I go out every day to check my camellia bushes to see if there are any new blooms. I see a few more every day. This pink blossom is my favorite so far.
The first camellia of the season bloomed a few days after Christmas. There are several camellia bushes in my garden that are covered with buds that will soon be opening.
Once again the Lens-Artists team is starting the new year by asking our followers to share their favorite images of 2025. Your images can be from a previous post or ones you’ve never shared before but they must have been taken in 2025. There is no single host for this challenge. The entire team is sharing the challenge.
In 2025 we went on a Mississippi River cruise, took a few short road trips, and had fun in New Mexico at my nephew’s wedding. When we weren’t wandering we enjoyed being at home in Coastal Georgia. Here are a few of my favorite images from the year.
January
The year began with a rare coastal Georgia snow storm. The featured image of a cardinal in the snow is one my favorites from the year. Later in the month we made a short trip to Jekyll Island.
Sidney Lanier Bridge, Brunswick, Georgia
February
We flew to New Orleans to begin a Mississippi River cruise.
Twin bridges over the Mississippi River lit up for Mardi Gras
March, April and May at home
Spring AzaleasMorning MarshMay Magnolia blossoms
June
We celebrated my birthday with a boat trip to Daufuskie Island, South Carolina.
Bloody Point, Daufuskie Island, South Carolina
July
We celebrated our 55th anniversary in Darien, Georgia.
Shrimp boats in Darien, Georgia
August and September in the Garden
Gulf FritillaryGreen Anole
October
We had a fun trip to New Mexico for my nephew’s wedding and enjoyed seeing the beautiful Sandia Mountains.
Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque, New Mexico
November
The November morning skies were amazing.
November Morning
December
The holiday decorations always add to the fun of the season.
Festive Holiday lights
I hope you will join us in the challenge by sharing your favorite photos of 2025. I’m looking forward to seeing your responses. Be sure to use the Lens-Artists tag in your post and include a link to this post or any member of the Lens-Artists team.
Be sure to check back on Saturday, January 10 at noon eastern time when Anne will be hosting our next challenge.
You can learn more about how to join the Lens-Artists challenges here.
For Terri’s latest Sunday Stills challenge she is asking us to show “All things bright and beautiful” during this autumn season of bright colors.
Where I live in coastal Georgia we don’t get the bright orange, red and yellow leaves on our trees. Instead, our sunrises and sunsets paint our sky a brilliant orange. The featured image was taken a few days ago when the sky was so glorious at sunset I had to stop and get out of my car to take a few photos.
I still have a few Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonia) left in the garden. They are about the only bright orange color I get in the fall. The bloom in the next image appeared to glow as the sunlight hit it this afternoon.
Terri’s latest Sunday Stills challenge is Hooves and Claws in honor of National Bison Day which was celebrated on Saturday, November 1, 2025. She tells us that “this week’s Sunday Stills photo challenge is not just about bison, but about members of the animal kingdom that possess HOOVES and CLAWS.”
I decided to focus only on animals with hooves and mostly on bison and buffalo. Sadly, the hooves aren’t visible in all these images. The header image is of a small herd of American Bison at Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky.
Bison at Custer State Park, South Dakota
Wood Bison in Yukon Territory, Canada
Water Buffalo in Costa Rica
Budweiser Clydesdales
Many thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills challenge Hooves and Claws