Photography Lovers End of Year Contest by @kattycrochet

2021 has been a year full of many experiences and introspective learning since I have been at home for a long time. I have always enjoyed traveling and being in contact with nature. Being near the sea is what I enjoy the most. All these trips I used to make left me with beautiful memories captured in my photographs. However, travel has not been possible since the pandemic began, not only due to restrictions and security measures but also for economic reasons.

Nevertheless, I have had the joy of living surrounded by the most sublime of nature: flowers.
Due to this circumstance of confinement, I became a very observant and reflective person. Every day I would take a walk through the gardens of our urbanization to breathe some fresh air and get away from the computer for a moment. On those reflective walks I realized that the flowers around me were really beautiful and worthy of being immortalized with photography.

Since then I became a fan of floral art, painting, photography and all art related to flowers.
That is why I chose to participate in this contest with my floral photos since that is what I have photographed the most this year. I selected a group of photos that I like the most according to my criteria since I am not a professional photographer, I am just an amateur who takes pictures with her phone while enjoying the wonders of nature.

This was one of my first photographs of a flower, I was very impressed to see how the small drops of dew on the petals were reflected in the photo. This is one of my favorite photos, although I must say that I have been tempted to edit it to make it brighter, but I have always liked to show nature as my eyes see it through the lens of my cell phone camera. None of my photos have any kind of filter or editing.

The sunflower is my favorite flower, it has a very special meaning for me. It is the flower with which I identify myself. I have sunflowers right in front of my residence, I see them every day and I stop to admire their beauty but also to observe their whole cycle. In this photo I was able to capture what a sunflower looks like just before it blooms and opens its petals. I consider it a nice photo.

As I have said before, sunflowers captivate my attention because of their incredible beauty and the energy they transmit. In this image you can appreciate a sunflower in its maximum splendor, with its beautiful petals of a radiant yellow color extended to the wind.

Another of my most treasured photographs is this one. In this image I managed to capture a bee visiting this beautiful rose. I have many pictures of bees on flowers, but what makes this one very special is that the bee didn't mind at all that my phone was so close taking pictures of all its movements, I was even able to record a little video. The funniest thing of all is that I was really enjoying the moment but also very scared because I am allergic to bee stings.

This is another picture with a special meaning. This is a cute kitten that decided to pose for me. On one of my morning walks through the park, I was looking for different and particular flowers to photograph, however, what I found was this kitten climbing this tree. I dared to get closer with my phone and take a few shots even though I was very nervous because I have had an irrational fear of cats since I was a little girl and I had never gotten that close to one before. Every time I look at the picture I wonder how I was able to get so close and take the pictures. Despite all the fear, I liked this kitten very much.

These are some of my favorite photographs of 2021, it is an honor for me to participate in this contest, I will be happy to stroll through the publications to enjoy the best shots of the photography lovers of Hive. Thanks for reading, greetings and blessings.