I remember getting the chance to go on holiday abroad a few times as a kid, and being utterly bewildered as to why people in airports looked so grumpy. In my little mind these people were knee-deep in the most exciting thing known to man; travel. Yet their faces suggested they were in prison.

Fast forward a few decades, I too now stand in the security line silently raging inside. Nevermind that I’m about to travel thousands of miles in a matter of hours in relative comfort, the process can only reasonably be considered completely unbearable.

It’s fair to say then that my days of travelling internationally by choice are numbered. This year though I’m glad I continued to suffer the duty free mazes, the hidden fees, the delays and lost bags, as they helped me get most of my favourite photos of the year.

A lone tourist surveys and photographs the remnants of a huge swell from a big storm the day earlier.

After a morning spent in a cab on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi searching for scenes of interest this is the best I got back to the hotel with. For whatever reason it has been growing on me ever since. I think it’s the colours and weighting. And I’m a sucker for clean lines too.

A fisherman, a ferry, a volcano and seagull, all bathed in the best light I’d seen in a week. Another grower, but again it’s the weighting I like best I think.

*Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland. (May 2023)*

Early in the afternoon I’d lined up a shot of this camper only to have another tourist come and park right in front of it. Lucky really, because it spurred me to head back at sunset when the light was much nicer.

I’m adding this 2 days after posting, since I’ve just printed this photo and sat at my desk in December those summer colours look completely irresistible. And sure, this was also well past my bed time because it’s June, but worth it I think.

A morning strolling around a little fishing village didn’t offer as much as I’d hoped, but I did catch this conversation bathed in light. My kind of photo this.

I’m no wildlife photographer as you know, but if you see a polar bear for the first time and get a decent shot, I think it’s likely to make your list of favourites for the year.

A very wet 2 hour stomp on a hilariously remote Arctic island proved a real treat. One of the least accessible places in the Northern hemisphere, in other-worldly conditions.

An abandoned weather station set against a fjord full of icebergs. I’m not sure I’ve seen anything that better fits my obsession of finding manmade things draped on nature aesthetically.

This guy was contemplating a plunge for a long time, and I don’t blame him. The North Sea isn’t the tropics. I do love it when a single frame taken in a fraction of a second somehow genuinely manages to tell 1000 words though…

I ran past this scene in the middle of nowhere in rural France and couldn’t not return in decent light for a photo. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear this looked exactly the same 10 years prior, but a good example of a shot that presents more questions than answers, to me at least.

The very last and best photo I took on an intensive week-long shoot in Switzerland. The cloud cover came at the perfect time and presented the cabin perfectly.

It’s hard to capture the essence of a world city in a single shot. This is my attempt in Amsterdam and I don’t know if it achieves it, but I am taken back to the city instantly when I look at it…

One of the simplest photos I took this year, and I think one of my best. Complimentary colours, a blend of human and nature, and close to home too. I doubt it’s to everyone’s taste, but caring about that is always dangerous.

A bit close for comfort was this bloke. Still, I should thank him for making a nice silhouette, even if he did almost busy the emergency services.

So a year I'm delighted with all in all. And one thing I’ve noted, most of these shots came after a period of frustration (hours, days or weeks) and therefore act as a reminder to me to stay sharp, since you don’t know what’s around the corner.

Thanks for your support this year, it means the world.

James

My favourite photos of the year...

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