2013 Best of Scenics, Travel, and Sports

2013 was fantastic!  I had a great year personally and professionally with my photography, traveling to Europe, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, and many other places near and far.  I continued to keep a diverse shooting schedule, from families, couples, and weddings to travel, the southwest, and my first ever college bowl game!  2014 is looking to be a great year, the schedule is already filling up, but I always like to pause at the new year and look back on some of my favorites.  Below are my favorite scenic, travel, and miscellaneous images from the year.  I'll post a part II tomorrow covering my favorite family and wedding shots, so stay tuned and check back.  Make sure to go 'like' Matt Beckmann Images to see all of my updates and new work in the future.

Praise God - The downtown Albuquerque skyline with Martineztown in the foreground, a contrast of styles.  This image won Best of Urban in the 2013 ANMPA Show this December. 

Winter Hills - I enjoyed spending time in the Sandia foothills this year after moving near one of the trailheads.  This particular day, the clouds provided some drama after a recent snow storm. 

Eiffel Lines - It is always difficult trying to find a new view or vantage point on a iconic location or landmark.  This carousel sits across the street from the Eiffel Tower, and fits perfectly into the towering curved lines of the tower. 

Narrow in Nice - One of our favorite towns that we visited on our Europe trip, the old town of Nice has great charming, winding, narrow corridors to explore. 

Sunset Flight - Our other favorite place, Manarola in Cinque Terre.  This was the view from our hotel room believe it or not! 

Isolated - While in Cinque Terre, my wife and I had to try out the amazing hiking trails in the area.  This view of the town of Manarola is from one of those trails high above the Mediterranean.

Manarola at Dusk - If you can't tell already, Cinque Terre is a photographer's dream!  I spent several nights waiting for the right time to capture this magical city in the right light.   This image was juried into the 2013 ANMPA Show.

Abo Under the Stars - The Abo ruins were built in the 1600s, and are now a national monument.  I spent a night at them this summer photographing the ruins and the night sky above.

Breathtaken - This year I was finally able to cross Monument Valley off my photography bucket list.  I camped near the site, and got up before sunset this morning to capture this view of the Mittens.  This image was juried into the 2013 ANMPA Show.

Still Waters - After stopping by Monument Valley, I joined some friends at Lake Powell, where we rented a boat and spent a few days camping and enjoying the lake.  This was late one night, just outside our campsite.

The Canyon - The morning light was fantastic in this view from our campsite in an isolated side canyon.

Albuquerque Skies - I found a new favorite view point this year that overlooks Albuquerque and the Sandia Mountains.  This is the view looking North from there during a particularly colorful summer sunset.

Motivated - I happened to be in the foothills photographing the scenery and skies this summer day when this young lady climbed to the top of the stone building and struck a pose, as if to summon the clouds. 

Balloon Glow - As a lifelong resident of Albuquerque, I sometimes take our wonderful International Balloon Fiesta for granted, but I always spend at least a morning or two out around town trying to capture new perspectives on this event.

Reaching - I finally was able to shoot my first college football game this year, the New Mexico Bowl, and it happened to feature an amazing comeback from my Alma Mater, Colorado State!  Here, Donell Alexander reaches for the pylon for a two point conversion that would tie the game, minutes before CSU would kick the winning field goal at the end of regulation.