To wrap up 2013 and to commemorate the outstanding photographic work that emerged this year, I asked a number of photographers to choose one image that particularly affected them over the past twelve months. Their responses cover an incredible range of work, from photographs of Mars captured by a robot to a photograph of a recent issue of a French newspaper with no images at all. Each photographer explained his or her choice; their words are a reminder of photography’s ability to constantly surprise and inspire.

Please note that some of the images contain graphic material.