2019 Instagram Top 9

As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the previous 12 months.
I think it’s safe to say, it’s been an adventurous year in many ways, and my Instagram posts that fall into the Top 9 actually all have a special meaning to me.

#9: “Middle of the Lake”
A long weekend in Stirling Forest, New York for Mark’s birthday. It was the first time I took the opportunity to explore this State outside of NYC, and I’m still pleasantly surprised how stunningly beautiful the Hudson Valley is.

#8: “Frosty Tulips”
Quick overnight trip to the Netherlands to see the tulips. Something I’ve been wanting to do for years, but unfortunately something always got in the way before. I happened to have a free weekend in April this year, so decided to drive over to the continent. It was totally worth the lack of sleep 🙂

#7: “Colour in the Sky”
One beautiful evening on the Giant’s Causeway at the beginning of our Northern Ireland and Ireland Easter adventure this year. This shot was also among the first time for me to test drive my set of new super-wide angle NiSi filters – best investment ever.

#6: “Sunflower Sunburst”
A hot and stuffy late summers’ evening shooting a craggy old sunflower field outside Reading with two photography friends. I had no expectations as sunflower season had already passed. But this field, despite many flowers way past their prime, still offered some much needed fun and entertainment.

#5: “The Old Pier”
This has got to be one of the UK’s most photographed fragments of an old pier. Instagram is literally littered with photographic variations of this, so I’m surprised to see this in my Top 9 this year.

#4: “Stargazing”
I think this was possibly the most random shoot I’ve ever embarked on. We had such a hot summer this year, it was warm enough to sit on a cliff on the South coast, in the middle of the night in jeans and a t-shirt, stating into the sky and waiting for the Milky Way to appear over Durdle Door. Simply magical. Though maybe next time not something to do on a Wednesday after work…

#3: “Fire Ball”
Another image from the same long weekend in May exploring the Hudson Valley. Sunset that evening was just insane, the sky actually looked on fire! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such intense red and orange colours before, and the reflections in the lake only added to my excitement.

#2: “The Kingsroad”
The Dark Hedges were our first point of call on arrival in Northern Ireland. It’d been desperate to visit this magnificent location, and it did not disappoint. In a way we were quite lucky too that it wasn’t too busy when we got here.

#1: “First Picture of 2019”
This image, or even this particular morning, has a very special meaning to Mark and I 🙂 Not just because we were lucky enough to witness the beautiful spectacle of the rising sun breaking through the keyhole at Durdle Door. But only because it was in a way also the start of our own story together.

If you like these images, please don’t forget to visit the Framing Places website and follow me on Facebook and Instagram 🙂