Top 2014 Best Photos Review

Time again to write a review of the year 2014 best photos for landscape photography and my wildlife photography. 2015 is already knocking at the door. Yet another year is done. Where did the time go? I have no idea. It just passed me, saying hi and bye.

Not Only Africa

There we go, landscape photograph in Africa, one of those lovely favorite places of mine. Indeed, not only for wildlife photography. Going out, sitting or standing, depends, breathing in nature, entirely. Not to forget, looking around for the best composition for this or that. Also, finding the right spots and not getting eaten by a leopard or lion while standing in the African bush for a landscape photograph made in Africa! Indeed, a tad adventure is always with me. That does not mean that I do not go up to the cold north. the Arctic. No, I do this as well, of course. And there, OMG, what a landscape, that blows you away. The best photos I took in 2013 in the cold north, you can find in my older post in Top 2013 Nature photographs, including wildlife photography.

Where do I start, and with what? 2014 best photos, yeah best photos for the year 2014, hmmm. I do have some favorites, but actually, all are my favorites or 2014 best photos. Oh well, the African landscape photograph of the Epupa Falls in black and white is one of the best pictures.

The Epupa falls, at the border of Namibia and Angola. They only have lots of water in springtime, and I was lucky to be there when masses of water flow down the falls and river. The falls are long, not too high, but gorgeous. I did my homework already at home for those falls. Getting there was another thing. A Jeep with 4×4 is no problem. The only problem those 1000s ditches on the way there. Oh gosh, give speed – break, give speed – break. You can go nuts on that!

Exploring The Landscape

Anyway, arriving there, walking around in the evening a bit to find some right spots. The next morning, get up in the dark and climb up the mountain for the areal view. That was not too bad. No lion nor a leopard was to be seen this day. When the sun was too high, light to harshly exploring for better places to take landscape photographs was on. Walking in the heat around and I did find some great spots. The next morning, the same procedure is just different places to get what I had in mind for my long exposure landscape photography. The result black and white photo print, in color below:

Epupa waterfalls at the border Namibia to Angola. Baobab trees growing between the cliffs and waterfalls.

The next landscape photograph, everybody knows that spot on earth, as well in Namibia. The DeadVlei. Famous for its red sand dunes, the black dead Acacia trees on the white clay pan surrounded by the dunes. The Namib Naukluft National Park, full of sand and more with dust. If you go there with a camera, bring the rocket blower along, you need it badly.

How did I accomplish this photograph? Well, getting up early, be there first, and know what you want to do beforehand. The sun has no STOP button. Still, the sun will rise faster than you expect! Hurry hurry.

One photograph I like the most, not because of its colors or whatsoever. Decide your self.

White and red – not black and white. Deadvlei red dunes with around 900-year-old dead Acacia trees standing on the white clay pan.

Next another Acacia tree, a Camelthorn tree, hey this time alive not dead from DeadVlei. This is one of the most photographed trees in Etosha National Park. Aaah, we are getting closer to the wildlife photography section, well not quite. First, this famous tree. This one really needs to be mentioned. This tree spent many waiting hours company while “waiting” who has guessed that, for wildlife on a waterhole. I am sure this tree knows many stories about funny tourists, leaving their cars. Even when the big sign there says ” Stay IN Your Vehicle” Do Not Leave Your Vehicle,” you will get eaten by lions or grasshoppers.

Well, the eaten part comes from me. But The leaving part actually comes from tourists thinking animals are tame and calm in National parks. OR they think, I do not see lions so I can shortly step out and do this or that. However, I have seen tourists getting out of the car while a leopard was just sitting 6meters away behind a bush from them, getting ready for the job!!!

Nevertheless, the most photographed tree in Etosha, just a sec…. the dead trees in DeadVlei are the most “dead” shot trees on earth IMHO!

Camelthorn tree at the edge of the Etosha salt pan in Namibia.

Now since we hit Etosha already, why not go over to the wildlife, the predators. Everybody wants to see them. This year I was a lucky duck with Wildlife Photographs. I have met cheetahs, lions, and hyenas. This cheetah is looking over its shoulder back to its mates while they were sneaking into a Springbok herd. One after the other, meeting up at a spot and probably discussing who will make the first sprint to catch lunch. When that was decided, one sneaking 20-25m to the herd, like a rocket started the sprint, and the race started. Undoubtedly, the fastest land animal on the hunt. I only can say, that was fast!! Sadly lunch needed to be postponed to dinner time. The chosen cheetah did not get a Springbok. I do not want to know what its mates had to say to that!

African cheetah sitting in high dry grassland looking back over its shoulder to its siblings.

After Africa, the down-under continent called my name, OZ, was on the list. Staying on a little island at Great Barrier Reef in Australia. You only can fly in, and this is more a diving island. Hey, I would say this is also a birding island. Holy, how many birds are living on this island. From the Red-tailed Tropicbird to the White-capped Noddy and more. Well, the White-capped Noddy is for me more an “Angry Bird.” Undoubtedly it gave me always that look, and after a few photographs, it always said thanks with nodding its head! Way too funny.

White-capped Noddy looking quite angry, well it seems like that. No idea if this little bird sitting on a piece of coral was angry! This bird reminds me of the game named Angry Birds.

The last photograph, as well a wildlife photograph, or better said bird photograph. The Red-tailed Tropicbird, one of them was right in front of our porch nesting. This bird did not care about us at all. We kept our distance as far as the building has allowed us. It looked like sleeping all day, no move nothing. The second day I recognized that another Red-tailed Tropicbird flew in from the sea. It always came nearly at the same time – lunchtime. So I checked what this bird is doing. Sitting a bit off the whole scene. Oh, the second bird came to feed the nesting bird. Well, the next day, I took a beach chair and placed myself with the camera in a corner on the beach to get the food delivery boy in flight – mid-air. The result:

Red-tailed Tropicbird in flight. This bird was hovering over me for quite a while on the island Lady Elliott in the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. This gave me quite some opportunities to photograph it in mid-air.

I think this is enough of the 2014 best photos or favorites and short tales of my trips here and there. We will see what next year will bring on the best photos. Hopefully, I find sometimes a STOP button, just to stop the time for a few days, especially when I am on a trip. That would be so nice. I hope you enjoyed the review of the 2014 best photos, well, it should be called my favorites, but the best photos are fine too. Feel free to share. I know I should link here and there on my website for link-building SEO in this post. Well, SEO forces me a bit, no a bit more actually, just this link, hoping not to spam you, my gallery.

Explore my landscape photographs, my wall art photography prints, and all stock photos in my nature and wildlife portfolio. Please browse also our black and white animal photography.

Additional Information

My Online shop offers Landscape and Wildlife Photo prints as well as Stock images. More information about photo wall art prints and stock photographs you find in my buying photo prints or in my buying stock photos page.
We, nature photographers, get up very early mornings, well the outcome of rolling out of the feathers when it is still dark you see at my African landscape photographs.
A pick out of my blog posts, a black and white fine art picture of an African Elephant’s white long tusks.