Welcome to the first Lens-Artists challenge of 2026! The Lens-Artists Team is starting the year by looking back—celebrating the images from 2025 that captured our hearts, stirred our curiosity, or simply made us smile. Whether they were tucked away in forgotten folders or never quite fit a previous theme, this is their moment to shine. The team invites you to share your personal favorites from last year, regardless of subject or style. Let’s begin 2026 by honoring the creative journey that brought us here.

My first selection is a nighttime street view of St. George’s Tavern, a traditional London pub. The warm glow spilling from its windows and signage offered a welcoming contrast to the urban chill on that January night as we walked from our hotel to enjoy a classic pub-style dinner. The red partitions added a splash of color to the outdoor seating, though we chose the comfort of indoors with the temperature hovering at 45°F (7°C). I was drawn to the architecture’s timeless charm, and the photo became a favorite because it feels both rooted in history and alive in the present.

The next day, we found ourselves in Southampton to board a cruise ship, and by 5:30 PM, we were sailing down River Test. I selected this photo as a favorite because the twilight sky and the harbor lights reflecting on the water brought a sense of calm to the bustle of a working port. The Red Funnel Ferry, returning from its scheduled crossing to the Isle of Wight, added a rhythmic note to the scene—an everyday passage bringing workers home for the evening.

From the bustle of a working harbor to the quiet symmetry of a river border, my next favorite finds us in Iberia. From atop the cathedral viewpoint in Tui, Spain, this view stretches across the River Minho to Valença, Portugal. The red-tiled rooftops, winding river, and distant hills create a layered landscape in two countries. I selected this photo as a favorite for its sense of place—two cities separated by water, united on the shared rhythms of life along the border.

We stopped at São Miguel in the Azores, and this photo is one of many verdant green scenes I could have chosen as a favorite. I selected it for the quiet drama of the stone wall and the wagon path through a landscape shaped by time and weather. The mist-shrouded hills in the distance draw the eye toward the mysteries that lie beyond the clouds.

I shared a different view of these turtles in my “Last Chance” post, but this image remains a favorite for the quiet moment it captures. Every evening at sunset, sea turtles haul out on the sands of Poipu Beach—an unexpected visit that began during the quiet of COVID restrictions and continues even now. The twilight sky, the shoreline crowd keeping a respectful distance, and the turtles themselves create an extraordinary scene that reminds me of nature’s persistence.

This view of Hanalei Bay, nestled on Kauai’s north shore, is a favorite choice for its green fields, misty mountains, and the curve of the sea. Locals and visitors alike often connect this landscape to the legend of Puff the Magic Dragon, said to live in “Honah Lee,” a mythical land by the sea. While the songwriters called the connection serendipitous, many see the dragon’s silhouette in the hills that wrap around the bay. Whether or not Puff ever lived here, I felt the magic in this photo.

Back home in Fargo, my grandson and I took a photo walk through the forest at Orchard Glen Park. One weathered tree seemed to follow us, its hollow trunk, twisted bark, and those piercing eyes seemed to beg for a photo. Though it was only June, the image carried a Halloween vibe—missing only the reds and oranges of autumn scenes. I chose it as a favorite for its spookiness, a reminder that even in the summer, a forest can feel haunted.

In early September, Lynn and I traveled to Maggie Valley, North Carolina, to spend a few days in a VRBO with our son and daughter-in-law. The home sat on the side of a mountain, and our next-door neighbors quietly enjoyed their hillside lunch. I picked the photo as a favorite because the late-summer day hinted at autumn’s approach, yet the hillside remained lush—its greens still strong. This was my first year using a Nikon mirrorless camera, and I’ve noticed how vividly it renders greens compared to my earlier Nikon DSLRs. That vibrancy is part of what drew me to select the image.

On our fall trip, we spent a night in Corpus Christi, Texas. Finding our hotel was a bit confusing—this new bridge had only opened to traffic in June, and our GPS hadn’t yet caught up with the updated roadways. Now the tallest bridge in Texas, it’s engineered to resemble two sailboats rising from the harbor. From this vantage point, it’s clear the bridge is still a work in progress, even as 30,000 vehicles cross it each day. I chose this photo as a favorite for its crisp blue sky and the elegant sweep of the bridge design.

My final photo for the challenge dates to 1945 and features my uncle Henry on the left, standing with an unidentified colleague in front of a B-24 Liberator in Mindoro, Philippines. I restored the image from a scan using Luminar Neo’s new photo restoration tool, and refined the result in Adobe Photoshop with layered adjustments. Neo couldn’t identify the colors of the aircraft’s nose art, but I tracked down a historic color reference and set about colorizing the red cape worn by Queen Mae. I also replaced the off-color sky with a muted blue to better match the scene. I chose this photo as a favorite not just for its history, but for the restoration skills I gained along the way.

These are my selections for 2025 Favorites—some already appeared in Travel Tuesday posts, with only a couple shared in Lens-Artists challenges last year. Next week, Anne hosts the challenge, which goes live on January 10 at noon Eastern Standard Time. Be sure to follow her here so you don’t miss the challenge prompt. If you’ve not responded to a challenge and would like more information on how you can join us each week in responses, click here.

John Steiner