographer) was the power of the black and white image. There’s something about dropping the color away and just leaving the light and the shadow that transforms an image and gives it dramatic effect. This post, about a month before Chris passed away, was written to try to demonstrate that effect. Here’s another memory from my walks with Chris – what I call Chris’s Steps at the Cantor Art Museum at Stanford.
9. Shoot HDR on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II – Rodin’s Gates of Hell – This is a much earlier attempt at shooting Rodin’s Gates of Hell using my then brand new Canon EOS 5D Mark II. As I look back on this post, I realize how much learning has gone on since I wrote it!
10. Update: 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid and Tires – Back in 2006, I downgraded from a big Audi A6 to a much smaller Honda Civic Hybrid. After a few years, I needed to get new tires – the Hybrid had special low rolling resistance – and hard to fine – tires. I shared my research about the tires I ended up getting. Not sure I made the right choice from a miles per gallon standpoint but they’ve held up fine since.
11. More Canon PowerShot S90 HDR Photography – Fitzgerald Marine Reserve – One of the first outings I made after my rotator cuff surgery was to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve near Half Moon Bay. If you catch this row of trees in just the right morning light, it’s very striking. On this particular morning, the sun was just beginning to punch through the morning fog. Love this place!
12. Canon PowerShot S95 Unboxing! – In August 2010, I upgraded from the Canon PowerShot S90 to the S95 – and this was my attempt at an unboxing sequence as I opened the camera box upon arrival. These Canon PowerShot S-series cameras are superb. Whenever I now go out shooting, I’ve got my big Canon EOS 5D Mark II slung over my shoulder and (now) my Canon PowerShot S100 in my shirt/pants/coat pocket. I find that I’ll take about an equal number of shots using the two cameras – and really value having both “bodies” with me to enable me to go wide or telephoto as the moment might dictate.

None of these top 12 posts as measured by page views during 2011 were actually written this year! Seems odd – but I guess that’s actually not so strange. Most of these page views are the result of Google searches – and these just happen to be among the most popular search results.

As for the most popular posts I actually wrote during 2011, here there are:

1. The Power of Oven Roasted Tri-Tip! – A followup post commenting on the popularity of my oven roasted tri-tip recipe posts here and on ScottsKitchen.com.
2. Single RAW HDR Processing with the Canon PowerShot S95 – All about how I’ve learned that even single shot RAW images can be turned into beautiful HDR images using the tools available.
3. Slow Coffee! – My recommendations on making a great cup of coffee!
4. My Mid-2011 Photography Workflow – Written mostly for my own memory (!), this post describes how my photography workflow worked midyear. It’s since changed again – and I need to provide an early 2012 workflow update in the new year!
5. The Golden Gate Bridge in HDR – A look back at this Golden Gate Bridge image which turns out to be my all-time most popular image on Flickr – taken in January 2010 on a beautiful day at the Golden Gate!

Thanks for another fun year here – we celebrated this blog’s tenth anniversary just a month ago. I’ve found blogging to be a great outlet for me – as I’ve come to really enjoy writing and sharing what I find interesting and, hopefully, useful! Here’s to another ten years – or more!