Favourite 12 photos of 2020 & why — David Taylor - Master Jeweller

The first day of 2020 was a great start to an ordinary year. I sat on Palm Cove with my wife to watch the sun rise for the first time this year.

My go to place to escape 2020 has been the Tablelands Swamps. Initially I was drawn there in search of Black Swans. This was the first time I ever got really close to them. The very early morning excursion I took this photo on was one of the most memorable of 2020.

Three of my favourite photos of 2020 were taken at sunrise in the swamps up the Tablelands. A magical place to be at the start of a day. I love the light mist rising from the water.

Photo 9 - Sunset on the way to Port Douglas, a lone mangrove.

It is tempting for me to go to the same favourite locations again and again as they always change. Sometimes I force myself to go to places I have never been before. This photo was taken on the way home after a failed excursion. Reminds me to always have my camera with me.

Photo 8 - The milky way on an Atherton farm.

This photo reminds me of my friends and my wife. Taken on a very cold night with my wife by my side and a dear friend nearby. I am very fortunate to have access to his farmland to explore with a patient wife.

I got hooked on Brolgas in 2020. This photo is one of the best I got of a bird in flight after hundreds of attempts. They are extremely shy birds and very hard to get close too.

Photo 6 - Millstream Falls and that rock wall.

I particularly like Millstream Falls when the waterflow is slow enough to reveal the stunning rock wall. A great place to spend time with family.

March this year I photographed my best sunset in Barron Gorge after visiting there almost every week for nearly two years. Wet rocks, low cloud and a strong after-burn all came together in this wonderful moment of 2020.

This photo came at a perfect time. My wife had not been well during August 2020 and I took her searching for a favourite animal of hers. We got very lucky and the excitement cheered her up no end.

This was just a magical morning in November 2020. Brolgas and Magpie Geese were there in the thousands. Amazing as they flew out of the swamp after a night of rest with that sunrise as a back drop.

In July 2020 there was a lot more water in the swamps that created heavy morning fog. This photo appears black and white but the fog was so thick it blocked out all the colour of the sun which you can see as a blown out circle at the top of the photo. This photo is special to me as it was rushed but technically I got most things right.

Photo 1 - Walkamin windfarm from Gillies Range.

I took this photo on the first day we are allowed to travel out of the district under COVID lockdown restrictions. It was a great day with my wife capped off with this sunset from the top of Gillies Range Road looking back to Walkamin Windfarm. Clouds above and one of those spectacular Tablelands suns. The afterburn was so bright it hurt my wife’s eyes.