60+ Most Moving, Memorable Pictures of 2022

2022-in-pictures

English illustrator and painter Frederick Barnard once said, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” But I think nothing beats a picture and a thousand words. If we are going to relive the best and the worst moments of 2022, perhaps we need both of these mediums to convey much that has happened in the past 12 months.

This year has been one of turmoil, war, natural disasters and filled with natural beauty – all of which are captured and immortalized through photography. Let’s stroll down memory lane to look at the best pictures that reigned major photography awards in 2022. But the round-up of 2022 in pictures will be incomplete if we neglect the most stunning, most moving, and most memorable photos of the year that didn’t make it into any contest. You will find these at the end of this photolog.

Best of Wildlife Photography Contests 2022

Taken in California, this picture of a white-tailed kite hovering in mid-air showcasing spectacular anatomy in rich detail won the grand prize of $5,000 at the Audubon Photography Awards 2022.

Audubon Photography Awards 2022-Jack Zhi

Image: Jack Zhi

This image full of emerald-green heads and brown and white feathers-a sea of Northern Shovelers-looks absolutely breathtaking and straight out of a painting.

Audubon Photography Awards 2022 - Steve Jessmore

Image: Steve Jessmore

Two male sharp-tailed grouse seem to be having a bit of a rumble, though the reasons are unknown.

Audubon Photography Awards 2022 - Liron Gertsman

Image: Liron Gertsman

This female greater sage-grouse is searching for food in the snow, as the morning sun highlights its perfectly patterned feathers.

Audubon Photography Awards 2022 - Alan Krakauer

Image: Alan Krakauer

A gorgeous butterfly sea slug was pictured on the seabed in Alotau, Papua New Guinea.

Winners of Scuba Diving's 2022 Underwater Photo Contest - Yury Ivanov

Image: Yury Ivanov

A tiny, shy shrimp hitchhiking on a huge Spanish dancer nudibranch.

Winners of Scuba Diving's 2022 Underwater Photo Contest - Miguel Ramirez

Image: Miguel Ramirez

Taken in the Mediterranean Sea, a few crabs are floating alongside a beautiful barrel jellyfish in this picture.

Winners of Scuba Diving's 2022 Underwater Photo Contest - Salvatore Ianniello

Image: Salvatore Ianniello

Have you ever seen a mother octopus nurturing her eggs in a tube? Well, feast your eyes on this mesmerizing shot taken at Blue Heron Bridge.

Winners of Scuba Diving's 2022 Underwater Photo Contest - Brenda Hill

Image: Brenda Hill

This curious conch snail with its fascinating appearance is a wonderful shot of the underwater species.

Winners of Scuba Diving's 2022 Underwater Photo Contest - Kathrin Landgraf-Kluge

Image: Kathrin Landgraf-Kluge

The Grand Prize winner of the Scuba Diving Through Your Lens Underwater Photo Contest 2022 is this amazing shot of a flying fish from the boat on the flat-calm water surface.

Winners of Scuba Diving's 2022 Underwater Photo Contest - Boz Johnson

Image: Boz Johnson

Like bees to honey, these male insects are running toward a female to get the chance to mate and procreate.

Winners of 2022 Big Picture Competition -“Bee Balling” by Karine Aigner - Grand Prize Winner

Image: Big Picture Competition

A stoat emerging from its burrow in the early morning was surprisingly happy to see the freshly fallen snow.

“The Stoat’s Game” by Jose Grandío - Terrestrial Life Finalist

Image: Big Picture Competition

This caracal, a medium-sized wild cat, nabbed a flamingo in its mouth and stopped for a moment to pose.

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 - Dennis Stogsdill

Image: Dennis Stogsdill

When you meet the King of the Jungle, you bow in front of him – a winning image from the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022.

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 - Tomasz Szpila

Image: Tomasz Szpila

This snow leopard is scouring the area for food in the Ladakh mountain range, in India.

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 - Sascha Fonseca

Image: Sascha Fonseca

This African elephant is playing in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 - Michael Snedic

Image: Michael Snedic

There is so much we don’t know about space. But one thing that we know for sure, is that it is absolutely mesmerizing.

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 - Josselin Cornou

Image: Josselin Cornou

Amid anthropogenic waste, a blooming sunflower against a stormy background shows how life always finds a way to survive and thrive.

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 - Bertus Hanekom

Image: Bertus Hanekom

These two parrots seem to be fighting over something. Looks like he forgot to bring food.

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 - Achintya Murthy

Image: Achintya Murthy

This winner of the underwater category from the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 is depicting the beauty of rich marine life.

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 - Andy Schmid

Image: Andy Schmid

Wildfire Season 2021-2022

Oak Fire devouring the insides of a home in California.

Oak Fire devouring the insides of a home in California

Image: Noah Berger/AP

Wildfires destroying Joshua Tree National Park amid climate change.

Wildfires Destroying Joshua Tree National Park amid climate change

Image: National Park Service

A fire marshall vehicle parked in front of the raging Rocky Mountain National Park wildfire.

Rocky Mountain National Park Wildfires

Image: Loveland Fire Rescue

This year wildfires in the US have ravaged national parks badly. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was among the ones bearing the brunt of the wildfires.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park wildfires

Image: Twitter @gypsymarie79

The state of California experienced one of its most intense and harrowing wildfire seasons amid a prolonged drought.

California-Wildfire Heatwave

Image: NBC News

California wildfire only grew intense and scary as the state experienced a heat dome.

California Wildfire Heat Dome

Image: Fox 11

California wildfires left thousands homeless as flames engulfed man-made structures and forests alike.

California Wildfires_1

Image: AP News

A residential area in California turned into smoke and ash within minutes as a wildfire devoured it.

California Wildfire - Times of San Diego

Image: Times of San Diego

The destruction was left in the wake of wildfire season 2021-2022, where forests and human settlements both went up in smoke.

California Wildfire - Noah Berger

Image: Noah Berger

A fireman trying to put out embers after a wildfire ravaged a human settlement.

California Wildfire - New York Post

Image: New York Post

A burning house in California as the governor declares a state of emergency in the state.

Governor Declares State of Emergency As Wildfire Rages in California

Image: Noah Berger/AP Photo

A fire marshall trying to douse an inferno during California wildfires.

Governor Declares State of Emergency As Wildfire Rages in California

Image: Noah Berger/AP Photo

Ukraine-Russia War

15,000 Ukrainians took refuge in the subway system to escape Russia’s bombings.

15,000 Ukrainians took refuge in the subway system to escape Russia's bombings

Image: Lynsey Addario/The New York Times

A suburb of Kyiv reduced to rubble by Russian attacks.

A-suburb-of-Kyiv-reduced-to-rubble-by-Russian-attacks

Image: David Guttenfelder /The New York Times

A family died after Russian shells hit them as they were fleeing in Irpin, Ukraine.

A-family-died-after-Russian-shells-hit-them-as-they-were-fleeing-in-Irpin,-Ukraine

Image: Lynsey Addario/The New York Times

Residences destroyed by Russian missiles in Kyiv. Lives have been left in shambles.

Residences-destroyed-by-Russian-missiles-in-Kyiv

Image: Lynsey Addario/The New York Times

Natural Disasters 2022

Distraught family after a 5.6 magnitude earthquake flattened tens of thousands of homes in Indonesia in November.

Distraught-family-after-a-5.6-magnitude-earthquake-flattened-tens-of-thousands-of-homes-in-Indonesia-in-November

Image: Ulet Ifansasti/The New York Times

Distraught Indian farmers after paddy fields were destroyed by floods.

Distraught Indian farmers after paddy fields were destroyed by floods

Image: Atul Loke/The New York Times

Houses collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean in the Outer Banks due to sea level rise.

Houses-collapsed-into-the-Atlantic-Ocean-in-the-Outer-Banks-due-to-sea-level-rise

Image: Daniel Pullen/The New York Times

Sand dunes now occupy the space where the Mississippi River usually flows.

Sand-dunes-now-occupy-the-space-where-the-Mississippi-River-usually-flows

Image: Lucy Garrett/The New York Times

A mountainous iceberg calved from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier in Greenland.

A-mountainous-iceberg-calved-from-the-Sermeq-Kujalleq-glacier-in-Greenland

Image: Damon Winter/The New York Times

This picture depicts the death and destruction in wake of Hurricane Ian.

Death and Destruction by Hurricane Ian, In Pictures

Image: Joe Raedle

Entire human settlements were either uprooted or left in shambles in the aftermath of Hurrican Ian.

Death and Destruction by Hurricane Ian, In Pictures

Image: Wilfredo Lee/AP

Damaged marina in Fort Myers in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

Death and Destruction by Hurricane Ian, In Pictures

Image: EPA

Streets were submerged in hurricane waters and life came to a standstill.

Destruction by Hurricane Ian

Image: Steve Helber / AP

A man sitting on a destructed street in Matlacha after the hurricane ravaged the region.

Death and Destruction by Hurricane Ian, In Pictures

Image: Ricardo Arduengo / AFP

The destroyed road between Matlacha and Pine Island after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction in Matlacha.

Death and Destruction by Hurricane Ian, In Pictures

Image: Marco Bello

People sitting near a water fountain in London as summer heat broke records this year.

Europe Heat Wave 2022

Image: Jon Nazca/Reuters

The active volcano on the Cumbre Vieja mountain range erupted on September 19.

Continued Volcanic Eruption on Spain's La Palma Island (in Pictures)

Image: Albert Garcia/EL PAÍS

The volcano was active for over two months, spewing ash and lava and burying colonies all around it.

Continued Volcanic Eruption on Spain's La Palma Island (in Pictures)

Image: Twitter @LaPalmaErupcion

The volcanic eruption shrouded houses and forests in magma and sent molten rock toward the Atlantic Ocean .

Continued Volcanic Eruption on Spain's La Palma Island (in Pictures)

Image: Twitter @LaPalmaErupcion

People were left distraught as their lives were uprooted by the volcanic eruption on the island.

Continued Volcanic Eruption on Spain's La Palma Island (in Pictures)

Image: Borja Suarez/Reuters

The lava devoured anything and everything that came in its path.

Continued Volcanic Eruption on Spain's La Palma Island (in Pictures)

Image: Borja Suarez/Reuters

The lava flow marked a path toward the Atlantic Ocean over a scarcely populated area.

Continued Volcanic Eruption on Spain's La Palma Island (in Pictures)

Image: Spanish Transport Ministry/Reuters

The lava flow engulfing homes in La Palma volcanic eruption.

Continued Volcanic Eruption on Spain's La Palma Island (in Pictures)

Image: Arturo Rodriguez/National Geographic

The volcano is located in the south of La Palma Island, which is inhabited by about 80,000 people.

Continued Volcanic Eruption on Spain's La Palma Island (in Pictures)

Image: Arturo Rodriguez/National Geographic

Lava devoured roads, farms and swimming pools on the island, while smoke and ash eclipsed the sun.

Continued Volcanic Eruption on Spain's La Palma Island (in Pictures)

Image: Arturo Rodriguez/National Geographic

Life-Altering Events

Breathtaking picture of previously invisible nascent cosmos taken by James Webb Space Telescope.

Breathtaking picture of previously invisible nascent cosmos by James Webb Space Telescope

Image: NASA

Protests ignited after the overturning of Roe v Wade, which banned abortion in most of the states in the US.

Protests ignited after overturning of Roe v Wade

Image: Kenny Holston /The New York Times

Women at the forefront of protests against compulsory hijab laws were brutally crushed by the Islamic regime in Iran.

Women at the forefront of protests in Iran

Image: AP

Nuclear fusion record was achieved at the National Ignition Facility at California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Nuclear fusion record was achieved at the National Ignition Facility at California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Image: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

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