One World, Many Angles: A Selection of Images from 2016

To compile this collection, we sifted through our editors’ picks, photography posts with the most views, likes, and comments, and the sites of photographers who published standout work this year. These photographs represent a small sample of the images you’ll find on WordPress.com. We’re proud to host such a diverse and enthusiastic community of photographers.

Photo by Carlos Eliason, Elias Visuals. — Photo by Carlos Eliason, *Elias Visuals*.

At Elias Visuals, visual artist Carlos Eliason shares images from his travels and outdoor adventures. Earlier this year, he explored the abandoned PG&E Powerhouse in Sacramento, California, which is soon to become a science museum.

Photo by Hristo, In a Search of Balance. — Photo by Hristo, *In a Search of Balance*.

Hristo at In a Search of Balance is always on the move, having traveled to Antarctica, Turkey, Iran, and more in 2016. In June, he published a photo essay from his trip to the old Buzludzha Monument in the Balkan Mountains of Bulgaria. Here, he frames a sweeping view through a shattered wall.

Imperfection is authentic, and it’s worth sharing. It’s also much easier to blog regularly if you don’t insist on polishing each photo to perfection.

— Jen Hooks on making photoblogging a habit

Mark Berkery gets cozy with the smaller organisms of our natural environment at Nature’s Place. His insect and flower macro photographs are small yet magnified moments of meditation.

Photo by Joanne Teasdale, RFOTOFOLIO. — Photo by Joanne Teasdale, *RFOTOFOLIO*.

Joanne Teasdale, a French Canadian photographer living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, traveled to Oceti Sakowin Camp in North Dakota and documented her time with the Standing Rock water protectors. Her photo essay about the experience is published at the photography site RFOTOFOLIO.

I’ve learned that making good photographs isn’t really to do with technical competence, it’s much more about what you’re feeling at the time. If there is an emotional connection to the subject the images are always better.

— John Meehan on avoiding boring photographs

Michael Biach, a documentary photographer focused on social issues and labor conditions, has traveled to places like Bosnia to cover human interest stories in post-war countries. During his time in Srimongol, Bangladesh, he captured this portrait of a man and a spider.

Photo by Karen McRae, Draw and Shoot. — Photo by Karen McRae, *Draw and Shoot*.

Karen McRae, a photographer and artist based in Ottawa, Canada, experiments with the light and movement of nature on her blog, Draw and Shoot. Her images are soft but lively canvases that record her perspective of the world.

I love photography because it breaks down barriers. . . . We can use the street as a medium to show the incredible diversity of life that is out there.

— Chris Page on the need for street photography

Photo by Verne, Jules Verne Times Two. — Photo by Verne, *Jules Verne Times Two*.

In “Keep Calm But Remain Outraged,” Verne at Jules Verne Times Two shares a photo essay of a Brexit protest march in London, England, earlier this fall.

During her time on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, adventure and lifestyle photographer Emily Polar captured the bliss and beauty of swimming in the cenotes (natural sinkholes) of Tulum.

Phil Kneen visited the migrant camp in Calais, France, and photographed scenes and portraits at the encampment before it was dismantled.

I’m not a guideline follower. I have never been; I never will be. Photography is not about following guidelines. Photography is an art of free spirit in my opinion.

— Henry Leutwyler on creative freedom

Photo by Randall Collis. — Photo by Randall Collis, *Global Sojourns Photography*.

Randall Collis put his action photography skills to the test at the Pendleton Round-Up, an annual rodeo in Pendleton, Oregon. This snapshot from his photo essay “Women of the American West: Pursuing Excellence” features a barrel racer and her horse.

Photo by Li Shen at 1+1=2?. — Photo by Li Shen, *1+1=2?*.

The work of London, England-based photographer Li Shen at 1+1=2? is minimal, graphic, and sometimes futuristic. With that kind of description, you expect Shen’s compositions to lack emotion, yet his images are often moody and mysterious. This shot from La Défense in Paris mixes abstract and architectural.

Photo by Aaron Joel Santos, From Swerve of Shore. — Photo by Aaron Joel Santos, *From Swerve of Shore*.

Photographer Aaron Joel Santos’ work primarily covers Southeast Asia, which you can sample in his year-in-review post. In October, after the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, he hit the streets of Bangkok, Thailand, and captured crowds in mourning.

Photo by Ted at TPJ Photography. — Photo by Ted at *TPJ Photography*.

At TPJ Photography, you’ll find an archive of wildlife and bird photography — snapshots of herons, egrets, raptors, and more. Ted’s portrait of a juvenile spectacled owl, taken on the coast of the Carolinas, is an example of what you’ll find on his site.

Film photographer Polina Washington, based in Saint Petersburg, Russia, explores identity, folklore, and landscape through techniques like soaking and multiple exposure. In “Mistress,” part of her Dvrkvisions series, you can get a feel for her dark fairytale-like aesthetic.

With photography there is no stigma, no labels or diagnosis — just the visualization of a thought or feeling, exactly as they are in that moment, without thought or judgment.

— Danielle Hark on coping with mental illness through photography

Photo by Lemanshots. — Photo by *Lemanshots*.

In a surreal piece titled “The Last Subway,” Munich-based photographer and digital artist Josephine at Lemanshots remakes Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting for the modern age, setting the scene in the London Underground.

We look forward to your work in 2017. For inspiration, explore our photography archives for more.