send your biggest picture from 2025
A PICTURE THAT MADE YOU SMILE, LAUGH, CRY, REMEMBER, CELEBRATE…
THE ONE
As we march onward toward the end of another year, I’m looking for your ‘biggest picture’ of 2025. The idea is simple: send the most important/favourite picture you made this year, with a few words about why it matters. It could be the frame that made you laugh, one that took you to new places or a new experience, the one that brought a tear, a picture that helped you celebrate, commemorate, or just something that stirred a quiet emotion when you look back at it. All pictures will be shared on this special showpage, and ten photographers will be selected to come to the first show of 2026 to talk about their pictures. Closing date for pictures is Friday December 12th, 2025.
HOW TO SUBMIT PICTURES AND STORIES
Send your images to stories@photowalk.show - only one picture please for this feature.
It’s always great to have a reason for choosing a particular picture, and we love receiving your stories, so feel free to include text in your email, as little or as much as you feel comfortable writing.
No borders or watermarks, please.
When including social media or website URLs, for links back to your wider portfolio, please choose two of the most relevant sites that showcase your work. To help the process, please include the full URL, not simply @greatphotographer. Links must be supplied in the following format: www.instagram.com/photowalk.podcast.
Image types. Please send JPG images only; unfortunately, other formats are not accepted. Ensure that your email client or provider does not ‘squish’ the picture smaller than 2500 pixels wide. If you can optimise your picture to 2500 pixels wide, you’re star. If you can’t optimise to this size, don’t panic, send the full resolution image, and we’ll do the heavy lifting on your behalf with preparing for the web.
Please ensure you own full copyright to your picture.
KIM COFIELD
Why is this photo The One? Well, this photo represents everything I have been striving to achieve with my dog photography. When I first set out to become a dog photographer, everywhere I turned to for inspiration presented me with photos of dogs in European forests and European urban areas. They are so far removed from my reality here in Australialand, I did not think I would ever be able to have any success. However, when I met my photography mentor in person last year, I came to see that I could, in fact, use the landscape around me. I simply had to look using my eyes instead of thinking I had to mimic others.
My favourite location to walk Theo and Claire has countless dead trees as well as fallen dead branches and trees. This particular tree we often walk by had caught my eye unknowingly until one day it hit me - it would be the perfect location to place a dog. I love it when an idea works out, in this case, a lot better than expected. I think will always remain one of my favourite photos.
See more of Kim’s work on Instagram.
ANJA POEHLMANN
WENDY BRANDON
What a great idea - The One - and quite a challenge as I travelled to Antarctica this year. It was the last voyage of the season (in March) so the weather and light varied from sunshine to heavy snow and wind. It was an Intrepid expedition and our ship was an icebreaker built in a Polish shipyard in 1986. A real workhorse that took us as far south as the ice would allow. At one point we were the southernmost ship on the planet. How lucky we were, and how privileged to share that place with its inhabitants - unforgettable!
How to choose one photograph from so many?? The 'chosen one' is not the most technically perfect, nor is it a grand vista or a fantastically surreal-shaped iceberg of which there were many. But, for me, it is loaded with memory, the atmosphere of that special place, and how I felt immersed in it. It was made very early one morning - I was up around 4.30am and sat out on the deck in the snow, moving inside at regular intervals for a hot chocolate as I needed. The only sounds were the hum of the ship's engines, the pitter of snow and the 'chirruping' of a pod of whales as they passed by, communicating with each other in the darkness and near dawn. I'm not a poet, but while I sat there in that magical, dreamlike space, alone and enjoying my solitude, a small poem to accompany this image felt 'right':
I eavesdropped on whales
passing by.
I heard them breathing
in the dark.
And watched them.
And I heard the crunch of ice
against the bow of our ship.
An intruder in that place,
but grateful.
Cheers Neale - thanks for the company in the mornings when I walk with my dog, and all best wishes to you and your family for 2026.
From Aotearoa-land
See more of Wendy’s work on her website.
JIM FARMER
I shot this old house last summer. It is about 25 miles from here and dates to the mid 1800's.
I have been driving by it for many years and finally decided to make a few photos. It was marked no trespassing. So I looked up the owner and went by his house which was just down the road.
He was a very friendly old man and told me the story of his family that built the house and how it passed between family members. I finally asked him if I could take a few photos and he replied "sure son, just don't go inside, you'll fall through the floor"!
See more of Jim’s work on Instagram.
JENS ROHDE
These are dark times. Unrest and war loom on the horizon. Powerful men are unworthy of their power, the climate is ailing, and age and health weigh heavily.
My daily life holds plenty that can drag the mood downward. Yet in such periods it is vital to remember the good things. To find my own patch of sunlight, stand tall, and believe that I am good enough and that everything will turn out all right. That has been my philosophy for many years, and despite the gloomy opening words I still manage, on most days, to make it a good day.
One activity I use to find my patch of sunlight is photography. It takes me into nature, where I can spend a few hours with the season’s scent in my nostrils, sun on my face (yes, it does happen!) and beautiful subjects in the viewfinder. I love setting off with no concrete plans beyond a destination. After a while the noise of everyday life fades, and instead I can immerse myself in whatever subjects present themselves. I can happily spend a long time in the same small patch of woodland; as presence settles in, I notice more and more to photograph.
This little flower (Leucanthemum vulgare) set me thinking when it appeared on the film strip in Lightroom after a long day out with my good photo friends in the local photography club. Its defiant insistence on basking in the sunlight in an otherwise dark corner of the park has since become an inspiration. So when daily life presses on my mental reserves, I think of this cheerful little bloom, and I smile at once. It doesn’t solve anything, of course, but a smile is a fine start to the rest of the day.
So this photograph has become my favorite of 2025.
See Jens’ daily sketches HERE.
MARK CREAMER
I work for an international humanitarian relief organization based in Ohio as its IT Director. The one thing I love more than anything else with my job is when we are able to travel on disaster response trips to the places our organization supports. For years we have gone to Haiti but that has become impossible due to the dangers present in the country. So when the opportunity came last month to travel to Jamaica in response to the Hurricane Melissa disaster, I jumped at the chance.
We traveled with 3 doctors, a registered nurse and a pharmacist, along with support staff, including me serving as photographer documenting the work. Over 3 days, the doctors saw over 340 patients, treating minor injuries, evaluating medical conditions like hypertension and diabetes, and most importantly, just being present to the people affected by this unprecedented disaster. Many of them just want to know they are not forgotten, not ignored, even as the US media quickly moves on to the latest political bickering or "toxic voyeurism" in the news.
I am always amazed at the attitude of people in situations like this. It is humbling to talk to someone who has lost everything, yet they are so gracious, so thankful, and so optimistic for the future. It puts my little daily irritations in a whole new perspective.
Milton, the gentleman in this portrait, had his home flattened, and is living with relatives who aren't much better off than he. I was able to sit with him and just listen, as he spoke of how things will be getting better every day. As he left, he held my hand tight and thanked me for speaking with him.
I captured several photos of him, and I like this one best. He has wonderful character in his face. I am better off for having met this man.
MICHAEL TENBRINK
In September, while en route from Edinburgh to Inverness for the Photowalk retreat, I began taking photos out the train window of the Scottish countryside. I found it very enjoyable, and the resulting blurry photos got the wheels turning in my mind. I experimented throughout the week with longer exposure times and intentional camera movements. I've continued to play with this in the months since, and it’s ended up taking my work in a completely unexpected direction. I’ve now made hundreds of what I’ve taken to calling “blurscape” photos. Here is one favorite, shot at a park outside of Milan, Italy, where I live. It reminds me very much of a painting, which gives me a certain satisfaction, since I couldn’t actually paint to save my life!
Read more from Michael on Substack.
RAJARAM BHAGAVATHULA
This picture was captured at a location called Harmony Borax Works in Death Valley National Park, and I call this the shot ‘Catching the Galactic Train to the Milky Way". I planned my visit to the national park (which is a Bortle Class 1 International Dark Sky Park) during a new moon in June of this year, as I wanted to capture the Milky Way against the foreground of something very interesting. The double wagon monument at this location as a foreground against the backdrop of the Milky Way looked like a perfect location.
So I set myself up at midnight on that moonless night in June when the mercury was still hovering around the high 30 degrees Celsius and the hot, dry desert air was just starting to cool. I was capturing one exposure after another, but something about the foreground seemed off. The double wagon appeared as a silhouette, and it did not meet the idea of the photo I had in mind. I also confidently did not bring a flash or light source to illuminate the foreground. Cursing my bad luck, I was about to pack up and leave when for reasons only known to me at that time, I decided to get one more exposure. It was during this exposure that another vehicle entered the parking lot and the headlights of that vehicle illuminated the double wagon at the right angle with the right color, and precisely for the right amount of time that I was able to get this shot.
I was ecstatic and high-fived at least five imaginary people at that location. I always read, heard, and believed that capturing 'the one’ shot is about being at the right place at the right time and this instance in my life reaffirmed that quote. This photo is easily one of my most favorite photos I made as it has both things I could control and things that were beyond my control. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!
See more of Raja’s work on Instagram.
MAUREEN BOND
Holga image with Harman Phoenix film taken at first light at Malibu Beach, CA. From the rugged rocks at dawn, the first light pierces the clouds, casting a soft glow over the restless waves and untouched sand. This moment captures nature’s quiet awakening—a serene interplay of light and sea that stirs a deep, unspoken emotion within me, evoking peace and introspection.
SAM RAMSAY
Here is my favorite image from this year - it is of my dog Hemi looking out the window at sunrise. I have many iterations of this image over the past four years and they never really sat right, something was always off, or the flare wasn't flaring, or just something that I could not really point at. But this morning, I walked towards the kitchen, camera already in hand as I was planning on going outside to take some photos. And the sun this morning! It was perfect, the way it was just peeking through the one side, hitting the door and lighting up the left wall slightly. Hemi was perfectly still. I simply raised my camera and took the shot. It was one of those moments where you just knew you got it. Hemi heard me and moved and the sun shifted and the moment was over - but I caught it, and I was so excited. As an aside, this is totally handheld at 1/8 - which I am secretly proud of. I have been practising how slow I can shoot handheld just for fun, thus I am extra happy this image is fairly sharp!
LOBA VAN HEUGTEN
This is my The One image for 2025. I was pointing my camera towards the background trying out and making small changes to a fuji recipe on my Fuji Pro3. I was so engaged in making small changes to the white balance on the camera that I did not pay much attention to the lady who passed. When I got on the bus, I looked at the images. I deleted all but this one image, as this image captures what I have been trying to express but have not managed to before this image. I like her hair and the way she is flowing by in her own world.
MALI DAVIES
On the first morning of week two of my Elements workshop in Scotland, the West Highland peninsula greeted us with a dramatic sucker punch—the kind of rain that feels like the sky has simply given up and dumped the entire Atlantic on your head. But as I always remind my groups, weather isn’t the enemy of landscape photography… it’s the secret ingredient.
Hours later, dripping like shipwreck survivors and heading back to base, we made a few planned stops, nothing unusual. And then it happened. The moment. I had to pull over. By some miracle there was the tiniest lay-by, and I wedged the people carrier in.
What unfolded next was utterly unforgettable. The storm had muscled its way through the mountains, leaving behind torn ribbons of cloud and an atmosphere so luminous it felt unreal. The kind of light landscape photographers fantasise about. A once-in-a-lifetime, “is this actually happening?” kind of light.
Inside the van, four of us erupted like caffeinated meerkats, pure chaos. Then disaster: my lens had fogged so completely it looked like I’d smeared it with butter. It was wetter than an otter’s pocket and filled with mist. Panic! I grabbed the 100–400mm, realised it was far too long, and started frantically zooming and waving it about to clear the fog.
Seconds. That’s all I had. I sprinted up a hill with the group, swapped lenses, steadied myself, and fired the shot.
And then… everything slowed. I felt like I was hovering outside my own body, watching the scene unfold in cinematic slow motion. Thirty seconds of perfect light stretched into what felt like half an hour. Time stopped.
It was one of those transcendent, heart-thumping moments you chase your whole career—and getting to share it with the workshop group made it pure magic.
See more of Mali’s work on YouTube, his website and Instagram.
RIKKI-PAUL BUNDER
Here is my “one’ image for 2025.
It is an image taken with an infrared camera, from the inside of my car, while raining.
This particular shoot sparked a new project, one that investigates experimentation and play as catalysts for my creative practice. Forgetting all the rules of clean, sharp, perfect images and embracing the messiness of, somewhat, uncontrolled situations.
Infrared photography is traditionally executed under clear skies and in bright midday light, conditions that enhance contrast and highlight the surreal qualities of infrared wavelengths. In contrast, this project is shot in conditions of heavy rain and fog, when the visual environment is muted.
In addition to the atypical weather, I photograph through the car window, allowing rain to distort and obscure the view. The resulting image becomes a collaboration between light, weather, and surface, uncontrolled and inherently unpredictable.
By embracing this unpredictability, I am exploring how these interruptions not only transform the image but also affect my way of seeing and making.
The ongoing project can be seen via my website; https://www.rikkipaul.com/work/interrupted
Also see Rikki’s Instagram.
MORRIS HAGGERTY
This is my ONE photo from 2025,
Niall Bradley and his quarter horse, Drumcoura City - Ireland.
This is not my best photo of 2025, however, it is the most significant.
Through my 41 years, I have always been exposed to horses, with uncles, aunties and cousins all having their own horses - as did some of my friends in high school. Not to mention my Grandfather having plowed the local fields with a single plow and horse, before tractors became a thing.
From about 15 years old I wanted to work with or around horses, but was too shy to ask my uncles, and having mentioned the idea once at a friend's home whilst the farrier was making a visit - my friends and the Farrier all laughed and told me I didn't.
Well, that was that then.
I have always struggled with confidence and self-esteem, so there's been a few things I have either dropped or avoided like the plague to avoid taking hits that I wasn't equipped to deal with.
Strangely enough, there was a period where I hated cameras (so much so, that I used to "misplace" our camera). That was, until in 2021 a snapshot taken on a mobile phone completely polarized my feelings toward photography.
Having acquired a 6mp Nikon D40 within a few months, I set about learning the craft.
By the time 2023 rolled around, I had an Idea in my head that I wanted to photograph American Barrel Racing.
Of course not knowing the first thing about the equestrian world, I thought I would just pop on to my local equestrian group chat and get some info.
I quickly felt like I was that 15 year old, talking to the Farrier again.
"there's a guy called Niall Bradley, I think he does western stuff" - was about the height of the knowledgebase.
Niall of course did respond when I reached out,
"I just train Reining horses and do some general horsemanship".
Damn.
With half of a plan to go and see Niall in action, the lead went a little cold.
A year and a half had slipped by and in January 2025, an advert landed in front of my eyes as I scrolled through social media :-
***Northern Lights Barrel Racing International
Barrel racing clinic
March 2025
Drumcoura City, Ireland***
I nearly choked on my coffee, Wasting no time - I IMMEDIATELY contacted the organizer and asked for permission/access to shoot.
Organizer Sammi Nash, granted my request and I began to prepare for the event.
This was going to be epic, horses and riders hurtling around a trio of barrels in a triangular pattern. 16 seconds of pure muscle, speed and agility.
Or so I thought!
Of the 4 riders participating, 2 were young riders on 2 young horses - one of which was rather skittish.
Rightly so, in the interests of safety for humans and horses alike, Sammi decided that riders wouldn't go any faster than a "rope" - A what? oh, Lope, right!
With further questioning I learned that a "lope" sits somewhere between a trot and a canter in English riding.
Ah gotcha, I think...
At the end of what turned out to be a very slow paced day, Sammi asked one of the more experienced riders If he could do a couple of sliding stops for the camera
(of course at this point I had realized that this was in fact the same guy I had spoken to 18 months prior - Niall Bradley).
Niall agreed to do a couple of passes, but his mare had other ideas.
she was somewhat compliant on the first pass, not so much on the second.
Niall said he'd give her one more go, but she wasn't playing ball.
Niall and his mare came running up the center of the arena and as he initiated the slide, she threw a tantrum.
kicking out one of her powerful hind legs and displaying some disobedience, Niall worked his horse to maintain control and discipline.
During this episode, horse and rider navigated through the tight dusty corner of the arena.
THWACK, I fired off my Nikon D610 just as they passed by an American flag style poster and under American flag bunting, dramatic dust kicked up by the horse and under perfect window light. GOT IT.
I could go home happy.
Off the back of this clinic - this shot - I was invited to shoot at the upcoming Irish Quarter Horse Association show (the first after a 7 year lapse).
I shot all IQHA shows in 2025 and I am now the official photographer.
Sammi has held several more Barrel Racing clinics and has succeeded in creating the National Barrel Horse Association Ireland, with 2026 to be its inaugural year.
I am thrilled to also be the official photographer for the NBHAI.
I don't just get to photograph horse shows, I'm literally IN them. I've gotten to know the horses the same as I've gotten to know the riders and organizers (not to mention officials from France, Belgium and Germany).
There may be an opportunity to shoot at an international event, there are open invites to Canadian rodeos and a host of other possibilities.
The one thing that stands above all though, Is the very personal messages of how much particular images mean to the riders, organizers and spectators.
Battling and overcoming injury, illness or other hardships - only to be caught on camera by ME. It's very humbling and Has brought me to tears on occasion.
Western riding isn't new in the UK and Ireland, but it IS growing rapidly thanks to society's recent obsession with the american cowboy culture.
I am proud to be part of Ireland's western scene, to help promote it and its various ranches/venues, and I'm proud to call these people my friends.
For me, it was all built on one photo - THE ONE.
ADRIANO HENNEY
Here is “Salix”, my contribution to “The One”.
This photograph was made during a photography retreat on Lake Garda last January. It was one of those intensely bright, cloudless winter days when there was a genuine nip in the air, but the unfiltered sun made it warm enough to walk around in shirtsleeves. Heading out along the Lake shore, away from Lazise towards Bardolino, I came across this striking Willow. Striking because it stood out from the standard shrubs and hedges lining the path and in the neighbouring gardens. Also striking because of the way it bent, appearing to bow and gently kiss the surface of the water in the slipway. Under different conditions, it could appear to be eerie and foreboding, but in the bright sunlight, it invites contemplation, stillness, and calm. Why is it “The One”? Because of all the photographs made during the year, this one does precisely that, and it instantly recalls the wonderful week spent exploring Lake Garda with fellow photographers. I hope you like it.
DUNCAN FERGUSON
You’ve asked me the ‘why' question on two occasions now, approximately a year apart, and they’ve been very similar answers. My answer has now changed slightly, and that is very much to do with my photograph I’m sending in for ’the one’. My daughter has now reached that wonderful age where everything is interesting and fun apart from the simple daily struggles of getting dressed or eating vegetables. I have recently purchased for her her first camera and I am wildly excited about taking her out into the world to see it how I see it, through my lens, and soon, her own.
So my ‘why’ has shifted from a selfish one where I shoot just for me to one where I now shoot for her, to make memories for us both. This photograph is one of my favourites for this year, an early evening walk with the sun beginning to set, casting some lovely golden light across the scene. Walking up my local country lane to see the cows, my daughter has now developed a newfound independence just so long as she has her trusty pram to push along and her best mate Lhotse on the lead next to her with the lead placed just so on the handle.
See more of Duncan’s work on Instagram.
KEITH JOHNSON
JBR Beech, Dubai June 2025.
This is a special place as Denise and I had been going there since 2007 and would go in January for our birthdays and October for our wedding anniversary in the last 10 years, we have stayed at several hotels that had access to the beech and have walked it together many times. And in recent years our son and his family have moved out there and we have spent time on the beech with them.
Denise passed away in September 2024 after a very sudden illness and this was my first visit to the beech alone. It was a very emotional walk on the beech that day and I walked the full length and sat myself down at this spot looked back across the bay and reflected on our life together.
My Reflection.
THAT first kiss we snatched.
How I felt close to you
How we would speak the same words together
How we laughed and giggled together
The special moments we shared
The rock you were to me
The cheeky look you gave that said it all to me
Thank you for the family we built
Thank you for understanding me
Thank you for the love you gave me
My best friend
My wife
My life
You were always there for me
THAT final squeeze of our hands that said.
"I love you"
BIL DERBY
I made this image in response to an assignment of sorts from our dear friend Dave Brosha. He offered a single word and challenged me to create a series of six images built around that word – he too is a cheeky fellow. This image, one of that series, stands out as it resonates with me in the most unanticipated way. It was previsualized, carefully arranged, purposefully lit, edited a wee bit, and it ties into the larger series nicely. It was shared digitally, at first, but when I printed it … well, I had to take a moment.
As I held the print everything that had been planned, considered, and controlled in the making of “an assignment image” was lost to the emotion of seeing my father’s hands wrapped around a cup of tea. My father passed away in 2015, these hands are mine. Wrapped around a cup just as he would, a gentle embrace in a quiet moment. We are not always aware of the myriads of ways we carry our lost loved ones with us, but their presence arises in the quiet moments when we notice gestures, sights, sounds, smells, and objects that remind us of the gift of time we shared with them.
Now, off to find a tissue. I appear to have some dust in my eyes.
See more of Bil’s work on his website.
ANDREW NODEN
One of our Nature trails here in Ottawa Canada, is called “Mud Lake”
On this day close to the Ottawa River, another Photographer had alerted me to a potential Coopers Hawk in distress,
We called a local Bird sanctuary group to come and help, and for 2 hours, we carefully watched the Hawk and its movements as we were trying to determine how to capture the bird.
I then noticed the bird bathing itself, which seemed a little unusual, and there were no signs of distress or injury to the hawk.
I kept saying its going to fly! It’s going to fly!. Then it took flight to a nearby branch above the water's edge, paused and then took flight again, and we lost sight of this magnificent bird.
To be so close to a bird of prey that can be potentially quite aggressive was a special moment filled with awe and amazement and finally joy as the hawk took flight.
See more of Andrew’s work on Instagram.
ALEX BOONE
This photo means everything to me. He’s the only one left of our grandparents, and in the last year, we’ve watched him face the challenges that come with aging, the slow fading of memory, the surrender of independence. Giving up driving was especially hard for him. He’s since moved in with my parents, who both still work and have taken on the toll and tenderness of caring for him every day.
It’s difficult to see the mind decline. He can’t remember things told to him hours, sometimes even minutes ago. But ask him about a story from 15, 30, or even 50 years ago, and he recalls it with perfect clarity, as if it happened yesterday.
I took this one Sunday morning while visiting my parents with my kids. Every day, he sits at the kitchen table with his “cup of mud,” working through crossword puzzles to keep his mind sharp. This moment wasn’t captured with my professional camera, just my iPhone, but it holds more meaning than any staged portrait ever could. For me, this will forever be the photograph I cherish: a quiet portrait of resilience, memory, and love across generations.
See more of Alex’s work on Instagram.
PETER JEHLE
I made this photograph whilst on a Photowalk tour in India last March. We spent some hours travelling on local trains, hopping on and off at various stops. As I stepped through the door on one occasion, this presented itself, but it didn’t last for long. The light immediately struck me and complementary colours filling the carriage.
See more of Peter’s work on Instagram.
CONNER GOUWS
On the roof top of a hotel here in Queensland Australia, I got the shot in the midst of doing headshots for a real estate company. My camera clutched tight as I held it over the edge to capture the moment. I normally take street photographs without people in them but seeing this scene I felt compelled to make the image. I find the image to be busy without being overwhelming, allowing the viewer to see many different moments all happening simultaneously in one communal space.
JADE LEE
I went back over my photos for 2025 and actually realised I didn't take half as many as I thought I did. I had the usual beautiful landscapes that are part of my daily scenery, but the one, or should I say, 'The One,' that stuck out was a self portrait I took on my Ricoh GR.
I'd been using the Hi-Contrast B&W effect and found that the result was something that I kept coming back to. I had bad skin as a teenager and even today, I still think of myself as having bad skin. I like how the camera picked up on all the flaws, including the sun damage that is an inevitable part of being an Australian. For the first time I feel like my face has character in this photo and that's why it's my favourite for the year.
See Jade’s website HERE.
R.J. CAMPBELL
When I heard the description of The One, I knew right away the photo that I would send.
My wife and I were visiting the St. Louis Zoo here in Missouriland in the U.S. We had two of our grandchildren with us for a wonderful day. The four of us were in the reptile house and I was playing around with making photos through one of the glass snake houses.
I am told that moment matters, and this was some moment. The two children are our granddaughter Charlotte (call sign Charlie) and grandson Richard (call sign Quinn). Their father, Lt. Rich "Dick Soup" Campbell, is a US Navy fighter pilot, hence the call signs.
Charlie and Quinn were having a lovely time watching the snake, who looked to be just as intrigued by them. I took quite a few photos with various facial expressions and smiles. But this is the photo that just melted my heart.
Thank you for the opportunity to share this photo of two of our wonderful grandchildren.
See more of R.J.’s work on Instagram.
JOHN LANCASTER
Since about 2019 I’ve been a keen hiker, mainly in the Lake District, and I’ve been following in the footsteps of AW, completing the 214 in 2023, and just 7 short of a second round, as I accompany a good friend on his quest. I first discovered AW back in the early 70s, on an annual school fell walking holiday to Coniston, which I had the pleasure of attending on three occasions. The driving force behind these trips at the time was Ray French, ex-rugby international, then English master and soon-to-be BBC Rugby League commentator. Ray was a legend.
I continued random walks in the lakes during my teens with various groups and friends, but these ceased as work and life came along and became annual trips to Bowness to wander around the tat shops.
In 2015, I retired early from the NHS and purchased my first DSLR. I’d always had cameras, including a couple of SLRs, but they had been used to take photos in the way people now use a phone, not as a photographer.
So, back to early 2015, and I was doing some internship work in Stoke and I remember well the day of the solar eclipse. I felt a bit shivery as I tried to figure out my new Nikon. Cut to the chase, three days later, I was fighting for my life - literally- with myocarditis and acute heart failure, and it wasn’t looking good. Anyway, I survived, and those first few weeks as I sat at home, unable to get upstairs, or eat much, listening to my irregular heartbeat, awaiting my appointment to shock things back to normal, I started taking photos of the daffodils, and the garden coming to life. I bought a macro lens from Currys for the purpose, which was awful, but did the trick. As the year progressed, I started to embrace street photography in Liverpool, which I still practice. I also came up with a plan to walk the Wainwrights, much to everyone’s dismay and disbelief.
Fast forward to 2017, and I climbed haystacks in February, made a slow start, but renewed my determination during the Covid years, and really got cracking in July 2020.
My camera accompanied me, and at some point in that journey, it became an equal part of the equation, not just a way of recording it.
My heart is now “normal” thanks to the exercise of walking, and I doubt 11 years of medication, and a couple of procedures I won’t bore you with. Walking and photography are responsible for me being here; I’ve no doubt about them. That possibly answers the why question!
See John’s Wainwright summits on Instagram.
BEN MAYNARD
While visiting the Spanish Steps in Rome, I decided to look for photo opportunities beyond the obvious landmarks and historic architecture. With my trusty Pen-F in hand, I spotted this gentleman who appeared to be in deep thought. I felt the light, shadows, and the rose created a feeling of honouring a lost loved one and remembrance.
Surprisingly, it’s one of my favourite photos from my visit to Rome, and it could have been anywhere in the world. I now often find myself looking and pointing my camera in a different direction from the masses.
PHILIP BRAITHWAITE
This represents my renaissance with analogue photography. I’ve had this Canon A1 for around 35 years. It was the camera I always wanted but couldn’t afford but it was sadly neglected when the world turned digital and it just sat in a drawer. But like my vinyl record collection it been brought out of it’s hibernation as I thought it was time I went back to film.
I took this shot back in May on TRI-X 400 while walking along the seafront here and it’s my favourite on the roll. The shadow of this couple on the wall (it was mid-evening) and the fact that they seem to be on each other’s bikes. It’s not perfect by any means as her back wheel is a bit too close to the edge of the frame but that really was the only thing I could find as I stared at it for well over half an hour. I can’t really put my finger on it but it was the waiting for the scans to come back from the developers and then opening the files, like in the old days hah ha!. There’s just something enchanting about the look of a photo shot on film.
Definitely my most rewarding shot of what has been a rather barren year, what with work and family pressures. But such is life and we move forward. I will be retiring next March and relishing the thought of getting out there more often than time will allow at the moment.
JAN VAN DER HOOFT
The following story has been submitted with full permission from all affected by this event.
In the very early days of 2023, my wife and I were set to welcome our firstborn, Willem, into the world. Everyone was coming off from the holiday highs, and we were eager to introduce our little one to the family. We went to the hospital a few days past our due date to investigate some mild discomfort and bleeding my wife was experiencing. Upon arrival and following a thorough check, everything with the baby and mother seemed to be fine. In an abundance of caution, we spent the night there (or rather my wife did, as the Covid rules at the time did not technically allow me to stay overnight) with a plan for further testing in the morning, including a detailed ultrasound. When the next day’s scans appeared to be normal, it was determined that an induction was to be started at noon since we were within the normal window for such a procedure. We made the most of our afternoon on the Labour and Delivery ward without incident, and when the time came for me to head home again for the night, I did so without much thought. The regular heart rate checks throughout the day had shown normal activity, and the symptoms of the night before had not returned.
Then in the middle of the night, I got a phone call from my wife; it was around 1:30am and in tears she’d told me that she’d woken up feeling quite sick. She also told me the nurse had been unable to detect a heartbeat using the Doppler monitor. I did my best to calm her and then myself, so that I could go back to the hospital to be with her. The drive was a cautious, lonely and resigned one. When I arrived at the hospital, I was given more details and told that the MFM/OBGYN was on her way back, after a full shift, no less, to try and assist with our situation. She’d been the one to start the induction. By this point, my wife’s labour had begun as expected, so we paced the halls, dreading the worst. When the doctor arrived, another Doppler test confirmed our fears that Willem had, in fact, passed away.
The next several hours were a bit like a bad movie, in that the time seemed to drag on and then leap forward without warning or any sense of predictability. We elected to deliver the baby naturally, as there was no longer a risk to him or to my wife. A process that, according to the medical staff, was as routine as it comes. When he was finally born, mid early/morning the next day, my wife had been in labour for just under nine hours. Our beautiful son came out looking perfect, except for having passed in utero. The midwives informed us that it was very likely a cord accident, as a section of it had preceded the head in delivery, and it was therefore reasonable to assume it had become pinched or caught at some point while my wife had been sleeping the night before.
Of course, we were devastated; We didn’t know what to do, we didn’t know what to say to family, friends, or even strangers. Thankfully, the hospital staff and our midwifery team were incredible. They took care of everything, including getting Willem cleaned up and into a cold cot, and us into a private room to spend some time as a family. I’m not sure how long hospitals have been doing this, but they can actually keep a baby cool and in good shape for a fairly reasonable amount of time when these events occur. It gives families a chance to see, touch and be close with their children in a way (should they choose) that wasn’t permitted, possibly even ten or fifteen years ago. The staff also helped us through taking footprints and measurements, and arranging a variety of options for us in terms of social supports.
One of those particularly relevant supports was the option of having a volunteer photographer in to take a few family photos for us. Of course, this was of specific interest to me in a strange way, being a photographer myself; I’d even packed my just-purchased, brand new, mirrorless Canon body in our ‘Go bag’ to take some shots after the birth. I never dreamed that someone would come and do that for people in our situation, but I am forever grateful to have professional-level keepsakes of the day I became a father for the first time. One of these photos is still my smartphone lock screen wallpaper, nearly three years on.
As we moved forward through the next days and weeks, slowly but surely, I leaned on photography more and more, finding a renewed interest in shooting film, due to the slower pace, and tactile experience. As you might imagine, I found it very difficult to be out in the world, trying to go about the regular day-to-day activities, having been through such an event. This new subgenera offered me a way to still be outdoors and around people in social situations, but offered the option of retreat, into the focused task of shooting when things felt overwhelming.
Fast forwarding now, I’ll go to the very early days of 2024. By this point, I had fallen much further down the rabbit hole of shooting film and collecting cameras, having amassed a rather large lot of about twenty or so different bodies and lenses. One of those pieces of gear was a bit of a unique combination: a well-brassed Nikon F and a beat-up 50mm f1.4 lens once owned by photographer George Diack. George was one of the former Photo Editors for the Vancouver Sun, and had an award-winning 44-year-long career. I happened to come across this camera in an antique store on Vancouver Island, while my wife and I were out for an adventure. It also happened to be the one-year anniversary of Willem’s death, and I guess you could say part of my inclination to purchase it was inspired by that coincidence. After all, a large part of the reason I felt the desire to shoot film was related to our experience.
Jumping to August of 2024 and the birth of our second son James. I’m sure you can imagine that with a new baby in the house, we were both especially eager to capture some memories. In particular, I wanted to shoot on film, and once we got acclimated to the new household rhythm, I did a lot of that.
Jumping forward again, though just six months this time, brings us at last to my chosen photo. My One.
It is a shot of James taken with the Nikon F, I just highlighted above, in either late January or early February, 2025. I grabbed it while he was lying on his stomach on our bed, lit by the mid-February sunlight flowing gently through the large window behind camera. What I love about it, aside from his smile of course, are the following “photographer” things;
The leading line of the blanket, bottom left, guides the viewer instantly to his face, and then continues on along behind to his feet. The overall balance of light and dark, as well as the tonal shifts and variations in the background, are also notable. I’m also pleased with it because I develop my own black and white film, and feel as though the process is still a bit of a guessing game. If memory serves, this roll was processed in mid-March, with CineStill’s D96f Monobath.
In the scanning and editing process, I did do a little digital dodging and burning to get the exposure just how I wanted, but not much over all. I also toyed with the idea of removing the artefacts and dust, but because I’m not entirely sure at which point they appeared on the photo, I decided to leave them as is. I felt that despite having a lot of wonderful tools like Photoshop, and LightRoom at my disposal, my journey to fatherhood also hadn’t turned out “perfectly exposed, and free of dust and debris”. It felt right to embrace that; something I continue to try and hold as a goal in my work.
I suppose it’s fitting to end this letter with a bit of a present-day verbal snapshot of where we are at the end of 2025. Both my wife and I have worked hard to rejoin the world together and having James around has certainly helped that. In addition to working, caring for James, teaching (voice lessons, the both of us) and of course photographing, Anna and I have both begun volunteering to support families who have also gone through loss. She works as a board member for a local support organization called the Pacific Perinatal Foundation, and I joined a pair of photographers who volunteer to shoot for bereaved families at the hospital where both our sons were born. And, we are coming up to 6 months into our next and hopefully last, pregnancy.
Things can still be hard, of course; Knowing that we were so close to already having two under two, and watching James grow, makes us both pause from time to time, missing what could have been. Just like the photo I submitted though, maybe life’s not supposed to be perfect, and, perhaps especially, not in the way you might fancy yourself being okay with imperfection. Maybe it’s supposed to be a continual process of overcoming challenges without much warning. Strength in putting one foot in front of the other.
Thank you kindly for reading, and for creating a community where I (and many others who’ve already shared a story or two with you) felt comfortable writing. I’ve not really had an opportunity to do so thus far, and even just getting it put down on paper seems to make the load feel a little easier.
Regards,
Jan van der Hooft
See more of Jan’s work on his website.
NED MEANEY
Looking at the works of the likes of Saul Lieter and Ernst Haas, I wanted to explore creative possibilities and capture the reflected colours of London's Soho with its restaurants, bars and cafes.
The photo is an unedited capture of a corner restaurant, taken from just outside, with the colourful lights and mirrors that decorate its interior. These, combined with the reflections in the restaurant's windows and the adjacent street look through, have created a myriad of colours and images that, for me, capture the essence of this part of London.
I work with film and vintage cameras, and this photo was taken on Kodak Portra 800 film and a Bronica SQ B 6x6 camera with a wide aperture F2.8 lens. Film speed and lens aperture were selected to maximise available light on the shaded side of the street.
See more of Ned’s work on Instagram.
SCOTT GINTHER
I’m generally a landscape photographer, but I’ve found myself stuck and bored lately. This is always an invitation to try something new, and in the fall, I remembered a YouTube video I watched years ago introducing me to Intentional Camera Movement (ICM). I finally decided to give it a try, and wow. I used the same camera I’ve had for a decade, but produced intangible images like nothing I’ve ever made. I’m also a sucker for abstract paintings.
This photograph was taken in my own backyard. It’s a simple knee-level plant whose leaves are turning yellow and losing their lustre deep into our autumn. While there wasn’t anything striking about the foliage, I feel that this shot creates a combination of violence and beauty wrapped in a whirlwind.
My dad passed away this spring after losing his battle with cancer. As I think about my “biggest picture” of 2025, I can’t help but wonder how much of my appreciation of this shot stems from the emotion and confusion stirred up inside of me by my father’s passing.
See more of Scott’s work on Instagram.
JEANETTE SMITH
This is my submission for “The One”. It came late; when I first heard you talking about it, I had nothing that came to mind. Then last week we got back from Brittany, France, and I had this one. Taken on a rainy day in Concarneau, it is just a representation of what I want to do with my photography. I’ve had a love/hate relationship with it, and this photo makes me love it again. Thank you for the podcast. Between you and Valerie Jardin, I’m loving photography again.
See more of Jeanette’s work HERE.
JEAN-MAURICE CORMIER
Thank you for another year of fun and informative interviews and stories. Here is my "THE ONE", which floated up to the top of my list after I sold a print at a local gallery. The photo was taken standing on the rampart walls of Mont Saint Michel in France.
You are probably familiar with the area; however, the reason you see 2 clusters of people and not individuals scattered about is that the tides are very dangerous and can easily trap people when they rise. Therefore, it is highly recommended that anyone who wants to go out some distance do so with a guide.
See more of Jean-Maurice’s on his website,
PRAVEEN VIJH
The mood was melancholic. We had just returned from an emotional funeral. I asked my father to sit for me in my makeshift studio and kept the lighting simple so as to trap the emotion in the room. I asked him to reflect back on the day, on how he felt. In his 87th year I captured my father how I would like to remember him, his vulnerabilities, his stature, his love, his losses. This is that image.
See more of Praveen’s work on Instagram.
ROYCE VANNIEKERK
2025 has not been a very successful year for my street photography in terms of "keepers". It has, however, been a successful year of learning. Every time I listened to the podcast and heard the segment about “The One”, this is the photograph that came to mind. It’s not my most important photograph of the year, though. I was lucky enough to get married this year, and I have many treasured photos from that wonderful day but those, as I’m sure many will understand, are for me and my family.
The photograph I’ve submitted is for anyone who’s interested. I have to admit that it was a fleeting snapshot taken on a photowalk with a fellow street photographer. I’ve been trying to get braver and spend more time “working the scene” to increase my chances of capturing a beautiful image, but this wasn’t one of those times.
I also have to admit that I didn’t initially see everything that ended up in the frame. The graffiti jumped out immediately, and I noticed the stray headphone dangling down the tourist’s back. It wasn’t until I came back to the image during the edit that I realised the tour guide was speaking into the mic. There it was, the third element completing the saying and the photograph: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
As I mentioned above, it’s been a weak year for me on the street. This photograph isn’t my best, but I learned something from it: trust my gut. Just press the shutter. Too often I miss a moment because I think for too long. I’ve heard and read this lesson many times, but I’m someone who often needs to learn things the hard way.
See more of Royce’s work on Instagram.
GRANT PURDY
Taken on my last day in the office where I spent countless hours over the past 12 years, this photo somehow simultaneously captures hundreds of memories and emotions, wraps them up neatly and puts the final punctuation on this era of my life.
It isn’t just a fond memory of my four legged office companion and our daily games of chase, but also speaks to the fleeting forward nature of time - always there in front of you, always a few steps ahead.
An extra-special thank you for “The Nature of Fragility” reflection, which really got me into the right headspace on my walk to work that day.
ANDREAS NÖH
English football has the FA Cup Final; German football has the DFB-Pokal Final.
Fifty years ago, my father took me to my first Arminia Bielefeld match, and I’ve been a supporter ever since. The club has seen extreme highs and lows: over those 50 seasons we were promoted or relegated 24 times, bouncing between the Bundesliga, the second division, and the third. We nearly went bankrupt several times, had some truly poor squads (and a few brilliant players who left far too soon). In 1979 we even beat Bayern Munich 4–0 — and still got relegated that same season.
Last season we were back in the 3rd division but had our best campaign ever: we beat four Bundesliga teams in the DFB-Pokal and reached the final in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium after a sensational 2–1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the semifinal. At the same time, we won the 3rd division and earned promotion back to the 2nd league.
Reaching the final for the first time was the biggest achievement in our club’s 120-year history.
When the semifinal ended, the whole city went crazy. More than 100,000 fans travelled to Berlin for the final against VfB Stuttgart — even though only 25,000 had tickets. I was lucky to win one in the club members’ lottery, and we had the time of our lives.
It was my personal highlight of 2025. We lost 2–4 (Nick Woltemade — shortly before his move to Newcastle — was simply too good), but we scored twice and became the first 3rd-tier team ever to score in a German Cup Final.
I know the suffering will return—supporting Arminia has always been a roller coaster, and the 2nd division is already tough again—but that weekend in May 2025 will forever be the one we will never forget.
GENE WESTBURG
Why is this “The One” for me in 2025? It reminds me one doesn’t have to travel to gritty inner cities to capture abstract, modernist or minimalist images. They are everywhere for the observant viewer.
Southwest of Dodge City is Copeland, Kansas, population 241. An agricultural community surrounded by grain fields; Copeland is typical of towns scattered throughout middle America. A nondescript crossroads on the way to somewhere else.
Over the years I’ve noticed my photographic “style” leans toward geometric abstracts incorporating shadows and space. When I saw this out of the corner of my eye the little photographer’s voice in my head said “turn around or you’ll regret it later”.
I’ve learned to listen.
DAVID WRIGHT
This beach holds a special place in my heart, serving as a sanctuary through the darkest moments of my life and a source of joy during my highest peaks. Losing my mother to cancer at such a tender age left me grappling with deep emotional challenges. In my quest for peace and meaning, I turned to nature, discovering a profound love for landscapes and wildlife that has brought beauty to my journey.
Her passing left me with few memories, a fact that weighed heavily on my heart over the years. My father, navigating his own grief, adopted a "keep calm and carry on" approach, leading to an unspoken silence about her that caused those memories to fade away.
A turning point came when I sought help from a gifted psychologist who practiced hypnosis. Initially skeptical, I found the experience transformative. Through our sessions, I was able to reconnect with memories long buried, including one that has become particularly precious. It was a final holiday with my mum, a moment filled with warmth and love—standing on the beach, hand in hand, listening to the gentle rhythm of the waves and inhaling the salty sea air.
Now, I return to the ocean whenever I seek solace or a moment of clarity in life. It is this connection that draws me to Jekyll Island, where this photograph was captured, a reminder of both my past and my journey toward healing. Thank you for allowing me to share this piece of my heart.
(Captured with a Hasselblad in Xpan crop just before sunrise)
See more of David’s work on his website.
ANDY WAIN
Please find attached my entry for THE ONE - my favourite image of 2025.
"Kudu you think you're looking at....?"
I took this image in the early morning whilst on a photographic safari trip to Botswana and the incredible Okavango Delta. The image just resonated with me on just how beautiful a simple 'wildlife' image can be when the subject, a rather handsome male Greater Kudu grazing in the long grasses of the Delta & the early morning light come together, oh & you're lucky enough to be there with camera in hand.
KATHY CONZELMAN
I am a recent listener to The PhotoWalk podcast. There is nothing I enjoy more than taking my camera for a walk and rediscovering the world around me. Unfortunately, in this season of my life, I haven't been able to get out with the camera as much as I would like.
I have been enjoying the Photowalk conversations while I drive back and forth to spend time and care for two elderly family members who live in different towns than I. In addition to the family members in other towns, my husband and I care for his mother, with Hospice support, here at our home. Your podcast has been a gift as I imagine myself on a walk with you and your guests, rather than driving back and forth.
My One for 2025 is titled Meeting Pearl.
I captured this image of my mother-in-law meeting our daughter and son-in-law's new puppy, Pearl, for the first time. The instant I pressed the shutter button, I knew it would be a treasured image for our family. There are many other images from the past year that I am proud of, or that bring back special memories, but none that captured the essence of a moment, quite like this one.
RICHARD SMITH
I took this photo ,which is a pano of about three shots, a month ago at Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse in Michigan on Lake Huron. It was built in 1857.
I was excited to use my new Kase magnetic ND and polarising filters and was happy with the results. I drove 3 hours north one nice late fall day and was lucky with the weather. One nice thing about this time of year is that there are no people around to get in your way.
Camera: Sony A7R3
Lens: Sony 24mm-105mm
See more of Richard’s work on his website.
ROBERT FILIPPI
ANDRÉ GROTE
This picture was taken on a trip to Fanø Island on the west coast of Denmark. I explored some of the bunkers belonging to the Atlantic Wall. The inscription immediately caught my eye. This juxtaposition of following your dreams on a monument of war and oppression. It was late in the afternoon when I visited the bunker, so I was all by myself and had time to explore, think and photograph. It was very beautiful that day.
Especially with the world political events we experience today, the inscription struck me as something hopeful and uplifting. I keep coming back to that picture really often.
CK HICKS
Color infrared photography really drew me in throughout the course of 2025. I'd been playing with it for a couple of years but struggled to get the tones and feel that I saw in historic examples that I considered strong inspirations for my own work.
This shot changed all of that.
I had taken my full-spectrum mirrorless camera with me on a family hike here in Kansas City...but I wasn't sure what to expect. The lighting was mixed, the foliage was varied, and my confidence was pretty low.
Believing that the only way out of a creative slump is to keep making work through it, I made this image as my family crossed a creek. It felt like a loving, genuine moment that gave me motivation to work with the "development" process until I got the light that I was hoping to "see" there.
The result is an otherworldly look that harkens back to the type of work that first drew me to this format. I've since dug back in and continued making color infrared photos in an attempt to soak up every last bit of greenery as the year draws to a close. I'm already planning projects for next year!
The lesson for me is to enjoy the journey and to continue making things, no matter what.
See more of CK’s work on his website (including podcast) and Instagram.
GLENN SOWERBY
Attached is my submission for The One. The image captures Roker Beach on the beautiful North-East coast of England during rough seas. While observing a lone surfer struggling against the waves, I just couldn't get the shot I wanted, so I walked further along the beach. I aimed to capture the waves crashing against the pier wall and I'm thankful for the serendipitous moment when the surfer appeared in the perfect spot to balance Roker Pier within the frame.
I consider this image, titled "Riding The Waves," as my "One" because it has given me the motivation to pursue two projects in 2026, both centred around the imagery of the North-East coast. Firstly, I plan to create a website to showcase the numerous images currently stored on my hard drive and hopefully supplement with lots more planned outings and locations. Secondly, I intend to compile a book of images, both existing and new, to share with family in 2026.
ROBIN CHUN
My submission for ‘The One’ is this recent image, ‘Zen and The Art of Quiet Chaos’, made at my usual haunt of Broadmead, Bristol, of an abandoned retail outlet. Most of my photography is, one way or another, of reflections and this image, I think, highlights that medium throughout the whole of the picture and each time I look at it I find something that I hadn’t noticed previously.. like the meter cupboard seemingly in the Buddha’s body, which reminds me of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ when Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal the professor at the controls of the wizard. That little detail, along with the other multiple reflections of quiet and chaos, mayhem and modernity, is what makes this my, ‘The One’.
See more of Robin’s work on his website.
MICHAEL ASSMANN
This photo was taken earlier this year in a train in New-Delhi during the Photowalk tour in India. It captures a brief moment of connection between strangers, something we can experience every day if we simply open ourselves up.
The image complements my series on young adults worldwide. I'm fascinated by the fact that, no matter where in the world they live, they have more in common - fashion, behaviour, goals, hopes, and dreams - than what divides them.
When I then see my children and their friends in their everyday lives, I realize how much depends on chance when it comes to the circumstances you’re born into.
Since I prefer black and white photography, this is the only colour photograph from the trip I have framed and hanging in my office. Looking into this young man's eyes takes me back to that moment on the train.
WIM VAN MIERLO
Hope this finds you well. I was listening to episode #502 and my ears twigged when you mentioned 'The One'. Now I usually find it difficult to pick the one, but this time I did have a photo in mind that I have been rather pleased with. It's a photo I took in the Chapter House of Wells Cathedral last April, when the wife and I travelled down for a long weekend.
In the course of 2025, I've been photographing a good amount of English churches and cathedrals, pushing myself to find new ways and new angles to capture their history and grandeur, their texture and ambience. I like this one because of its simplicity. Although not as imposing as the main Cathedral, the Chapter House, where the monks held their meetings, is not exactly an intimate space.
With my photo, I wanted to give a sense of the space, paired down to its essence: the lines of the building, the almost naturally monochrome look and the empty space. (I had to wait a good while for the tourists to clear.) In a spur-of-the-moment decision, I placed the central column off centre, adding to the space's intriguing allure.
See more of Wim’s work on Instagram.
MARK MACKAY
The Room in Trastevere, Rome 2025.
I managed to walk the streets of Trastevere in Rome during a recent visit. At the time, that was a reasonable thing to do - having just been diagnosed with pneumonia the day after arriving in Rome from Australia. I was told to take it quietly. A few days of antibiotics and steroids, and I wasn’t about to be held back - perhaps just a lot slower than I had hoped. I was lucky… very lucky as it could have been a lot worse.
This photo was taken on a night walk. The weather was still warm. I happened to walk by this window in one of the old streets of Trastevere. For those who don’t know Rome, this is an old historic settlement area where the streets are cobblestoned and the roads are narrow. It’s a wonderful place to wander to see the buildings and the people.
The photo of the room showed that someone lived there. The chair was away from the table as though they’d been there recently but had gone. The plates, the plants and the pictures on the wall hinted at the objects the person or perhaps people living there liked. The bicycle inside suggested perhaps they didn’t trust it to be locked up outside. The shadows cast by the light created the atmosphere.
In many ways this sense of emptiness also represented our last year. We’d lost a number of parents - quite suddenly. The empty room felt like the emptiness we felt from our losses.
Taking night photos was new to me. Having a new small camera to travel with gave me an opportunity to try a variety of things. I’m still learning and trying different things with this camera. While I managed to take a few night photos that I really like, this is one of my favourites for 2025. It also resonnated with some people who are particularly important to me in my life - my wife, my father (sole remaining parent for both of us) and some friends. I hope others might find it interesting too.
AMANDA WOOD
I have many favourites from this year. And many of them come from the amazing Photowalk India trip in March which was filled with a huge variety of scenes and scenarios, people and animals, colours and light. Our day in Agra was a huge highlight and this scene from across the Yamuna River was one that I found captivating. For here, in the soft, golden light of late afternoon, boys play cricket on the dusty ground, their bright shirts and easy laughter carrying across the field. Motorbikes idle, conversations drift, and a few goats wander through the haze. And behind it all, impossibly still and white against the warm sky, the Taj Mahal rises like something from another world. The scene feels both ordinary and enchanted - everyday life unfolding in the shadow of a monument the world has memorised.
See more of Amanda’s work on Instagram.
TIM CLARK
It’s not often I take a photo that has an instant and honest meaning.
My wife’s mother passed away earlier in the year, and it was very traumatic for the family.
In this photo, the gap represents those who have recently left us. The balloon motif is the fun times had. The other lantern shadows move around on a daily basis ( I tried this photo over a few days). These I saw as the transient ebb and flow of family; there could be new members coming into the picture at the bottom of the frame.
The picture says more than my words, for me anyway.
CHRISTOPHER KARNES
I humbly submit my photo for The One project. Having not had a very good photographic year, I had nearly resigned myself to the possibility that I would not have a suitable photo to submit. Enter my youngest nephew. My sister began suffering from high blood pressure when she was pregnant with her second child. For her safety, her obstetrician recommended bumping up her scheduled c-section. He was born a few days before Halloween, and after spending a few days in NICU, he was finally able to go home in early November. This year, my One goes to my new nephew Holden.
DOUG LONG
Venturing into the wilds of Northern Minnesota in search of elusive owls offers a blend of anticipation, patience, and quiet excitement. The quest for species such as the Great Gray Owl, Boreal Owl, and Northern Hawk Owl speaks to a deep appreciation for nature's mysteries and the delicate beauty of northern forests. Yet, sometimes, the moments that define a photographic journey come not from the expected subjects but from surprising, candid glimpses of life amid the wilderness.
During a recent weekend dedicated to photographing these majestic birds, the snowfall lent a timeless atmosphere to the landscape. The woods whispered with soft flurries, creating a natural canvas where each image held potential for something extraordinary. While many captivating owl portraits were taken, one unexpectedly delightful photograph stood out: a red squirrel, caught mid-moment with its tongue playfully sticking out as snowflakes fell gently around it. This whimsical snapshot, so vivid in character and charm, encapsulated a joy that went beyond the technical pursuit of wildlife photography.
What makes this image so memorable is its reminder of the spontaneous magic that photography can reveal. The tension of seeking rare owls gave way to a lighthearted encounter, illustrating that nature’s beauty often lies in the unplanned and imperfect. The squirrel’s expression, frozen against the wintry backdrop, resonates as a symbol of the joy and wonder that draw us outdoors and behind the camera. It’s moments like these that reaffirm a photographer’s passion, turning a weekend of dedicated searching into a collection of treasured memories.
In essence, wildlife photography is as much about patience and precision as it is about embracing serendipity. Whether one captures the stare of a stealthy Great Gray Owl or the cheeky grin of a red squirrel in snow, the true reward is the connection formed with nature’s ever-changing story. Such images continue to inspire, reminding us why we seek, observe, and immortalize the wild world through our lenses.
See more of Doug’s work on his website.
PAUL DONTSCHUK
2025 was a year of transition. My middle daughter got married in February and moved back into our home for 12 months. I then had the opportunity to transition to semi retirement.
With the house full it was the perfect opportunity to travel.
My wife and I headed to the sun, two months in Europe leaving behind a cold and dark Melbourne, Australia winter. Photography was high on the agenda with a one on one workshop in London, visiting the Arles photo festival and numerous exhibitions and photo walks in London and Paris and all points in between.
On return to Australia, I commenced a photographic diploma/degree after hearing extra miler Rikki Bunder discuss the course he heads in Melbourne. What an opportunity.
The above image was taken in Arles as I wandered the streets of this amazing town. A reminder of an amazing year. Onward and upward.
See more of Paul’s work on Instagram.
GERARD O’MALLEY
This photograph is not classically composed, tack sharp, or perfectly exposed. It is not close to my "best" photograph of the year. It is, however, representative of my recent learning and experimentation journey with my photography. I am a self-taught, still-learning analogue photographer. I have been shooting with mostly medium-format and 35mm cameras. Lately, I have been feeling that I am missing out on the complete analogue experience by sending my film out to a lab for developing and scanning.
Therefore, I enrolled in a Darkroom Photography class at my local college. I have now learned to develop my film and make prints on the enlarger in the darkroom. I know it’s been said many times before but it is pure magic to see the print appear in the tray under the red glow of the safe light. One of our assignments was self-portraits. This experimental shot is a double exposure of me sitting on the beach and running on the same beach. I like the ghost-like images against the ocean waves. So I humbly submit not my best photograph of the year but the one that captures my photographic exploration.
Jaki Shotridge Gerulskis
This frame was my one of the year. I have better photos, more interesting moments and the like. This one captures what I was after when I converted my old camera body. Most times I see infrared for landscapes or cityscapes. I wanted to see what would happen if I brought it to the street. Get a little closer. Loosen up. Have some fun.
See more of Jaki’s work on Instagram.
WAYNE RICHARDS
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is the world's oldest open submission art show, running annually since 1769. This year around 1,000 works were selected from the 18,000 entries
and I was delighted that this image was one of the relatively few photographs selected for exhibition.
Not Waving but Drowning was a particularly significant image for me this year because it crystallised several strands of my practice - quiet observation, emotional ambiguity, and the tension between surface appearance and deeper narrative.
The moment I captured carried a duality that resonated immediately: a symbol that could be read as inconsequential or as a call for help. Seeing that nuance recognised by the Royal Academy through its selection for the Summer Exhibition
felt affirming, not only of the work itself but of the direction my broader documentary practice is taking.
The fact that the piece subsequently sold added another layer of meaning. It suggested that the emotional register I was trying to articulate - something subtle, unresolved, and human - connected with viewers beyond the context
in which it was made. In a year when I have been reassessing my creative trajectory, Not Waving but Drowning has been an anchor, reminding me why I make photographs and which kinds of stories I am most compelled to pursue.
MARIETTE DU TOIT
Namib Ferrari
I have the undeserved privilege to call Namibia home. A country that most photographers would love to visit for extended periods of time. I also grew up in a family that loves to travel and explore the rugged beauty of this almost, but not quite, desert country.
And so, I found myself on the road recently, all alone, listening to one of my favourite podcasts, of course, you guessed it, The Photowalk. I’m on my way to photograph an elopement at a private game reserve in the knobby hills of Damaraland. As much as I love driving on my own, it’s also slightly nerve-racking. These roads are quiet. One can easily drive for an hour without seeing a single person. Signal – in these valleys, you’ll be lucky to find someone who knows where to find signal. So, a flat on a pick-up like mine, for a woman on the wrong side of forty, is never an easy task.
It’s almost lunch when I start seeing signs of life. Cattle tracks across the road, the distinct ochre huts of the Himba people that live in this area. I must be nearing a village. Up the hill and around the mountain, I suddenly find myself meters away from a donkey cart. I desperately want to photograph them… the sky and the location are perfect. But not from behind. I pass them and drive a little ahead. I stop, grab the camera on the passenger seat and start framing the shot. As they come close, I see it’s a bunch of young guys. I shout at them: “Heading for the shebeen (African Pub), are you?” Laughter breaks out on the cart; “Yes madam, yes!” And I have my photo. What’s more, I don’t have to go and dig for a photo I took this year that I want to enter as The One. I know… this is My One.
JOHN GRINDLE
Hope all is well?
My one for 2025, I took just a few days before the 500th show recording on Greenham Common. Since then, I have been photographing the Dorset coast from east to west and loving it all. As you know, it’s a beautiful part of the world, and I’m trying to photograph the bits people miss. Keep up the great work on the Photowalk, it's about time you went on another adventure? ;)
Cheers John
"Weymouth Beach 28th August 2025
My one for 2025 is a long exposure photograph of a water outflow in Weymouth. Not that amazing, but it was my first long exposure shot with a film camera, and it inspired a new project. I used my tiny 35mm Olympus 35RC and a 6-stop ND filter. Armed with an App for exposure times and one for film reciprocity failure, I ended up with an exposure time of 15 seconds.
I even home-developed the film, and I’m really pleased with the resulting image. So much so, I dreamt up a new photography project/journey, to photograph the Dorset coast, from east to west, all in black & white film. Of course, I needed a new/old film camera for this, and I now own a wonderful Bronica ETRSI medium format camera.
My journey so far is going well, just a slight pause at the moment while my back repairs itself - these film cameras are heavy!
See more of John’s work on his website.
CHRIS HALE
It seems the time space continuum is on overdrive these days, like a cassette player stuck on play and fast forward at the same time. So I find myself submitting my contribution for The One in the closing moments of the allotted time.
My photo was created in July while my wife and I were visiting British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. While the image is not perfect, it represents both success for me as a photographer and the love and support of my wife. The previous summer we had been driving along the old Island Highway, a scenic route that hugs the island’s Eastern coastline. I had been trying, unsuccessfully, to photograph some bald eagles, but I was continually thwarted. During the drive we spotted two eagles sitting along the water’s edge. We stopped the car, I grabbed my camera and ran down to create my photo. I was convinced the images were great; they sure looked great on my camera’s display. Of course when I looked at the images on my computer I was forced to confront, yet again, the limitations of my lenses.
Fast forward to July 2025 and my birthday. My wife gave me a new lens to help with my nature photography (I will spare the potential nosebleed and skip the tech details). A few days later we were back in BC and I spent the time getting used to the lens. I managed to create some beautiful images, including eagles. On our last day on the island we were driving along the Island Highway again hoping we would be fortunate and see eagles in the same spot as the year before. At first it seemed like there would be no joy, but just as we were driving by, an eagle swept over our car and headed to the water’s edge. My wife pulled over told me to grab my camera and get down there. So a minute later I’m running across the road, scrambling down the embankment, and getting the images. I am forever grateful for my wife’s encouragement, support, and patience as I try to improve my skills with the camera.
See more of Chris’ work on Instagram.
DAVID POTTINGER
The photograph I’m sharing here is my favourite from the year. It was taken on the second week of Neale and Lynn’s Scottish Retreat and developed by Matt during our dark room session. The camera used was a gift from a friend, a 1950s German made Rollop medium format camera.
It represents a quiet moment in the forest: my wife crouched over a small yellow flower she had discovered, while Lynn and Keith chatted nearby and Neale recorded another interview snippet, asking Karen what she’d found.
Although you’re seeing the image here in digital form, the original wet print now hangs on my office wall. It reminds me daily of the happy hours spent with strangers who became friends, of conversations shared, of lives lived fully in those short, meaningful and never to be forgotten moments.
CHRISTOPHER PARSONS
I’ve been going through the images I’ve made over the course of the year, and I’ve gone back and forth on which one to submit. After weighing the options, I think the image I sent for the “Grounded” assignment is as strong a candidate as any of the others I’ve been considering.
The photograph is a stark black-and-white image, and it includes much of the visual “grammar” I’m consistently drawn to in my street work: typography, deep blacks that help frame the subject, and an expression that pulls me in and holds my attention.
What really tips it for me, though, is what the image represents. I made it in another country, in a place where I didn’t speak the language, using a camera I hadn’t picked up for serious use in years. Even so, I still felt like myself. I was able to find my footing quickly and make an image that reflects my current skill level and confidence. The device itself didn’t really matter; what mattered was having a clear sense of how I make images, and the confidence to do so.
I can’t help but compare that experience to years ago, when I was often hesitant to make photographs on the street. I worried that someone might lash out or challenge me for what I was doing. Working in an unfamiliar place with confidence and pride helped me see how much I’ve grown—both in how I recognize the elements of a scene that make a photograph feel like one of mine, and in being self-assured enough to make the image openly.
At the end of the day, that’s what this photo captures for me: that I am a street photographer no matter which city or town I’m in. And that I’m grateful for the opportunities I have to document everyday life, and the small moments that unfold around us all the time.
UELE BOXILL
I captured this shot while covering the High Spirits Art and Music Festival in Columbus, OH. While most were crowding around the stages to hear different bands, I was drawn to this small corner where I met Dustin, a stagehand and skateboarder. Since skateboarding was what got me into cameras when I was a kid (I used to shoot very short video clips of myself doing ollies on my first camera--the Fujifilm Finepix E500), I've always had a soft spot when it comes to photographing skaters. It took a few tries to get this shot, and when I finally did I was ecstatic.
This is The One for 2025 because it reminds me of where my photography journey began, even though at the time I wasn't aware of it. Skateboarding is just as much of an artistic expression as it is a sport, and it was great being able to capture Dustin in his artistic element. He has inspired me to get back into skateboarding, though I don't think I'll be doing his kind of tricks anytime soon.
See more of Uele’s work on Substack.
MIKE MILLER
Here is my "The One". I made it at our cottage at 8:00 AM on July 26, 2025. ISO 1250, 1/1600th of a second @f/7.1 using my 30+ year old vintage film camera era Sigma 400mm lens. The loon was fishing and travelling from east to west. They had just surfaced from swimming underwater and I focussed my lens. It then started to beat its wings. I made several images and I liked this one the best because of the water coming off the tips of its wings. The lush green of the island in the background added some nice colour in the water and the sun rising from the east gave a warm glow to the loon.
See more of Mike’s work on YouTube.
JOE FAHERTY
This is one of my grandchildren. I have just survived cancer again (third time), the tumour was in my brain, and they tried to cure it with chemo, but that almost killed me. As I lay in bed, I thought I'm never going to see them grow up, but there was an experimental procedure which took my T-cells out of my body and supercharged them, then put them back into my body, and they multiplied and ate up the cancer. I am not cancer-free. That picture reminds me of how precise life is and how much I have to be thankful for.
PETER GAISER
My wife and I went to Alaska this past summer. I took this photo on the last day of our trip after a week of kayaking, hiking, observing wildlife, and soaking in the magnificent scenery. When people ask about our trip and impressions of Alaska, this is the photo I show them - sea lions, forests, mountains, and another weather front rolling in.
ANDREW MELDER
Sharing my One photo for 2025 was easy, as I knew it as I took the photo back in March this year. Attached is a photo of my Mum and Dad holding hands during a lunch for his birthday.
I haven't taken a lot of photos of Dad over the last few years as his health deteriorated due to the increasing impact of what turned out to be Dementia; I preferred to remember the people-loving extrovert he was, and I'm sure he would too. Still, there were occasions where the moment and the frame just needed it.
Dad had moved to full-time care in mid-2024, so moments like his birthday and the Christmas prior were tinged with fear that he might not remember us in the next one. As Dad sat down, he reached his hand out and Mum placed hers together with his; it felt like a memory to preserve.
I would not realise just how fleeting and final this image would become, as just two months later, Dad passed due to a heart attack. A weird mix of shock, grief and an odd sense of relief that his suffering was done; and that dementia had not yet taken the memory of his loved ones prior.
I didn't quite realise how much the photo truly meant until I temporarily couldn't find it in my files; thankfully, I managed to dig out a copy. For all of my close to 42 years on this planet, most of those with the privilege of having my dad being there to guide me through life's events, this photo forces me to confront the feelings I try to suppress as we move forward without him. Mainly, that it's ok to miss him.
GINA GORDON
This is my grandson Jack, an energetic lad with a rich inner life that's quite hard to capture. In this moment of quiet he's staring into the fire at our family Summer house in northern Ontario, Canada. He's 7 years old, just the age I was when my parents built the house, a large cedar log cabin now aged to a rich brown inside and out. The pink and grey granite surround to the open fireplace is mirrored in the rocky outcrops of the local geology. Like the house, the history and life of our family is deeply rooted in this landscape.
I find it difficult to truly show the personality of the children in a single image. They change so quickly and seem to present a different persona to me each time I see them. But somehow I managed to capture the personality of the boy I know in this moment. Just like him, I remember spending time by the fire, watching the flames and letting my thoughts wander. As time has gone by I've re-lived my childhood while watching my own children experience life here and now another generation is doing the same. In this August moment, I saw Jack as I know him and felt he stood for all of us who have been children here and learned to love this place. For me this photograph stands for much more than just a brief point in time and that's why it's my One.
ALBARTUS VOGEL
My one from 2025 is a photograph I made at the 2025 Budapest Pride titled Free Hungary. I never held myself busy with politics. It is a subject I try to avoid at all costs. That being said, when Hungary passed the anti-LBGTQ+ law and banned Pride, I knew this would be a subject for major conflict. Hitting close to home with this ban, my friends and I decided to participate anyway. And importantly, I took my camera. In the end, over 200,000 people took part in this “illegal” march. Tensions were high, but eventually no one got hurt, and the march ended peacefully. With a bag full of memories, this photograph was also taken, symbolising this march greatly. It has become my favourite image of 2025.
See more of Albartus’ work on his website.
MARILYN DAVIES
What a difficult task to pick the one image from 2025 when I've had so many memorable photographic moments. Why did I choose this one? There are many layers to this image that resonate with me apart from the experiences that led me to taking this image.
This image was taken early in the morning when I was staying at my brother's house in North Warrandyte in Victoria. It was bitterly cold (by a Queenslander's standards) - about 0 degrees - and I walked out onto the deck and these two beautiful sulphur crested cockatoos were having their breakfast. What made this image special is that it holds many things I love: the Australian bush blanketed in fog, these beautiful birds, and the connection with my brother and his wife. I took advantage of the 35mm lens (not good for bird photography) and made a landscape image.
PER BIRKHAUG
Picking The One for 2025 was a bit hard, I must admit, but finally I decided on a photo I made during my third attempt to summit Store Soleibotntind, which is, in fairness, a rather accessible peak in Jotunheimen, at 2083 meters above sea level. But even if it's accessible, just a little bit of scrambling, nothing technical, it took three attempts before I was able to summit. First attempt was with my son and Mira, the Eurasian. And it proved too risky to bring her to the top. Having to carry a 25 kg dog down from high up, several kilometres - no need to risk that. So while my son summited, I turned back with Mira.
The second attempt was without the dog and with my youngest daughter. Which provided a different set of challenges: High anxiety. What scrambling there was just turned out too challenging to her. So after trying to negotiate a part where there was a drop of about five meters if you lost your footing (there was a fair amount of tears involved as well), I decided to call it quits, and we headed for some easier hiking. Still turned out to be a lovely day in the mountains. But it nagged me that I hadn't fulfilled my plan for the summit, so about a week later, when the weather was favourable, I gave it another go. Alone this time. And success. So the photo shows part of the view from the top, looking further into Jotunheimen.
MICHAEL MCCLELLAN
This photo was taken over Lake Michigan at sunset on August 2, 2025. It was one of the worst air quality days in Michigan which was affected by the smoke from the Canadian wildfires. It was so dense at times you could barely see the horizon line. When thinking about “The One” I keep coming back to this photo and the significance of the wildfire smoke.
For the past 31 years, I have worked for the State Of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. The first 20 I spent with the Air Quality Division. This is the division responsible for protecting and reporting on the air quality in Michigan. During the summer 2025 our Air Quality Index was as high as it has ever been, for as many days in a row as it has ever been.
Many days I would walk out of work and smell the wildfire smoke. It is strange to think that the air smells like a campfire because of smoke generated 1,000 miles away. Strange and a real danger to many people, especially people with compromised health. People were advised to stay indoors. On bad days we broke out the N95 masks to wear outside if we did anything more strenuous than walking to the car. It was so bad in Michigan during that same time - end of July, beginning of August 2025 - that Detroit was ranked in the top 10 worst cities in the world for air quality.
In a state that prides itself on its natural beauty, this smoke seriously changed our landscape. It was awful but made for some spectacular sunsets. And so many beautiful red skies in the evenings.
HARRIET LANGRIDGE
My submission for “The One”, along with my 15 words. (Ed: An exercise we did on the Scottish Photowalk Retreat on writing day.)
This photo was taken at Dene Rally during the summer, the great thing is that people just take no notice of me and my camera, good job as I hate posing people! We were in the beer tent on Friday night with friends, and although I cannot remember the joke, it obviously made Terry and Ray laugh, and I managed to capture the moment:
“A joke well told, and well received, makes the every day struggles pale into insignificance.”
It’s a photo I shall treasure.
KAREN PRICE
I took this photo in a bush creek close to my home in Sydney, Australia in late November. For me, it epitomises the joy I get from doing macro photography of insects: the challenge of capturing a tiny creature (this little black scavenger fly, no bigger than 5mm) in their natural environment and later, discovering from the downloaded photo, the detail that's only visible at scale—her magnificent metallic-coloured body and legs, the bubble of digestive juice or water carried in her mouth, and that stunning bi-coloured eye!
See more of Karen’s work on Instagram.
BOB SOLTYS
Always carrying my camera allows me to make images like this one that captured Nitro and Dr. Decker's love for each other. Dr. Decker's electroacupuncture treatments restored the function in Nitro's back legs after he injured his spine in January of 2025. It reminds me to celebrate what's right with the world, to be grateful for every minute with Nitro, and to use my ever-present camera to capture more of life's magic moments.
See more of Bob’s work on his website.
COLIN MAYER
This photo is THE ONE for this year. Taken of my daughter V on our fantastic two and a half month trip to Canada, UK, and also a we jaunt on Eurostar to Paris. It's just another "guess where we are now?" photo, meant for friends and family following our adventures on Facebook.
Such a fun trip!
It was great to get away from.the stress of corporate life for a while and just enjoy the sights, colours, places and people we met along the way. Saw squirrels a plenty, many great shows- "Cabaret" at the Kit Kat Club in London was my favourite.
It's amazing the places planes, trains, ferries, buses, and Shankes pony will take you. Loved every minute of it.
JAN CURLE
Gondola? … brings back so many joyful memories of two trips to Venice … and two images in The One … one taken in 2025, the other in 2011.
The 2025 image is of a hand-bound journal I created to take to Venice in November to enjoy a week of bookbinding. It was used to gather my thoughts whilst there and is now full of memories and paper souvenirs. The photograph was taken to include in my first talk about ‘The Art of Bookbinding’, which makes it even more special, particularly as the talk was well received :D
The journal’s cover per se was created from a photo I made in Venice in 2011 of a chalk pavement sketch showing a gondolier wondering where he has left his precious gondola. I wish I had met the artist to thank him / her for bringing a smile to my face then and now. I printed the image onto Khadi recycled cotton rag paper, then added some red and green stitching to add texture. The spine encompasses green, white and red ribbons of the Italian flag and a few beads were added, again for additional texture. It was a joy to create … and is a joy to read or simply to view.
See more of Jan’s work on Instagram.
JOHN CHARLTON
For me this was the year of living alone. Following the death of my partner of almost 50 years in October 2024, this year has held many challenges. Photography has been my companion as I begin to forge a new identity from the shards of my shattered self-image.
This photograph from September 30th stands out as 'the one' for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it was made with an entirely new type of camera for me, a 360-degree action camera. I acquired the Insta360 X5 in June after being impressed by some Northern Light images made with it, which were posted on a Facebook aurora chasers group. With my camera and tripod set on the east lawn next to our house, I captured the darkness around me and the nearby trees stretching skyward. The house sits mostly in darkness just inside and below the 9 o'clock position, with a single incandescent light source shining from the back room of the house. Wrapping counterclockwise around the tiny planet view from southwest to northeast, you can see light pollution from the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) 90 miles away in the 8 o'clock position and the much closer bright lights of Belleville, Ontario at about 3 o'clock. Post-processed in startrail mode, the software builds trails from the stars moving through the roughly 150 time-lapse frames exposed over the course of about 30 minutes. At the top of the frame, the Aurora Borealis rises in yellows and reds under the north star, which remains as a single, unmoving point of light.
The night Ruth passed, I stepped outside to see the aurora shining brightly above our driveway. I took it as a sign. Now, whenever I see the aurora, it's like her waving at me. In a way, this unusual landscape image is a self-portrait, but there are two of us in the picture. A 23-second movie from which this frame was taken can be viewed within my Substack post entitled Eye in the Sky. The movie sets this still image in motion, showing the aurora rising behind a large oak tree.
IGOR BARINOV
I returned to my hobbyist photography full time so to speak after a heart attack at the age of 49 last year. It affected my pre-existing condition and I have been not employable since (unless someone is looking for a lighthouse keeper). Meditation is a great way to be, but I also needed something to do to stay sane and (re-)connect with life here on Earth. And photography worked. I did already have an iPhone camera, and I wanted more control and better images, and a new toy, of course.
I first got a Canon 6D, but got quickly distanced from it due to its weight and size. Then I remembered that I used to enjoy a X100S which I sold back in 2018. It was time to look at Fuji again. Ended up with Fujifilm X-T4. The "T" I'm sure stands for "tank", it's solid, I like it, still not big enough to scare me away.
I take it on my walks and drives. I just shoot what I notice. I stop when I feel that "pat on the shoulder" when something in me says "look at that". It could be a landscape, could be just the light at that time of the day, could be something in the street, without that framing, light and juxtaposition they are banal, mundane things.
I love the pictures I keep (but not all the ones I take). I try to be my own curator, my own librarian. I often like to delete the bulk. It's easy to become a hoarder of a bloated image pile in our digital age. The sheer number of image files would just dilute my joy of photography and keep me away from looking at the mess. I want to feel like I'm in my personal photo gallery rather than in a paper recycling facility when I go into my photo library .
So, it was a bit hard to choose THE ONE.
Anyway, this frame is dear to me because it's of my son in one of his many happy moments. The kitten was happily purring with him in the hammock outside, and the boy would purr with joy, too, if he could :)
PAUL FRIDAY
Best picture of 2025? It would have to be this one.
It's probably the least technically accomplished picture of the year too, but I don't care. This is me watching manta rays feeding on plankton on a night dive. This one brushed my head as it went over. This was the event that made 2025 an experience and not a number.
SCOTT GLASGOW
It's been a great year of photography, and this has been tough, not that I have a stack of images that are outstanding in any technical aspect, but I have many that mean so much more to me than a parachute viewer would take from them.
The attached photo, you may remember from show and tell in a Zoom meet up, maybe September? I have yet to see Devo again on the streets of Glasgow, but his print is ready and waiting in my bag every time I am out and about in the city. The connection, his relaxed pose, his rock star hair, his open body language, in fact, his openness to vulnerability, all make this image special to me. I think if I had the opportunity to portray a rich and famous person this year, this image would still be the one.
JOHN KENNY
Recently in preparing for my parent's Golden Wedding Anniversary, I was tasked with the challenge of obtaining copies of their wedding photographs. I had to bide my time and wait for an opportunity when the stars all aligned and they would both be out of the house.
I carefully photographed a range of early photographs, before coming to the official wedding pictures. I am pleased to say the photographer did a good job. The colours have stood the test of time, focus is good and the poses do not look awkward. It is unfortunate there was no way to get them from behind the reflective cellophane of the album.
Working in photoshop to enhance and tidy up some of the images, I was struck by how strange it felt to be viewing them, much younger than I am now. I couldn't help but try and imagine what they would have been thinking then as I look back along their lives now, afforded the fantasy of time travel via a photograph. Then in the back of my head, probably whilst sleeping, I realised how I could identify a picture of perhaps more importance than others.
The passage of time is often what adds value to a photograph, whether a news photograph or more humble picture of family. The attached photograph was taken at the opening of some newly regenerated community buildings in the nearby town of Loftus. My nephew is the one handing the scissors to the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire. He looks very stoic, but was no doubt nervous. His younger brother looks down from the railings at the top left of the frame.
No doubt he has already forgotten this day as he copes with making friends and finding his place at senior school. Thanks to photography though, he may well look at this picture in 40 years time and be transported back to who he was then, what he felt and the memories of people that were there and may no longer be with him.
So this is my most important picture of the year, because I believe it is a future ticket to time travel.
See more of John’s work on his website.
HEIDI WALKER
Nearly my entire life has been spent in and around Seattle, Washington, USA. I love my city enough that after a brief stint in college and trying to gain professional experience, I moved home. I thought I knew this city - the vibe, the scents, the sounds, the sights. That was, until this summer.
A good friend wrote a new walking guide for Seattle and asked if I'd photograph each route to include in the book. I, of course, jumped at the chance to help share the historical beauty of the city I love with others. I soon learned, I didn't really know this city. As I walked and photographed 120 kilometers around what locals call the "Emerald City", I was met with small neighborhood parks where children laughed and viewpoints where you could watch the sunset over the Puget Sound.
Each trip was a delight for my camera and my joy-filled heart. This photo of a Junco on a fence post surrounded by autumn blooms was created in one of those discoveries of home. Seattle is filled with P-Patches - if you've never heard of these, they are gardens that residents can lease to grow flowers and produce. As I reached a park high on a hill in the southwest region of the city that overlooks the skyscrapers of downtown, I found a brilliant P-Patch bursting with all types of vegetables and flowers. Birds darted through the greenery and bees buzzed along the flowers.
I spent an hour on that overcast late summer day photographing the birds as they harvested seeds from plants in the gardens.
This one, of a Dark-Headed Junco surrounded by the colors of the season, reminds me so much about this book assignment. I'm reminded that there are always places to explore even in your backyard and that joy can be found in some unexpected places.
See more of Heidi’s work on her website, YouTube and Instagram.
SIMON COLLINS
Most photographs are taken with intent, the act of capturing a moment that, at that very moment was thought to be worth capturing. And if the image does capture what was intended, we take pride in our success, and then we move on to the next and the next and the next.
But once in a while a picture comes along that, well it’s different. It doesn’t go away, it isn’t replaced, it remains, it gets framed and hung, daring us to do better. “Is this really the best you can do?”
I like to see them as markers of progress rather than markers of success.
My “next” one, was captured in Southern Spain this Spring. I’ve taken to exploring the dusty backroads of Andalucía on a mountain bike – this near Alhama de Granada. It was actually exhaustion from traversing the landscape rather than the landscape itself that made me stop, but it was the solitary farmer tending his vines that made me see a familiar image. I knew that there was something much larger than what stretched before me, but I knew too that it was not the time to unpack the multiple layers, the canvas of colours, the solitude of one person, the effort it takes to pedal through life. I was due back. And so I took a picture, and moved on – but in a very different direction.
Months later, back in Canada, I’m having my first chat with AI. “Can you tell me what Lightroom settings Monet would have used, and Turner too, for their landscapes. And Pissarro, Degas and just Impressionists in general. Thank You”. This led to painstaking hours or data entry to create Impressionistic Presets. The fact was, I didn’t know how to create “the” image, the one, the right one. I wanted something worthy of being framed and hung; I just didn’t know how to recreate what I had experienced, to do justice to the experience; I didn’t know which sliders to push or by how far to push them to get it right, to get it printed, framed and hung. I still don’t.
Ironically, it is this opportunity to share an image with all of you that has provided it with a symbolic frame upon a universal wall. Intentionally in transition, it is an image as it exists only as I press send: It is an image of being alone – en plain air – painting photographs. Which right now is perfect.
See more Simon’s work on Instagram.
JEAN-DAVID N’DA
September 2025, this fall season, this scenery, my eldest is going to college overseas, the memories, the trepidation, the pride, the worries, the comforting light, the one for me. The picture is titled, September.
See Jean-David’s website for more.
DAVID HIGTON
I've finally settled on "The One". When you announced this earlier in the year, my mind went straight to another image of my grandson gazing lovingly at his 2 day old sister. It told a lovely story to me, of an important time in our lives. However, I always wonder about the appeal of such an image beyond family and friends though. Some of my favourite non-family images have been made on our travels this year and I'm still wading through the images from Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon - some of those are worthy of being the one. However last week I made The One when our grandson came for his weekly day with us. You can never predict what he will want to do during the day but mid morning, he found a pile of books that were on the way back to the library. He sat on the sofa in the morning sunlight and was absorbed in his books, talking to himself about the various stories. it reminded me of his mum at his age, she is still an avid book reader when she has the time. You can see how engrossed he is, and the light just adds to the image.
PAUL HENDREN
This is my entry into 'The One'. I'm the staff photographer for Master's Futbol Academy. My position is on a volunteer basis, as I resigned my paid position as a Contract Photographer with the league to be embedded with a team. Best decision I have ever made. The capture relates to a late-season match between two Scarborough-based teams chasing promotion in League1 Ontario. It was a Derby game. Is it a goal? Did the attacker miss? I love the mystery of the photo. But of greater significance is that I was able to marry my Fujifilm XH1 with a Canon 200mm F2.8 prime using a Fringer adapter. I'm not in a financial position to break the bank on the Fujifilm 200mm prime, and I'm transitioning from Canon to Fujifilm.
MARIAN COLE
New York City has two principal train stations. Grand Central Station is the Beaux-Arts icon, a place many people make time to visit. On the west side sits Penn Station. Despite recent renovations, it continues to be maligned for its lack of architecture and its functional grit.
We passed through shortly after disembarking from several weeks aboard the Queen Mary, a journey that marked my transition from a decades-long career in cybersecurity to retirement. True to Penn Station’s character, we entered by a modest stairway and emerged into this space.
Sometimes form and function just work.
See more of Marian’s work on Flickr.
KEN ROTHMAN
I made this photo during a workshop with Reuben Radding this summer and of all the work from that excellent time, and the year in general, i'm finding this image standing out.
I typically work in black and white, but this one only works in color. And that's making me try to work more in color, which is a challenge i'm enjoying. Doing both is ok with me :)
MORGAN O’ KENNEDY
This is my one big picture for 2025. I was travelling for work and took my camera and tripod along, because why not? That evening, I spontaneously stepped out and tried my hand at capturing light streaks on a bridge and was surprised by the picture. The streetlights that create the spotlights and the red and white lights that curve along the dual carriageway all came together with the black sky.
See more of Morgan’s work on Instagram.
TRACEY AINSLEY
I really appreciate beautiful Architecture, and I’ve always, well, since it was built, wanted to see the Guggenheim in Bilbao. This year, we were there on an excursion from an Ambassador cruise. I couldn’t wait. We got there, and the heavens opened. We took a few photos, bought a brolly from the hawkers, and moved on. I happened to turn round and saw the fake ‘mist’ over the water. I quickly took this snap on my iPhone.
I’ve flipped it as I liked it better that way. We had a great day in Bilbao as there was a festival too. We loved the place so much and we didn’t have time to go inside the museum. Next time we will stay a few days. One thing I realised was that the building I loved in Vegas, the Centre for Brain Research, was designed by the same architect, Frank Gehry.
See more of Tracey’s work on Instagram.
JOHN ANDERTON
2025 has been a year of ‘encounters’ for me – good encounters, during which I’ve had the pleasure of engaging with people from all walks of life, while making their portraits and asking about their ‘Life Sentence’.
Maybe I should expand on that a little – I haven’t been making portraits of individuals who are incarcerated at His Majesty’s pleasure (though wouldn’t that be a fascinating project…).
I wander around Birmingham, making a nuisance of myself with my camera by bothering strangers and asking if I can make their portrait. Most people say yes, many are surprised, and some are flattered. I also ask my ‘models’ for a pearl of wisdom to accompany their portrait when I post it on my website and Instagram account.
This can be a life philosophy, a value they hold, something they’ve learned, and so on – but it needs to be encapsulated in a single sentence. I call this their ‘Life Sentence’.
Not everyone provides a Life Sentence, but we still make a portrait.
More recently, I’ve been chatting for longer with the people I encounter. I use my phone to record our conversations and then write them up as captions to post alongside their portraits on Instagram. Their ‘Life Sentence’, however, is always added to the portrait itself.
I retired in January 2025 after working for many years with children and young people who have experienced abuse and trauma in their lives. As much as you try not to let it happen, you can start to develop a rather bleak view of the world. I knew, though, that there is goodness and kindness out there – and that’s why I started engaging with strangers. The lovely people I’ve spent time with and photographed have proved to me that my faith in human nature is justified.
Since March 2025, I’ve photographed over 130 people – 50 of whom have provided me with a ‘Life Sentence’ – so my project is still in its early days. The challenge was deciding which photo to choose.
I decided on my portrait of Rae. Not so much because of the photo itself, but because of Rae’s ‘Life Sentence’:
“Everyone wants to save the world, but it’s okay to save just one person, and it’s okay if that person is you.”
Rae’s life value reminded me of the importance of being kind to ourselves as well as to others, and that it’s not selfish to think of our own needs occasionally. It’s a philosophy I have adopted myself, so this photograph is significant to me.
LAUREN MCCLANAHAN
The one. It seems that I should select a photo with a bit more gravitas, but alas, my mind keeps coming back to this one. This photo was taken as I was travelling in London this summer. Typically, when shooting in big cities, I have my trusty Fuji XT-3 at the ready. I also typically shoot in black/white. However, on this sweltering day, I just wasn't feeling like carrying an extra ounce of gear. I was hot, grumpy, and generally throwing myself a pity party. That's when I turned the corner and saw this woman. "She is me!" I thought. Kinda done with the heat and just all of it. I quickly pulled out my iPhone ("the best camera is the one you have with you") and took one shot. The hair, the expression, the late-morning beer—and the RED! Honestly, she kind of sums up life these days for me in the United States. I feel seen.
See more of Lauren’s work on Instagram, the website, and non-profit media project.
DAVID MUNRO
This photo is taken in Llanberis in the Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park, an area I know you have visited (Ep 385) and 'survived' with survival expert Andy Fisher.
I only took this photo, actually, about a week ago. It represents where I would like to shift my photography to and also the start of a project - 'In search of the game' .
The idea is to find football matches in different places - possibly places that you wouldn't think the game would be played, and also how they intertwine with the community around them.
I have only been shooting for about 5 years - originally inspired by Stuart Roy Clarke, who you may know is a documentary style photographer and has been shooting the beautiful game for many years. I have to say if I had a dream guest on your show, he would be it. If you have not seen his work - take a look.
Inspired by Stuart, I picked up a camera - but ended up being steered one way or another into sports photography, becoming Football Club photographer for non-league teams Avro FC and Altrincham FC. I also started working for an Agency, and then I became Club Photographer for Crewe Alexandra. To be honest, I couldn't believe it - it all just snowballed. The next minute, I was shooting the play-off final at Wembley Stadium.
At the end of last season, I came to the decision after two seasons with Crewe to finish and really try to go back to the original idea of a more documentary style of photography . After listening to so many of your podcasts, the importance of personal projects is one thing that always shines through, and 'In Search of the Game' was born. As I say, it's in its infancy, I am in the process of designing outlets to display the photos.
But the photo is a start, the game at its basics with the beautiful hills behind and the community watching on.
JEFF SMERALDO
I am submitting this photo for my entry for “the One” . This shot sums up the year of travel, I did some of my traveling with family and without. On this occasion my wife, daughter, and I were at Silver Strand Beach and I looked up and saw this lone explorer heading down the beach to the rocky cliffs. This shot represents how I like to travel, no real agenda, just some quiet pondering and exploration.
EWEN CRAIG
This is Ewen from Sweden-land (!), originally from Northern Ireland. This past year, I have jumped wholeheartedly into the nature photo hole, and I can't find myself leaving this magical and vast sector of photography knowledge and experiences. The photo I have shared was taken just before I made my first wildlife Photography purchase of a 70 - 300mm telephoto lens. I shot this deer lying down about 30 meters from me on my Canon M50 with the EF-M 18 - 150mm lens. The deer was distracting me so that its partner and child could get away safely. I had never witnessed such behaviour first hand, and I was so impressed that it just lay down next to the tree and stared at me kneeling in the distance. The wonders of having a respectful one-on-one encounter like this gave me chills of excitement. I hope you enjoy the image. The reason for this choice is that I realised my love for nature & wildlife photography after this day.
KEITH STOCKMAN
This is a 2025 street scene that I keep coming back to. The street art is on the side of a small Vietnamese takeaway near my local suburban railway station in Melbourne. Watching locals pass by on their daily errands gives a sense of them being momentarily transported to a faraway place. The photo speaks to me about the multicultural layers that make up our neighbourhood and how much I love our little shopping strip.
BRIGETTE SHUTKOWSKI
You’ve already seen it in Paris - honestly, I’m super proud of this image. I don’t often say that about photographs I’ve made. Why so important to me? When I embarked on the Photowalk with Valérie, one of my goals was to be braver as I jumped into this relatively new genre for me. I remember walking by this young woman and knowing I needed to quickly circle back to capture the moment (that was the brave bit!) . To me, it’s also very Parisian and has a lovely calmness and depth. I love that her image is in reflection, and the setting is perfect. It’s actually one of my all-time favourite photographs I’ve ever made!
PAUL BERRY
My wife and I stayed in Cologne for a few days this summer, the first leg of a three nation European trip via train. Cologne is a bold and wonderful city and after a walk across the impressive Hohenzollern Bridge, we headed to the magnificent cathedral. Close to the station, I came across an anti-animal cruelty demonstration, which I started to photograph (unaware of the strict rules for photographing on the street!). Suddenly I was accosted by Anna, a very passionate young vegan campaigner who, in perfect English, tried to persuade me to join their campaign and immediately commit to veganism! Anna made a real impact upon me in her determination to challenge my world view and lifestyle and will live long in the memory.
My last visit to Cologne was in 1972 when on a town-twinning exchange holiday in North Rhine-Westphalia. Sadly, our group suffered the terrible loss of one our number who tragically drowned whilst on a day trip visiting a lake. This event, understandably, left an indelible mark on all of us. In 2025 after over 50 years, and through a local German newspaper article, I managed to track down the man who, as a 16-year-old, hosted me with such kindness, compassion and friendship. We had hoped we could have a little reunion whilst we were in Cologne but, unfortunately, he and his wife were also on holiday in Luxembourg. However, we’ve committed to a 2026 meet up. It’s all about connection.
KELVIN BROWN
Here is my submission for THE ONE photo of 2025. Not only is it about the only time I will get to photograph a movie star(the actual tank used in the film ‘FURY’ but it was the first time my son, Peter, and I spent a couple of days together, just me and him. He asked me if I would be interested in a visit to Bovington Tank Museum for Tiger day, 20th September, when the world's only functioning Tiger tank (co-star in the film) is displayed in the arena and a re-enactment of its capture in Tunisia, April 1943. Initially, I said no, that it was too far, 216 miles, and too expensive. After a few days of deliberation, I changed my mind. I felt that he deserved my support and camaraderie for a day or two. Apart from being a software engineer, a thrash metal guitarist and writer of his bands music and lyrics( yes they do actually write music for thrash metal), and a big lad due to his participation in the power lifting world being able to dead lift 260 kilos, he is an avid fan of the computer games World of tanks and war thunder, hence his interest in Bovington.
Peter, due to his interests, has a busy lifestyle. Usually, my free time is taken up with trips to see his sister in Nottinghamshire to see our grandchildren and the usual mundane weekend chores, so when he asked, I eventually decided to take a day off work and spend it with my son, whom I am so very proud of. When he saw this particular shot, he was wowed that his old dad could take such a picture. I have had it turned into a canvas print, which I will give to him for Christmas. It was a day that I hope to repeat in some form or another.
VICTORIA ROBB
DREW BROWN
Here is my favourite photo in 2025. Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill in the Peak District were on my ‘to go to’ photo trip list, and I finally visited them this year.
Grandson George came with me on this trip with his new camera. George has taken a keen interest in photography during 2025, and my ‘leading line’, ‘rule of thirds’ and ‘foreground interest’ conversations have definitely not put him off!
So on this trip, we were up at 5:30am, excited about a great morning of photography at Chrome and Parkhouse hills. We parked at the village of Hollinsclough and set off for the hills. A little treat in Hollinsclough was the honesty hut, which was a great surprise, so the homemade ‘rocky road’ was George’s cake of choice.
Chrome Hill was a joy and view over to Parkhouse Hill was stunning. It was a delight to hear George say on more than one occasion, ‘Papa, this is incredible’ while admiring the views and taking his photos.
See more of Drew’s work on Instagram.
GEOFF SMITH
Often, some of your best images come when you least expect them. In May, my wife and I were visiting family in a semi-rural town near Australia's capital, Canberra. Our visit was to allow the family to catch up for Mother’s Day, always a joyous experience for Mums, children and grandchildren.
We currently live on the coast, where fog and mist are a rarity, so when I awoke to heavy mist one morning during the visit, I immediately knew it was time for a photowalk! I set off towards a pair of marshy ponds in a heavily treed parkland nearby that I expected could yield some atmospheric images. I had lined up an interesting composition with reeds in a pond and misty trees in the background, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a man walking his dog. I waited until they entered the frame, and this was the result.
MICHAEL MIXON
Despite all of the photos I took this year on my “big boy” cameras (my XT5 and Ricoh GR 3x), I think the one that resonates with me the most is one I took very quickly with my iPhone.
It was a shot that wasn’t supposed to happen, because we weren’t supposed to see this part of the country again, yet here we were, dropping in on our way out.
On our last driving day in Norway (which was already going to be about 6 hours long), we decided to make it longer by taking a detour to see one of the stave churches, and then made it longer again by getting lost on our way to drive through the longest tunnel in Norway and found ourselves driving over the tunnel instead. We got to the top of the world by accident but couldn’t linger because we were afraid our EV’s battery would deplete (seeing as we hadn’t planned to climb as much as we did) and we’d be stuck up there, cold, hungry and expensively behind schedule while surrounded by epic beauty.
The mountain pass eventually relieved us of our mix of anxiety and awe and we found ourselves descending into a part of the country we’d been to the week before and had not expected to see again. Like being given the opportunity to rewind our home movie and relive some moments when we were in the middle of our vacation vs at the end of it.
So I was already in a state of nostalgia when this idyllic scene of a father playing with his two sons presented itself to me. We were near a campground, charging our car, and I was ambling about, relishing the arrival of the late afternoon light and wishing there was a way to press pause and stay here instead of continuing on our slow exit from this country and our vacation.
But as I watched them play in the grass, what I found that I really wished for was the ability to press rewind even longer and go back about ten years when my son was that age, when that kind of impromptu and immersive frolic was an everyday occurrence.
And then press pause.
CHARLES NAGY
I was listening to the episode with David Duchemin and you mentioned listeners should send in their favorites. I had 3 potential shots but ultimately chose the shot of DK Rider Zach North doing a trick called a Nac Nac. His are so original that I call them Zach Nacs. The other 2 were photos of bands, Redd Kross and The Melvins. I Chose this one because I feel like I was able to convey a sense of movement using a slow shutter speed and rear curtain flash while panning. I hope that you are well.
See more of Charles’ work on his website portfolio.
JADE CALEGORY
Choosing a favorite image, your “favorite child” of the year, is a tough one. Compositionally, I feel like I could have done better on this one and as well I would of dragged the shutter a bit less as to see more of the carousel, but it’s an image that has lingered with me, and the reasons why are all tied to the story it carries.
One of my goals this year has been to create images that better tell a story the instant someone sees them. With this image, that story unfolded for me while I was taking it. There’s something about a merry-go-round; the lights, the motion, the music you can almost hear, that pulls you back into childhood without warning. As I watched this man sit completely still in front of it, I imagined him drifting into those same memories. The long exposure held him in perfect clarity while the carousel blurred into motion behind him, almost like time kept spinning while he paused to revisit a younger version of himself.
I’ve also been pushing myself to work more with silhouettes and highlight-driven exposures to create a more artistic, out-of-camera aesthetic. This image hit that mark in a way that felt honest and intentional.
And the final cherry on top, is that long exposure has always been at the heart of my style. There’s something magical about freezing a single person in perfect focus while you capture the energy and light of the city going on around them, it feels as if I’ve captured the tension between stillness and motion that defines city life.
Long Beach, California - August 24, 2025 @ 8:29 PM
See more of Jade’s work on Instagram.
WILLIAM BAUM
Whilst this is not necessarily my finest “One” it is the One that makes me happy because it unusual. In my professional photography business I’m dedicated to finding the different, the less seen, the scene behind the scenes. In Brooklyn for a meeting a few weeks ago I woke up very early to find it raining outside. Immediately dressed, grabbed the camera and out the door. I thought about going to the DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) area to get a bridge photo as many have. On my way I noticed this statue of Henry Ward Beecher from Cadman Plaza with the bridge in the distance, but I did not want to make an “InstaHipster” photo. And so you have my submission. The chaos of NYC, the stately bridge in the background.
See more of William’s work on his website.
LLEWELLWYN ANNANDALE
I pondered long and hard whether to actually enter anything into this assignment. It’s hard to choose a shot from this year. There have been joyful weddings, great family moments, travel to beautiful South Africa, sports…. But the one photo I most enjoyed was actually one I took last night. I went to see Donavon Frankenreitter here in Wellington, New Zealand. Donavon is really well known in the surfing arena as a very talented surfer and musician, and good friend of Jack Johnson. What made this photo so special to me is seeing him playing on stage with his equally talented son, Hendrix. You could see the pride in his face and his boy played the concert with him. It was a small venue, no more than around 100-150 people, a very special moment, made so much richer by seeing father and son sharing the stage and their passion for creating great music.
Finding something to photograph has been harder this year, with me shooting my last wedding after nearly a decade in the business, but after chasing perfect light and compositions, I think my new focus will be on raw, grainy moments of meaningfulness instead. At least for now…
See more of Llewellyn’s work on his Instagram.
NICK POPE
This is my The One, it was taken on the last evening of a 3-day photo holiday in North Wales this July. I've chosen this one for a couple of reasons, the main one is that it was the very last picture I took on the whole trip, I'd had a good 3 days, though nothing I had taken really grabbed me, and I was a little deflated.
I'd decided to return home a day early, I hadn't booked anywhere to stay, I was camping, and it was only a couple of hours home. I'd spent the day at Dinorwig slate quarry in Llanberis. Landscape photography isn't my usual thing, but I'd had an enjoyable day exploring the quarry.
So, heading home over the Llanberis pass towards Capel Curig I needed a quick nature break, and pulled over in a gateway to a farm track. I wasn't looking for anything but as I walked back to the car I remembered something someone had said to me, 'always look the other way, there could be a photo'.
I turned round and the scene you see in the picture was in front of me. I grabbed the camera from the car and took the picture. So, always turn round, there might just be something there, but also, don't give up, there's always a chance there might be ONE photo.
See more of Nick’s work on Instagram.
MARY LYNN STRAND
This is Billy. I met him at Forsyth Park when I was visiting Savannah, Georgia.
I have two dogs, Sophie and Piper, and when I travel, I miss them. I photographed several dogs while visiting Savannah. Billy, who is a pure Papillon dog, was my favourite because he reminds me so much of my dog Sophie. Sophie is a pure super-mutt but can pass as a papillon.
People love to talk about their dogs. Meeting strangers through their dogs is one of my favorite things to do while traveling. We can wildly disagree on many subjects but we can all agree we each and everyone of us has the very best dog.
See more of Mary Lynn’s work on website, the pet photography on this website, and Instagram.
DAN LANGER
The year was a busy one and I suspect that I took more photos this year than any previous year.
Our year involved travel and lots of it. We started in January with 10 days in the Dominican Republic with friends. In February, we headed to Portugal via Amsterdam. We had planned on three days there but 50 cms of snow delayed our departure from Toronto by a day. As it turned out, Arnhem remains a Bridge Too Far. One day. We were in Portugal for six weeks and during that time we drove from Albufeira to Seville. We had three days there, but we worked on a day trip to Gibraltar. Later, while we were in Porto, we took another day trip, this time to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
In July, we took our youngest granddaughter on a two-week trip to Newfoundland, during which we went on an iceberg quest in the Atlantic.
September brought us to the UK, starting with a week in the Scottish Highlands, another week was spent in and around Edinburgh, before heading south for three weeks in England.
You would think that from this travelogue there would be a photo that l could select as “The One “. Think again.
This photo proves that you can find great opportunities for photography in your own patch. I traveled all of 3K one July morning to capture some images from the Lindsay Milk Run. This is a local race with both 5 and 10K races. As a recovering runner I had on my to do list for this year to get to a race and be absorbed in the atmosphere of the event. I can’t tell you just how much I missed this.
I got images from the start of the races and the runners coming into the finish. I knew from experience that both would bring plenty of opportunity to capture the range of emotions in the runners. I was not disappointed.
I selected this photo as a father and daughter approached the finish of the 10K. They were running in perfect unison and in this shot all four feet are off the ground. For runners, this is heaven. It feels so effortless as you glide over distance, feeling like you can go on forever. From the look on their faces I could tell that this was what they were feeling. It made me want to run all the way home and capture some of that runner’s high that has been missing for too long.
SHAWN ELIASON
Here is my submission for The One...
I very much felt like I was in a creative rut so I went out on a limb and joined the Photozine Collective at the end of 2024 in order to get my creative juices flowing again. A few times a year we select a one word theme and a single emulsion with the end goal of creating a zine for charity. For our current zine, Vivid, I decided to give myself a challenge by using my Holga for some macro photography (well macro-ish at least). I also creatively destroyed my Holga to add intentional light leaks and imperfections. I had a blast experimenting with my Holga cameras as I destroyed them in various ways. I was very pleased with my results and have chosen my favorite image from the zine to submit.
See more of Shawn’s work on Instagram.
JOHN WAINE
Hoxton, London, June 2025.
I was drawn initially to the quiet elegance of the young woman in the foreground but then noticed the crazy girls behind her. I later spoke to them and made some portraits. They were a vocal group and great fun with bags of energy.
It wasn't until I was back home editing the photo that I realised the significance of both parties looking at their phones.
The group of girls were recording or maybe live streaming (ie broadcasting), whereas the young woman in the foreground was consuming content on her phone. The chances that she was watching them are remote, but I reflected on the connectedness that phones and the internet provide, however near or far apart we are.
ANNE GRIEVES
My daughter Ellen came from Bristol for the weekend. We decided to go and see the murmuration, which I have seen quite a few times now in Nottingham. It was a very grey day and heavy drizzle, so we dressed up in coats and waterproofs, took a flask of tea and chocolate and went looking for the starlings.
We got to Netherfield Lagoons and did not have long to wait until the starlings started to come in to roost. They just kept coming in by the thousands, we were drinking our tea and Ellen decided to take a few selfies. She captured us looking in the same direction at the starlings with the same expression “we were totally in awe” as you can see. It’s not an award-winning photograph, but it is a great memory of special times with Ellen, which I thought I would share with you all.
PHIL FERRIS
My Exotic Cousin: From 1960s Cornwall to Montana
Life was so much simpler back then, growing up in 1960s Cornwall, England. Only some homes had a telephone, a television, or a freezer. Television was limited to two channels, and they were in black and white. None of this prevented my having an idyllic childhood. All my grandparents lived in the same village, the furthest only a ten-minute walk away. Despite the closeness, I would stay with them every chance I could.
I have a cousin named Gill, who is six years older than me. Her parents lived and worked in Chile, and Gill was at boarding school in Hampshire. During the shorter school holidays Gill would stay with my grandparents—in what I considered "my" bedroom. I was definitely not a fan of sharing back then!
Then, one day, it all changed.
I walked into a room and heard Gill speaking a foreign language on the telephone. I had never heard anyone speak another language before. Later, I saw her cleaning her teeth with a toothbrush that was buzzing! This was a revelation. Cornwall back then felt years behind London, just as London was behind America.
These two events instantly put Gill on a pedestal in my mind. She became my Exotic Cousin.
Gill eventually moved to the States, as did her parents, and we didn't meet up very often. Early in 2021, we planned a trip to visit Gill and her husband, George, in Montana the following year. We booked the flights and were so excited.
Then, disaster struck. In November 2021, I passed out while driving and crashed. The resulting medical investigation made me ineligible for travel insurance.
Three and a half years later, the testing finally finished and I got a diagnosis. That same day, we rebooked the flights. I had waited what felt like an age to finally see my Exotic Cousin, and to see Montana for the first time.
While the first week of our trip was lost to Covid, by week 2 we were able to get out and about.When we landed, the Montana landscape was the colour of late summer. One week later, Autumn had arrived in all its finery and we went exploring.
Of the places we visited, Bannack stood out. It was an old gold mining town, the first state capital, and is now a ghost town. The town, with around 80 standing buildings, was so atmospheric; I could have stayed for days.
As we left, my wife Cathy, Gill, and George walked ahead of me, framed by the beautiful Autumn colours. Favourite people, favourite season—we were finally there, after waiting so long.
NEALE AND SIR. BARKALOT
Well now, what to do, where to go, who and which to feature? I hovered over a good dozen photographs of friends who have shared the path with me this year all over the world. I went into each of my travel folders, India, Scotland, America, France, Portugal, Hungary, Germany, Italy, and I think the Queen Mary should count too. Though not a country, she felt like a small principality as I voyaged across the mid-Atlantic Ocean. To focus on just one event, one place and one friend seemed too dismissive, in my mind, as if there were a league table of places visited, and friends, and that certainly felt inappropriate. That said, I’m aware I asked you to do the same. This was a tough challenge, and I was starting to appreciate that as I looked for that one picture that said 2025.
And, I’m not sure I got there. I know, from an artistic angle, I have far stronger pictures, but as I looked through the catalogue, I ended up choosing the one that made me stupidly smile. It’s a grab shot, definitely a sketchbook moment from the walks I take. It doesn’t shout deep and meaningful, and is certainly not, as I say often on the podcast, big or clever. But it did make me smile. I did audibly chuckle. I did remember the very moment I made the image.
“Barney, get out the way mate,” I said (or words to that effect) as I was just trying to make a picture that showed a path I so often take opening up to our favourite canal just beyond it.
Barns has a habit of wandering nonchalantly into scenes as I record and photograph. Anyone who listens often will appreciate this, from recordings that stop mid-thought to placate the barking machine with attention.
On this day, I could almost hear him huff (as he does from time to time upon commands) as I talked into the microphone, sharing my vision for the episode recording. He wandered in, and made what I think is an amusing protest, even looking back as he did so to comment on an action louder than words/bark.
“Oh Barns, what are you doing?”
My little wingman, my muse, my sanity, the character for this show who helps me appreciate life is far better when you go for a walk, although he doesn’t so much care for a camera.
That, I guess, is what a photowalk, is really about.