Aaah it's this time of the year again when it's time to find my best photos of the year of 2021. I have done my showcase for the past 3 years at the end of every year but this time Photography Lovers community has hosted a contest on this topic so I will use that chance up.
You can find the contest announcement post here. And of course thank you @derangedvisions for hosting this!
So I searched all of my 2021 folders and selected some photos I think I like the most. There are actually many but I can't fit all in this post. Still, it's going to be one hell of a list of 28 photos. Exactly half of the photos are from Iceland, no wonder right. Almost every photo you take there is magical. I have 1300 photos from Iceland and choosing the best ones was not easy at all.
Without further ado let's get to the pictures I selected for this year. They are not in any particular order.
The first one is a shot I took from my backyard in the Spring. I spotted a squirrel and really fast I took my camera, attached the big boy lens and took several great shots, this is the best from them.
This is the one from Nõva, Estonia. Rough sea and beautifully shaped coastline gave me definitely one of my favorite shots of Estonia this year.
The sunset and mountain on Iceland near the Skogafoss, a magical one.
Not exactly sure why I like this but I do. It's me in the photo and taken by my girlfriend. On a submerged quarry road edge.
I don't even have all the Iceland shots post-processed yet but I did it with some shots I chose today. This is Hraunfossar, an underground river merging with another river. An exceptionally spectacular sight and a gorgeous shot.
The highlight of the year was to see strong northern lights in person, definitely the most magical moment in this year.
This one is taken recently. Got hit by an insane snowfall here in Estonia due to the sea effect. Thick, soft, new snow gave an amazing photo opportunity.
Incredibly stormy sea on the coast of Southern Iceland, in Reynisfjara beach. Love the composition of this picture.
I don't remember taking this shot but I like it. The reeds, somewhere in Estonia.
Don't know if it's the best shot in the world but it has a sentimental value for me. I asked my girlfriend to take the picture. On a hike in Iceland in the middle of nowhere, on a private beach where I don't know when anyone even last was there. It was a surreal feeling being there surrounded by mountains, ocean and wild nature. This makes it one of my favorite shots of the year.
A very dramatic picture on a hardened lava field in Iceland that was still steaming and emitting warmth out of the ground, it last erupted there 30 years ago.
Taken in the summer. A huge downpour cloud and sunset in one frame with the seascape in Estonia. This is a sight you don't see often, love this shot.
Fagradallsfjall volcano in Iceland erupts in the night. Even though I wasn't close, it was insane to see it even at 50km away. It had been quiet for weeks and started erupting again this night. Whan an epic picture.
Sandfield in the middle of nowhere in Estonian island Hiiumaa.
On the glacier lake, staring right into the ever collapsing glacier wall, I don't forget the sounds the glacier makes when it cracks.
Bogland in the sunset in Soomaa, Estonia. I have so many wetland and bog shots but for some reason, I like this the most.
Sun shining through the tree on the sunny and snowy beach in Estonia. Snow and shadows look gorgeous, I love the composition here as well.
Taken in Iceland during hiking. Flat grassland and dramatic high cliffs, there is no way this shot is not going to make it in my favorites.
Glowing night clouds in Estonia. Every summer I hunt for these and I always succeed. This is a spectacular sight to see
Seljalandsfoss, one of my favorite waterfalls in Iceland. It does not matter if I have already seen this in my trips to Iceland, I always want to go back.
Small lake up high in the mountains in Iceland. An incredibly photogenic place to take pictures.
I actually posted this one yesterday. Hverfjall Volcano, I failed to get a good shot on the first trip to Iceland due to clouds. This time however I succeeded. It's a panorama of 2 horizontal pictures.
Long exposure shot with ND filter, during the sunset at the seaside. I should use my ND filter more often, the results are gorgeous.
The car drive of my dreams. On the southern coast of Westfjords in Iceland. It was hard to not stop after every minute to take some shots along the road I drove. Fjords, golden sunset, this is just perfect. Looking at this picture makes me goosebumps because of the experience, I want to go back now! I think it might actually be my favorite picture of the year, it's just so... perfect.
Long exposure of the night coastline in Estonia.
What a landscape... Rugged, flat, cliffs, all in the same shot. Again in the middle of nowhere on some small hiking trail.
Burning sunset, seascape and swan in the middle of the frame, love this one.
Decided to leave this one to the last. Here I gave my camera to my girlfriend, she wanted to take some pictures. I just sat on the railing and looked into infinity. I remember thinking that I don't want to leave Iceland, I just want to stay. She took the shot of me at this time. Now every time I watch this shot, the same feeling comes back.
So, this is it. All the pictures I chose to be the best ones from the year 2021, hope you liked what you saw. I am interested to see what others submit under this contest!
