Last year, we unveiled our favorite photos of the year for the first time—a collection that showcased the breadth and depth of the 500px community, as well as many up-and-coming talents. The curation process was an exercise in inspiration for our team, and further demonstrated how much talent, creativity, and passion 500px photographers have to offer. We’re honored to reveal another instalment of our favorite photos of the year.
Similar to last year, we started our discovery process with 500px photos that were popular in each category throughout 2018, to give us a sense of what the community was engaging with. We hand-picked some choices from that group with the aim of recognizing as many photographers and as much high-quality work as possible. We also added our favorite shots of 2018 from Editors’ Choice, and dug deep into hidden gems and “undiscovered” work through our Recommended Photos and our own discovery.
While we can’t recognize every great photographer on the platform, we want to thank you all for the outstanding work you’ve shared with us again this year. We hope you enjoy our favorite photos of 2018 as much as we enjoyed discovering them—stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 of our favorite photos on Dec. 28 and 31.
City & Architecture
What our photo editors loved:
Influenced by the minimalist architecture we have seen since the 1920s, these images use sharp angles and smooth contours, accenting simple design and form as decorative elements and playing on the shadows that fall from these modernist designs. This alternative perspective ultimately encourages the viewer to rethink the way they view and interact with these spaces.
Celebrities
What our photo editors loved:
Working with models can be challenging, but coupled with star power, things can really become difficult. Each of these photographers managed not only to rise to the challenge, but to create interesting concepts and compositions that reflect the personality of their subjects.
Urban Exploration
What our photo editors loved:
There’s a gritty feeling to these images that we appreciate—whether in the tonality of the shot or simply the location itself—and this weaves a narrative about the journey each photographer took to capture these moments.
Transportation
What our photo editors loved:
Whether it’s the view from an above-ground train speeding down a track or a high-end sports car sitting idle, the photographers here conveyed a clear sense of power and precision in each shot.
Night
What our photo editors loved:
In each of our selections, there’s an interesting relationship between the night sky and light. We admire the way each photographer balances these elements to create something magical without overdoing it.
Still Life
What our photo editors loved:
The simplicity of these shots is what stood out for us. Each image is attractively minimal yet still descriptive and rich with context.
Aerial
What our photo editors loved:
With the environment top of mind, we couldn’t help but focus our lens on the natural beauty of trees, water, and rock formations captured from unique perspectives.
Street
What our photo editors loved:
Each of these street photos is framed and composed well, with a good dose of emotion to draw the viewer in. We also love the use of shadows in these shots.
Food
What our photo editors loved:
In each of these selections, there are foreground and background elements that elevate the story and add more depth to the photos. We also like that food photographers are moving away from traditional lighting, opting for harsher lighting to create more pronounced shadows, as evidenced in ‘Cremeschnitte.’
What do you think of our favorite photos of 2018? Share your picks in the comments!
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