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When we came up with the idea for this blog, we thought sure, it’ll be easy to pick our favourite images. I mean it would be easier than picking one of our favourite �ڹϳ���images, as there are almost 140 million of them, right? Well boy were we wrong; as we delved into our archives, and took a trip down memory lane, it proved harder than we thought to pick just one photo as our favourite.

But never the less, we persisted. They might not be of renowned subjects, or be of great technical quality, but that doesn’t mean they are any less special. So, let’s take a look at these photos then!

Alan Capel – Director of Community

Taken in 2013 at a friend’s wedding, Alan chose this image of the happy newlyweds.

“I love it because it perfectly sums them up, they love England and all things quintessentially English (they’re both German), so what better setting than a seaside resort amusement arcade with ubiquitous ‘man in football shirt’ in background! The fun and playfulness of the picture epitomises their approach to life and summed up what was an epic wedding. Taken on an iPhone, a serendipitous captured moment that I’ll treasure.”

Alex Bortkiewicz – Director of Photography

Alex also chose something she cherishes; her mother.

“The reason this a favourite image is because my mum looks so radiant and joyful. We were walking in a stunning rose garden (which sadly does not exist anymore) and the gardener there cut a rose to present to my mum which closely matches the hue of her jacket. It was a lovely spontaneous moment and I like the way the image captures my mum’s pleasure at receiving such a beautiful fleur.”

James Allsworth – Contributor Experience Manager

Jam chose this decade old photo of legendary drummer Lloyd Knibb (inventor of the ska beat), taken at what was the Zodiac in Oxford.

“I was fortunate enough to be photographing at a Skatalites gig in Oxford where many of the original members (including Lloyd) performed for over 3 hours. Given that they formed in 1964, this was an impressive feat! It’s my favourite shot I’ve taken for a whole number of reasons. Technically, as with most live music photography, conditions were difficult so I was happy to get a such a useable shot. Aside from the technical aspect and thinking about an emotional level; Lloyd is no longer with us having passed away in 2011, so to have this picture on my wall associated with a brand and era of music that I love makes it very special to me. It was also taken in one of the fantastic independent music venues, The Zodiac, and was one of the last gigs I attended there before it’s acquisition to a branded, commercial owner. It represents, to me, a bygone era on many levels.”

Elisabeth Hoiberg – Contributor Relations Executive

Taken whilst on holiday, Elisabeth’s photo piques your curiosity.

“Ok, so this is not actually my favourite photo, but I like the cinematic feel to it. I think the photo opens up for a story and I remember being very intrigued by this man and what his life might be like when shooting the photo in Vietnam a couple of years ago.”

Ben Gray – Content Operations and Services Manager

Family is close to Ben’s heart, and this shot is a perfect evocation of it.

“I don’t actually have a favourite photo. My photography is continuously evolving as I take inspiration from different styles and trends. I’ve been taking a photo a day (as a minimum) of my son for the last 6 and a half years. I’ve also been taking a photo a day of my daughter for the last almost 3 years. In between that I also take photos almost daily of my food, drink, rugby games, my bike plus other random things that take my eye. This means I’ve amassed a huge archive and an editing headache. Picking a single image from that is just not possible. That said, this photo has been the background image on my phone for about 2 years now. That either means I’m lazy, or it has some resonance. It’s when my daughter first came home from hospital and whilst it’s not the first time she met her big brother, the warmth of their embrace and their eye contact is as authentic as it gets!”

Corin Lawfull – Contributor Relations Assistant  

If you’ve read any of Corin’s blogs, you’ll know she’s crazy for canines, so of course she couldn’t not pick a pup for her pic.

“Working with dogs is my favourite thing to do and this particular shoot was so much fun. Although my waterproof trousers were soaked through and I was covered head to toe in mud, the photographs that were captured are some of my favourites. I love the cheeky expression caught on this pup’s face as she’s bring the training dummy back to her owner/trainer.”

David Sharples – Content Operations Assistant

One of our newest team members, David chose this analog shot taken for a university project in 2016 whilst on an exchange in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

“It’s not a perfect photo but it was the culmination of my Fine Art studies in America. The project that this is from was successful and it reminds me of the Great American South West.”

Shaun Howes – Content Operations Assistant

Another content newbie, Shaun also chose a university project. This artistic self-portrait was a little difficult to capture; taken in the midst of summer, which meant lots of pesky bugs flying around.

“It was a chance for me to experiment in between my 2^nd and 3^rd year at university, I got the help from my big brother who is an established photographer himself. It was one of the first times we properly got to work together on something, which involved him running around me with a torch and phone flash, with me trying to maintain my laughter for a good 10 seconds but I feel like it was an overall success.”

Siobhan McMillan – Copyright and Legal Assistant

Lastly, we’ve got yours truly. 90% of my photos are of my own cakes and bakes; the rest are either my family, my dogs, or random stuff I come across.

Baked goods and New York City are 2 of my favourite things, so this photo perfectly captures them both. It was taken last October as I was strolling through Central Park on a warm and sunny day. I got out my freshly purchased cookie, and was going to take a bite when I stopped to take a picture first. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not great at remembering to take photos, so I’m glad I did here. I know it’s a cliched Instagram shot, but I love it nonetheless.

They say a picture paints a thousand words, and I think these images definitely speak volumes about each of us. From family to food, each photo is an example of all of our individuality; from our experiences to our loves, these images truly capture a part of us. So, what about you, what’s your favourite photo you’ve ever taken? Let us know in the comments, or tweet it to us .