To celebrate the new year, here is a hand-picked selection of the most impressive photographs of 2020. This gallery gathers our favorite images from the top photography competitions of the last 12 months, including subway fighting mice, head-spinning wildlife snaps, and some spectacular drone shots.
The best photography contests of 2020, based on pure aesthetic spectacle, were those focusing on the marvels of landscape photography. The Pano Awards, the International Landscape Photographer of the Year, and the Siena International Photo Awards all delivered astonishing top selections.
Several more unconventional photo contests also stood out from the pack this year. The Historic Photographer of the Year Awards again delivered a rich and thoughtful collection of images illustrating historical sites around the world, while the Mind’s Eye Awards and the Fine Art Photography Awards offered up some truly odd, memorable and unconventional imagery.
One of the best photos of the year came early on with the People’s Choice Award in the UK Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. Bristol-based filmmaker Sam Rowley delivered an amazing glimpse into a secret drama between two mice on an underground train station platform. The unique shot took a week to capture.
Take a look through our gallery at all our of favorite photographs from the past year.