My Favourite Photos I Took in 2022

As 2022 ends, I reflect on a year of landscape photography - the hobby I fell out of love with eleven years ago. I've combed through 12,000 photos in search of my favourite ten. Through them I offer a lens into unforgettable adventures with amazing people.

My criteria for judging my photography is unashamedly subjective. I can't untangle the circumstances and feelings surrounding each photograph from the pixels comprising an image file, so I'll be offering an explanation with each photo. Generally speaking, my criteria are:

• Stunning scenery (a feast for the eyes that barely looks real).
• Dramatic places (locations that evoke awe and wonderment).
• Memorable experiences (reminiscent of trips I always wanted to make / won't quickly forget).
• Artistic expression (creative use of the space and framing).
• Photographic excellence (exposure, white balance, rule of thirds).

For more information about each photo, click it to visit its gallery page.

#10: Sunset on the River Axe

Likely the least recognisable location on this list, the River Axe meets the sea in the seaside town of Seaton. Here an unlikely idyllic view up the river can be found opposite the marina. A calm day produced the glassy river surface, which perfectly reflects the soft colours of early sunset.

I visited Seaton in June to see my online friend Chloe, who I've known for over a decade and have now met thrice. As the first evening of a week-long trip to the south-east of England, walking the length of the stony beach and catching up during this brief counter culminated beautifully with this stunning view.

#9: Herdys Overlook Wast Water

There are plenty of beautiful views across Wast Water in the western Lake District, most notably from the shores visible in this photo below, looking in the opposite direction towards Wasdale Head and Great Gable. However, this view from Water Crag provides a panorama that credibly sells the scale of the valley and the Wasdale Screes that overshadow it.

On this early adventure from April, I took my friend Rin to Wast Water in search of Burnmoor Tarn, a small lake on the other side of the hill pictured. This stop for the view and the chance encounter with two "herdys" (Lake District for sheep) allowed for a shot of them overlooking the lake, helping draw the eye across the vista. For a month after this was my computer wallpaper.

#8: Approaching Loch Coruisk

The only photo on this list not taken from terra firma, the Bella Jane delivered my girlfriend and I to both Loch Coruisk and spectacular view of Loch na Cuilce on the south coast of the Isle of Skye. As we rounded seaweed-covered rocks, we were greeted by both the white Coruisk Memorial Hut (a bothy) and a raft on its way back to the two-mast sailing ship we just passed in the bay.

Dramatic views of the rocky land tantalisingly obscuring our first view of Loch Coruisk, coupled with defiant blue skies on a day with forecast rain, brings this vibrantly coloured moment to life. The composition is immaculate, with something to see in each area of the photo. It's easy to miss the other tourists waiting to catch the boat on the cliffs to the right.

#7: Tràigh an t-Suidhe

Iona, a small island near the Isle of Mull, is a fantastic place to wander in solitude away from life's worries. Here on its north edge, I explored Beach of the Seat completely alone, with views across uninhabited sea and land as my only company. The sand here is white, the rocks are orange and green, and in typical western Highlands fashion, the sky threatens rain.

The busy nature of this photo's rocky textures and contrasting colours are seemingly tamed by a simply head-on composition that reveals Staffa to those patient enough to explore it. Seeing its darkened form on the horizon was exciting on this October day as I anticipated tomorrow's boat journey out to it.

#6: What Remains of Fountains Abbey

At the end of my June trip to south-east England, an impromptu stop at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal treated me to an enjoyable pastime - walking through the ruins of an English monastery. Here the abbey's main structure is mostly intact up to the top of the walls, begging my camera to wander upwards.

This photo towards the crossing, looking up at the pillars and arches, contrasts the textured stonework with the perfectly blue summer's sky beyond. The angle and placement of the structure's geometry creates multiple holes that the sky enters through, making this long disused place vibrant again.

#5: Lagangarbh Hut and Buachaille Etive Mòr

When compiling this list, I started with a "shortlist" of around 100 photos - three of which were of Lagangarbh, the famous white house at the top of Glen Coe. Each was from a different season, but I've chosen this one from December for several reasons.

This particular angle from the bridge shows off the house, River Coupall and Buachaille Etive Mòr most completely. The addition of early winter snowfall on the mountain, hunted by my friend Robyn and I, are the dusting on this highland cake. This photo also reminds me of the day that Robyn and I met again after six years apart, a friendship resumed so effortlessly and earnestly.

#4: Dreary Lingcove Beck

When seeking waterfalls, wet weather is best, for rain charges the valleys and streams, allowing waterfalls to give you their best. This hunt led me to Lingcove Bridge in the Lake District on a terribly wet day that saw me soaked through to my underwear. While this isn't a photo of a waterfall, the day's objective was met, and all that was left was to descend back to the bridge on the return home along the valley pictured here.

That descent was a nightmare due to boggy conditions, slippery rocks, slick grass, and no clear route, even with hiking poles. It took caution and determination to get down. Amid that undertaking, this photo perfectly encapsulated the atmosphere of the day spent wandering lesser-known fells in the rain. Incredibly wet terrain in the foreground, sprinkled with hillside flowers, gives way to rain in the valley ahead. The dead tree completes the shot, providing a balance on the final third of the frame.

Despite its muted tones and its nature as a by-product of a day photographing waterfalls, I find myself continually drawn to this photo. It is no wonder that it has spent three months as my phone wallpaper, reminding me that inclement weather is merely an excuse to stay away from adventures outdoors.

#3: Sunset Over the Black Cullin

This year three vistas brought me to tears. Perhaps then unsurprisingly, they all feature in the top three photos on this list.

In June, my friend Rin and I travelled to Loch Alsh and the Isle of Skye - the latter is somewhere I've wanted to visit for a very long time. This day saw us drive eight hours to the edge of the island, only venturing onto it for dinner; the following day we would experience its main draws first hand. This evening saw us wander the area between Kyle of Lochalsh and Shiel Bridge, then over to Sandaig where this photo was taken. Our original goal was a place with views of the Sandaig Islands, but the trail was too overgrown and the daylight waning. After turning back, we checked out further along the road, which climbed the hillside and revealed this view.

It is impossible to resist a sunset this orange, particularly one over your destination. The Cullin is visible on the horizon to the left, jagged mountain peaks signposting Skye's heartland. We got out of the car, took some photos, then allowed the sunset to take us as it developed, capping an unforgettable day wandering the highlands.

#2: The Jacobite Crosses Glenfinnan Viaduct

While I am not an adult fan of Harry Potter, the allure of Glenfinnan Viaduct for many is down to its appearance in the series' film adaptations. For me, I appreciate the architecture, its setting, and steam trains. A trip to see The Jacobite proudly cross the crescent shaped span was effectively a pilgrimage.

Amongst one hundred others lining the hill in anticipation of the morning service, the changeable weather and midge infestation abated long enough for this shot to happen. My frenzied snapping as the moment quickly passed, through welling eyes, produced this beautifully arranged photo of the locomotive, its carriages, and un-obscuring steam, balanced effortlessly on its surroundings.

#1: The Old Man of Storr

Before I knew of the Scottish Highlands, I knew of the Old Man of Storr. A fairy-tale view across jagged rocks and alternating land & water. Before I could drive, Scotland was a foreign land, and the Isle of Skye was so impossibly far away. In 2015, two years after learning to drive, I almost travelled to the island to get the best partial view of the total solar eclipse outside of Svalbard, but concluded a sixteen hour round trip was too much. This year, I finally made it.

With my friend Rin, we spent the Jubilee Bank holiday in the area, only exploring Skye for most of one day before having to return home. That time was put to good use - we would hike to see the Old Man of Storr on the second morning. Waking up to clear skies was completely euphoric, as this view is notorious for getting spoiled by any cloud.

After a short hike in scarcely believable 20°C sunny weather, we summited a dome-shaped hill overlooking the jagged rock formations and I cried. If I would have had a bucket list, a very cathartic line would have been scored across it.

Beyond the longing and payoff, this photo sells the dramatic nature of this place - the rock formations on one side, and the gorgeous coastlines fading off into the distance on the other. The Cullin, my favourite mountain range in the entire United Kingdom, are almost an afterthought - the most well-known peaks are hidden behind the Old Man. A typically uninteresting clear sky does mean an unobscured view across Skye and onto the Scottish mainland, and the colour contrast of blue and green could not be stronger here. It is well composed, though that is not hard considering I took over 200 photos from this spot alone, afraid I might never return to this stunning place and regret bad photos for the rest of my days.