All of the members of the Lens-Artists team have joined together to host this final.challenge of the year. The challenge is to feature any of our favorite images that never made it into of the Lens-Artists challenge. The images can be of any subject but they must have been created in 2025. Here are a few of my favorites from this year.
One of my favorite images of the year never fit into any of the Lens-Artists challenges. In early May I discovered a female Diamond Back Terrapin laying her eggs in my garden. I kept a close watch on the nest but sadly none of the eggs ever hatched.

Butterflies, flowers and bees





Birds



I rushed out to the beach when I heard there was a marker buoy weighing around 13,900 pounds that had washed up on the beach at Tybee Island, Georgia. When I got there I found a mermaid, too!

Thanks for sharing lots of Holiday Fun last week for Ann-Christine’s challenge. I enjoyed all of the festive holiday images.
We hope you will join us in posting images from this year that never made it to a Lens-Artists challenge. Please remember to use the Lens-Artists tag and to include a link to this post or any of the Lens-Artists team member’s post.
Many thanks to everyone who participated in our Lens-Artists challenge this year. The Lens-Artists team will be taking a break until the end of the year so we can enjoy celebrating the holidays. We will return on January 3 with our annual end of the year Favorite Photos of 2025 challenge.
Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a very happy new year!
Every Day is a Gift

Fantastic pictures! All amazing!!
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Thanks Pam!
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Lovely post Beth. Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to you 🙂
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Thank you Steve! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, too!
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Beautiful images and thought, Beth. All the best to you in 2026!
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Thank you Patti! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
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Beth, what a wonderful post! The images are gorgeous. The terrapin chose the right yard to lay eggs, even if none hatched. Beautiful flowers and insects, too. The birds are fantastic, especially that Painted bunting. The mermaid is a once-in-a-lifetime shot! Enjoy your holidays.
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Thanks Egidio. When I saw the mermaid it looked like she was doing a photo shoot with another photographer. I asked her if she minded if I took a few photos and she looked right at me for this shot. I wish I had gotten her name. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a very happy 2026.
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Hiya! Great images – thank you for sharing them. I’m thoroughly enjoying reading your blog posts. I wonder, please, if it is possible to join the Lens Artist challenge for next year or if it is a closed group?
Hope you’re both well and happily anticipating Christmas.
Love, Pam. xx
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Pam, thank you so much for your kind words. Anyone can respond to any of the Lens-Artists challenges. I hope you’ll join us. To learn more about how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click https://photobyjohnbo.com/about-lens-artists/
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy 2026!
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
A very Merry Christmas to you too and I hope 2026 brings peace, health and much joy your way! xx
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I’m glad you had a chance to share these photos, they are all good. I’ve enjoyed following along and amazed at no matter the subject you always had photos…great job.
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Karen, thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so glad you enjoy my photos. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a very happy new year.
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Terrific choices Beth! Loved the “mermaid” that really made me smile. Also loved the glorious sunset. But I think my favorite is that close up of the spoonbill. Good heavens were you really close, did you have a very long lens, or is it really cropped. Whatever it was it’s amazing!!
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Thanks Tina. The spoonbill is one of my favorites, too. I used my telephoto lens and then cropped it. The mermaid was a nice surprise when I got to the beach. I hope you have a joyous holiday season and a very happy 2026.
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A wonderful collection of memories, Beth. The tortoise and spoonbill really caught my eye as well as the bouy! Wishing you a Merry Christmas if you go on a break for the holidays.
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Thanks Terri! Merry Christmas and a Happy 2026!
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Fabulous pictures! And a mermaid too!
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Thanks Nancy! The mermaid was so fun to see. And she smiled for the camera! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a very happy 2026!
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Same to you and yours!
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
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So much beauty in this post. Glad you got the opportunity to share!
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Thanks Nora. Wishing you a very happy holiday season and a happy 2026.
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Great response Beth. All the images were amazing, but that sunset and the mermaid shot were special. Don’t you just love it when you can piggyback on someone else’s shoot!
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Thanks Anne! Seeing the mermaid was a bonus when I went to the beach that day. I thought it was great that she posed for me. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a very happy new year.
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Have an enjoyable two weeks Beth!
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Great images, Beth. You’ve been very lucky to find a mermaid! My best wishes for the holidays.
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Thanks Ana! Yes, that was my lucky day when I found the mermaid! Wishing you a very happy holiday season and a happy new year!
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These are great, Beth and I love your sense of humour with the last one. Happy Holidays!
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Thanks Sofia! It was so much fun to find a mermaid on the beach! Wishing you very happy holidays and a happy new year.
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Beautiful images, the wonder of the Diamond Back Terrapin laying her eggs and the happy mermaid 😀 stood out to me. Happy Holidays Beth
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Thanks Ritva! I was sad the terrapin’s eggs never hatched. The mermaid was so fun. Wishing you happy holidays and a very happy new year.
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❤
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Another good year in photos, Beth. These are all beautiful. I look forward to what you all come up with for 2026.
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Thanks Suzanne. I didn’t get very many photo opportunities away from home this year because of my knee. Hopefully I’ll be able to get out more next year. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a very happy 2026.
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Beautiful photos! The birds are incredible, as is that buoy that washed up – wow and to find a mermaid, who would have thought!!! Merry Christmas!
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Thanks Pamela! I love the birds we see here. It was so fun seeing the mermaid and having her pose for me. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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That would be quite the surprise coming across the mermaid!
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Pamela, it was fun seeing the mermaid on the beach. And she was nice enough to pose for me!
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Wonderful shots, especially the sunset! Happy Holidays Beth 🙂.
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Excellent gallery, Beth! Love these birds and turtle especially. The first image is amazing!!
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I love your nature photography, but my fave is your last photo of a buoy and a girl. >grin<
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🤣
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Such a beautiful gallery Beth, I especially love the way you’ve captured the birds 💖 xxx
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Thank you so much! I love to photograph the birds. I’m glad you enjoyed the images.
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How cool to have a turtle lay eggs in your garden! It’s too bad none of them hatched.
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Thanks Diana. I guess I’ll never know why the eggs never hatched.
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These are great Beth! So love the birds – the spoonbill is fabulous. Sorry about the eggs, but it must have been a joy to see her laying eggs in your own garden!
Wishing you Happy Holidays and the very best for the new year!
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Thank you Ann-Christine! I love the birds we see here. It’s not often I can get some good photos of them. I took a few photos while watching her lay the eggs but didn’t stay too long because I didn’t want to scare her. I don’t know why the eggs never hatched.
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The photos are wonderful. I like the expression of the terrapin’s face. (Are terrapin’s capable of making facial expressions?) She looks like it is hard working laying eggs.
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Thanks Sheryl. She was focused on laying her eggs. I’m not sure if she knew I was there but I kept my distance from the her and left after a few minutes so I wouldn’t scare her.
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Love the mermaid Beth, what a find. Love the flowers. Great images all round Beth, hope you have a great couple of weeks and will see you in the new year.
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Leanne, many thanks. Wishing you a happy holiday season and a very happy new year.
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Great photos to wrap up the year, Beth. The spoonbill was terrific. And sorry about the turtle eggs. That would halve been a kick. Excellent close up on the bee and the mermaid’s smile was infectious. The best to you and your family this Holiday season.
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Thanks Curt! Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season and a very happy new year.
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