Lens Artists Photo Challenge #379 | Favorite Images of 2025

I am excited to begin my post with a big win for me to finish off 2025 – Over the holidays I actually did something I had been wanting to do for a while, I completely organized my photos from personal to my art images I share!!! I love that when I think of an image – I can find it. Even those images from 10 years ago, frozen berries on a tree with snow, that still pull on my heart strings, are within my collection. See a couple previous posts or under the Pam and photography for the new links. Im really happy with how Ive sorted them.

For my final 2025 post, I felt inspired to pull an image from each month as my favourites – that post is here 🙂 This post is images I would have also shared!

This is an image from this year, that I filed under abstract. It was with my macro 35mm lens during a spring tour and it never really focused on anything, yet I just couldn’t part with this image.

Geese family this summer down at the Saugeen River.

One of the many bee’s from 2025!

Almost the new year, we were under many blankets of snow! Even the trees.

This morning while driving with my husband, I mentioned to him about stopping somewhere on the way home for me to take photos. He is very compassionate towards me when I ask for time to take photos. It typically doesn’t take long and yet it fills my heart up so much. As we were leaving the location, I thanked my husband and then what came out of my mouth, wasn’t as expected, I said to him “its healing me”… I looked at him, not expecting that to come out, and yet it was 100% truth.

This year wasn’t the worst, however in the collective 2020 years 2020-2025 were hard. Ah, what just popped into my head, as I typed hard, its time to get into the flow of life – much like the feminine energy, also the left side of our body. When things feel hard, we are in resistance, aka out of our control – this can feel so hard. This year was the push to the edge, in so many ways…

My brother died in November 2024, there are still people who I *thought* were close to me, who I haven’t seen. A real-life, life lesson for me and its ok. For far too many years I have abandoned on myself for others, time and time again. Relationships are to be like boomerang’s, goes both ways. Time for me to focus on me – wholly without regrets, fears or worries.

For a long time I didn’t want to go out, going to work felt ok because Im with those people daily, there is a comfort level I am so grateful for. Going out in public, no. I could cry at the drop of a hat. Which I did and was also ok. That also honestly lasted until the beginning of December when I caught up with an energy worker I hadn’t seen in a while and he was able to help balance.

I spent a lot of time in my own bubble or with my people, my husband, our kids, our dog, our extended family and some friends.

Sometimes when our heart is hurting the hardest and we don’t know what to do… we do what we love, we allow our heart to allow the light and love back in. Even the simplest of actions. Me taking photos of flowers and trees and bees and birds time and time again may seem monotonous to someone else, and yet being in nature capturing that image feels like a part of me is set free. Even on days I did not want to do anything, by getting up, grabbing my camera and getting outside in some form – got me moving!

Macro photography for me makes me focus on the small details, pulls my focus in on something that catches my eye. Slows my breathing, for intentional conscious shots. Observing nature at its finest and capturing the beauty.

A reminder that life happens in the moment and sometimes, those ‘everyday’ moments are 100% worth capturing. Like the boys heading out to mark trails before the holidays, with the dumping of snow we had already begun to get, they had to use sleds to check and fix. Ive learned as much as a kid may complain about having photos taken, they 100% appreciate the final tangible result!

We went with the little’s and saw Santa at the non-motorized parade in Holstein the middle of December!

Seagulls at the beach!

The weekend I took this photo below, was the last weekend of the season at our family cottage. A weekend where we had extended upon extended family and it was wonderful. While on the beach, the sun was still high, making its decent to set. Although the sun is completely blown, I love the rays off of it and the sun flares in the image as well.

For me when dealing with loss, energy is comforting and this moment, these images – there were many – were so heart warming.

I am grateful for the healing effects of photography for me.

I also at times felt like I was re-teaching myself. I would get in a lighting situation and freeze forgetting what to do. Settings that were second nature to me completely slipping my mind.

I was so grateful when the blossoms began coming out in spring. The darker months are harder. That is one thing I definitely noticed the past year. In the evenings when its so dark outside so early, its affected my motivation and energy levels vs during daylight hours. These blossoms, are so worth the wait!

As we’ve stepped gently into 2026, I step forward with gratitude, patience, love and understanding, especially for myself.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, January 10 at noon eastern time when Anne will be hosting our next challenge.

You can learn more about how to join the Lens-Artists challenges here.