- Flickr just released its list of the top 25 photos from around the world for 2019.
- The Flickr team selected the top photos by measuring which images on the site had the most engagement from users, as well as by examining a diverse genre of pictures.
- The photography site shared 19 of the photos exclusively with Insider, as well as commentary from the photographers on the breathtaking pictures.
- “What I love about Flickr is that there’s a community for every topic, and photographers find one another to share the view from their lens no matter how broad or narrow their interest,” Andrew Stadlen, Flickr’s vice president of product, told Insider. “Each of 2019’s winners is delightful and fascinating in its own way.”
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Flickr users liked this photo of two girls sitting on a roof in Kazakhstan.
“This photo was taken in the abandoned city of Nomads in Kazakhstan,” Elena Shumilova, the photographer who took the photo, said of the shot.
“Nobody lives there – it was once a movie set,” she said of the deserted town.
“Nowadays, people live in big, modern cities, but I wanted to showcase the beauty and independence of the nation.”
This lush self-portrait stood out because of its bold green hues.
Photographer Lizzy Gadd specializes in self-portraiture, and this photo positions her as a mother nature figure.
It almost looks as if she is part of the green landscape.
The dramatic lighting of a storm in this photo was mesmerizing for Flickr users.
Jesse Moran snapped this photo of a storm rolling in this year.
"A recent storm had me feeling like my old photographer self, constantly running back and forth in the rain as these crazy clouds started transforming, and trying out so many different compositions," she wrote on the original Flickr post of the photo.
People loved this detailed shot of a falcon in mid-flight.
Photographer Jack Lack took the photo, in which the bird's feathers stand out against a stark blue sky.
His Flickr page is dedicated to bird photography, and he posts information about the birds he captures with each shot.
People were drawn to this shot of a Jewish man walking down the street in Antwerp, Belgium.
"Antwerp and Jews go a long way back in history," photographer Koen Jacobs said of this shot.
"When you walk through the diamond neighborhood in Antwerp, you will see many of them with their typical looks. They are known to be very conservative and do not want their photo taken. That poses a dilemma - for them and for me," he said.
"But since I want to document the life on the streets, I take the photo."
Flickr users loved this photo of a star near the Dolphin Nebula, which is larger than the moon even though we can't see it with our eyes.
"I've been concentrating on imaging some of the nebulae and supernova remnants that are not often seen," Martin Heigan said of his recent photography.
"A lot of these objects are several times larger than the moon, but extremely faint, and require several nights of multiple, long stacked exposures to gather enough light."
"The Dolphin Nebula (Sharpless 308) is located near the center of the constellation Canis Major, about 8 degrees south of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky," Heigan continued. "The nebula is bubble-like, surrounding a star named EZ Canis Majoris."
"This star is in the brief, pre-supernova phase of its stellar evolution," he said of this photo.
The explosion of colors in this photo of a woman standing in a field of flowers was a hit this year.
"This photo was taken right next to our house," photographer Kristina Makeev said of this colorful shot.
"A few years ago, we noticed a field of lupins nearby, and now every year, we come up with new frames for them when they bloom."
Sand dunes look like ocean waves in this wide shot.
The photo, captured by Alex Noriega, highlights the unique shapes sand dunes make, highlighting the beauty non-uniformity can create.
Users also liked this close-up shot of a dune.
Photographer Jim Patterson took this close-up photo, allowing the viewer to see both the swirl of one dune and the smaller ridges in the sand.
"Nothing quite like late afternoon light hitting sand dunes in Death Valley," he wrote on the original post of the shot.
The Flickr community was drawn to this photo of a waved arrangement of trees.
"This is one of my favorite spots," Guillaume Kaufmann said of this snowy shot. "I took many pictures of this tree-shaped wave."
"There is something very graphic and very balanced in the way trees are disposed there, especially in winter. It almost looks like a music partition: simple and elegant," Kaufmann added.
"This morning, I was taking drone footage for a video, but I decided to stop there while driving just to take a few shots with my DSLR. The conditions and the atmosphere created by the mist were just perfect," he said.
A dog joyfully jumps over a fallen tree in this popular photo.
"The dog in this picture is called Hermione, she's a mixed breed. She is very lovely, but unfortunately, she started to go blind very early," photographer Audrey Bellot said of the photo.
"This picture shows her joy," Bellot added. "She was so happy to run and jump. I took this picture in a forest in France during the autumn season. The leaves are beautiful and perfectly matched to Hermione's fur."
"For this photo shoot, we looked for a beautiful trunk, then I laid down, waiting for her," Bellot said of how the shot was captured. "She was very fast, and she made it. She was flying."
Owls were popular with users this year, with three photos of the animal making the top 25.
An owl flies close on the snowy ground in Tom Ingram's photo.
He both blends in with the white backdrop and stands out because of his few darker feathers.
The combination of a supermoon and an owl made this photo popular with users.
"I found this beautiful male on a nice perch in a field as the sun was rising and the moon was setting away in the backdrop," Maxime Legare Vezina said of this well-timed photo of an owl.
"I noticed that the moon was quite big, and it's only once I got home that I realized that it was actually a 'supermoon.' What a chance!"
Users also liked this photo of an owl looking at the camera with an almost threatening expression.
Ann and Chris, a photography team, captured this photo, which came down to timing. The bird looked up as the camera snapped.
"Giving the eye as it flies past," they wrote on their original Flickr post.
A child looked otherworldly in this nature-focused photo.
"For this photo, I was inspired by autumn, its colors and tones," Jessica Drossin said of this photo. "Particularly by the gentle breeze blowing leaves off trees and playfully messing this child's long, beautiful hair."
"I thought it might be interesting to ask her to try to balance herself and walk across a few rocks that were running parallel to me."
"This became fun for her," Drossin said of the shoot. "She started swaying as she tried to keep her balance, and I felt like it fit perfectly with the graceful falling leaves around us."
This dramatic shot of a decommissioned Navy aircraft carrier stayed with viewers.
"The USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) is the only ship of her class and the last conventionally powered aircraft carrier built for the United States Navy," Claire Gentile said of the ship that was the subject of her now massively popular photo.
"The ship was officially decommissioned on August 1, 2007," Gentile said. "After I learned this majestic beauty would soon be dismantled, my goal was to preserve her beauty and glory in the environment which she served and deserves."
"Standing close to photograph her, I could feel the history, power, and importance. And, with some creative editing, I believe her story will be remembered long after she is gone," Gentile added.
Users loved the mix of nature and city in this snowy photo.
Ramón M. Covelo took this landscape photo, capturing a snowy town on the water near a mountain.
The mountain reflects on the water, creating a scene you would expect to see in a snow globe.
Flickr users were drawn to birds of prey in 2019.
Photographer Monte Stinnett captured this shot of an eagle landing on a branch, using a focused lens to draw attention to the bird.
The mountains in this shot look like the only place in the world.
Captured by Perez Alonso, the mountains reflect on the water in the photo, intensifying the effect of the shot.
The sun shines from the left side of the frame, juxtaposing the clouds on the right side.
- Read more:
- See the best microscopic footage of Nikon's 2019 Small World in Motion competition
- 50 of the most powerful photos taken by Reuters staff this year
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