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Your pictures of the year 2021

30 December 2021

Throughout 2021 we asked our readers to send in their pictures on a variety of themes. Here is a selection of the best of those we received from around the world.

Ryan Ketterer took this picture for the theme 'under the stars' from Mount Graham in Arizona, USA.

Ryan Ketterer Night sky — Ryan Ketterer took this picture for the theme 'under the stars' from Mount Graham in Arizona, USA.

Justin Saculles: "Summer the whippet expressing her happiness in lockdown, by catching her favourite treats."

Justin Saculles Whippet catching snacks — Justin Saculles: "Summer the whippet expressing her happiness in lockdown, by catching her favourite treats."

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Tara Lowry: "Some summertime fun with Spanish sunflowers in Andalusia."

Tara Lowry Sunflower with glasses — Tara Lowry: "Some summertime fun with Spanish sunflowers in Andalusia."

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Ravi Ranjan: "Art on the beach - twisting a champagne bottle cork and muselet into a 3D doodle."

Ravi Ranjan Figure — Ravi Ranjan: "Art on the beach - twisting a champagne bottle cork and muselet into a 3D doodle."

Kelley J Curran: "Fun shooting with my pal Rachel, flashback to the 80s!"

Kelley J Curran Women dancing — Kelley J Curran: "Fun shooting with my pal Rachel, flashback to the 80s!"

Kathy Williams: "A scarab beetle makes tracks through the dunes of the Erg Chebbi desert in Morocco."

Kathy Williams Scarab beetle — Kathy Williams: "A scarab beetle makes tracks through the dunes of the Erg Chebbi desert in Morocco."

Alex Bond took this picture, Escaping Bubbles.

Alex Bond Bubbles escape from a clam shell — Alex Bond took this picture, Escaping Bubbles.

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Oliver Kupferschmidt: "A freshly-hatched lizard explores the outskirts of Berlin in early summer. Photographed in a girl's hand."

Oliver Kupferschmidt A lizard in a girl's hand — Oliver Kupferschmidt: "A freshly-hatched lizard explores the outskirts of Berlin in early summer. Photographed in a girl's hand."

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Annie Roper called this photo Mini-me-lism: "Inspired by stories like The Borrowers, this image is created by superimposing a self-portrait into a small-scale scene. Made in the height of lockdown last year, this project allowed me to go on big adventures in my suddenly tiny world."

Annie Roper Constructed image of a miniature world — Annie Roper called this photo Mini-me-lism: "Inspired by stories like The Borrowers, this image is created by superimposing a self-portrait into a small-scale scene. Made in the height of lockdown last year, this project allowed me to go on big adventures in my suddenly tiny world."

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Alexander Henshaw: "When you've travelled as far as land can take you, just sit and soak it in, that's all there is to do."

Alexander Henshaw Woman on a park bench in shallow water — Alexander Henshaw: "When you've travelled as far as land can take you, just sit and soak it in, that's all there is to do."

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Natasha Everson-Williams: "I can't get enough of my favourite food - pasta. Here is a plate of lemon, courgette and crispy caper pasta for a lockdown lunch."

Natasha Everson-Williams Lemon, courgette and crispy caper pasta — Natasha Everson-Williams: "I can't get enough of my favourite food - pasta. Here is a plate of lemon, courgette and crispy caper pasta for a lockdown lunch."

Stuart Harrison: "We adopted Stevie from a cat rescue centre during the pandemic in June 2020, and he has settled, as this recent picture shows."

Stuart Harrison Cat and a teddy bear — Stuart Harrison: "We adopted Stevie from a cat rescue centre during the pandemic in June 2020, and he has settled, as this recent picture shows."

Hamish Couper: "Long-tailed tit fledglings quarrelling on a branch in a north Oxford woodland. The range of expressions is striking, as they tussle for best position to receive food from their parents/carers."

Hamish Couper Birds on a branch — Hamish Couper: "Long-tailed tit fledglings quarrelling on a branch in a north Oxford woodland. The range of expressions is striking, as they tussle for best position to receive food from their parents/carers."

Patrick Dixon: "A squirrel on the DIY bird feeder my son made."

Patrick Dixon A squirrel eats from a bird feeder — Patrick Dixon: "A squirrel on the DIY bird feeder my son made."

James Buttenshaw: "Ladybirds sheltering in the top of an old fence post by the side of a corn field in Hertfordshire."

James Buttenshaw Ladybirds — James Buttenshaw: "Ladybirds sheltering in the top of an old fence post by the side of a corn field in Hertfordshire."

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Leah Burton: "A family Covid catch-up while sheltering from the sea air blowing over the seafront in Weston."

Leah Burton Family at a bus stop — Leah Burton: "A family Covid catch-up while sheltering from the sea air blowing over the seafront in Weston."

Chris Lee: "A lone figure strolls along Bregagh Road, Northern Ireland."

Chris Lee Trees over the road — Chris Lee: "A lone figure strolls along Bregagh Road, Northern Ireland."

Mark V Lord sent this picture from Baltimore in the US.

Mark V Lord Person in hooded top — Mark V Lord sent this picture from Baltimore in the US.

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The next theme is "view from a window", and the deadline for entries is 11 January 2022.

The pictures will be published later that week and you will be able to find them, along with other galleries, on the In Pictures section of the website.

You can upload your entries on this page or email them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk.

Terms and conditions apply.

Further details and themes are at: We set the theme, you take the pictures.

All photographs subject to copyright.

We set the theme, you take the pictures