By My Modern Met Team on December 1, 2022

Photo: Debora Lombardi (Website | Instagram)

Do you have a favorite photo of 2022?

As we inch closer to the end of yet another year, we innately have the urge to reflect on the past 12 months, dissecting everything we’ve accomplished, endured, and overcome. One of the best ways to take a trip down memory lane is through pictures. Whether it be to take a look back at a shared experience or to evoke an individual feeling, images have a way of retracing our steps and reminding us of our humanity, ephemerality, and perseverance.

Photo: Kristina Makeeva (Website | Facebook | Instagram)

The year 2022 has been filled with a range of events, emotions, and everyday moments that have united people from all across the world. Whether it be a candid shot of two foxes sharing a tender moment or an unnoticed gasoline puddle that seems to hold the entire universe in its reflective surface, there is beauty to be found in all corners of the world. To balance these sweet, serene, and surreal moments, there are also reminders of the struggles, strife, and sadness that have been experienced this year. Namely, the war in Ukraine, the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the U.S., and the protests in Iran have drawn the attention of nations across the globe. Within the U.S., gun control also took center stage yet again as the country grappled with the aftermath of the heartbreaking Uvalde school shooting.

Photo: James Webb Space Telescope (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; J. DePasquale, A. Koekemoer, A. Pagan (STScI)) (Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter)

Despite all the social and political unrest, it’s important to remember the bright spots of the year and the scientific community has had many.[…]

Photo: Raffael Gunawan (Instagram)

More: Best of 2022: Top 50 Photographs From Around the World