2014 Readers' Photo Contest Finalist Gallery
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For the past 21 years, we’ve been putting on our annual Readers’ Photo Contest. Every single year, we’re impressed by the sheer volume and the overall quality of the images. It’s not that we have low expectations. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s that every year, the talent pool just seems to grow.

This year, the entries run the expected gamut, including photography from just about every genre. There are portraits, cityscapes, nature scenes, still-lifes, and everything you can think of that fits in between.

This is our biggest contest of the year, so it’s also our biggest reader gallery of the year. We wanted to give those images that required so much hard work to enjoy a moment in the spotlight. So, even if you have no interest in ever entering a photo contest, check out the gallery and get inspired. It’s a big world out there. Let’s go make pictures of it.

Click here to launch the gallery

Grand Prize Winner: With A Bang

By Bob Larson I traveled to this area of the Granite Dells at Willow Lake in Prescott, Arizona because of the clouds forming around sunset. I expected some interesting color with the clouds.I got to the lower Dells earlier than expected and began shooting up the Granite formations lining up the rock and clouds. When I heard thunder and noticed the light changing quicker than expected. I climbed to the top and saw this! 16 shots, stitched together to get the whole thing in. Canon T2i, Sigma 10-20mm. CAMERA: Canon T2i FOCAL LENGTH: 10mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/100 LENS: Sigma 10-20mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): F-9

Winner, Object/Still Life: Lincoln Logs

By Ben Harder I grew up in the south eastern US and had never seen a lumber mill. On a west coast road trip, we passed by this scene on the interstate and I loved the size and volume of trees. The repeating patterns and colors were intriguing to me. So we pulled over and I stepped out to grab this shot. CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 37mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 LENS: EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/8

Winner, People: The Kaparot Ceremony

By Kieran Gosney Shot during a Hasidic Kaparot ceremony in Williamsburg, New York. The older men and women were teaching the children, who fetched and carried the chickens, how the ceremony was performed. Kaparot, meaning ‘atonements’, is a ritual deemed by those who practice it as able to transfer the sins of the past year on to the bird. After swinging the birds overhead three times and reciting a prayer, the Hasidim ritually slaughter them. Often the meat is then distributed to the poor. CAMERA: Lumix GH2 FOCAL LENGTH: 45mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/400 LENS: Olympus 45mm f1.8 ISO: 160 APERTURE (F-STOP): 4.5

Winner, Action/Sports: I Love Summer

By Krista Long A frequent visitor to the local pool, I set up my lawn chair and camera, ready to be entertained as bodies flung one by one out of the blue tunnel, suspended ever so briefly before crashing into the water below. I wanted to freeze each water droplet, body contortion, and facial expression in anticipation of the inevitable splash-down. I wanted to capture the essence of what it feels like to truly enjoy summer. CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark II FOCAL LENGTH: 200 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/8000 LENS: Canon 70-200mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/4

Winner, Cities/Architecture: The Chapel

By Joe Constantino This chapel at Tampa University was constructed two years ago and designed to emphasize the unique, over 3000 pipe organ. The curved beams surround this unique instrument. Taken digitally, converted to monochrome and solarized. Camera: Panasonic Lumiz FZ40

Vertical Racing

By Shoayb Khattab One of the most popular sports in UAE and gulf Region is Camel Racing, Millions has been spent on these races which are part of culture of these Countries, everyone has to be far away from these camels during racing so i tried to capture the race from a different spot to get all the action in the frame. CAMERA: Canon EOS M

Inspire a generation

By Joseph Anthony I had been trying to create an image that would encapsulate the Olympic theme of Inspire a generation. I had seen Usain Bolt before observing how he behaved & interacted, so I decided to focus solely on him to be ready for something. A video went viral via the Guardian newspaper online but I think I am the only one to have captured a high resolution still image that people described as an iconic moment in sport. I feel it captures the essence of the slogan & spirit of the Olympic movement. CAMERA: Nikon D800 FOCAL LENGTH: 330mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: 200-400mm f/4 ISO: 1250 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/4.5

Just Do It

By Michael Encarnacion Former Track and Field athlete, hesitant about running the track for the first time in a very long time. CAMERA: Canon 70D FOCAL LENGTH: 70mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/5000 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8

Up in the air

By Garrett Graham Photo of a falling surfer.

Randall

By Priscilla Garza Pro Wakeboarder Randall Harris riding in Bacalar, Mexico. CAMERA: Canon EOS Mark III FOCAL LENGTH: 90 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/4,000 LENS: 70–200mm L APERTURE (F-STOP): 4

The Herd From Hell

By Mark LaRowe A new herd is brought into the arena from the outside holding pens for a Ranch Sorting event in Corvallis, MT. CAMERA: Canon 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 160 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/640 LENS: Canon 70-200mm IS L ISO: 1600 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8

Madness

By Matthew Malkiewicz Silence is broken; vapor from boiled water, pressurized and released at regulated intervals, moves machined steel parts to create the sound of distant thunder as it echoes to earth. Some see an outtake from Harry Potter, others a gothic Nightmare Before Christmas scene. I have titled this photograph “Madness”, a terrifying sight from which you recoil in dismay. Reason is gone, this is madness under control as the fire breathing beast approaches. CAMERA: Canon 5D MkII FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/100 LENS: 70-200mm/F4.0 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): 4.0

It’s a Dirty Job

By Ken Greenhorn Steer wrestling at a local rodeo. CAMERA: Canon 50D FOCAL LENGTH: 130mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/400 LENS: EF 70-300 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 7.1

Venting the Roof

By Richard Jollimore Fitchburg MA firefighter vents the roof of a house on fire. CAMERA: Nikon FOCAL LENGTH: 75mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: 28-75mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f4.5

Fully Involved

By Richard Jollimore A vacant building in Fitchburg was ignited by homeless people trying to stay warm on a very cold New England January day. The windows were all boarded up keeping the fire un-noticed and allowing it to get so out of control. CAMERA: Nikon FOCAL LENGTH: 28mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: 28-75mm ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f2.8

Firebird in the Sunset

By Dionne Luxford This was taken at the Grand Haven State park in Michigan. Dancer Miranda Merlington is executing a jump called a Firebird which I thought was a beautiful combination with the sunset. The firebird rises from the setting sun. CAMERA: Canon t2i FOCAL LENGTH: 29mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/200 LENS: 18-55mm ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 4.5

Overhead Slide

By Jeff Nycz Photographed at Grayson Stadium, built in 1926. Taylor (Indiana) baseball. CAMERA: Canon 10D FOCAL LENGTH: 100mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1000 LENS: 100-400 4.5/5.6 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): 6.3

The Space Coast

By Robbyn Spratt Brevard County, Florida is known as the “Space Coast” for its frequent space vehicle launches from the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This time lapse photo of a Delta IV rocket launch was captured just after a late August sunset. CAMERA: Sony A-700 FOCAL LENGTH: 18 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 70 sec. LENS: 18-70 mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/22

Right Up The Middle

By Esdel Antonio Palermo Photo was taken at the 2nd annual Wilfredo Gomez amateur boxing cup in Cataño, Puerto Rico. The boxer in red lands a straight right hand right up the middle of the blue boxers defense. The blue boxers face becomes completely submerged on impact. CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark III SHUTTER SPEED: 320 LENS: EF 24-105mm f/4L ISO: 16000 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/5.6

Waikiki Boogie Boarder

By Homer Hernandez While vacationing in Hawaii, I noticed a talented boogie boarder. I observed him for a while and started to photograph some of his runs. Suddenly he did a complete summersault ! Fortunately I was shooting in continuous mode and was able to capture him completely upside down! CAMERA: Nikon D800E FOCAL LENGTH: 185 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 LENS: Nikon 70-300 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): F 6.3

Flying into the jungle

By Sharkawi Che Din A parachutist gliding toward the bush. This action is recorded in conjunction with BASE Jump in Kuala Lumpur. CAMERA: 1DX FOCAL LENGTH: 300mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 LENS: 70-300mm L ISO: 320 APERTURE (F-STOP): F5.6

A Koi Named Nana

By Kenneth Ballweg A butterfly wing Koi that lives in the Portland Japanese Gardens Koi pond. Shot on an overcast day. CAMERA: Canon 5D MkIII FOCAL LENGTH: 102 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1000 LENS: Canon 24-105mm ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): f 4.5

Come At me Bro

By Kendra Maples Beautiful but angry peacock. I had to keep walking behind him until he decided to show me who was boss. I was the true winner here. CAMERA: Nikon D80 FOCAL LENGTH: 65mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 LENS: Nikkor 55-200 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f4.2

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

By Greg Tucker I have long been enamored with the classic Brooks Falls images made famous by Tom Mangelson, et al, but I was hoping to capture something different. The whimsical nature of the eye-to-eye moment between unevenly matched species, I believe, gave me the hoped-for results CAMERA: Nikon D200 LENS: 80-400

The Scavenger

By William Buchheit A great white takes a seal in False Bay, South Africa. The seal was already dead and had apparently washed off the island due to high seas. We found her before the shark did, but this great white wasn’t far behind. CAMERA: Canon 5d Mark 3 FOCAL LENGTH: 28mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/8000 LENS: Canon F 2.8 24-70 ISO: 500 APERTURE (F-STOP): F8

Kissing Seals

By Quati Makeeta Several factors were essential for this photo to come to life from choosing the right location and camera angle, to the lens and camera settings. Being familiar with typical seal behavior is essential, not only for the animal’s comfort while you are present, but for having the ability to anticipate and capture rare behavior in the wild. My patience and persistence was definitely rewarded with this image. CAMERA: Canon 5D FOCAL LENGTH: 70 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/125 LENS: Canon 24-105 mm ISO: 640 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/22

Ingwe: The essence of a leopard

By Joseph Anthony 3 month project. Challenge from capture to print. Best seen in print with variable lighting as shadows retain surprise details. Dominant male tracks an intruder. I anticipated a specific opportunity during a frantic sighting & previous experience taught me when that might be. A conscious tweak of shutter speed & him emerging JUST moving from the dark into the light was the moment. I was in the narrowest window of performance to create an image that would also work as a fine art print.

STRIPES ARE “IN”

By Quati Makeeta After ten minutes of the zebras foraging for food, without warning one became extremely animated and began running full speed back and forth across an approximate distance of 50 yards. The zebra repeated this pattern for approximately ten repetitions, which allowed me to get used to its timing and behavior. This photo captured a striking moment as the zebra slowed down for a moment and turned to its left for the last time before running off into the distance. CAMERA: Canon 5D FOCAL LENGTH: 400 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/160 LENS: Canon 100-400 mm ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/16

Reflecting Heron

By Peter Fazio Resting Heron in pond. CAMERA: Canon EOS 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 400 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: EF 100-400 L IS USM ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): f 6.3

Giant Galapagos Tortoises

By Rob Lind Ancient Giant Tortoises encroaching each other’s territory and either about to fight or greet each other as “old” relatives! CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D Mark III FOCAL LENGTH: 105mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/125 sec. LENS: Canon EF 24-105 ISO: 2000 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/6.3

Winner, Animals/Nature: The Sacrificial Worm

By Jeffrey Langford Once I found a robin sitting on her nest, I knew there would be something to photograph shortly thereafter. I returned a few days later to find the babies hatched and mama out looking for food. I stationed myself as near as I thought I could without scaring off the mother robin, and then waited, and waited, and waited . . . Finally it was feeding time, and I ran off a series of shots of this moment, which lasted not more than half a minute. CAMERA: Nikon D7000 FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/800 sec LENS: nikon 55-200 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): f8

Leopard Eyes Shining Bright, In the Forest of the Night

By Suzy Burleson The project was to capture the very essence of a full grown leopard stalking its prey. It reveals the awesome strength, regal grace, and fearsome beauty of this nocturnal cat in a single image. CAMERA: Nikon D800E FOCAL LENGTH: 300 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm 3.5-5.6G ISO: 4500 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.6

Jack’s Last Days

By Brad Anderson This is a shot of us with our dog Jack in his last days with us. Diagnosed with inoperable cancer, Jack was in a lot of pain. Regardless, he loved the beach and, being a cocker spaniel, loved chasing the sea birds. There wasn’t any chasing this day but the birds kept a keen eye on him just the same. CAMERA: Nikon D 700 FOCAL LENGTH: 14mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/4 LENS: Nikkor 14-24mm ED G ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 14

Ready for Shearing

By Michael Wypasek We visited a crofter at his sheep farm. We were privileged to witness the crofter directing his sheepdogs, rounding up his sheep for shearing. This photo was snapped right before the crofter grabbed a ewe from the pack for shearing. CAMERA: Nikon D5100 FOCAL LENGTH: 200 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/800 LENS: Tamron 18-200 ISO: 1000 APERTURE (F-STOP): f63

The Cardenal Rules

By Edgar Lama A cardenal posed at the roof of a doll house. CAMERA: Canon 5D mark 3 FOCAL LENGTH: 300 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 250 LENS: Tamron 123/300 f 2.8 ISO: 250 APERTURE (F-STOP): f 2.8

Lilac Breasted Roller

By James Day Photo of a lilac breasted roller taking flight in South Africa. CAMERA: Nikon D600 FOCAL LENGTH: 400 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1500 sec LENS: Nikon 80-400 mm ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/8

Sea Anemone

By B D Sea anemone, in tidal pool, California. CAMERA: Sony A99 FOCAL LENGTH: 70mm SHUTTER SPEED: 80 ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5

Dinner for Two

By John Kimbler I used some sugar syrup to get these honeybees to let me get close. CAMERA: Canon 1D Mark III FOCAL LENGTH: 65mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 LENS: Canon MP-E 65mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): F13

Charlie Brown

By John Laurie Wild rabbit from my back yard. He let me crawl up to within six feet on my belly. CAMERA: 60d FOCAL LENGTH: 180 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/50 LENS: 70/2002.8isII ISO: 1000 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8

Moving on up

By John Laurie Taken at the Great Dismal swamp, Suffolk Virginia. CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 200 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: Canon 70/2002.8isIII ISO: 320 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8

Dark Side

By JoAnn Reese We adopted Cash when he was about 5 months old after he was found abandoned and wandering the streets of Corbin, Ky. He clearly has some behavioral issues stemming from his early life, but we love him nonetheless. I took this shot of our kitchen curtain half covering his face as he was waiting to be let outside. It’s a perfect metaphor of him. CAMERA: Canon 60D FOCAL LENGTH: 85mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/640 LENS: EF85mm f/1.2L IIUSM ISO: 1000 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/6.3

Osprey at sunrise

By Sandy Scott I love shooting raptors – especially when I can get a dramatic expression, background or both. This fulfilled my mission CAMERA: Canon 70D LENS: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L USM IS

Break time

By Ron Trees This squirrel had really been hitting the bird feeder pretty hard and all of a sudden he just plopped down on this limb to take a break. Taken with Cannon T3i with 250mm lens. CAMERA: T3i FOCAL LENGTH: 250mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 LENS: Cannon 55-250 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.6

Eye Opener

By Samuel Logan This photo was taken at the Providence zoo. I saw them in a line and knew it would be great. I kneeled down and made a kiss noise with my mouth. The bird opened its eye to see me and I snapped the shot. I was pumped! I used only lightroom to edit. Here are my sliders: ex: 3 cont: 0 HL: 0 shad: -43 white: 53 black: -50 clar: 15 vib: 24 sat: 0 I also enabled profile correction and removed chromatic aberration. But thats it. CAMERA: Canon T3i FOCAL LENGTH: 155 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/400 LENS: Sigma 18-250 3.5-6.3 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 6.3

Flamingo Preening

By Bill Vansco Zoos always are great places to walk around and just looks for photo opportunities. This flamingo happen to be preening itself against a dark background. CAMERA: Sony A77 FOCAL LENGTH: 200 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 LENS: Sony 70-200 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): F5.6

All Wrapped Up

By Ann Dockery Mozzie allows me to have a little fun with my photography and maybe have a little laugh when shared with friends. CAMERA: Canon EOS 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 31 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/30 LENS: Canon Zoom Lens EF 17-40mm 1:4 L USM ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/4

Lazy Flamingo

By Alberto Audisio On a family day at the Miami zoo , i’ve noticed this flamingo , moving the head on it’s back. I’ve found it very graceful , like a ballerina. Focused on it’s eye and took the shot. CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D Mark II FOCAL LENGTH: 200 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/3200 LENS: Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS ISO: 160 APERTURE (F-STOP): 3.2

Big Horn

By Gary Migues Big Horn Sheep migrating across the continental divide in Rocky Mountain National Park. CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 135mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/400 LENS: Canon EF 70-300mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/4.5

Alpha Bucks

By Gary Migues Two rutting Bull Elk along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 70mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/160 LENS: Canon EF 70-300mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/4

Seal of Oregon

By Gary Migues Harbor Seals hanging out on the rocks along the Oregon Coast in the Siuslaw National Forest. CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 300mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 LENS: Canon EF 70-300mm ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/5.6

Screech Owl

By Robert Williams I shot this picture while at the Memphis TN zoo. The owl “Archimedes” was a rescued bird that was being rehabilitated by the zoo. This photo is completely unaltered. CAMERA: Nikon D300 FOCAL LENGTH: 400mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/160 LENS: VR Nikkor 80-400mm 4.5-5.6 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.6

Diving with Turtles

By Leighton Lum Decided to go out for a swim one morning, it was early just after sunrise, I was originally out looking for dolphins when I stumbled upon this guy swimming right below me. The lighting was perfect, the sun was out and glowing through the water. I took a deep breath and dove down about 15-20 ft and caught this just as he was moving to his next feeding spot. CAMERA: Canon 5diii FOCAL LENGTH: 15mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 LENS: Canon 8-15 L F4.0 Fisheye ISO: ISO 250 APERTURE (F-STOP): F8

Translucent Wings

By Dan Berger I thought nothing of this shot at the time. After shooting straight into a strong back light I didn’t even bother to process it for months. But wow, I ended up loving the translucent wing effect and the composition. CAMERA: Canon 5D FOCAL LENGTH: 70MM SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1500 LENS: EF 27-70mm f/2.8L ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): 11

Old Stable

By Fran Czemerda Jr At first glance, as I approached the old stable, I was drawn to the angle of the light and the way in which it revealed the texture of the weathered wood. Unexpectedly, the horse emerged and held the pose just long enough for me to compose and instinctively place him in the upper third of the frame. A slight crop and processing in Nik Software Color Efex Pro 4 with final adjustments in Lightroom 5 completed the image. CAMERA: Canon 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 105mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/60 LENS: Canon 24-105 f/4 L ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/8

FAMILY PORTRAIT

By NANCY FEFFERMAN I took the photo while in the Maasei Mara National Reserve in Kenya. The lion family seemed to know that they were being photographed,and posed appropriately for a formal portrait. CAMERA: Canon Rebel T3i FOCAL LENGTH: 119 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/200 LENS: Tamron 18-270 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 6.3

Screech Owl

By Philip Charlton Screech owls were nesting in a nest box above me. The pair had one owlet and it was feeding time. Every evening the male goes hunting and it is usually too dark to see what has been caught. However, this particular evening he went hunting earlier and to my surprise was waiting on the fence next to the house. Hoping he would not move I ran into the house to get my camera and managed to get this shot. CAMERA: Nikon D4 FOCAL LENGTH: 400mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 LENS: 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR ISO: 140 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/5.6

Grizzly Bear

By Christoph Schlatter Grizzly Bear in Denali National Park CAMERA: Nikon D800 FOCAL LENGTH: 400mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1000 LENS: 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ISO: 640 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/5.6

Sandhill Cranes

By Philip Charlton This photo was taken on a very cold morning in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. CAMERA: Nikon D4 FOCAL LENGTH: 400mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/2000 LENS: Nikon 80.0-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ISO: 3200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/1

River Crossing

By Reed Miller A pride of lions cross the Sand River. This Lioness leads the group of 13 lions as they cross with much trepidation. After the first three lions made the crossing, the others refused to cross while growling viciously at the water on the far river bank. With the sun going down and much looking, we finally spotted a crocodile in the water waiting for a hapless victim. The darkness arrived with the standoff at a draw and an uncertain outcome. Sabi Sands, South Africa. CAMERA: Canon EOS-1D X FOCAL LENGTH: 600 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 s LENS: EF600mm f/4L IS II USM ISO: ISO 2000 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/4

Rock Star

By Ben Harder On a windy, cold day in Iceland this beauty was showing off his long luscious locks. Reminded me of an 80’s rock star. Can’t you just see Bon Jovi riding him off into the sunset? CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/400 LENS: EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/3.5

Cypress

By George Howlett Close-up of cypress tree taken with Agfa-Scala b&w; transparency film – Nikon film scanner used. I already entered this photo in the “Animals and Nature” category by mistake. I hope I won’t be arrested. I consider the additional $10 submission fee like a fine. CAMERA: Pentax K-1000 FOCAL LENGTH: about 65-70mm SHUTTER SPEED: unrecorded LENS: Pentax 35-80mm zoom ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f5.6

The End Of Wild Elephants in Your Lifetime

By Robert Parker With poachers killing 7% of African Elephants a year it is possible that there will no wild elephants for your children to see Amboselli National Park Kenya Africa CAMERA: canon 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 165mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/400 LENS: Tamron 150-600mm ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 7.1

Amorphous

By Ken Renk Close up of jellyfish taken at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. CAMERA: Canon EOS 60D FOCAL LENGTH: 55 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/30 sec LENS: Canon EF-S17-55mm f/2.8 IS ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/5.6

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Lost

By Lauri Griffin The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is the state bird of Oklahoma, and migrates to Southern Mexico and Central America. In August, 2013, several photographers saw this bird for a few minutes, and word spread quickly. With hopeful heart, I drove to the area, searched diligently and found the bird, and was able to photograph the flycatcher jump from log to post, devour a grasshopper, then fly into the pine trees. The bird was not reported to have been seen again – I was one of the lucky few! CAMERA: Canon EOS 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 700 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/2500 LENS: Canon EF 500mm 1:4 LIS USM + Canon extender EF 1:4x II ISO: 320 APERTURE (F-STOP): f 5.6

Galapagos Dreams

By Rebecka Bloom This photo was taken while on the Linblad Expedition to the Galapagos with the National Geographic Endevour, and experience of a lifetime! CAMERA: Canon EOS 6D LENS: 24-70mm

Green vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta)

By Ajit Huilgol The green vine snake is a very slender green snake, which is almost impossible to see when it is in a bush. When alarmed, it inflates its body and it is only then that one can see white spots along its length. Its bite is only mildly venomous, with localized swelling and pain, but no fatalities have ever been reported. CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 185 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 LENS: Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS USM ISO: 250 APERTURE (F-STOP): 7.1

Heart of Sharjah

By Shoayb Khattab One of the best ways to explore cities and their beauty is from highest points of these cities, i had to go to the rooftop to get this shot showing active life of Corniche in the Heart of the Sharjah City, UAE. CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark II

HONG KONG

By EUGENE ENG I HAVE BEEN IN HONG KONG SO MANY TIMES SINCE 1999. THE AIR POLLUTION THERE IS ALWAYS SO BAD. THE AIR MAY BE CLEAN FOR A LITTLE WHILE AFTER THE TYPHOON BUT NEVER HAD CLOUD LIKE THIS. I WOULD NEVER MISS AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS EVEN THOUGH I ONLY HAD A POINT AND SHOOT WITH ME AT THE TIME. THIS WAS CAPTURED IN PANORAMA MODE AND EDITED IN PHOTOSHOP CS6 WITH PLUG-INS. CAMERA: SONY RX100 III FOCAL LENGTH: 8.8 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 LENS: 8.8MM – 25.7MM ISO: 125 APERTURE (F-STOP): F6.3

From the Ground Up

By Jaymit Patel An iconic skyline framed to have buildings rising from the waterside at sunset. CAMERA: Sony A7R FOCAL LENGTH: 36mm SHUTTER SPEED: 5s LENS: Tamron 24-70mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 22

City Hall Toronto Canada Sept 2013

By Henri Sagalow Summer vacation Toronto Canada 2013 CAMERA: Canon 5D mark 2 FOCAL LENGTH: 17 SHUTTER SPEED: 250 LENS: Canon17-55 ISO: 320 APERTURE (F-STOP): 9

Only

By John Reizian Madison Avenue (NYC) turned into a pedestrian-only market place. A mixture of denizens and tourists found themselves flowing along the booths consistent with the direction given them by the avenue. CAMERA: Nikon Coolpix A FOCAL LENGTH: 18.5mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/200 LENS: Nikon 18.5mm ISO: 1100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 8.0

The Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu

By Rob Lind Mystical rain and mist shrouded Machu Picchu, a normal condition at this time of the year! CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D Mark III FOCAL LENGTH: 32mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 sec. LENS: Canon 24-105 ISO: 320 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/5

Untitled

By Eric Zubris This picture reminds me of why I love taking photos, you never know what you are going to capture on a given day. It was a typical foggy morning in San Francisco and I wanted to take some photos of the Palace of Fine Arts. The sun and the fog were dancing perfectly together in the arches of the building and I thought it would be a great photo, which it was. When I went to take my second shot, a bird flew in my view and I was fortunate enough to snap the photo and capture it in mid-flight. CAMERA: Nikon D5200 FOCAL LENGTH: 18mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320s LENS: VR 18-55mm ISO: 250 APERTURE (F-STOP): 7.1

To a Point

By Brad Anderson This is a completely vertical and leveled shot into so cooling and heating mechanism for the engineer team on this project. The brown on the right is 40-50 of pressed laminate support. The “L” shaped repetitions on the left are actually radiators fed by a chill beam extending beside them. I try to tell a story about all aspects of a space. CAMERA: D 700 FOCAL LENGTH: 14mm SHUTTER SPEED: 30 Seconds LENS: Nikkor 14-24mm ED G ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 22

Minneapolis at Sunset

By George Johnston From the Franklin Avenue Bridge CAMERA: Canon PowerShot G11 FOCAL LENGTH: 21.5 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 sec LENS: in-camera ISO: ISO 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/4.0;

Basilica

By Davorbozo Milovac Basilica in Montreal, Canada. Photo taken in halves and then reconstituted in panoramic view in Photoshop, with a little tone mapping. CAMERA: Nikon 3100 FOCAL LENGTH: 55m SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: 55-300 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): 10

Aquaduct.

By Angel Izquierdo Segovia became one of my favorite cities in Spain, Madrid will always be my number one, of course. Toledo used to lead until my last trip to Spain. This magnificent aqueduct was build by the Romans. You all can see how beautiful still stands 🙂 CAMERA: Canon Eos 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 105 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 sec LENS: Canon 24-105 f4 L IS USM ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.6

Lone Lighthouse

By Daniel Tooker Yaquina Head Lighthouse on the coast Oregon. CAMERA: Nikon d600 FOCAL LENGTH: 16mm SHUTTER SPEED: 30 sec LENS: Nikkor 16-35 f4 ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): f4

Bonn Minster

By Klaus Gensheimer An ancient church built atop the tomb of the Roman martyrs Florentius and Cassius. Image shot hand held in 3 exposure brackets(2 EV separation). Processed in Photomatix Pro and final edits in PS. CAMERA: Nikon D610 FOCAL LENGTH: 24mm SHUTTER SPEED: Various ( HDR) LENS: Nikkor 24-70 f2.8 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f18

Shadows and columns

By Jamey Edgerton I was struck by the perfection of the shadows as they cut through the long outdoor corridor. Love the contrast. CAMERA: Nikon D80 FOCAL LENGTH: 27.0mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/100 LENS: 18-55 Nikon DX ISO: 125 APERTURE (F-STOP): 7.1

Old Customs House

By Klaus Gensheimer The Old Customs House in Boston’s financial district, now a Marriott time share property. Hot as an HDR photo with exposure brackets at -2, 0, +2 processed in Photomatix Pro and minor finishing tweaks in CS6. CAMERA: Nikon D610 FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: Various (3 exposure brackets) LENS: Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 18

Good Morning Seattle

By Ben Harder Beautiful morning sunrise over Seattle. Taken from Queen Anne Hill. Mt. Rainier is visible in the distance. Who says it’s always raining in Seattle? CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 17mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/15 LENS: EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/18

The Wedge

By Lawrence Binello Taken 51 stories up, the view of the inner Harbor in Baltimore shows the many wedges and triangles of this closely cropped photographer. CAMERA: Nikon FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 LENS: 70 _200 mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f8

A Cherry Blossom Sunrise

By David Hyun I took this photo during the first sunrise after peak bloom was announced for the Cherry Blossoms on the Tidal Basin in April. I staked out this popular photography spot in front of the MLK Memorial early with fellow photographers and we were all rewarded with the perfect sunrise. As the sun began to rise and I noticed the fairly fast moving cloud cover glowing in yellow, orange, and purple I decided at the last minute to throw on a ND filter and try for a long exposure. CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 18mm SHUTTER SPEED: 100 seconds LENS: Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 11

Vancouver Skyline at Sunset

By David Hyun My job as a pediatrician gives me a lot of opportunities to visit different cities for conferences. Each city I visit, I try to find a good location to take a shot of the skyline. In May, a major conference took me to the beautiful and vibrant city of Vancouver. After dinner with my colleagues, I broke away and walked over to Stanley Park with my camera gear in tow to set up for this sunset shot. CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 17mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/10 second LENS: Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 22

Samuel Becket Bridge

By Alex Sneiders This bridge is designed to like a harp, the national symbol of Ireland. This was captured immediately prior to sunset. CAMERA: Nikon D4S FOCAL LENGTH: 32 SHUTTER SPEED: 20 LENS: 24-70 mm f2.8 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 18

Williamsburg Bridge

By Alejandro Merizalde This is the base of the Williamsburg Bridge shot on a rainy morning. CAMERA: Nikon D610 FOCAL LENGTH: 18mm SHUTTER SPEED: 213 Sec LENS: 18-35mm 3.5 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/14

Swiftcurrent Lake

By Peter Fazio Abandoned boat launch rails into Swiftcurrent Lake in Glacier National Park CAMERA: Canon EOS 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 16 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/200 LENS: EF 16-35 L II USM ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f 7.1

Winner, Landscape/Nature: Calla Lilies at Doud Creek

By Christopher Axe Located in Garrapata State Park these Calla Lilies are a wonder to see. They come out in early March and last most of the month. I was lucky to be there on a day with sunshine and no wind. The image was composed of two shots one for the foreground and the other for the sky. The sky was masked in using Photoshop CC. CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark III FOCAL LENGTH: 17mm SHUTTER SPEED: 3 seconds LENS: 17-40mm f4L ISO: 50 APERTURE (F-STOP): f16

Coastal Mountains Above the Weather

By Patrick King A view of the Coastal Mountain range in British Columbia, Canada thousands of feet above the weather. CAMERA: Nikon D800 FOCAL LENGTH: 24mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/4000 sec. LENS: Nikon 24-70 F 2.8 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/5.6

Rocky Mountain National Park Pano

By Joel Schneider I took this photo early in the morning as the sun was rising. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the landscape and sunrise! CAMERA: 6d FOCAL LENGTH: 16mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/2 sec LENS: EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM ISO: 50 APERTURE (F-STOP): 13

Mendocino Coast

By Alecia Thompson View of the ocean in Mendocino, California. CAMERA: Canon Rebel Xsi FOCAL LENGTH: 26 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/160 LENS: Canon EF-S 17-85 mm ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 16

Wesley House

By Brandon Roten This is the historic Wesley House located in Eden Gardens State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. I knew I wanted to shoot this house before the site became crawling with tourists, so I may have shown up before the park actually opened to the public, but I for sure paid the cost of admission. I had to shoot three exposures in order to capture the beauty my eyes saw that morning. CAMERA: Canon EOS 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 16mm LENS: Sigma 10-22mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 11

Pier Less

By Ralph Resch Broken down pier. CAMERA: NIKON D7100 FOCAL LENGTH: 11 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/30 sec LENS: 10-24 Nikon ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/22

Ocean of clouds

By Jeremy Barnard While traveling back from Peru one early morning, I noticed the clouds had been trapped by the mountains. I was able to convince the bus driver to stop and I was able to capture this image. CAMERA: 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 70mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 LENS: 24-70mm f/2.8 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): 8.0

Bixby Bridge by Starlight – Big Sur, CA

By Christopher Axe Bixby Bridge is a iconic must see stop on Hwy 1. After being inspired by other photographers night shots of this bridge I decided to try myself. In order to maximize the amount of sky I did a three image panorama. The foreground and bridge were exposed for 5 minutes at f2.8 with ISO 1250 the additional sky images were exposed at f2.8 for 30 seconds at ISO 2000. The light trail is of a south bound car. CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark III FOCAL LENGTH: 14mm SHUTTER SPEED: 5 minutes LENS: Canon 14mm f/2.8L II ISO: 1250 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/2.8

Wukaptki, Arizona

By Jason Levi The ancient Wukaptki Indian ruins in Northern Arizona. This was taken on the night of the moon on at highest point of its apogee with special permission. CAMERA: Nikon D800 FOCAL LENGTH: 62mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/80 LENS: Nikon 28-300mm ISO: 1000 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/16

Riding the train in paradise

By Sandy Scott This was shot riding between cars on the narrow gauge railroad between Durango & Silverton, CO. I was between cars leaning over the rail to get this shot of the front of the train in the San Juan Mountains along the beautiful Animas River. Location is just South of Silverton. CAMERA: Lumix DMC-ZS40 FOCAL LENGTH: 9mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 LENS: Leica ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 4.1

Morgan Dairy Reflections

By James Day Photo of a former dairy farm near my house, just after sunrise with reflections of grain silos and trees in the lake. CAMERA: Nikon D600 FOCAL LENGTH: 62 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/15 sec LENS: Nikon 24-120 mm f/4 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/11

Mount Rainier: Blue Reflections

By Pat Rose This image of Mount Rainier and Reflection Lakes at sunrise is a result of 5 bracketed exposures combined in Photomatix, opting for a natural finish; with further processing in Lightroom 5 to improve overall contrast and tone; and with additional processing in Nik Viveza 2 to improve structure and Nik Sharpener Pro 3 to sharpen the final image. CAMERA: Canon EOS 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 28mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1.6 LENS: EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/20

The Rack

By Joe Crocco Lighting: Nikon SB-24 camera left @1/2 power, in a shoot through umbrella. Nikon SB-600 camera right @1/8 power, also in a shoot through umbrella. Strobes fired with Cactus V4’s. Black and white conversion in PhotoShop. CAMERA: Nikon D200 FOCAL LENGTH: 40mm SHUTTER SPEED: 250 LENS: Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/8.0

Mare Island Crane D4

By Gary Cullen Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California was closed in 1995, and what followed was a slow process of abandonment, followed by neglect. The artist witnessed the pageantry of the shipyard during its years of service to our country, but then witnessed its decline. The neglect, along with anonymity, oxidation, and nature. have taken on a beauty of its own. The photographer attempts to capture this beauty in his dark, cold photos CAMERA: Nikon FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 LENS: 55-200 ISO: 160 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.6

Cup uh Joe

By Ryan Fritzsche A steaming cup of coffee on a cool morning… I first noticed this beautiful effect while lying on my back in our boat (which the wife and I live aboard) with the day’s first cup of joe on my stomach and the sunlight creeping through an open hatch. These shots are indeed a moment in time that passes too quickly to notice without a camera and a fast shutter. CAMERA: Canon 40D FOCAL LENGTH: 55mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/3200 LENS: Tamron 18-270 ISO: 1000 APERTURE (F-STOP): f4.5

E X P L O S I O N

By Scott Horvath This drop was shot on the tip of a petal from a bouquet of Easter flowers. The flowers were covered in paint. I really love this shot b/c of the colors that emerged within the drop. CAMERA: Canon Rebel T3 FOCAL LENGTH: 165mm (65mm ext. tubes) SHUTTER SPEED: 1/200 LENS: EF100mm f/2.8 Macro IS USM ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.6

Seasonal Fruit

By Michelle Tinger This image was taken on a granite table in the foyer of my home. There was some natural light coming from the door, but I also added some diffused lighting from my lightbox. (Objects were outside the lightbox and the lamp was inside.) The camera was mounted on a tripod, and I used manual in-camera metering and focus. In post processing, I added a digital backdrop and texture to give it more of a painterly look. CAMERA: Canon EOS 60D FOCAL LENGTH: 100mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1 sec. LENS: Phoenix EF 100mm f2.8 macro ISO: 250 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/9.0

Garden Lights 1

By Mike Stander This photo was taken at the Atlanta Botanical Garden during their annual holiday light show. These globes and pillars were part of a large display in the open area in front of the conservatory. The colors of the globes were constantly changing in time to music playing on the outdoor sound system. My wife and I were in Atlanta, visiting our son. It was unseasonably cold at the time, more like Michigan, where we live. CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D Mk II FOCAL LENGTH: 54mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM ISO: 3200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/2.8

Paint on Old Wall

By B D Wall in abandoned navy base. CAMERA: Sony RX1R FOCAL LENGTH: 35mm SHUTTER SPEED: 160 LENS: 35mm ISO: 160 APERTURE (F-STOP): 8

Poppy, withering

By B D Poppy, past its prime. CAMERA: Sony A99 FOCAL LENGTH: 70mm SHUTTER SPEED: 160 LENS: Sony Zeiss ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 14

Ride to Ruin

By Walter Arnold An overgrown water slide at the abandoned theme park Dogpatch USA in Arkansas. CAMERA: Nikon D800 FOCAL LENGTH: 12mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/50 LENS: Sigma 12-24mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): F11

Zeus in Snow

By Diane Vitetta This photograph was taken of a 9 inch flower pot my daughter made for my mother. CAMERA: Canon PowerShot SX160 IS FOCAL LENGTH: 80mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 sec ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 8

Purity of Heart

By Hank Taylor What better symbolizes your feelings for your love then a White Rose. This was a flower from my garden. I shot it in my kitchen using only the northern light coming in from a window . CAMERA: NikonF2AS FOCAL LENGTH: 60 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/2 sec LENS: Nikon 60mm Micro 2.9 ISO: 64 APERTURE (F-STOP): 16

apple leaves

By Eric Litra Taken with iphone 4 using Snapspeed app adjustments. CAMERA: iphone 4

Capital Wheel

By Julie Elliott A view of the Capital Wheel at night from inside the gondola

Dinnerware

By Dave Law Dinnerware in the moonlight on my countertop. CAMERA: Lumia 1020 LENS: Ziess

Chair Tower

By Rcardo Doong An entry to 2013 Nuit Blanche in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The chair tower was located in the lawn of a church. CAMERA: Canon 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 28mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/40 LENS: Canon 28-135 ISO: 2500 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/4

Abandoned

By Ken Renk Close up of the head of Auguste Rodin’s Shade sculpture in bronze at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. CAMERA: Canon EOS 60D FOCAL LENGTH: 55 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/25 sec LENS: Canon EF-S17-55mm f/2.8 IS ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/8

Beauty Meets Nature

By Michael Encarnacion And then the perfect photograph presented itself. CAMERA: Canon 70D FOCAL LENGTH: 40mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/160 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 4

Fame

By Katelin Kinney Underwater portrait with gold glitter. CAMERA: Canon Mark D II

Hamer Tribe Women in the Market

By Michael Holtby Selling red Ochre, which when mixed with butter, made their dreadlocks. CAMERA: Canon 70D FOCAL LENGTH: 18mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1000 LENS: Canon 18-200 Zoom ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): 8

Night Swim

By Terry Bell This was part of my first test drive of the Nikon Coolpix all weather adventure camera. So far, so good. CAMERA: Nikon Coolpix AW110

A Peek into the Past

By Crystal Gonsalves In the summer, my children and I love to travel to Sturbridge Village in MA, which is a historical colonial village. My camera becomes like my credit card, I never leave home without it. This picture of this woman was a pleasant surprise that day. Photographers best shots are not always when they are looking for them, but the unanticipated ones. I love this picture because it is a peek into the past. CAMERA: Canon 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/40 LENS: Canon 24-105mm f/4 USM IS ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/4

Dragon’s Play

By Darryl Neeley Downtown Athens, Greece, is an amazing place to be at night. There are so many unique characters that roam the streets, particularly street performers. This kind man wanders and dazzles using the power of flame! Of course, when I saw him I couldn’t help but take advantage of the situation by capturing his abilities on camera. After giving him a hefty tip for his performance and cheering him on, he moved along to make the night of others a bit warmer. CAMERA: Nikon D600 FOCAL LENGTH: 105mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1250 LENS: 105mm f/2.8 ISO: 2000 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/11

City Sweep

By Ray Fair Simple composite of a gorgeous girl strolling along in the city at sunset with the sun reflections mirroring off every sky scraper. CAMERA: Canon T3i FOCAL LENGTH: 35 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/120 LENS: canon 35mm 2.0 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.0

Rally for Rights in Annapolis

By Garth Phoebus I was asked to come support a friend of mine who happens to be part of the LGBT community in a rally in Annapolis. It really didn’t matter if this image was in color or not, but I think it brings about the serious nature of the event. CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D Mark II FOCAL LENGTH: 16mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/25 sec LENS: EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM ISO: 500 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/2.8

Water Fountain

By Julie Savage I caught my 2 year old son looking at me through the water fountain after taking a sip. It was the perfect smirk. I captured the image in Raw and processed in Adobe Photoshop (skin smoothing and eye brightening) and Lightroom (tone, vibrance, sharpening, luminance). CAMERA: Canon 60D FOCAL LENGTH: 85mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/800 LENS: EF85mm f/1.8 prime ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 1.8

Sunveiled

By Felicia Simion The sun through a lace texture created flowers motifs on her skin. CAMERA: Canon 7D LENS: 50mm f/.18

Temptation

By Marc Cartwright Actress Sarah Paxton CAMERA: Nikon D 700 FOCAL LENGTH: 26 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/200 LENS: 70=200 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 8

Happiness is a hug full of water

By Ahmet Aygit On the way to sun fest at palm beach,before the entrance there was this fountain and bunch of kids were playing.Had to stop and take some pictures.fortunately this little kid turned out to be perfect,unfortunately they did not let me in with my camera!!so had to go back and leave it in the car..lucky me this is the only picture from that day… CAMERA: nikon D800 FOCAL LENGTH: 24/70 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1000 LENS: nikon 24-70 f2.8 ISO: 50 APERTURE (F-STOP): f 8

Sisters hug

By Chris Gargasz This photo was taken after many failed attempts to get my daughters to not only hug but both smiling and viewable. I used a canon 5d mark III, with a canon 70-200mm f/2.8 II is lens. Cropped and edited using lightroom. CAMERA: Canon 5d III LENS: 70-200mm L f2.8 II is APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8

The chosen one

By BUNNY SAI BUN WONG Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) is a holy place for the Burmese people. It is located 900 meters top. Many families bring their children to come to this place and pray for Buddha. There is a common practice where the family send their children to become a monk as an exercise before they are mature. That day I arrived in Kyaiktiyo and I met with this families. However, this kid looks special to me. Will he be the chosen one? CAMERA: Canon 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 50mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/400 LENS: Industar 50mm ISO: 500 APERTURE (F-STOP): 3.5

Indian With His Flutes

By Carrie Zeller I was taking photos around the incredible Amber Fort in Jaipur India! I came across snakes charmers, musicians, street hawkers. As I was leaving I found this Indian man with his collection of flutes. While photographing him I knew in that moment what a spectacular photo it would end up being! Especially with his expression, the composition and the colors! CAMERA: Nikon D300s FOCAL LENGTH: 70mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/400 LENS: 70-300mm ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): 4.5

The Beast

By Daniela Berzuini “If you have a heart of iron, good advantage. Mine is made of flesh, and bleeds every day. ” – José Saramago CAMERA: Canon40D FOCAL LENGTH: 50mm SHUTTER SPEED: 125 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): F16

Blacksmith

By George Johnston At historic Fort Snelling at Minnapolis, MN, the blacksmith poses for a photo. CAMERA: Nikon N80 FOCAL LENGTH: 50mm LENS: 50mm ISO: 400

Jasna

By B D Portrait of the Artist Jasna, in Barcelona CAMERA: Sony A99 FOCAL LENGTH: 24mm SHUTTER SPEED: 60 LENS: Sony Zeiss ISO: 500 APERTURE (F-STOP): 6.3

J.C. Steel

By Rick Haithcox Shot on location at event. These guy’s work real jobs during the day, then, at night become the wrestling machines they have always dreamed about becoming since watching their idols on TV. $5 wrestling is an avenue where fantasy can become reality for their 15 min. of fame. CAMERA: Canon 1DS Mark II FOCAL LENGTH: 135 SHUTTER SPEED: 125 LENS: 135 2.0 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.6

Mermaids

By Leah Ingersoll This young woman was moving out of California and wanted a photo session at the beach before she left. She wanted something “wild and free”. we went to El Matador beach at sunset and although it was a little chilly, the light wind made this shot possible. Shot with Canon Mark III, 50mm, backlit at the golden hour. I prefer the b/w conversion to see more contrast through the haze.

La espera

By Carlos Rubin An old woman waits for the rain to stop at “Capilla San Francisco de Asís”, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico CAMERA: 5D LENS: 50mm ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8

Daughter’s Deployment

By Tiffany Garcia Emotional goodbye’s as a daughter leaves on deployment for year with the Navy.

Daryl Brothers

By Diane Vitetta This photo was taken at a local car cruise we run every Saturday night. It was included in my final project for my Digital Photography I class. CAMERA: Canon PowerShot SX160 IS FOCAL LENGTH: 5mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/100 sec ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 8

James

By Sara Crapes This Dead Pan image of my older brother James was shot with the intention to show his alter ego. I purposely lit and desaturated the image in a way to strip his normally vibrant personality. CAMERA: Canon 5D FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/125 LENS: 70-200 ISO: 500 APERTURE (F-STOP): 4

LA ALI

By Levent Erutku I took this photograph of the wonderful flamenco dancer Alison Macdonald during our studio photo shoot. I used only one strobe with 100cm deep throat umbrella with a diffusion panel. CAMERA: Nikon D800 FOCAL LENGTH: 80mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 sec LENS: Nikon 80-200 ISO: 320 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.6

Hidden Agendas

By Nicole Aedo This was a photo-shoot with my canon film camera, shot with black and white film. This portrait was a part of a series I did with my first black and white roll of film. I developed this picture by hand in the dark room. The girl in the picture is 21, and her name is Franchella Ales. She lives in Hialeah Florida and attends Florida International University. CAMERA: canon EOS Rebel G FOCAL LENGTH: 35 LENS: 17-35

One 100 Yen Photo

By Bony Sahni While traveling in Tokyo He was asking for alms, but to me it was a fine display of Japanese traditions and culture. And I happily put 100 yen in his bowl. Shot at a busy intersection in the old part of the city. CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D Mark III FOCAL LENGTH: 70 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/100 LENS: EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM ISO: 3200 APERTURE (F-STOP): F 22.0

Let’s Wait

By Jackson Collins Great light at the 30th street station in Philly. Waiting really brings out a person’s personality.

Her Kitchen

By Alex Sneiders This is one of a series of images after being invited into her kitchen. This photo captures the living conditions in Cuba and the kindness and openness of the people of Cuba. CAMERA: Nikon D4S FOCAL LENGTH: 24 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/200 LENS: 24-70 mm f2.8 ISO: 1600 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.6

Woman in a Window

By Martin Siegel Hand-held, candid shot taken from street using natural light. CAMERA: Nikon D90 FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/125 LENS: AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f8