Best of 2020: Top 60+ Photographs From Around the World

best of 2020

Photo: Kristina Makeeva (Website | Instagram | 500px)

As another year quickly comes to a close, it’s safe to say that 2020 was a year unlike any other in our lifetime. The past 12 months have given us a whirlwind of events that included heartbreaking wildfires, a horrifying global pandemic, emboldened protestors fighting for social justice, and a seemingly never-ending political cycle. Emotions really ran the gamut throughout the year—from terror to anger and exasperation to hopefulness and inspiration.

Most of the year was greatly guided by the unknown, taking shape as the devastating COVID-19 pandemic raged on for months (and continues to ravage our world). Over 1.5 million people have died worldwide with over 283,000 of those deaths being in the United States. Travel has nearly completely halted, many businesses have shuttered their doors, unemployment is at unsettlingly high levels, and face masks are now a common accessory in everyday wear. Despite the coronavirus’ deep impact on the entire world, life has managed to move forward as Earth completed another revolution around the Sun, SpaceX successfully delivered astronauts to the ISS, animals were rediscovered, new babies were born, and the United States elected a new President alongside a history-making new Vice President…despite the ongoing pushback.

And through it all, photographers found a way to eloquently document all of these events and capture the beauty in our world. Much like a sculptor with chisel in hand, photographers grabbed their cameras and shared the wondrous scenes around them. Even amidst mandated quarantines, they found a way to capture new perspectives on people, places, and things. Whether it’s the emotional embrace amongst protestors, the empowering stance of a young Black girl fully embodying the beauty of her natural hair, the awe-inspiring scene of natural phenomena within our solar system, or the normally overlooked elegance of everyday birds in one’s own backyard; photographers have truly outdone themselves in this challenging year.

Join us as we take a look back at some of the most breathtaking, heartwarming, wanderlust-inducing, and undoubtedly inspiring photos of 2020.

This year has been filled with a gamut of emotions dominated by our collective reactions to the global pandemic and social unrest; however, photography has helped to not only document these trying times, but to also pave a road to beauty and inspiration. Let’s take a look back at the best photos of 2020.

Girl Surrounded by Butterflied by Fares Micue

Photo: Fares Micue (Instagram | Saatchi)

Blue Tit in Flight by Mark Harvey

Photo: Mark Harvey (Website | Instagram | Facebook)

Grounded Airplanes During COVID at Kansas City Airport

Photo: Andy Luten (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Shark with Remoras in its Mouth by Evans Baudin

Photo: Evans Baudin (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Two Penguins Embracing in Melbourne

Photo: Tobias Baumgaertner (Website | Instagram | Facebook)

Antarctica by Sebastian Copeland

Photo: Sebastian Copeland (Website | Instagram)

Macro Insect Photography by Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra Saiz

Photo: Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra Saiz (Instagram)

Perseid meteor shower over Mt. Rainier

Photo: Matt Dieterich (Website | Instagram | YouTube Facebook)

Iceland Landscape Photography by Mikhail Schcheglov

Photo: Mikhail Shcheglov (Instagram)

Tree Photograph by Mikko Lagerstedt

Photo: Mikko Lagerstedt (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Astronomy Photograph by Paul M Smith

Photo: Paul M. Smith (Website | Facebook | YouTube)

Underwater Photography by Scott Portelli

Photo: Scott Portelli (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Animal Photography by Joshua Holko

Photo: Joshua Holko (Website | Facebook | Twitter)

Sun Photograph by Andrew McCarthy

Photo: Andrew McCarthy (Website | Instagram | YouTube)

Static Portrait by Kate Miller-Wilson

Photo: Kate Miller-Wilson (Website | Instagram)

Surreal Photography by Kylli Sparre

Photo: Kylli Sparre (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Tokyo Photograph by Ludwig Favre

Photo: Ludwig Favre (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Surreal Photography by Lin Yung Cheng

Photo: Lin Yung Cheng (Facebook | Instagram)

Lily Harvest in Vietnam

Photo: Trung Huy Pham (Website | Instagram)

Crabeater Seals Surrounding an Underwater Iceberg

Photo: Greg Lecoeur (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Black Panther Photos by Shaaz Jung

Photo: Shaaz Jung (Website | Instagram)

Aerial Photo of The Frame in Dubai

Photo: Bachir Moukarzel (Website | Instagram)

Photo: Eric Gross ( Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Chris Fallows - Great White Shark Jumping

Chris Fallows: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Siberian Tigress Hugging a Manchurian Fir Tree

Photo: Sergey Gorshkov (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Best photos of 2020

Foto: Mithun H. (Facebook | Instagram)

Moon Ringed in Clouds Over Guatemala

Photo: Francisco Sojuel (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Cross Fox

Photo: Sam Gaby (Website | Instagram)

best of 2020 neowise

Photo: Dan Zafra/Capture the Atlas (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

marrakech by helene havard

Photo: Helene Havard (Website Facebook | Instagram | YouTube)

best photos of 2020

Photo: Nicole Chan (Website | Instagram)

Photo: Ricardo Ghion (Instagram)

Underwater Photography by Marcio Cabral

Photo: Marcio Cabral (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Steel Wool Drone Photo

Photo: Frank Stelges ( Website | Instagram | Facebook)

Abandoned Photography of Chapel

Photo: Roman Robroek (Website | Instagram | Facebook)

Long Exposure Photography

Photo: Luke Rasmussen (Website | Instagram)

Fantasy Photography by Lillian Liu

Photo: Lillian Liu (Website | Instagram | Facebook) Model: Theresa (Instagram)

Camel and Man Under Eclipse by Joshua Cripps

Photo: Joshua Cripps (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Mouse in a Flower

Photo: Miles Herbert of CaptiveLight Photography (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Baby Pig Sleeping

Photo: Cashlie White (Website | Facebook)

Photo: Gregg Segal (Website | Instagram)

best photos of 2020

Photo: (Drew Gardner: Website | Facebook | Instagram)

Candid Street Photography

Photo: Anthimos Ntagkas (Instagram)

Dance Photography by Anna Ulman

Photo: Anna Ulman (Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok)

Ballerine de l'air by Brad Walls

Brad Walls: Website | Instagram

Georgi Georgiev Macro Photography

Georgi Georgiev: Website

Jan Erik Waider Photography

Jan Erik Waider: Website | Facebook | InstagramBechance

The Great Indoors by Erin Sullivan

Erin Sullivan: Website | InstagramTwitter

Cássio Vasconcellos Photography

Cássio Vasconcellos: Website | FacebookInstagram

Karen Waller Photography

Karen Waller: Website | FacebookInstagram

“Drama at the Lighthouse” by Aleks Gjika.

Aleks Gjika: Website

“Phoenix” by Marie Simonova

Marie Simonova: Facebook | Instagram

"Botanic Loop" by Bruno Militelli IGPOTY

Photo: Bruno Militelli (Website | Instagram | Facebook)

"Baikal Treasure" by Alexey Trofimov

Photo: Alexey Trofimov (Website | Instagram | Facebook)

Glory CreativeSoul Photography

Photo: CreativeSoul Photography (Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter)

"COVID Protest Leimert Park" by Alexis-Hunley

Photo: Alexis Hunley (Website | Instagram | Twitter)

"Life" by Kate Randall

Photo: Kate Randall (Website | Instagram)

"Black Mountain" by Ari Rex

Photo: Ari Rex (Website | Instagram | Facebook)

"Magical Night, Norway, Tromsø" by Kelvin Yuen

Photo: Kelvin Yuen (Instagram | Facebook)

"Inca Tern" by Tim Flach

Photo: Tim Flach (Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter)

"Christine and Paul" by Arianne Clément

Photo: Arianne Clément (Website | Instagram | Facebook)

Related Articles:

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Best of 2020: Top 10 Amazing Art Installations That Defined a Year Like No Other

Best of 2020: The Most Imaginative Embroidery Art of the Year

Best of 2020: The Most Creative Products Everyone Wanted This Year

Best of 2020: The Best “Good News” Stories of the Year

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