Top 2013 Nature Photographs Including Wildlife Photography
The year 2013, is slowly winding down. 2014 is knocking on our front door, waiting for new adventures, new journeys as well as many more photographs of the natural world. Accordingly, I looked through my photographs, and below are my top 2013 nature photographs.
This year in 2013 I did not travel much, or did I? With all the nature photographs on my hard drives swirling around like the hands of a clock, sometimes it’s difficult for me to remember. Thinking about it and seeing all folders sitting under my 2013 file. Indeed it looks like I did quite some traveling.
Oh, yes, right. A trip to Spain, France, and Austria, not to mention all the trips to Germany! Undoubtedly, the best journey this year was like a dream come true; to Svalbard in the Wild Arctic. Far north. I was lucky enough to get a spot on the tour of excellent wildlife photographers in Europe.
which photographs are the best
Now it is time to decide which photographs are the Top 2013 Nature Photographs of my wildlife and landscape photographs from 2013. Well, there is no specific wildlife photograph or favorite landscape photograph. All my nature photographs are my favorites since every single photograph has a story behind it.
a dream had come true
At first, a dream had come true. Indeed, the wild Arctic was calling my name! I needed to prepare for a place I’d never been to. At 82-83 degrees, by all means, a cold spot, filled with ice, close to the north pole. Lots and lots of ice. I have witnessed the birth of ice as well as how far the ice retreats in the summertime! Undoubtedly, something to think about and react to! We were surrounded by ice as I’d never experienced. That expedition for polar bears and other Arctic wildlife, the natural world in the far north, was breathtaking, likewise the artificial light. Unquestionably, an experience that will stay with me forever.
my “favorite” top 2013 nature photographs
In this post, I have compiled my “favorite” nature and wildlife photography photographs, and they have been hard for me to choose. Every photograph that I took is my favorite. Not to forget they are all like my children on those swirling hard drives. And those hard drives are going all day, every day, and only rest when I travel or sleep or I’m walking my dog in the forest.
Starting with wildlife photographs, animals in their very own natural world. More Polar bear photographs in my portfolio.
Polar bear nestled high above in the cliffs of Carl XII island, far north of Svalbard under the full moon.
Good night, sleep tight! Polar bear embedded in the cliffs high above the Arctic sea on Karl XII Island. We have been in a few zodiacs taking turns to take photographs of this tight sleeping polar bear. Indeed, it was not easy to get this one under the hood. Rough sea, zodiac rocking, dawn light, but we managed.
thoughts on this photograph
My thoughts, when I was taking this photograph of a polar bear sleeping tight under the full moon: Good night, sleep tight. I hope you do wake up in a better world! That you will always find the food, you need to survive. Never have to struggle to swim through the rough sea for 1000 Miles to reach the pack ice. That you live long! That we humans wake up to realize that we, the humans, cannot live without nature! Nature has its place on the planet for its reason! When missing a few pieces in the wheel, the wheel will not work like a clock!! We should think about this.
Polar bear standing on a rock investigating us photographers in the zodiac. This polar bear is quite dirty since no snow was around, which the bears love to roll in and get clean fur.
nature as it is
Same island where we have found the sleeping polar bear, Karl XII Island. We have seen this polar bear up in the cliffs. Not pristine, as you can see, this is nature as it is! No snow or ice for this polar bear to roll in to get clean. That polar bear was climbing the cliffs, always looking back to another polar bear, as well as sitting high in the cliffs. Polar bears get sometimes stuck on islands without any food for them around! Seals follow the ice, the ice shrinks further back to the north, every year further! We have seen polar bears eating seaweed on one island for their hunger instead of their typical food, seals,…etc. Sadly every year, less ice is in the Arctic, and those gorgeous animals have to suffer from climate change! Undoubtedly, we all do know why!
Walrus checking on us
A walrus is checking us out in the zodiac. While cruising in the zodiac near the beach of an island, we spotted a polar bear strolling near the water. A nearby group of walruses was sunbathing like they do much of the day. As we drew closer, some of the walruses came into the water and were curious to check us out as we were to check them out.
Curious walrus came closer to our zodiac. That walrus, with its large tusks, were investigating us for quite a while. Photographed in Svalbard, Norway.
More Top 2013 Nature Photographs
Born in Svalbard. We found this impressive polar bear walking along the Arctic sea while eating seaweed! Since the sun was behind him, this was an excellent opportunity to capture some backlit wildlife photographs. We were able to stay with this polar bear until it changed its direction to walk up towards the ice cap of the island Kvitøyjøkulen. That fine art wildlife photograph had to be in the Top 2013 Nature Photographs for me.
Black and white photograph of a Polar bear walking along the rocky shore in Svalbard. Captured against the sun that the animal is backlit from the sunrise light.
Moonstruck seagull
Moonstruck seagull on the beach of Karl XII Island. Cruising along in the zodiac, we took turns with other zodiacs’ of our group photographing a polar bear sleeping between the cliffs under the light of the full moon. While taking turns, I spotted a lone seagull in the vast expanse that stole the scene…. sort of. Indeed, this seagull came in very handy to check various settings for the polar bear sleeping up high in the cliffs.
A seagull is sitting by the full moon on an island in the Arctic region of Svalbard, Norway.
Coming to Landscape Photography of the year 2013
Lighthouse Pointe De St-Mathieu, Military tower, and Abbey on the coast of Brittany, France.
The Lighthouse Pointe De St-Mathieu in Brittany. I was at this lovely sight twice, the second time there were finally some cooperative clouds in the sky. Myself placing on a little cliff opposite the Lighthouse with quite a steep drop down into the sea. A little spot behind a big rock gave me a little bit of shelter from the strong winds. A 4 min exposure, along with a Big Stopper filter attached to my wide-angle lens, gave me this result for the landscape photograph. f/22; 240sec.; ISO100; 17-40mm. Explore more of our seashore photography.
Magic light of the Arctic
Where? Out there… North! On our way back to Longyearbyen, we again witnessed the magic light from the far north. I took this photograph from the moving boat with the 70-200mm. I managed to wrap myself around a pole, hooking my leg around it to stay stable, like a fancy human tripod. It worked very well throughout the trip for my Arctic Landscape Photography.
Svalbard mountains lit by the last sunrise light and the lunar moon.
A majestic ice sculpture in front of one of the many glaciers that Kingsfjorden, Svalbard, has to offer. While cruising through the icebergs in front of the glacier, we happened upon this one. The magic morning light sets this apart from all the others. What magical light we were fortunate to encounter on this trip. Mind-blowing for me, wow!
Sagrada Familia Church
Sagrada Familia Church in Barcelona, Spain. What wonderful architecture, and it’s still under construction! That photograph is of the ceiling of this gorgeous building. I was glad that I booked my entry ticket online. If you ever go to Barcelona, make sure you book your tickets online for all you want to see, unless you want to stand in line for an hour or more. f/7.1 1/15 ISO 500 17-40mm
Many more photographs I have on my hard drives swirling around from 2013. I hope you enjoyed the Top 2013 Nature Photographs I choose for you.
Sagrada Familia Church, the colorful ceiling inside the building. The temple is in Barcelona, Spain
More about myself, you can find here.
Info to purchase prints online and nature & wildlife stock photos license or royalty-free pictures. Related post Top 2014 best Photos Review.
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Beautiful collection Anette. Wish you the best for 2014.
Hi Mark,
thank you very much for stopping by and your kind words. Wish you and your family all the best for 2014 🙂
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lol, thanks so much Philipp for your funny article about me 🙂 The image is quite not the pose I am in when taking pictures of animals :))