When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things and then I don’t feel so bad.
Oscar Hammerstein II
Looking back at favourite photos can have a similar positive effect. They remind you of good times in the past and offer the promise of more good times in the future. Even when the memories they hold are sometimes painful, they are often also precious.
Some photos will be favourites because of the subject matter: a beautiful place you once visited; a much-loved friend/partner/pet; a home where you made memories with loved ones. But any keen photographer will also have favourites based not on the subject but on the photo itself. A composition that worked just as you hoped it would. A serendipitous moment when several things aligned to create an interesting image. A creative edit that turned a fairly ordinary image into something that felt special.
This week the Lens Artists team are asking us to take a look back at our favourite images from the past year. For this challenge I’ve chosen one photo taken each month. All are favourites from the year, and all have stuck in my mind more than most of the others I took. But I don’t make things easy for myself, as some months I had several favourites while others I found it hard to settle on one.
And in the spirit of ‘picking favourites’, do tell me if you have a favourite among these. Or perhaps you have a favourite from my other posts which I’ve omitted here?
Disclaimer: ask me to pick my favourites tomorrow and I’ll probably choose a very different set!
JANUARY
Tulip edit
FEBRUARY
At the market in Banaue, Philippines
MARCH
Miniloc Island Resort, Philippines
APRIL
Tulip edit 2
MAY
Near Piccadilly Circus, London
JUNE
Snail, Ealing Broadway
JULY
Saatchi Gallery, London
AUGUST
Walrus haul out, Edgeoya Island, Svalbard
SEPTEMBER
Saatchi Gallery 2, London
OCTOBER
Piazza di Santa Croce, Florence
NOVEMBER
View from the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte, Florence
DECEMBER
Black-headed gull, Cologne Cathedral
Postscript: I’m adding a link to Terri’s Sunday Stills theme, as she’s looking back at what made 2025 special.
87 Comments
SoyBend
I liked the closeups of the hands and the tulip, Sarah. The hot underwear model behind the cool, calm, and collected woman was a nice contrast. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Many thanks Siobhan 😊 Those are all favourites of mine (but of course, as that was the point of this post!)
rkrontheroad
Excellent. That walrus is watching you watching him. The near and far in Florence is striking.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Ruth 😊 Yes, I think the walrus was keeping a wary eye on us!
grandmisadventures
Incredible collection of favorites- I can’t decide between the walruses and Florence which is my favorite 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Meg 😊 You’re definitely welcome to choose more than one!
Rebecca Cuningham
Wonderful shots. The building in the puddle in marvelous.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Rebecca 😊 I do love a good puddle shot!
Rebecca Cuningham
They can be amazing.
equinoxio21
I like them all of course. PArticularly March for the dream of travel, and May which is a roar…
Bonne année chère amie.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much 😊 Glad you like May – it was a lucky spot on my way to the Tube and I was glad to be able to capture it!
equinoxio21
Photography is often so much of an Opportunity isn’t it? The right unexpected combination and click.
Annie Berger
My favorite was reflection shot, Sarah, as I’m always a sucker for those!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Annie, I’m glad you liked it 😀
Sofia Alves
Wonderful as always, Sarah. The Philippines photos are my favourites this time. And you are so right, favourites change all the time!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Sofia 😊 My own favourites certainly change – I can already think of a couple of images I wish I’d included here!
Leanne Cole
Looks like it was a fantastic year Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
It was – thank you Leanne 🙂
Rebecca
Your photos from February, April, and November really captured me. Such striking portraits of our big, beautiful world. Thanks for sharing, Sarah, and I hope your 2026 is equally as adventurous!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Rebecca 😊 Yes, hoping for more adventures in 2026, with one already lined up – off to Sri Lanka in a few weeks’ time!
Leya
February, August and October for me – but they are all super. As always impressive!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much – those three are all getting lots of mentions, especially February and October 😀
Ju-Lyn
A fabulous post, Sarah! I love the calendar feel of your Best Ofs …
So many artistic, sensitive captures. As you might be able to guess, my favourite is the one of the Snail.
Sarah Wilkie
Many thanks Ju-Lyn 😊 Yes, I can see why you would choose the snail, which was just a lucky grab with my phone one morning while out shopping!
Image Earth Travel
They’re all great photos, Sarah, but my favourite is the market in Banaue.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Nilla 😊 That’s definitely one of the ‘top’ picks here and possibly my own favourite!
Pamela Zmija Photography
Beautiful collection, the walruses are adorable!!!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much 🙂 I’m not sure I find them adorable but I was certainly thrilled to see them!
Debbie
What a glorious selection Sarah!! I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to choose your favourites each month. Well done and happy new year to you.
Debbie from debs-world.com
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Debbie, and Happy New Year to you too!
pattimoed
What a fantastic collection, Sarah! Too bad we weren’t in Florence at the same time. You captured 2 of my favorite places/views. Brava!
Sarah Wilkie
Oh yes, it would have been great to meet up in Florence, though maybe hard to plan as I didn’t know I was going there until I was about to board the plane! Thank you Patti 😊
Dawn M. Miller
Wonderful images. I love those walruses!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Dawn 🙂 Cool, aren’t they?!
Dawn M. Miller
VERY!
Terri Webster Schrandt
Wow, Sarah, what a stunning gallery of favorites! I get it about being able to pick just one, and a favorite might be overshadowed by another. The subjects and images of September and October were especially cool! Thanks for linking with Sunday Stills!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Terri 😊 I was happy to be able to link to Sunday Stills – I’d like to join in more often but having two challenges both landing at the weekend often means I have to choose, and LAC arrives first 😆
Terri Webster Schrandt
Feel free to double dip when you can 😁
Wandering Dawgs
Sarah, wonderful collection! They are all amazing but my favorites are the hands from February and the Walrus from August.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Beth 😊 I’m pleased that you picked out the hands as that shot is possibly my own favourite here – though I do keep changing my mind!
photobyjohnbo
Your gallery radiates your love of photography and travel, Sarah. What a year you’ve had, and your images capture it beautifully. February, July, and November especially stood out to me.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much John 😊 October was winning the race to be the overall favourite but I think February is catching up fast!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Kept changing by mind till I got to November. That’s a clear winner for me! The view would be nice enough on its own, but through the statue’s arm it’s amazing.
Sarah Wilkie
Aw thanks Anabel, you’ve picked out the exact reason I chose that one 😀 It’s a great view but it’s also a view photographed by almost every visitor to Florence, so I was pleased to find another angle on it!
Monkey's Tale
Great collection from the year Sarah, I’m surprised that a polar bear didn’t make the list. 😊 Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Maggie 😊 I did consider one of the polar bear shots as my August choice, but not only have I probably over-shared them, they were also much easier to take. It wasn’t difficult to get good images of a bear that stood pretty still for some time next to a large ship moored in calm waters, whereas the walruses had to be photographed from a moving zodiac in a very lively swell! Add the backlighting which pleased me somewhat and they ended up top of my August list 😀
Monkey's Tale
I didn’t mean the walrus wasn’t wonderful, I had just assumed. 😊
Graham Stephen
nicely done!
✣❊✣❊✣❊✣❊✣❊✣❊✣❊✣❊✣❊✣❊✣
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Graham 🙂
Graham Stephen
✨🙏🙇♂️
thehungrytravellers.blog
Yes I have a favourite, the hands of Banaue. Great collection throughout though, Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Phil 😊 You’ve lighted on one of my own favourites among these favourites! Along with January, September, October …!
Tanja
Florence photos are amazing
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Tanja 🙂
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography
Sarah, a little bit of different images from you, I think, but here goes, Feb, May, July and September. Those stood out to me from this beautiful gallery of photos
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Ritva 😊 I was interested that you chose some different photos from those picked out by others, and rather pleased too!
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography
Hah, I like to be individualist 😂
restlessjo
October is my kind of photo, Sarah, but May did make me smile. Wonderful variety and quality in your photos. Happy January xx
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Jo, and happy January to you too 😘
Sue
A great selection, the market in Banaue, the puddle reflections at Santa Croce and for a great observation of juxtaposition the woman by the adverts at Piccadilly Circus!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Sue 😊 As I’ve said to some others below, Santa Croce shot seems to be the most popular, so maybe it wasn’t a bad thing that we had rain in Florence!
Sue
Yes!
Sue
Seemingly not!
margaret21
I started out by trying to pick a favourite. Gave up. I have 12 here!
Sarah Wilkie
Haha, that’s one way to get around the question! Thank you very much Margaret 😊
Teresa
August and October are my faves. But all are wonderful captures as always.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Teresa 😊 October does seem to be a general favourite but I’m glad you like my walruses too!
Teresa
Oh yes so many of them to like but the walruses are cute hehe
Sarah Wilkie
I don’t think I’d call them cute exactly – those tusks are vicious, as witnessed by the scars you can see on some of them!
Teresa
I guess the tusks are scary.
the eternal traveller
Impossible to choose just one – my favourites are March, October and November.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much – I think October is coming out on top at the moment 😀
norasphotos4u
Your photos are all beautiful!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Nora 🙂
Alison
All so good Sarah
In the end I went with October but it was a hard choice
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alison 🙂 A few people have gone for that one and I have to say I’m rather pleased with how it came out!
bushboy
The snail and reflective puddles are my favourites Sarah. It was a hard task wasn’t it
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, very hard – I’m useless at being self-critical 😀 Thank you Brian!
bushboy
I did have to um and ah a few times as well Sarah 🤔
Alli Templeton
And what wonderful memories you’ve made, Sarah. All amazing photos, of course, but my favourites have to be the purple tulip of April, the August Svalbard walruses, the June snail and the December gull. Nature always wins out for me, but they’re all superb shots. A real showcase of your talent displayed all through 2025. Here’s to more in 2026! 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Alli 😊 Yes, I have some wonderful memories from last year and am hoping for many more to come!
Egídio
Indeed it is impossible to have a favorite in this gallery. The hands, the boat, the macros (wow!), and Florence are all winner. Beautiful choices!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Egidio 😊 I’m pleased you found several to pick out from my selection!
Tina Schell
For me, May and October stand out Sarah but as always, all are wonderful. No doubt you had MANY to choose from!!! You’ve also given me an idea for a future challenge about WHY some of our images are our favorites. Of course we’d DEFINITELY have to limit the number 😉, or the span of time, or something I haven’t thought of yet LOL. Loved your end of year choices and your use of the black background really makes them sing!
Sarah Wilkie
Two very different choices Tina – I’m glad you liked them, and thank you 😊 I often like to add a black background to my photo galleries – I agree with you that it can help to make the images ‘sing’.
I’m pleased too to have given you an idea for a future challenge, although I did do something on those lines myself a few years ago when you all kindly invited me to be a guest host: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/lens-artists-challenge-picking-favourites/ Which is not to say it doesn’t bear repeating and/or reworking in some way!
Tina Schell
I jumped to your challenge reference and indeed we’ve been there, done that thanks to you. May tweak it a bit and use it later in the year. Stay tuned LOL.
Sarah Wilkie
Oh yes do – and in any case, that was some years ago!