My Favourite Images of 2025
So all the usual cliques apply here regarding the passing of time and another year coming to a close. I shall not bore you with them as I don't have the heart. In short 2025 hasn't been a vintage year, in fact its been a bit of a bugger. Family deaths and illnesses, serious injuries, stress and strains of home/work life have all contributed to this rather sorry state of year. All this has facilitated to a lack of photography action.....for the large part. I've also suffered from a lack of motivation at times and at some points left me questioning why do I actually bother doing all this at all? While I've not been as productive as I would have liked this year, on reflection, I've still come away with some lovely images and experiences, more importantly, that will stay with me for a life time. So I'll put the moaning and self pity aside for a moment and run through my favourite images of 2025. I do hope you enjoy them.
Harrison Stickle Winter Dawn
The most snow I've ever witnessed on the fells, we are talking waist deep at times. This was an incredible experience but also one of the most tiring. After literally wading through the snow at a pace of 1 mile an hour I luckily stumbled upon this scene with minutes to sunrise. The patterns in the snow where amazing and made for some wonderful foreground interest. I was up to my knees in snow, with the tripod two thirds submerged also, in order to get nice and close to the gorgeous sastrugi catching the morning sun. A wonderful view of the Southern Fells in all their winter glory. This hike broke me, but what an experience.
Wasdale Approaching Moods
This image is a nod to all those photographers who have stood in the eye of the storm waiting for the incoming weather to hit. This was just one of those times. I could see the weather system sweeping up the valley, it looked amazing but it wouldn't when it struck. I managed to catch this image just before I got swallowed up by the passing storm. The winter light and atmosphere where absolutely sublime and I love moments like these, they are the true nature of fell photography..the rough with the smooth. In retrospected it was great fun but ask me at the time and I would have said otherwise.
Eskdale Needle - Spring Light
An image from early Spring I believe. The Eskdale Needle and the backdrop of the Scafell massif is a real favourite of mine. I'd found this composition two years before and I'd been itching to head back. It was a lovely afternoon with some pleasant light and a bit of mood in the sky. I had to wait for the light to be a little diffused as it was pretty intense with not quite being golden hour, but luckily the cloud played ball and I got the light in the right places. Views don't come more ruggedly beautiful than this.
A Spring in the Step II
Spring time has long been one of my favourite season. I love the colour palette and the start of more favourable shooting times for me. This particular image was taken at Tom Heights, a wonderful wee fell which is scattered with gorgeous birch trees and a sublime backdrop. This time of year is perfect as the birches look full and are bursting with vibrancy, also the light is in our favour with how it lands. These lovely set of birch trees where perfectly lit my the last of the golden sunlight, with the background in shade it really helped to make them pop. All in all a gorgeous scene combining some of my favourite elements.
Great Gable Summer Gold
I wanted to shoot this scene for a very long time. I've only shot from Great Gable once before and that was back in 2020 and I didn't shoot this particular scene. This was taken in June, a good time to visit due to the direction of the light. Despite its lofty position at the head of the Wasdale Valley, it is pretty accessible from the northern Lakes, making it perfect for a quick after work dash. I remember it being bloomin humid on the climb up. It was very cloudy and even rained, so I wasn't sure I was going to get anything. Luckily the cloud cleared and produced some glorious raking light, washing across and illuminating the fells. Again the late light was snuffed out by the haze but I was very happy with the images I got, also saw a man taking a bath in a tarn on the way back to the car. What a view....the mountains, not the bather.
Dale Head Summer Moods
A good lesson in perseverance for this image. I'd wanted a good image from Dale Head for a while and had to do two trips in two days to get this image. The first trip ended in failure but allowed me to find this composition. The second trip was to hopefully get the light with everything else set. Well it was blowing an absolute gale and the forecast got it badly wrong. The cloud was meant to clear but it didn't. However luckily the sun managed to get out for a grand total of around 10 seconds and produced some lovely moody light. I was really pleased as I don't know if I could have handled a third trip out.
Standing crag - Summer Light and shade
More summer wanderings for this image. It was very much one of those 'I wonder what its like up there?' shoots. I'd not really been up above Thirlmere and thought it might be worth a look. Well it turned out to be a turgid soggy grassy trudge up but the reward was an absolutely glorious view...one better than I had hoped for. I just remember the feeling of the light breaking the clouds and gorgeous intense dappled light hitting the scene in front of me. It really had the lot, patch work light, shade, mood and a view to die for. Overall an epic trip out and I love it when a plan comes together. Didn't enjoy the walk back and falling into a bog mind you.
Glenridding Beck Storm Flow
I spend the best part of a week or two exploring the valleys around Glenridding. An area I've seldom visited and was curious to see what it had to offer. Well, it actually had quite a lot and I spent one trip exploring Glenridding Beck. Catstycam sits majestically at the head of the valley with a number rather lovely cascades to explore. This was my favourite from the shoot, with lovely light on the fells, moody sky and the sweeping flow of the beck. A very fine couple of hours was spent sploshing around until the rain halted play.
Birkhouse Moor Golden Glow
Another image from my exploration of the Glenridding area. This time as rather sweaty hike up Birkhouse Moor. The fell itself is a little bleak and non descript, however it boasts a very fine view indeed of Striding Edge, Helvellyn and Catstycam. Its one I've had on the radar for a while but while it had a sublime view, I wasn't sure if there was a shot there due to the personality of the the fell. Well I decided to go for it and i'm really pleased I did. As thought it is a super view and luckily there was just enough foreground interest for an image. Some smashing raking side light and some gorgeous colours in the sky as well. A lovely spot and one I'll return to.....maybe in winter with some lovely snow on the fells.
Coniston Heather Mood
Sometimes you just have to take a gamble and this shot is proof of that. The weather had been naff all day with no signs of any breaks. I had decided to go for a walk from home just to stretch the legs. Well, literally 1 minute from the house I noticed the cloud clearing to the West. So I ran back to the house, grabbed my gear and hopped in the car. 40 minutes later I was on top of this wee fell above Coniston Water. The conditions were absolutely glorious with some very moody clouds, breaking light, heather and a killer view. Sometimes it just goes in your favour.
Holme Fell Transitory Light
Fleeting light has definitely been a running theme for me this year and this image on Holme Fell is a perfect example. Another one of those were I was presented with just one moment of light and it was enough to lift the scene. Thats often the case and its just whether we are ready and in position to strike...luckily I was. The sun broke the cloud and literally lit the scene for a matter of moments and then gone. The heather was absolutely gorgeous and it really works well with the summer greens and atmospheric conditions. Its also a beautiful place to spend a little bit of time exploring. I really do like this one, I think its got all the ingredients you need to make a striking image.
Together We Stand
I've been on Loughrigg Fell more times than I can remember and pretty much shot it from every angle possible. This was taken on a gorgeous morning with a rather large cloud inversion over the Windermere end of the fell. What I love about mist is that it can and does change ordinary scenes and presents us with endless possibilities. Now I've shot at this view point so many times but never seen these trees before. In fact I can't recall seeing a shot of these trees before. Anyway, I was really taken with them and they looked great just standing out from the misty back drop. Not a grand vista, but I do love these types of images.
Loughrigg Fell - Autumnal Mists
Shot on the same morning as the last image. This time a wider vista. I do love this view point and I just loved the Inversion which by this time was flowing up the valley towards Langdale like a giant river. I'd also never shot this composition before and I did rather like it. Now its not the greatest light In the world but I think overall there is just something I really like about the image. Also a lesson in that you don't always have to have golden hour light for good images.
Borrowdale Autumn - Shimmer and Shine
I first photographed this tree back in 2018. Its pretty well shot over the years as its just off the main path through the woods leading to Grange Crags in Borrowdale. I'd been back a few times of the years but never really got an image. I tend to avoid this location in the height of Autumn but on this occasion I thought 'what the hell'. I'm glad I did as the colours where absolutely stunning and the conditions likewise. I had to endure a few rain showers before the sun came out and beautifully lit the scene and most importantly the gorgeous birch tree in its Autumnal best. Sometimes we shouldn't ignore the obvious, especially when they look this good.
Great End - Winter Glow
I think I've waxed lyrical enough about this particular morning up on Great End. Mornings out don't get much better than this and if they do, well I haven't been party to them. It was in short unbelieveable...I don't really know what else to say. It was an experience that I will never forget and a stark reminder that all the effort is rewarded. This one will live long in the memory. It's definitely a fitting end to my favourite images this year....going out with a bang.
All in all a pretty decent year on reflection and some very fond memories and images made. I hope 2026 affords me more time to get out with my camera and I hope I can rediscover my love and motivation for what I do. When I do get out its abundantly clear why I do 'do it'. We all go through these phases of loosing motivation, hopefully the circle will be broken and this coming year can be a vintage one and I will be less miserable when I'm writing about my favourite images of 2026 blog. A quick thanks for all the usual support this year, kind comments and interactions. I wish you all the best for the New Year.
Tim