I’ve only gotten into photography in the last seven years and probably only seriously in the last two. I’m thrilled that our blog has forced me to work on taking better photos and I know I have heaps of room to grow. Only in the last year am I starting to be really happy with what I’m producing. So I felt honoured that the talented Juno of RunawayJuno nominated us to take part in the HostelBookers 7 Super Shots meme. It forced me to look through my photos and celebrate a few of the ones I’m most proud of.
We don’t have all our pictures with us at the moment as we’re in transit and preparing to move to Norway, but here is a small collection of favourites in the following categories.
A photo that…takes my breath away
Chile‘s Volcan Villarrica did literally take our breaths away when we climbed it last year. This is one of my favourite photos from the hike as it reminds me of how daunting it was to face the smoking cone and climb up to it in the snow and wind. Learn more about the climb and view the rest of the photos in our post about climbing Volcan Villarrica.
A photo that…makes me laugh or smile

These playful bears stole our hearts from their enclosure in Bern, Switzerland. See more of them in this post about the Bern bears.
A photo that…makes me dream
We got up pretty early during our time at Torres del Paine and the early morning sky was mesmerizing. There’s something about being up early and having a fresh day in front of you and since I’m so rarely up at the crack of dawn, this view was really something special for me. Our time in Chilean Patagonia is documented in this post about the Torres del Paine National Park.
A photo that…makes me think
The hikers in this post look pretty contemplative but it also makes me think about the earth. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing took us across a volcanic wasteland where we were confronted by steaming geothermal pools and the intense colours that the earth can produce. It reminds me of how small we are as individual humans in the grand scheme of things and how we’re merely guests of this planet. Check out our post on the Tongariro Crossing for more photos and information – I highly recommend this day hike if you’re in New Zealand.
A photo that…makes my mouth water
This isn’t a technically brilliant photograph or anything but it’s probably safe to say that I am obsessed with cheese, particularly the melted kind that is served with carbs. This is kaisespaetzle at an Austrian fair and it was insanely good. Check out more of our food photography in our Gulps and Gobbles section.
A photo that…tells a story
Seen on a bench just after the Christmas holidays in the middle of Auckland city centre. Seriously…New Zealanders have to be some of the friendliest people in the world. Check out more of our stories from New Zealand.
A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

That’s a big call and I think I have a long way to go before a photo of mine would come close to landing in National Geographic, but a talented friend said this photo is magazine-worthy and I quite like it so I’ll go with it. This is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi at sunset and we have a guest post coming up on visiting this incredible building very soon.
I’m now supposed to nominate five fellow bloggers to play this game. If you’ve already been nominated or don’t have time to participate at the moment, please pass your nomination along to someone else:
Brendan of Brendan’s Adventures
Sherry of Colorful Footsteps
Erin of De La Pura Vida
Kyle Hepp
Samuel of Nomadic Samuel
What’s your favourite photo? Did I miss one that you think I should have included?













{ 56 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes Yes Yes! That last shot is definitely NG worthy! You somehow made the most beautiful building in Abu Dhabi even more gorgeous. I love the purples and oranges. It’s such a contrast to the white and blue you usually see in photos of SZGM.
Thanks so much, Jill! I know, haha – all the photos we see of the mosque are white and I so regret not spending some time there. It’s insanely gorgeous inside
Wow…the grand mosque in Abu Dhabi is just stunning…definitely worthy. Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much, John!! =)
I agree with you on the mosque shot, what a great photo and what a beautiful building. I like that note on the bench too, very telling!
Thanks so much, Laura – we just couldn’t believe that note! Such good people
Amazing photos! I’m heading to the volcano in Chile this week and you’ve just made me even more excited (if that’s possible!!).
How thrilling! Make sure you go with a reputable company – we used Politur and were really happy – enjoy =)
All great shots! But my favorites are the mosque and the two bears!
Thanks so much, Simon – aren’t the bears adorable?
Fantastic photos guys! I think your friend was correct about the NG photo. That photo of the Zayed Mosque is stunning. Where did you photographed this angle from. Been to Abu Dhabi a few times and never recall the mosque to be next to a body of water.
Thanks so much, Amer! We stayed at the Shangri-La hotel when we were there and shot it from across the water on our balcony. I know what you mean though – when we went past the mosque in a vehicle it did not appear to be near the water.
All really nice photos. The bears… adorable!
They were darling – and free to see! =)
Your NatGeo shot is awesome!!
Thanks so much, Cailin!! =)
gorgeous photos!!! cant wait to buy a dslr… i love the last pic and the pic of the bears, really worth publishing!
ps: hope it lands a magazine cover
Aha! The big reveal is that every one of these photos was shot with a little Canon Ixus 980…I only have a film SLR and there’s no way I was taking that travelling and dealing with film – didn’t want to invest in a DSLR yet because I was afraid I’d lose or break it travelling for a year. I’m getting a DSLR tomorrow though – more on that in a post to come =) Thanks so much, Flip!
haha! Excellent! My Nat Geo photo was taken with a $10 camera, even though I have a DSLR, it’s not the camera that matters by any means.
PS, my favourite photo is the last one, what an incredible looking Mosque. I have seen a model of that mosque at the Islamic Museum in KL, it must be spectacular in real life!
Fantastic! Heading over to your site to check out your pics =)
Nice work! I dig all the photos you chose and really enjoyed reading your thoughts about each picture. As a big fan of cheese too, I’m definitely curious about kaisespaetzle. I’ve never heard of that dish before, but will definitely be looking for it the next time we visit Austria.
Mmmm – it’s macaroni and cheese with a kick, basically. A must-try! =) Thanks, Randy!
Beautiful photos. The kaisespaetzle looks very tasty. Did you get the recipe by chance?
I wish!! Have never tried to make it but a German friend made it for me and some friends once and it was delicious. I think they hand-make the noodles so it probably is a bit more work than regular macaroni and cheese. Would be worth looking for a recipe online…
The Nat Geo shot is amazing, but I think your sunrise picture gives it a run for its money – what a gorgeous sky!
Chile is so beautiful, si? =)
Thanks so much, Cathy!! =)
That shot definitely deserves to be in National Geographic. Also love the photo from Torres del Paine.
Thanks so much, Stephanie! You’d be enjoying some of those sunrises too, right? =)
These are beautiful! The mosque is my favorite. And the Spaetzle totally made my mouth water. I’ve been thinking about trying to give Kaesspaetzle a try ever since I bought a thing to make homemade spaetzle… I think I’m gonna have to google some recipes now that you made me hungry
Thanks so much, Sabrina! =) Let me know if you find a good recipe – a spaetzle maker sounds like a fantastic kitchen accessory to have!
And it was cheap too
I’m never going back to storebought, it’s so easy and cheap: http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-3128-Spaetzle-Maker/dp/B00004UE89/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329840746&sr=8-1 And they should hire me as their spokesperson or something
Nice! When we settle will have to check it out =)
Those playful bears are adorable! I found myself staring at each picture for at least 2 minutes each. It gives some peace inside. Thank you for posting!
Aw, thanks so much, Alexa – really glad you enjoyed them! =)
Lovely! That volcano in Chile looks very daunting indeed.
It’s a beast, but really rewarding when you get to the top! The slide down is the most fun =)
These are GORGEOUS!!!!!! Your last shot could fit 6 of the 7, right? Bravo!
Thanks so much, Andi!! =) You’re right, haha – it’s versatile
Beautiful pictures! I’m hungry, inspired and in awe of your National Geographic moment. My photography skills need a bit of work.
Thanks so much, Debbie! I have a lot of room for improvement too but I find photography gets easier the more you work on it. When I started learning on a SLR it was all film and that’s so expensive to make mistakes with. Now that we have digital, it’s free to experiment =)
Great photos, really beautiful! The note in Auckland reminded me – when Andy and I were in Dunedin, NZ we saw a sign someone had posted looking for their lost mitten. Hilarious.
Thanks, Ali – and that is funny! =)
Great photos, LOVE the playful bears and the one of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is stunning!
Thanks so much, Claire! Two of my favs as well =)
Great photos! The volcano in Chile looks like an amazing experience. Nothing beats the feeling of climbing up a mountain, but that would be particularly special! I agree that the last photo is magazine-worthy!
Thanks, Carolyn – seeing the crater at the top was really spectacular!
What an awesome pictures, I love the Abu Dhabi Mosque.
Thanks so much, Julie! =)
Beautiful picture of the sunrise.
Thanks so much! =)
gorgeous shots- you should be proud of all of them! I love snow shots- the white bounces off so pretty!
Thanks so much, Jade! =)
Awwww I love the New Zealand bench photo!
I love your sunrise photo the most. It certainly makes me dream! Wow. Great job.