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Your pictures on the theme of 'sparkles'

24 December 2021

We asked our readers to send in their best pictures on the theme of "sparkles". Here is a selection of the photographs we received from around the world.

Harald Loeffler: "At 7am on a cold Alaska morning I took a few photos of my pilot taxiing to his dock in Lake Clark National Park after he got the wings warmed up and de-iced in the sun. The morning mist was just burning off and the rippled water reflected like a scattering of jewels."

Harald Loeffler An aircraft on the water — Harald Loeffler: "At 7am on a cold Alaska morning I took a few photos of my pilot taxiing to his dock in Lake Clark National Park after he got the wings warmed up and de-iced in the sun. The morning mist was just burning off and the rippled water reflected like a scattering of jewels."

Tom Candalino: "An other-worldly photo created by using a long exposure during a fireworks display."

Tom Candalino Fireworks — Tom Candalino: "An other-worldly photo created by using a long exposure during a fireworks display."

Andrew Webster: "Just south of Faribault, Minnesota, off of Interstate 35, there is a tree that one of the farmers does a wonderful job illuminating with over 48,000 lights. I love taking pictures of this tree with fresh undistributed snow and this was taken right after it had finished snowing."

Andrew Webster Tree covered in lights — Andrew Webster: "Just south of Faribault, Minnesota, off of Interstate 35, there is a tree that one of the farmers does a wonderful job illuminating with over 48,000 lights. I love taking pictures of this tree with fresh undistributed snow and this was taken right after it had finished snowing."

Hannah Marie Hernandez: "My fiancé and his father celebrate the New Year with fireworks and sparklers. This was taken in the Furutangen mountains in Osen, Norway."

Hannah Marie Hernandez Fireworks — Hannah Marie Hernandez: "My fiancé and his father celebrate the New Year with fireworks and sparklers. This was taken in the Furutangen mountains in Osen, Norway."

Maggie Crouch: "Christmas sparkle, Sanibel Island, Florida."

Maggie Crouch Illuminated letter spelling joy — Maggie Crouch: "Christmas sparkle, Sanibel Island, Florida."

Hadeel : "I tried to be creative at home by creating a magical sparkling night. Being the photographer and the model in the photo is not an easy task, but the result was worth it."

Hadeel Woman with an umbrella — Hadeel : "I tried to be creative at home by creating a magical sparkling night. Being the photographer and the model in the photo is not an easy task, but the result was worth it."

Susan Garnett: "Alfie and the sparkles."

Susan Garnett A dog with a Christmas tree — Susan Garnett: "Alfie and the sparkles."

Keith Knight: "My wife's bangles sparkling."

Keith Knight Sparkling bangle on wrist — Keith Knight: "My wife's bangles sparkling."

Chris Dale: "Part of a year-long project around Sherwood Forest, looking at the small details on a morning, with dew-covered grasses and cobwebs catching the light."

Chris Dale Dew — Chris Dale: "Part of a year-long project around Sherwood Forest, looking at the small details on a morning, with dew-covered grasses and cobwebs catching the light."

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Stuart Lyall: "Our dog Honey unimpressed with the sparkles on her birthday cakes, and encouraging my daughters to blow out the candles so she can start eating."

Stuart Lyall A dog and birthday cakes — Stuart Lyall: "Our dog Honey unimpressed with the sparkles on her birthday cakes, and encouraging my daughters to blow out the candles so she can start eating."

Rachael Blakey: "This is a frozen bubble. I make my own bubble mixture that will work outside in below freezing temperatures. On this occasion it was -15C. As the bubble forms I use my macro lens to capture the ice crystals forming. Taken in New Brunswick, Canada."

Rachael Blakey Bubble — Rachael Blakey: "This is a frozen bubble. I make my own bubble mixture that will work outside in below freezing temperatures. On this occasion it was -15C. As the bubble forms I use my macro lens to capture the ice crystals forming. Taken in New Brunswick, Canada."

James O'Driscoll: "A swing Carousel reflection from Millennium Square Christmas Market in Bristol."

James O'Driscoll Carousel — James O'Driscoll: "A swing Carousel reflection from Millennium Square Christmas Market in Bristol."

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Ian Newton: "A very frosty morning by the canal at Higher Poynton, Cheshire."

Ian Newton Frost on metal — Ian Newton: "A very frosty morning by the canal at Higher Poynton, Cheshire."

Percy Herbert: "We had sparklers (and marshmallows) around the campfire on my birthday this year."

Percy Herbert A P made by a sparkler — Percy Herbert: "We had sparklers (and marshmallows) around the campfire on my birthday this year."

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Tim Simpson: "A Scootopia racing Lambretta with burning wire wool."

Tim Simpson Moped and light effect — Tim Simpson: "A Scootopia racing Lambretta with burning wire wool."

Ben Lamb: "Mother and son sat around camp fire under the canopy of the sparkling Milky Way."

Ben Lamb A campfire and the Milky Way — Ben Lamb: "Mother and son sat around camp fire under the canopy of the sparkling Milky Way."

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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 your entries on this page or email them to [email protected].

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