2013 Hot Pics: The Most Shared Photos of the Year

2013 was a big year for social photo sharing. Justin Bieber's Instagram account posted the first photo to receive more than one million online likes online, according to Mashable, but by the end of the year Bieber alone had four such photos to hit that milestone.

Mobile-based photo sharing solutions such as Instagram and SnapChat have provided an instant and inventive way for people to connect with one another. And, an easy way to save, retrieve, and backup those photos is to store them in the cloud and back them up by using a service like, Mozy. Celebrities, some of the most photographed individuals anywhere, are using photos to give fans an inside glimpse into their lives, and this has had a huge influence on popular culture throughout the year. Here are five of the biggest photos to influence pop culture in 2013.

1. Will Smith Poses with the Biebs

The people have spoken: This photo, at least by Instagram's measure, is the single-most popular picture of 2013. After it was posted to Justin Bieber's Instagram account, the picture has earned more than 1.5 million likes. Bieber has been highly visible throughout the year, both in terms of his music career and some negative media coverage of womanizing and bad boy behavior. This photo might not be in the running for funniest picture of the year, but it reveals a friendship between two of the most influential celebrities of their generations. Who knew Will Smith was a Justin Bieber fan?

2. Kim's Post-Baby Selfie

After giving birth earlier in the year, Kim Kardashian took to Instagram to announce that her post-baby body was back in shape. The selfie garnered more than one million likes and more than 100,000 shares on Instagram, and it made headlines all across the Internet. When her fiancé and baby-daddy Kanye West saw the picture, he quickly posted on his Twitter account, "HEADING HOME NOW."

3. Lea Michele's Tribute to Cory Monteith

Shock swept across the country in the wake of "Glee" star Cory Monteith's death last summer. Fans and followers were eager to hear from Monteith's "Glee" co-star and real-life girlfriend, Lea Michele. When she finally broke her silence, she did so by posting a photo to Twitter along with the message, "Thank you all for helping me through this time with your enormous love & support. Cory will forever be in my heart." The message received more than 700,000 retweets, according to ExtraTV.com.

4. Sexiest Man Alive Struts His Stuff

Before Adam Levine was crowned People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, he was fully comfortable in his own skin. This photo of a scantily clad Levine was taken by a Victoria's Secret model as Levine turned a backstage hallway into a runway. Soon after the photo was taken, Levine would announce his engagement to the model, Behati Prinsloo, according to US Magazine.

5. The Queen Bey's New 'Do

Beyonce Carter-Knowles has always been a trend setter, whether it's in terms of music, fashion or even attitude. When this photo of her new hairdo surfaced online, it created tons of conversation and instantly turned the short Pixie haircut back into a popular hairstyle. The short, blond look is a big change for Beyonce, but the dramatic shift should be no surprise to fans — she's had plenty of success with shocking her fan base, as evidenced by her surprise iTunes album release earlier this month.

Lola Castro Lola is an online media consultant who blogs about trends in the industry.