Gallery: favourite nature and landscape photos of 2021
One of the many things I find difficult about photography is self-appraisal. Choosing my BEST images is often a challenge; but ask me to choose my favourites and the task becomes a little easier … but only a little!
That is the Lens Artists challenge set this week by Tina. Rarely one to do things by halves, I’ve decided to present you with a short series of themed posts over the coming week, each with a selection of my favourite images taken in the past year. Some have featured in previous posts, many have not.
My chosen themes reflect some of my favourite subjects for photography:
- Nature and landscape
- City life
- People
- Details
- Miscellaneous (basically a cop-out so I could include some that didn’t fit anywhere else!)
Nature and landscape
I noticed while going through the year’s images that was a shortage of landscapes, which is usually a favourite subject. Then I realised that this must be due to the lockdowns of the first part of the year when I didn’t get out of my immediate suburban area. Nature however there was aplenty!
My opening feature photo was taken in late June, in a park in Shrewsbury. The remaining images, below, are all in chronological order.
Mandarin ducks, Bushey Park in west London, March 2021
Magnolia tree, Bushey Park in west London, March 2021
Magnolia in an Ealing garden, March 2021
Bluebells and celandines in South Ealing cemetery in April
Dandelion in Lammas Park, Ealing, April 2021
Robin in Walpole Park, Ealing, May 2021
Dog rose in Walpole Park, Ealing, May 2021
In Cardingmill Valley, Shropshire, June 2021
Another robin, this one in the same park in Shrewsbury as the dahlia featured above, June 2021
At Brimham Rocks, Yorkshire, August 2021
Drystone walls near Malham Cove, Yorkshire, August 2021
Autumn colour in Kew Gardens, October 2021
The Thames in Brentford, West London, December 2021
Meanwhile, looking ahead to 2022, I’ve decided (possibly madly!) to attempt the 365 challenge, taking and posting a photo a day for the whole year. You can find and follow my efforts on Blipfoto here: https://www.blipfoto.com/Toonsarah.
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57 Comments
SJ Butler
Love the ducks and the gorgeous Magnolia 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Sue – they’re favourites of mine, I have to say!
Anne Sandler
Outstanding nature series Sarah. I loved the detail, color and sharpness of the images.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne, I really appreciate you taking the time to look at and comment on all this series of posts! It means a lot to get your feedback 😀
ramblingranger
Lovely images, Sarah. My favorites are the dandelion and the second robin.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Dianne 🙂 That robin was really cute and very tame. One of the gardeners was working in the park and he was following her around, so easy to photograph 😀
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wetanddustyroads
Wow Sarah … unbelievably beautiful (can one say that in English?) Such amazing pictures! My favourite (and probably one of the best photo’s I’ve seen in 2021) is your first one of the Mandarin Ducks – it’s such a sharp photo and the colours are beautiful!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much, I’m flattered 😊 And yes, indeed you can say that in English 😀 That duck photo is proving a real hit with everyone!
Tanja
Stunning images!Happy 2022!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Tanja, and happy 2022 to you too!
Tanja
Thanks
rkrontheroad
These are great. The mandarin ducks are breathtaking – the photo is so sharp!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Ruth – they did pose beautifully for me, and in a patch of light which helped a lot!
salsaworldtraveler
Beautiful imagery Sarah! The ducks and the dandelion are my favorites. They are all outstanding.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for the feedback – those two images are emerging as definite favourites among almost all who’ve commented 😀
Terri Webster Schrandt
Stunning, Sarah! Such magical images! It IS indeed difficult to choose the faves and I like the idea of you sharing themed posts over the next week. I went with images that told my story of an interesting, eventful 2021. Please feel free to link any to Sunday Stills!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Terri 😊 Ever a glutton for punishment I’m drafting a separate post for Sunday Stills – more a summary of my year focusing on events rather than favourite photos! Should be ready for you by the end of today 🙂
Terri Webster Schrandt
Wow, well I’m excited, Sarah! Looking forward to what you curate!
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
Sarah, any image that makes you smile, even though it may not be technically perfect is a good image in my book. I personally love the first image of the ducks. The subject is in sharp focus and the colors are brilliant.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Suzanne, that duck photos seems to be winning in the popularity race!
Rose
All beautiful images, Sarah, you have such an artistic eye for photography. My photos are simply point and shoot and hopefully I captured the image I was looking at. I don’t take the time to learn proper photography etiquette. My vote is for the dog rose, because of its heart-shaped petals that are holding up the little ladybug.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Rose 😊 Would you believe I didn’t even notice that ladybug (we say ladybird) until I looked at the photo afterwards?!
JohnRH
Love those ducks! (I think I said that last time.) The drystone walls, too. How do they know whose is what?
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks John 🙂 I don’t really understand your question, however – whose what is what???
JohnRH
I was wondering if the meandering drystone walls are legitimate property boundaries.
Sarah Wilkie
Ah, I see – no, for the most part these walls mark the boundaries between individual fields not whole properties. Sheep farming wouldn’t be viable here if a farmer only owned one field 🙂 As to the sheep, each is marked with a daub of dye that indicates ownership.
JohnRH
Thank you.
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margaret21
A lovely gallery. I’m finding Blipfoto a bit of a challenge though. And shall I remember in any case? Let’s see….
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Margaret 🙂 I’m only one day into ‘Blipping’ so who knows if I’ll keep it up or not! Can you share a link to your profile there please? I’d love to follow you 😀
margaret21
Erm, I don’t use it, and was finding it hard to get my way in to follow you!
Sarah Wilkie
Oh sorry, I understand now! Yes, I’ve realised you can only follow someone on Blipfoto if you yourself are a member; I should have made that clearer 😉
margaret21
Ah! I’ll try later then.
the eternal traveller
What a beautiful collection of images, especially the gorgeous ducks at the start. Happy New Year!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, and Happy New Year to you too!
thehungrytravellers.blog
Wow there’s some fabulous shots there Sarah
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, especially for taking the time out from your adventures to visit and comment 😊
SJ Butler
These are lovely, I love Brimham Rocks and have an almost identical image of the tree on the rocks, such a stunning place (and tree!) Malham Cove is on my list of places to visit. I went about 20 years ago and I think it’s time for a re-visit.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 Last August was our first visit to Brimham and to Malham Cove. I loved photographing the rocks but Malham didn’t quite live up to expectations for some reason. Maybe we need to try again?
SJ Butler
Maybe you need to go when there is a dusting of snow or a sharp frost. I haven’t been for ages but really need a visit.
Manja Maksimovič
What a blip is Blipfoto? 😉 I cannot comment over there. Please make sure to link there often. I’d love to follow your 365 effort but I’m afraid I’ll forget. I love the parrot, it looks mighty similar to the ones in Rome. Clearly they are the winners. I also love it that you will have several favourite posts. Beautiful nature in your first, and the ducks are hard to beat.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Manja 🙂 I discovered Blipfoto through another blog but no, I don’t think you can comment there unless you’re a member. It seems to be a popular platform for the 365 challenge, perhaps because you can’t cheat! The date on your photo is the date shown, not the date you post 😀 Glad you like my parakeet – they’re very common in London now but I always love to see them!
I’ll try to link from time to time and may also do a regular post here with some of the best-received photos on Blip 🙂
Tina Schell
A beautiful selection Sarah, but oh my gosh, those DUCKS!!! That’s an amazingly sharp image that shows their beautiful coloring perfectly! Happy New Year to you.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Tina, and Happy New Year to you too!
maristravels
Glorious – every one of them. I’m so envious of your talent. Hard to choose a best out of 10 but I have to plump for the dandelion I think with the Mandarin ducks a close second. Mandarins always qualify because of their toy-like appearance and the gorgeous colours but yours also has lovely swirly waters.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Mari 😊 Those two shots seem to be emerging as the overall favourites. It’s always interesting to hear what others think as you can all be more objective than I can!
Alison
Lovely gallery Sarah, very difficult to choose favourite photos I think
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alison 🙂 I do try to identify favourites during the year but reducing them to a sensible number for a blog post is a real challenge!
Amy
I love the subject you choose. The mandarin ducks are incredibly beautiful, I love the rest of the bird captures. The lone tree image is beautiful i BnW.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Amy 🙂 I love the challenges of wildlife photography but in a London suburb that really just means birds!
Amy
We’ve visited England three times. Don’t when we will go back there again…
Sarah Wilkie
Never say never …!
Marie
Fabulous selection Sarah – those mandarin ducks are extraordinary!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Marie 🙂 I always love seeing Mandarin ducks but I struck lucky getting this pair so nicely lined up in the same shot!
Annie Berger
Loved your photos – they’re all beautiful. Who knew the lowly dandelion of all things could look so magical?;
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Annie 🙂 Dandelion clocks are amazing, I love to photograph them!