2023 Year in Review: Josh Friedman's Photographs

"And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make." Paul McCartney and John Lennon

2023 has been an exciting year for my photography. It continues to provide me with moments of peace and creativity in our world's difficult and frightening times.  In addition to numerous photo excursions throughout Bucks County, Pennsylvania, this year I photographed waterfalls in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains; The magnificent Eiffel Tower in Paris, France; historic, honey-colored cottages in England's Cotswolds region; the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, D.C.; the "Marginal Way" trail in Ogunquit, Maine; the Philadelphia skyline; the sun setting over the ocean in the Bahamas, an historic bridge in York County, Pennsylvania; and a breathtaking sunrise in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. As much as I love the history and natural beauty that surrounds me in Bucks County, my travels have provided new and gratifying opportunities for creativity.

Additionally, 2023 has been exciting in terms of a several photography-related projects.  I gave a presentation on HDR (high dynamic range) photography for Allen's Camera. Actor and former theater professor Gary Sloan and I collaborated on two video projects. First, we completed our tribute to Washington's historic crossing of the Delaware River, using his poem, narration and bagpipe with my photographs of Washington Crossing Historic Park and the Delaware River. We also collaborated on a video for the St. Andrew's Church, in Yardley.  I was honored to have one of my photographs of Lake Afton and the Old Library featured as a wall-size mural at the ShopRite store in Yardley. Finally, I continue to sell prints of my photographs through my online ETSY shop. I have now shipped prints to about 45 states in the U.S., as well as multiple other countries. 

What follows are 40-ish of my favorite images from 2023. I had asked a few friends and family for feedback in narrowing down my collection (from my initial list of about 65 images). Whenever I do this, I end up being struck by the subjectivity of art. One person's absolute favorite is completely ignored by someone else.  While one person is moved by a dramatic black and white image, another person is drawn to the emotion of rich color.

In addition to my gratitude to family and friends, and am tremendously thankful to folks who follow my photography. I genuinely appreciate your support and positive feedback, and I hope your 2024 is filled with peace, contentment, good health, laughter and creativity. As always, I am eager to hear which are some of your favorite photographs from my 2023 collection. 

Lower Slaughter, Early Morning Reflections, The Cotswolds, England. September.

New Hope (Bucks County, PA) and the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge, Reflected in the Delaware River, Lambertville,
New Jersey. June.

West Trenton Railroad Bridge, Yardley,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. April.

Bushkill Falls, Boardwalk and Cascade,
The Poconos, Pennsylvania. April.

Fonthill Castle with Fall Foliage, Doylestown,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. November.

Lincoln Memorial in Early Morning,
Washington, D.C. December.

Delaware Canal and Thompson Neely Bridge Sunrise,
New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. November.

Apache Pier Sunrise, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. March.

Delaware Canal and Towpath in Morning Fog,
Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. July.

"Marginal Way", Tree at Sunrise, Ogunquit, Maine. July.

Delaware River and West Trenton Railroad Bridge Before Sunrise, Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. April.

Eiffel Tower and Seine River Before Sunrise,
Paris, France. September.

Cabin Run Covered Bridge with Fall Foliage,
Pipersville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. October.

Core Creek Park, Langhorne, Bucks County,
Pennsylvania. March.

Philadelphia Skyline Reflected in the
Schuylkill River (from the South Street Bridge),
Philadelphia Pennsylvania. April. 

Bucks County Playhouse Sunrise, New Hope,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. November.

Shohola Falls, The Poconos, Pennsylvania. April.

Veteran's Memorial Bridge (officially the Columbia–Wrightsville Bridge), Wrightsville, York County, Pennsylvania. July.

New Hope and the Delaware River with Fall Foliage,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania (seen from Lambertville,
New Jersey). November.

Continental Tavern at Night with Light Trails, Yardley,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. December.

Sudeley Castle Stairs and Flowers, Winchcombe,
The Cotswolds, England. September.

Cuttalossa Road with Fall Foliage, New Hope,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. October.

Shady Brook Farm Fireworks, Yardley,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. September.

Spring Sunrise on the Delaware Canal and Towpath, Solebury, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. May.

West Trenton Railroad Bridge Reflected in the Delaware River at Sunrise, Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. October.

"Big Ben," the Palace of Westminster, the Westminster
Bridge and the River Thames, Seen Through a 
Pedestrian Tunnel, London, England. September. 

Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge with a Foggy Sunrise, Lumberville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. August.

Washington Crossing Historic Park with Durham Boats on the Delaware River, Before Sunrise, Washington Crossing, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. December.

Thompson Neely Farm and Bowman's Hill Tower,
New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. October.

New Hope Railroad, New Hope, Bucks County,
Pennsylvania. December.

Eiffel Tower Before Sunrise, from Place du
Trocadéro, Paris, France, September.

Bahamas Sunset Over the Atlantic Ocean,
New Providence, The Bahamas. December. 

Delaware and Raritan Canal, Lambertville,
New Jersey. August.

Fonthill Castle Before Sunrise, Doylestown,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. November.

Snowshill Cottages, The Cotswolds, England. September.

St. Andrew's Church at Sunrise, Yardley,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. October.

Patterson Farm Before Sunrise, Yardley,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. October.

New Hope Lambertville Bridge in Morning Fog,
New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. November.

Princeton University Sunrise (seen through Holder Hall), Princeton, New Jersey, September.

Calhoun Street Bridge Before Sunrise, seen from
Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. August.

Cuttalossa Farm, New Hope, Bucks County,
Pennsylvania. October.

2022 Year in Review: Josh Friedman's Photographs

"When the road gets dark

And you can no longer see

Let my love throw a spark

And have a little faith in me."

John Hiatt

Before 2022 is too far in our rear view mirrors, here is a collection of some of my favorite photographs from the past year.  About 70 percent of them were taken in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, including   Lake Afton, the Delaware Canal and Towpath, Washington Crossing Historic Park, covered bridges, Patterson Farm, the Delaware River and it's bridges, and New Hope. 

The remaining 30 percent of the images were taken in different travels. In the spring, Cynthia and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with a trip to Grand Canyon National park and Sedona, Arizona. It's hard to believe that 30 years have passed since we danced our first dance to the the John Hiatt song (above).  While in Arizona, it was a genuine treat to witness and photograph some beautiful sunrises and sunsets, at these iconic landscapes.

I have also included photographs of New York City, Gettysburg National Military Park, Cayucos, on the central coast of California. Of the photos included, the vast majority were taken in the early morning, a time of day which offers wonderful light and a quiet peacefulness. Often I am rewarded with such passing treats as a pink sky or dense fog or untouched snow.

During 2022, I enjoyed working on a few photography-related projects.  In September, I gave a presentation for the Yardley Historical Association called "Bucks County's Beauty and History: A Photographic Tour with Josh Friedman." Additionally, I worked with actor and former theater professor Gary Sloan on a video honoring George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River during the Revolutionary war. We combined his poem and bagpipe with my photographs of Washington Crossing Historic Park. I look forward to other projects in 2023, such as a presentation I will give on HDR (high dynamic range) photography for Allen's Camera shop in late February.

Below are some of my 2022 photos. I have presented them in no particular order, interspersing images from different seasons and locations. As always, I am always curious which about people's favorites. Best wishes for a happy, healthy, peaceful and fulfilling 2023.

Patterson farm before sunrise, Yardley, 
Pennsylvania. November 19, 2022.

Lake Afton in fresh snow, Yardley, Pennsylvania. January 29, 2022.

Yavapai Point after sunset, Grand Canyon National Park
(south rim) Arizona. May 30, 2022.

Delaware Canal and Towpath in fresh snow, Washington 
Crossing Historic Park (northern section), New Hope, 
Pennsylvania. February 13, 2022.

Delaware River with Durham Boats before sunrise, Washington Crossing Historic Park, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. November 28, 2022.

Pink Dogwood Flowers and the Old Library
Yardley, Pennsylvania. April 27, 2022.

Old Tree in Fog, River Road, Washington Crossing, 
September 20, 2022.

New Hope, Pennsylvania and the Bucks County Playhouse, 
reflected in the Delaware River, as seen from 
Lambertville, New Jersey. May 3, 2022.

Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge before sunrise,
Lumberville, Pennsylvania. December 28, 2022.

Morning fishing boat with pelicans, Cayucos,
California. October 15, 2022.

Lower Manhattan Skyline, New York City, seen from  Hamilton Park,
Weehawken, New Jersey, February 6, 2022. 

Van Sandt Covered Bridge, New Hope, Pennsylvania.
February 13, 2022.

Lipan Point after sunset, Grand Canyon National Park
(south rim). May 28, 2022.

Route 32 (facing south), Bowman's Hill and Thompson Neely Farm in 

morning fog,  New Hope, Pennsylvania. August 2, 2022.

Clouds, palm trees and the Atlantic Ocean before sunrise,
Nassau, Bahamas. December 20, 2022.

Delaware Canal, towpath, and Thompson Neely footbridge in fresh snow, Washington Crossing Historic Park (northern section), Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. February 13, 2022.

Civil War (Union) Cannon at sunset, Gettysburg National Military Park, near State of Pennsylvania Monument, Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania. November 20, 2022.

Cathedral Rock seen from Lover's Knoll, Sedona,
Arizona. June 1, 2022.

Bucks County Playhouse in fresh snow, New Hope, 
Pennsylvania. February 13, 2022.

Black Bass Hotel and Delaware River at sunrise, Lumberville,
Pennsylvania. December 28, 2022.

Wildflowers and morning fog in Washington Crossing Historic Park,
Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. May 15, 2022.

Autumn Maple Tree and morning fog, Aquatong Road, New Hope,
Pennsylvania. October 25, 2022.

Old Library reflected in partially frozen Lake Afton, Yardley,
Pennsylvania.  February 5, 2022.

West Trenton Railroad Bridge and partially frozen Delaware River, 
Yardley, Pennsylvania. December 26, 2022.

Sunflowers and old bus, Shadybrook Farm, Yardley,
Pennsylvania. August 16, 2022.

Fern Lake, Vermont, with pink, evening sky. September 28, 2022.

Lower Trenton Bridge (a.k.a. "Trenton Makes" bridge) in
colors honoring Ukraine, crossing the Delaware River,
seen from Trenton, New Jersey. March 2, 2022.

Old Library and pink Dogwood Flowers, Yardley,
Pennsylvania. April 27, 2022.

Old Tree at sunrise, Yardley, Pennsylvania. November 12, 2022.

Thompson Neely Farm and Bowman's Hill Tower, Washington
Crossing Historic Park (northern section), New Hope,
Pennsylvania. May 3, 2022.

Sunrise over the Washington Crossing Bridge, seen from 
Washington Crossing Historic Park, Washington Crossing, 
Pennsylvania. February 8, 2022.

Old Library and Lake Afton with fresh snow, before sunrise,
Yardley, Pennsylvania. January 8, 2022.

Cliffs and Douglas Fir Trees, "Duck on a Rock" viewpoint,
just after sunrise, Grand Canyon National Park
(south rim),  Arizona. May 30, 2022.

Delaware Canal and Towpath, New Hope, Pennsylvania, (view facing north, taken a few minutes before sunrise, in the northern section 
of Washington Crossing Historic Park), October 30, 2022.

New Hope-Lambertville Bridge and partially frozen 

Delaware River(six second exposure), as seen from 

Lambertville, New Jersey. December 27, 2022.

Patterson Farm at sunrise with morning fog, Yardley, 
Pennsylvania. September 4, 2022.

Statue of George Washington with the American flag, Washington Crossing Inn, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. March 5, 2022l

Scudder Falls Bridge crossing the Delaware River at Sunrise, 
Yardley, Pennsylvania. March 15, 2022.

Cayucos Beach with morning fog, Cayucos,
California. October 15, 2022.

Cabin Run Covered Bridge in snow, with rising sun.  
Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania. February 15, 2022.

Delaware Canal and Towpath with snow and dense fog, Yardley, Pennsylvania. (2/2/22)

Autumn Tree, Delaware River, and Washington Crossing Bridge,
in morning fog, seen from Washington Crossing Historic Park, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. October 25, 2022.

Harriet Tubman statue with rising sun, Riverfront Park,
Bristol, Pennsylvania. August 23, 2022.

Grandview Point before sunrise, Grand Canyon National Park
(south rim), Arizona. May 29, 2022.

Delaware River and New Hope, seen from
New Hope Lambertville Bridge, July 20, 2022.

Lake Afton and the Old Library with fog and fall foliage,
Yardley, Pennsylvania. October 31, 2022.

Archambault House at sunrise, Newtown,
Pennsylvania. August 20, 2022.

Statue of George Washington crossing the Delaware River, Washington Crossing Inn, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. January 29, 2022.

Delaware Canal and Towpath, Washington Crossing,
Pennsylvania.  October 18, 2022.

Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge before sunrise, with Delaware River and Black Bass Hotel, Lumberville, Pennsylvania. December 28, 2022.

Palm Trees at sunrise, Nassau, Bahamas. December 22, 2022.

Washington Crossing Park and Delaware River before sunrise,
with Durham boats (north view), Washington Crossing,
Pennsylvania. November 28, 2022.

Delaware Canal, Towpath and Thompson-Neely Footbridge in morning
fog, Washington Crossing Historic Park (northern section),
New Hope, Pennsylvania. December 31, 2022.

Tombs of unknown Revolutionary War soldiers from the Continental Army at sunrise, Washington Crossing Historic Park (northern section), New Hope, Pennsylvania.  January 6, 2022.

Patterson Farm with setting moon, Yardley,
Pennsylvania. March 20, 2022.

Sunrise in Sedona, Arizona, on "Big Park Loop"
trail. June 1, 2022. 

Cayucos Fishing Pier in morning fog, Cayucos, California
(central coast). October 16, 2022.

Bowman's Hill Tower in autumn, New Hope, Pennsylvania.
October 8, 2022.

Old Library and Lake Afton at Sunrise, Yardley,
Pennsylvania. April 27, 2022.

Old fence and shadow, Gettysburg National Military Park
(near the State of Tennessee Monument), Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania. November 20, 2022.

Winter sunrise at Washington Crossing Historic Park with
Durhamboats and the partially frozen Delaware River,
Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. December 26, 2022.