Horses and artists perform a mix a quiet theater and fast equestrian action during a press screening of Cavalia at Marymoor Park in Redmond on Tuesday, January 17, 2012. More photos after the jump…

In line with the tradition of looking back at the past year, here is selection of photos from 2011 in chronological order. Some of the images are simply among my favorites of from the year, while others are reminders pointing to the stories of 2011. While most are specific to my Eastside coverage area, some give a local nod to a larger story. As with all lists, they are never complete, but enjoy and have a safe and Happy New Year! More photos after the jump…

Ciara Hu, of Oak Harbor High School, swims in the final heat of the 200-yard individual medley event during the WIAA 3A girls state swim and dive championship at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way on Saturday, November 12, 2011. I have covered state swimming for many years now at the King County Aquatic Center, and this is only the second time I have been allowed access to the underwater viewing tunnel. I tried for – and was denied – access to the catwalk above the pool for a fresh angle, but don’t worry, I’ll ask again next time… “Pretty please, with sugar on top.” More photos from the meet after the jump…

Eastside Catholic Crusader DB Markell Sanders, left, and LB Zane Allen collide helmet-to-helmet while attempting to tackle Wolverine Jack Meggs during a 3A state playoff game at Bellevue on Friday, November 11, 2011. Sanders was briefly shaken up on the play. Sometimes you don’t know what you have until the play is over, and this elicited an audible “whoa” from me on the sidelines. I’m very happy both players were ok.

Note: This is a part of my effort to share single images here on Focus Northwest in the a “Photo of the Day” style, but it will admittedly be sporadic – aka not daily – with my work responsibilities. Hope you enjoy…

Stone Gardens indoor climbing gym’s roped climbing space at Crossroads in Bellevue on Tuesday, October 25, 2011. The gym also has two large bouldering (unroped) climbing spaces, as well was a weight lifting and exercise area. I got to check out the new business for a piece in the Bellevue Reporter. More photos after the jump…

I’ve thought many times about a “Photo of the Day” series here on the blog, but since I run this photo blog solo for the news group it just isn’t feasible. I’m going to make an effort to share more single frames without painting myself into a schedule. We’ll see how it goes… Above, is a photo from an upcoming piece in The Scene. Thankfully no camera bodies were hurt in the making of this image. Happy splashing!

So if you haven’t noticed, I can’t stop myself from photographing the Blue Angels as they streak across the sky… Sunday was a day with my family and we loaded up the car and headed to Mercer Island to enjoy the airshow from a perfectly situated dock of my relatives. Needless to say my two-year-old likes airplanes and cameras so he didn’t care if Daddy worked during the show. Here is a quick edit from the performance Sunday along with some boats, people and additional aircraft. Enjoy! More photos after the jump…

Another day of chasing the U.S. Navy Blue Angels across the sky had mean feeling a little deja vu, as last year’s weather was the same for the airshow — sunny Thursday, cloudy Friday. Above, the Blue Angels practice their Seafair airshow routine over Lake Washington on Friday, August 5, 2011. More photos after the jump…

Teenage girls get a taste of the fire service at Camp Blaze during a day of hands on learning in Bellevue . Above, campers suit up for drills at the Bellevue Fire Department’s Public Safety Training facility on Tuesday, August 2, 2011. The program was lead by women firefighters from Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Kirkland and more from around the region and West Coast. More photos after the jump…

The annual Seafair visit of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels kicked off today with two practice sessions under blue sky. Here are some of my favorite photos from the practice runs over Lake Washington near Interstate 90. More photos after the jump…