In Pictures: Best Photographs Of 2014

TDN photographer Pete Goodbody rounds up a turbulent (and at times bizarre) 2014 with some of his favourite shots…

The brief: ten photos to illustrate the year and I get to curate the selection. My favourite photography from friends, colleagues, peers, and even from my own portfolio. It sounded like an easy thing to rattle off, but in the event, the selection process has proved to be a bit more tricky. So, after hours of deliberation, I’ve gone for categories in no particular order and, in some cases, with no particular significance.

It’s not really a review of the year and there may have been better photos. But this is what 2014 looked like through my lens.

Liverpool

Jane MacNeil’s photo essay, for Bitten magazine, of shots taken in the Lobster Pot was probably the easiest choice. She has a great eye and this, I think, is some of her best work.

An obituary

Jane Bown, who passed away this year, photographs Anthony Blunt. Her photographs often didn’t flatter, but they always seemed to get the personality of the subject.

Sport

The Tour de France paid a visit and the British public couldn’t get enough of it. The Liverpool Echo’s James Maloney captured the atmosphere brilliantly in just one shot, that rightly, went viral.

International

The Guardian named Bulent Kilic as their Photographer of the Year. And a harrowing year it was, too. His portfolio for 2014 includes unrest in Turkey and Ukraine as well as the MH17 air disaster. Powerful stuff.

National 

In the end, they voted “No”. It’s probably just as well, although I would have enjoyed watching the mayhem that would have ensued after a “Yes” vote. And this shot, by Murdo MacLeod, would have been a candidate for the International category.

Live Music

It goes all the way back to January and the early part of the year often seems to get lost in reviews like this, but this Lindi Ortega gig sticks in my mind as a highglight of the year. Country & Western with attitude, as captured by Simon Lewis for getintothis.

The Giants

Jean Luc Courcault — captured here by Sean Curtin – brought the giants back to Liverpool. He seems to like it here. I suspect we may see him again around these parts. Two years ago he jumped into the Albert Dock after the Giant Spectacular. This year it was written into his contract that he wouldn’t do it again. He didn’t, but I doubt the contract had anything to do with it.

A photo taken by one of my friends

Richard Hunt Smith lives in Inveraray, Scotland. I don’t get up there very often. He gives me a different view on life. A little slice of a different world. Not yet an international one.

One of my photos

This is the Hillsborough Band of Life sculpture that was in the Anglican Cathedral, Liverpool, for a while this year. Created by Julian Thomas, it seems appropriate as the inquest goes on.

An indulgence

Kylie. Her racing name was ‘Spinning Around’. She does. Often. But only anti-clockwise.

Pete Goodbody

You can see more of Pete’s work on his website here