year in review

2025: The year in six photos

/ mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

It’s almost time to ring in 2026, so it’s time to look back on the year that’s been.

2025 is sharply defined by photographs for me, which bring back places I’ve visited and moments that have created a lasting impact.

I was lucky enough to travel far and wide again, although the summer was marked by a lull with staycations closer to home.

I hope you enjoy exploring those locations. A Happy New Year to you and may 2026 prove healthy and rewarding.

1) North African island

A stretch of Djerban coast, the blue of the Mediterranean and the Spring sky.

A winter sunshine holiday to the Tunisian island of Djerba outdid expectations. Rarely content with beachside relaxation, I hired a bike to explore the island’s compelling architecture and landscapes, meeting Tunisians along the way. The holiday grew into a fully-fledged trip.

• Explore stunning Djerba here

2) Seaside sunsets

A summer sunset on St Anne's beach on the Lancashire coast.

This summer I turned my regular day trips to England’s north-west coast into little staycations. I was rewarded with blazing, rich sunsets on St Annes Beach in Lancashire and went on a 20km hike along the Fylde Coast. Don’t head home, book a hotel.

• Enjoy more Lancashire summer sun here

3) Purpose-built capital

A cluster of high rise buildings on the Astana skyline, including the iconic Bayterek Tower.

2025’s long distance adventure took me to the vast Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan. It boasts monumental landscapes but the new capital of Astana impressed me the most with its bold, modern architecture. You just have to look up in this city.

• See the riches of Kazakhstan here

4) Memorable stay by the bay

A group paddling in the water seen on Morecambe South Beach in the last light of day.

I turned regular day trips to the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe into a short break, staying at Art Deco landmark The Midland Hotel. I captured the bay’s legendary dawns and dusks, with a walk to neighbouring Heysham thrown in. This was so much more rewarding than rushing home to Manchester.

• Enjoy more of Morecambe’s marvels here

5) Far flung mountains

A yurt encampment nestling in the mountainous landscape of Kyrgyzstan.

Mighty Kazakhstan was followed by a visit to far smaller, rugged Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. Valleys studded with yurts and a vast lake posing as this landlocked country’s seaside made this a memorable short stay.

• Discover more of Kyrgyzstan here

6) Manchester keeps on growing

The high rise tower of new development Square Gardens in Manchester.

The development of Manchester city centre continued at speed in 2025, and I was in the right place to capture it. Square Gardens with its sleek blue towers became a new favourite – a preference likely to change in 2026?

• Explore more of Manchester here

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2024: One year in 7 photos

/ mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

A Happy New Year to you all! We might be wondering what lies ahead in 2025, but the old year can be neatly packaged.

I’m pulling together 2024 in just seven photographs. It was a year punctuated by more travel since the pandemic, including some unheralded destinations.

Spells at home were spent stalking the changing buildings of Manchester and waiting for the next departure – a rollercoaster ride. 

Do you have just a few photos that bring the year to life?

1. FAMILY HOLIDAY

A family of four enjoy a sunset walk on the shores of Costa Calma in Fuerteventura.

I went on a summer break to the Spanish island of Fuerteventura and observed hundreds of family holidays, including this beautifully-placed one taking their sunset walk along the beach. It was for me an unusually relaxing, enjoyable week in the sun and I found a fascination with resort architecture in this holiday playground.

• See more from this sun-kissed isle here

2. LITTLE CORNER OF THE MARKET
A market street scene in the capital city of São Tomé e Príncipe.

The African island nation of São Tomé e Príncipe was an adventurous trip to a virtually unknown destination. The main island had a lively, chaotic capital city and amidst the natural beauty was still processing its colonial past. I’d found my gateway to seeing more unusual corners of the planet with this memorable visit.

• See more of fabulous São Tomé here

3. CUBES AND THE TOWERA conical tower block and famous yellow of the Cube Houses in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

I visited the Dutch city of Rotterdam with the intent of chasing the city’s varied and bold post-war architecture – and wasn’t disappointed. Even the zany cube houses, seen by millions of tourists, were a delight. Rotterdam, basking in summer sunshine, was a pleasant place to spend a long weekend.

• See more of ravishing Rotterdam here

4. PERAST AND BEYOND

A scenic view of Perast and beyond on the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro.

This was a first trip to Montenegro’s stunning Bay of Kotor – an inland sea with the qualities of an Alpine lake. The town of Perast (pictured) and a beautiful hotel were quieter out of season in April, while my relaxing stay also included a whistle-stop tour of Montenegro’s ruggedly scenic north.

• See much more of Montenegro here

5. TINY ISLAND CAPITAL

Tall palms hold sway over the town of Santo Antonio on Príncipe island.

You can’t visit São Tomé without hopping over to sister island Príncipe – much smaller, less developed and natural. It’s become a far flung destination for small-scale more sustainable tourism and has turned a legacy of plantations into high-end accommodation offering relaxation and adventure. I could easily go back for a two-week holiday.

• See more of this little paradise here

6. CENTRAL HALL, MANCHESTER

An interior view of Manchester Central, the city's former railway station.

The one Manchester highlight that has squeezed into a travel-rich 2024. This building, not far from where I live, started out as a railway station and is a well-known city centre landmark. It was opened to the public this year and stepping inside made its true scale and ingenuity apparent. It’s not all about new skyscrapers in this city.

• See more of this engineering feat here

7. OUTSIDE THE STORE, ANJOUANTwo brightly clothed women outside a neighbourhood general store in Mutsamudu, Comoros Islands.

The final trip of the year took me to a country which took a long time to reach and was barely touched by tourism, possibly the most obscure destination I have ever visited. The Comoros Islands was beautiful, its people fascinating and wonderfully photogenic even in mundane settings. I’m still digesting my visit as 2025 takes hold.

• See more of unknown Comoros here

2023: Eight memorable photos

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

It’s time to bid farewell to another year. 2023 was very memorable after I resumed overseas travel after a three-year break caused by the pandemic.

As usual it’s photography that marks the moments that count, and here are just eight of them.

How was it for you?

1. THE COLOURS OF MINDELO

My first trip abroad in three years was an island-hopping tour of Cape Verde. The colourful, vibrant and sun-kissed city of Mindelo was a favourite place and reignited my zest to see the world. It was a joy to explore and photograph.

Explore the Cape Verde islands here

A panoramic view of the Cape Verdean city of Mindelo

2. BEAUTIFULLY GILDED

In August I had a weekend away in Birmingham to explore and capture the city’s impressive and varied architecture, including its showcase library. I’d studied in Birmingham many moons ago, so the visit evoked a whole host of memories.

Tour of Birmingham’s buildings here

A view of Birmingham's ornate and modern public library

3. SERIFOS BLUE AND WHITE

In May I visited three of the lesser known Cyclades islands of Greece, namely Tinos, Syros and Serifos. Bold colours, beautiful old clifftop towns and the azure of the Aegean Sea all made photography a joy. Who doesn’t love the famed architecture of these islands?

Visit a stunning trio of Greek isles here

A blue and white church on the Greek island of Serifos

4. MOODY LINES

There was great excitement just a stone’s throw away from my Manchester home with the opening of Aviva Studios, a new arts centre with huge ambitions and a distinctive and aesthetically pleasing building. It’s a place I love to visit often.

Find out more about Aviva Studios here

A detail of the Aviva Studios in Manchester

5. PINK OF THE PIER

In all honesty the UK’s summer in 2023 wasn’t a scorcher. So on a rare fine day I visited Colwyn Bay on the north Wales coast for the first time. A beautiful beach and harbour made this a great place to enjoy with my camera in tow.

Take a trip to the Welsh seaside here

The pier's end at Colwyn Bay in Wales against a pure blue sky.

6. CHEEK BY JOWL

My home city of Manchester continued its upward growth in 2023 and was the backbone of my local photography. Two nearby residential skyscrapers became accessible and looked stunning against blue skies.

See more of Manchester’s new skyscrapers here

An upward view of new Manchester residential skyscrapers The Blade and Three60.

7. SAMUEL

Travel is about the people you meet. On my Cape Verde trip, my guide on the lush, rugged island of Santo Antão was Sam. Enthusiastic, cheerful and proud of his home, he enriched my stay.

Visit beautiful Santo Antão here

A portrait of Cape Verdean tour guide Samuel Rocha.

8. TOWER ON BLUE

I’ve had mixed feelings about the brash seaside resort of Blackpool, but an October day that was unusually warm with sunshine and stunning blue skies changed my perspective. It was a day at the coast to remember.

Visit this coast on a sun-kissed day here

A view of Blackpool Beach and Tower on a bright autumn day.

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7 moments of 2022

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

2022 will soon be consigned to history. It was a year when Covid restrictions palpably melted away, although overseas travel remained elusive for me. 

But I visited many places closer to home in Manchester, and the photographs flowed. I’ve picked seven moments that made new memories – and revived old ones. A Happy New Year to you all!

What were your standout moments of 2022? Feel free to comment below.

NORFOLK NOSTALGIA

In August I visited Norfolk in East Anglia, with an emotional stop in the market town of Wymondham, my home for much of the 1990s. The seaside town of Cromer – also with personal connections – was sun-kissed and photogenic.

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Cromer pier in Norfolk at dusk

SNAP HAPPY IN MANCHESTER

In 2022 I finally dealt with my distaste for smartphone photography, exploring Manchester gathering images for Instagram Stories. This included the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June and her sad passing three months later.

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Floral tributes for Queen Elizabeth II in St Ann's Square, Manchester

BEYOND THE GOLDEN MILE

In March, I went to the famous Lancashire seaside resort of Blackpool – and kept going. The nearby towns of Cleveleys and Fleetwood served up sea paths, giant seashells and even a touch of Brutalism.

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Concrete seating on the beach at Cleveleys in Lancashire

SALFORD’S STUNNING GARDEN

The temperatures soared in summer, so what better time to visit RHS Bridgewater in Salford, a sumptuous public garden encompassing both the old and new. A great place to have just half-an-hour from Manchester city centre.

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A bed of pink alium flowers at RHS Bridgewater in Salford

NORTH-WEST TO NORTH-EAST

My break on the Yorkshire coast was a highlight of the year. Using only public transport, I visited four seaside gems and was largely blessed with glorious weather. Having visitor magnet Whitby to myself at daybreak was very special.

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A colourful row of huts at Whitby beach in North Yorkshire

TWO SEASONS IN ONE PLACE

I discovered Entwistle Reservoir near Bolton on a fog-bound winter’s day, a place of water, forests and a magnificent railway viaduct. I went back at the height of our hot summer and found it very different – see for yourself.

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Railway viaduct at Entwistle Reservoir on a foggy winter's day

A BRUSH WITH THE BRONTËS

This was my first trip to the West Yorkshire village of Howarth, made famous by the Brontë sisters and their literary classics including Wuthering Heights. An incredibly atmospheric graveyard and beautiful location made this a day out to remember.

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A gravestone in the cemetery at Howarth in West Yorkshire

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2019 in 12 photographs

/ mikeosbornphoto / 10 Comments

Another year is drawing to a close, and there’s just enough time to glance back at 2019.

The year until October was dominated by travel, experiencing new places and creating new memories. The latter segment of 2019 has been about reconnecting with my neighbourhood and city of Manchester.

These photographs – just one for each month – distill the essence of each location and take me right back to that place, whether it’s on top of a Namibian sand dune, experiencing a magic Icelandic snowfall in May, or right here in Manchester.

It’s time to herald 2020 and wish you all a very healthy and Happy New Year.

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