A Year's Worth of Favorite Shots | Moments Frozen in Time

It is time again, dear Hivers, to sum up the impressions of the year behind us and see how it's been. For me it was a rollercoaster of a ride, some months were very productive and inspired, others I barely took any photos. But overall I am satisfied and happy for some wonderful moments I've experienced and caught on camera.

Highlight of the year was certainly the May-June trip to Prague and Budapest, two beautiful eastern European cities full of history. It's also been the full year of using Fuji X-Pro2. Let's go in order and see some of my personal favorites.

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The year started with cold winter and occasional snow. Here we are in the middle of a blizzard; heavy snow hides the distant buildings and the man in black stands out with his umbrella against white background. I love these images with clear contrast.

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Snow visited us again in February (this season we are still waiting for it). I was at the Kalemegdan fortress which provides a slight experience of nature in otherwise urban city. I've composed the trees in a pattern and waited for a subject to pass through the open space. And soon enough it was this dog that ran through the frame.

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While we are on the subject of dogs - this photo was taken in March in front of the monument at the Avala mountain. I was there early in the morning (it is an hour drive from the city center) and it was only this dog that I saw, no people. He started climbing in front of me towards the monument to the unknown hero, in a way portraying the "stairway to heaven" vibe.

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At the end of March I visited the Rakovica monastery which is a short drive from Belgrade. The day was utterly gloomy and dark and, as you can see from the photo, it even started snowing for a bit. The monastery complex is beautiful even though the area is not easily accessible due to bad traffic organization. I liked this shot from the gate towards the entrance particularly.

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Looking through the ark at the magnificent Fisherman's bastion in Budapest. I make sure to visit it every time I'm in the city. Its architecture is otherworldly, it takes you back in time. The place is full of tourists so I try my best to hide them in the composition.

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A friend was enjoying the afternoon sunshine in front of St. Stephen's Basilica. The light was hitting her face perfectly and her pose with the tilted head and relaxed shoulders made for a great candid portrait.

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After Budapest we arrived in Czech republic, our first stop - Karlovy Vary, a small spa city well known for its healing hot water springs and the film festival. It has some amazing architectural gems, one of them shown here with the beautiful pillars in a perfect harmony and a random stranger in the middle.

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Being in a city with functional metro system, it's such a convenience we don't have in Belgrade. Here's a friend waiting for metro and I tried to capture the movement of it coming by against her stillness. It worked out better than I could have imagined. The moment I clicked the shutter my battery died and I wasn't sure if I grabbed the photo before I came back to the apartment and saw it is there.

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Charles bridge is a thing of beauty with black, gothic castles serving as guides on the both sides. Paved with cobblestone, it's a strictly pedestrian road nowadays. Along the sides there are many statues of religious and historical figures. I had to get there with first rays of the sun (otherwise it's swamped with people) and took a photo of the runner getting across it.

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In the complex that includes national library of Czech republic and the astronomical tower (not clock), we climbed these steep stairs that lead to the top, meanwhile hearing about the history of the place from the guide. I grabbed this photo with a phone because the scene required wide angle lens. I just love all the layers and levels and the beautiful natural light that came from the window.

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We are back in Belgrade. Early in the morning in Knez Mihailova street, cleaning ladies make sure the stores are ready for welcoming early guests. I love how she entered the storefront and counteracted the mannequins on the right. Opposite but in a way as if one of them. One mannequin took a look at her.

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Now imagine you are at the same spot as in the previous photo, you just rotate 90 degrees to the right. Early morning sun beautifully falls between the tall pillars. The lady on the left comes in and I get to capture her silhouette. On the right, another lady balances the composition like yin and yang.

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Sunrise behind the subject, puddles from the rainy night on the road - I immediately think: reflections. I stood there for 15 minutes (making sure not to get hit by some vehicle from behind) and made several shots, this in particular was my favorite.

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If you've never watched sunsets from the Kalemegdan fortress then you are missing out. Often crazy colorful with dark clouds painting the sky, tourists and locals gather here for the evening of peace and quiet. The lovely couple stood in this position for a while, as if frozen in a moment. I ended up including the model scale of the fortress as a foreground.

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The lady lit by morning sunlight is shot through two windows of the building reserved for the association of fine artists. That's why there are so many reflections. I also had to use Photoshop to make the shadows look perfect. I love how it turned out.

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Entrance to the shopping district, the sun is so low on the horizon that it casts its light all the way inside creating the beautiful triangular shape. I was waiting for the right subject in the right spot that would cast nice shadow on the wall. Luckily I got this shot quickly because the sun moved fast and I was asked to leave the "private" zone.

Fast forward two months later, it's cold and the day ends at 4pm. I was waiting for my Tai Chi class, killing an hour of time by walking with the camera. I notice this couple gently holding hands in the back of the tram so I get in front and snap this precious moment. Her eyes are focused on him while he is noticing the man with camera outside.

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Cold air and rain create the condensation on bus windows that transform ordinary scenes into painting-like images. Everything fell in place here, and the lady's blank stare into the unknown brought the necessary element of nostalgia or melancholy.

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This was like a scene from a movie, every photographer dreams about such conditions. The light was soft, passing through the buildings and I was shooting almost directly at it. That's why you can see the halo of light around subjects. And I've chosen this shot because the lady in front, with her big coat and stepping forward, stands out in this anonymous crowd.

Last shot for the year (still chance for something new in the next few days) was taken on Wednesday. The lady and what looks like her daughter or niece. They sit at the bus stop and are flashed by the white light from the police car which creates silhouettes when looking directly through them. I must have stood there for 10 minutes because people are constantly walking by. The little girl is also very playful, taking different positions so I was curiously following how the scene changes.

What a fun ride this year full of challenges was! Do you have a favorite photo from the collection? I hope you enjoyed following along. :)