Steve Smailes

Lincolnite photographer Steve Smailes is at the front line of Greater Lincolnshire news all year round.

Take a look at some of his favourite moments behind the lens, covering events, sporting moments, local business milestones and memorable occasions. Over to Steve:

Nigel the Puma

I was given special access to Nigels enclosure for this story. Getting close to the fences and the areas he gets food and treatment from the keepers. Nigel wasn’t in the mood to parade for the cameras much until we were about to leave and he decided to walk across the enclosure and straight towards me. It was perfect and I got this photo. Patience paid off!

Woodhall 1940s Weekend

Always an event I look forward to covering, the 1940’s weekend at Woodhall Spa is always a great opportunity for some interesting photos and this year was no exception. There was an area in a wooded area with foxholes dug out and soldiers dressed in uniforms, trucks, parachutes and a glider spread among the trees. It was really interesting to look around and I was really pleased to get this dramatic shot.

Everest Xpress Restaurant

Food photos have become a speciality for me this last few years, so something had to be in this list! The Nepalese & Indian cuisine at the Everest Xpress restaurant was delicious and a great example of the variety of food on offer in Lincoln. It was hard to pick one food story, (there have been so many!) but this is the one.

Steampunk

Probably my favourite annual event to photograph in Lincoln. Everyone I meet and photograph is friendly and enthusiastic about the photos and I take a few pieces of lighting and equipment to make the photos special.

Grasshopper

One of the more unusual stories of the year! We met Gregory Sutton from the University of Lincoln who is studying the mechanics of jumping insects and he gave me some grasshoppers to take photos of for the story. I spent the afternoon that day setting up the lighting and getting the grasshopper in place to get the photo before it started hopping around my office. (I had to leave it hopping around for a day or so before I could catch it again!)

Uncle Henry’s Maize Maze

Lincolnite reporter Ellis and I went to try the Maize maze and I jokingly said we should make a Where’s Wally photo but with Ellis in various parts of the maze. Can you spot all the Ellis’ in the photo?

Lincoln Grand Prix

It’s great to cover sports events in the city and one of the biggest is the Grand Prix. I chose some different locations on the route to previous years. There was a few to choose from but I could only pick one for this list!

Disability Dog Walk

This was a really heartwarming story. Star of the show Pumpkin led the walk with her owners at Boultham Park and took a detour for the muddy puddle! Luckily I was there just in time to catch Pumpkin enjoying the moment.

Lucy the Dragon – Lincoln Castle

Lucy the dragon has been a fantastic addition to Lincoln Castle this year. It was great to get up close and take a few photos of her. I love how dramatic it looks with her emerging from the wall.

Museum of the Moon

I’ve seen the moon in other buildings in the past but there was something magical about seeing it in the Cathedral. It was early in the morning before visitors arrived and the sunshine through the windows really added to the colours in the photo.

Each year, we ask photographer Steve Smailes to select his favourite shots captured on camera by you the readers from our wonderful county of Lincolnshire.

Whether it be candid wildlife moments, stunning sceneries or vibrant views of Lincolnshire, there are so many beautiful landscapes to admire.

Here are the top 10 reader-submitted photographs of 2021, as selected by The Lincolnite‘s photographer Steve Smailes from our Instagram page.

Submit your photos using this form. Follow The Lincolnite on Instagram on @LoveLincolnite. You can see more of Steve’s work over on his Instagram or website.

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Dave Newman

Wildlife photography has always fascinated me. The patience required is admirable and this is a great action shot.

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Steve Percival

Capturing fireworks is difficult to time and expose correctly. Framing it with a background at the right height is even harder. Well done!

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Marek Pawlowski

What a crazy shot! Marek must have been really close to this squirrel for this as a guess it’s some kind of wide angle and a shallow depth of field. From the reflection in the eyes and the lighting on the squirrel maybe some flash as well? No idea how that has been done but well done!

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Andrew Scott

This is a really enchanting scene with some lovely colours. It makes me want to go for a walk there again.

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Dave Newman

The reflections really make this snap sing. A lovely shot of a cute duckling.

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Calvin Taylor

Getting wildlife to look directly at the camera like this is great timing. Also I love the yellow colours from the field.

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Jason Grove

This image of a Nuthatch is well framed and the depth of the shot with the branches in the background really adds to the drama. Lovely.

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Paul Morrison

This spectacular drone shot is from an angle I’ve not seen before. Higher than most drone shots and with a lovely wide lens. I’m a big fan of wide angles! Stunning!

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Hannah White

Steep Hill looks great in all weather but this snowy shot is a lovely wintry scene.

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Dave Newman

This unique angle is a great image that fills the frame in a really interesting way. The beady eyes of the Heron draw your attention and the angle of the beak gives a weird perspective. I’d love to know what angle you were at for this!

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