Favourite photos of 2020

At the beginning of 2020 I had planned to focus on my landscape photography a lot more, This was going to include dedicated days off work just for photography around where I live, some nice holidays abroad, and maybe some new kit. Well … holidays, remember them?

So, lockdown happened, and that kind of put an end to all my plans for the year. However, even during global pandemics, and the extreme restrictions required to beat the virus, there have been a few opportunities for some photography.

Late spring provided one such opportunity, when a field of Poppies appeared on the outskirts of Guildford. The national lockdown had been daily life for over a month by this time, and suddenly a brilliant red field of Poppies appeared to brighten the landscape. I'd missed the Bluebells earlier in the spring due to the restrictions, but by late Spring, things had lifted enough that I could head out early in the morning with all of my gear and make the most of what I could.

One of the better aspects of 2020 was the endless days during Spring and Summer of sunshine and high temperatures. Typically these conditions are despised by landscape photographers, but as I've said in previous posts, I see bright sunny days as perfect conditions for improving my Infrared photography. Luckily, The National Trust are keep all of their outside spaces open, and available on a limited pre-booked basis.

With the options for good landscape photography conditions coming few and far between, this year has had an above normal amount of macro flower photography. My setup is for macro shots is very simple, I have a nifty 50mm f1.8 and a set of extension tubes. With this, combination you can get a really good magnification on subjects. These shots have coverage of around 2-3mm square, and a good enough depth of field.