My 5 Favourite Camera Photographs Of 2023

It’s that time of year again! Another year has passed and that means it’s time for overviews. To put it lightly, 2023 has been an amazing year for my photography. I got to experience a lot of firsts again, got to meet amazing people on photo workshops, made new (photography) friends and I won a few awards. More importantly, I grew as a person and a photographer. This year, I decided to take my yearly overview into a different direction with 3 different blogs: this one about my favourite camera shots, one about my favourite drone shots and, finally, my classic ‘Year in Review’ blog.

Disclaimer: This article is not sponsored in any way. However, when you make a purchase using the link in this article, I may earn a small commission.

My Five Favourite Camera Photographs Of 2023

Let’s kick things off with my 5 favourite camera shots! This year I upgraded my main stills camera to the Canon EOS R5, while still having a Canon EOS R6 as a backup body. My lens choice hasn’t changed so all of the shots you see were taken with the Canon RF 100-500mm or Canon RF 14-35mm. But enough about gear, let’s dive into the photographs!

1. Northern Lights Explosion

Taken in March 2023, during a photo workshop together with Andy Mumford, I captured one of the most impressive aurora displays I have seen in the 10 years I have been ‘hunting’ for the northern lights. The aurora was so strong, it made me absolutely ecstatic. They were impossible to frame with any interesting foreground, but overhead shots such as this one also do it for me.

2. Ice Blocks at Sunrise

It’s probably not the most special or unique photograph but this one made it onto the list for one simple reason: I’ve never had such good conditions at the Diamond Beach – ever. I captured this in late November on a winter photo workshop together with Mads Peter Iversen. I’ve photographed many times before at that location but this time everything kind of aligned. The ice blocks were plenty and had nice shapes. The light was incredible and we had no less than three separate opportunities to shoot there. Everything just aligned and therefore this shot made it into my list.

3. Iceberg Versus Bird in Greenland

Taken in deep winter conditions in Ilulissat Greenland, we sailed out onto the Icefjord during sunset whilst being on a unique photo workshop. Photographing in these conditions is challenging, especially from a moving boat. I really loved this shot when I captured it. The fact there’s only one bird, against a wall of ice, really does it for me. There’s a certain minimalism to it whilst the colours also complement each other.

4. Perfect Ice Reflection

Taken during the West Greenland photo workshop, which I hosted with Nigel Danson, this was one of my more abstract shots. I spotted this striped iceberg at first during one of our boat excursions. When we visited the same area from land later on, I decided to focus a lot on it. The water was incredibly still, which allowed for a beautiful reflection. The fact this photograph makes you think twice about what you are actually seeing, makes this one of my favourite shots from Greenland thus far.

5. A Cozy Puffin on Grímsey

This is a photograph I have been hoping to get for a long time now and at last, during the Puffins in the Midnight Sun photo workshop, I managed to get it. There’s something about it to me, seeing a puffin sit on a bird cliff, all cozied up inside its own feathers. I spotted him further down the cliffs on the steeper side of the island. It was difficult to capture the shot but with my extender, giving me a total of 1000mm, I singled out the bird. A faint glow from the midnight sun, gave it that extra touch I needed to perfect the shot.

6. Sunset At Reynisdrangar

Well, it was very, very difficult for me to stick only to five photographs so I included a sixth one as a bonus. This sunset at the Reynisdrangar sea stacks, taken during the winter photo workshop I hosted with Mads, was absolutely mindblowing. Believe it or not, I captured this from the parking lot, just a minute after exiting the car. I really like that angle because of the grass in the foreground. When the geese flew by, it just perfected the frame. I took many photos after this one but none of those came close to my first shot.

What’s Next?

After all these camera shots, it’s time for my other camera: my drone. Next up will be my top 5 aerial photographs of 2023. Believe it or not, this was even more difficult, especially after that unexpected eruption last week. Stay tuned!

Disclaimer: when you make a purchase using the Amazon links in this article, Jeroen may earn a small commission.