Top 20 Photos on Flickr in 2017 Capture the Wondrous Beauty of the World

As we near the end of 2017, it’s time to start looking back at the creations that made the year special. Flickr has kicked things off by pulling together the top photos shared on the platform over the past year. From sweeping landscapes to spectacular animal portraits, the list is an inspirational look at what photographers were shooting—and sharing—in 2017.

How did Flickr come up with the list? They used a special algorithm that selected the top photos based on social and engagement metrics—”how many times the photo was viewed, faved, or shared.” The staff then curated the list, making sure that only one image per photographer was included in the list.

Surprisingly, the photograph topping the list was only recently posted, in late October. Iwona Podlasinska‘s say goodbye… is a well-crafted image of a child watching a train pull away. Not only technically excellent, the photograph tells a narrative and elicits strong emotion from viewers.

“Planning photos with kids is something different than with models. There is a story they need to understand and like to be willing to contribute,” the photographer captions her winning photo. “They can’t fake emotion. You will see on their faces and in their body language exactly how they felt when the photo was taken. I need them to feel good and feel the atmosphere. They need to believe in magic when we go shooting.”

Scroll down to see the rest of the top 20 images posted to Flickr in 2017.