We received more photo entries for the Water Photo Contest than any other! Isn’t that cool! There were at least a few hundred images!! Way more than I realized. (thank you Brian for buying me another day with your poetry–isn’t his poetry amazing!)
Before I say anything about the Five Finalists, I think we need to start this post with a quick tribute to the “Man of Water” these last couple weeks. Boy, did he ever clean house at the Olympics!
His relationship and understanding of water must be amazing.
As Brian and I looked through every image submitted, we saw the deep connection that humanity shares with water. We believe the Five Finalists are a great representation of how water inspires us, calms us, refreshes us, makes us laugh and then takes us to a whole different world. Whether water brings peace to your soul, relief from the heat, joy, or surprise…one thing is certain, water is powerful
The first finalist captured so much in her single image. It’s the type of photo you could write a hundred stories around.
Finalist #1, Where a Creek Meets the Ocean, by Heather.
This image is amazing! Not only is the water and landscape beautiful, but it shows us how power and quietness in water can coexist. You can almost hear the waves crashing onto the beach. But then to come from behind the waves and see the water bringing quiet, slow shape to the sand, it’s a movement that is almost healing. Over the years, I’ve prayed that God would wash over me with His gentle, forming waters. Smoothing my rough edges, shaping me with gentleness. All the while knowing His power is real and able to crash down upon me, yet knowing His love is soothing and gentle. Heather submitted this photo and put a short note with it saying that she captured this on their vacation. That’s about all she said. But isn’t it amazing how much meaning an image can have to another person? Thank you Heather! This image is amazing and full of story! I hope I haven’t offended you with my thoughts on it. Your image just brings up so much emotion and life. Thank you for sharing it with us.
The next finalist caused me to do a double take, then a triple take, then a “Brian, come see this. How did she do this?”
Finalist #2, Dancing on Water, by Kirsten.
Kirsten, how did you take this image? We can’t figure it out! Amazing! Can you see why this is a finalist? The image was so unusual in how she shot up into the feet. The composition is also beautiful in how Kirsten implemented the thirds principle with the feet being in the far left third of the image. (If you are unfamiliar with the Thirds Principle, we teach it here.) And don’t you absolutely love the blur in the image. Sometimes I’m to quick to delete a blurred image. But for this image, the blur of the feet and water work so well. The blur gives us a feeling, again you can almost hear it, of the rush of water around the dancing feet. Can you hear the feet splashing? I can even hear a girl giggling. This another story provoking image that gives us a wonderful gift. It makes me want to sit down and free write a story about this dancing girl. It allows any viewer to fill in the blanks and let the imagination run wild. To be able to capture this in a 1 dimensional image is incredibly tough. I think Kirsten has pulled it off beautifully! And I checked out Kirsten’s blog last night. So cute! You must see it! Thank you so much for submitting Kirsten!
If we are thinking of the Five Senses, and the last two images have touched on Sound with crashing waves and splashing, dancing feet. Then Finalist #3 evokes one of the Smells water can have!
Finalist #3, Wet Dog, by Ali
The detail in this image is fantastic! When you have it big on your screen, you can see every single water drop outlined. And doesn’t this image just make you smile! I can literally smell this wet dog and hear the boy giggling. Now that we have our own puppy, Rosie, the bathing thing has become more and more familiar in how you smell when it’s over. 😉
Ali shared in her email how she used our advice from the DVD series by setting this scene up. She had the kids suited up for giving their English Mastiff, Sam, a bath. Then she shot away as the experience unfolded in front of her. I have to commend Ali for setting up the scene. Sometimes our best shots of the kids and clients come from Scene Setting and Photo Coaching. It doesn’t always have to be pure photo journalism. It’s more than okay to set yourself up for success! From a technical standpoint, Ali did a great job using a fast Shutter Speed. The quick shutter speed and an aperture on the higher end, helps you grab all the detail of the water spraying. The dog’s face is blurred, but it works. It’s more important that we see the dog’s face in a blurred motion and feel the water spraying everywhere. And we can’t forget to comment on the little boy’s face! It’s the perfect mix of shock and delight! Way to go Ali! Way to set up the scene and grab authentic, in the moment shots!
We received a number of pool photos. But there was one that jumped out from all the rest.
Finalist #4, Summer Reunion, by Deene Souza!
This image makes me laugh!! I LOVE it!! I can’t get over the different expressions on all four kids! Look at the sweetie on top, isn’t she priceless! Then the guy on the bottom, his expression says it all from “being on the bottom” of the totem pole. Deene, you did an amazing job catching this image! It’s incredible! It sums up all the joy I remember from being a kid and swimming on hot summer afternoons.
I also want to point out a few other things I admire about this image. It looks like Deene shot this in bright sun. Getting the right exposure can be tough in bright sun. But she did an amazing job! All the faces are exposed well, no one is super bright or super dark. The color of the blue water and the green plants behind are rich and vibrant. Not only is their incredible humor and life in this image, but the elements of exposure and color are done well too! Great job Deene! And by the way, your blog is fantastic! I love your blog header with the dog–hilarious! I know your going to submit something for the Pet Photo Contest!
Ready for the last Finalist? Finalist #5? This is an image that you won’t forget.
Finalist #5, Millennium Park, by Amber.
I was speechless when I opened up this image. Doesn’t the composition just grab you? It evokes so many different, conflicting emotions that I don’t know which ones to follow first. Is the little girl sad, peaceful, tired, hungry? (See what I mean!) Where is the little girl? Amber has done such a great job with her composition that the little girl feels out of time and place. Amber’s framed the sand and water to give this overall circular feel to the image, you feel the girl surrounded and wrapped–safe and out of time. Amber’s email says, “This image is of my friend’s daughter, from when we had a play date at the park. What I love about the photo is that you would never imagine that there are thousands of people, mainly kids, running right around her…” Doesn’t that bit of knowledge enhance the image even more? I mean, talk about catching a child in a moment. 🙂 I love this moment! But it’s not just the child she’s captured. I feel like the water is the other main character in the image. It’s murky, and yet silky smooth on the little girl’s legs. The sun flare in the bottom is well placed too. How does the sun flare add to this image for you? I can think a few different things, but what are your thoughts? Amber has her own blog too! Make sure you check it out. I looked through it a little bit and read that she’s in photography school. But what strikes me most is her eye for composition. Beautiful work Amber! Thanks so much for sharing with us!!
Prizes for the Winner and the Random Voter Winners!!______________________________________________________________________________________
There you have it!! How is that for Five Amazing Finalists! The subject of Water inspired some amazing images.
I want to thank ALL of you for entering your images. I had so much fun seeing your work and reading your stories. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled so much looking through the Water Photo submissions. There were so many great, fun shots that you captured. Thank you for sharing them with us! So many of you have bought the DVDs and said the most wonderful things about what you’ve learned from them. Thank you so much! Even if you weren’t a finalist in this contest, I hope that you keep shooting, keep submitting and keep loving all that your learning.
But don’t forget to vote before you leave! You could be picked as a Random Voter and win a gift card to Starbucks or a copy of Adobe’s Lightroom! 🙂 Yep, that’s right! You heard me say it correct!
In our last photo contest, we had 356 voters! If we clear 400 votes on this contest, we are going to pick a Random Voter (not necessarily #400, but a RANDOM Voter) to win a copy of Adobe’s Lightroom software too!! And then we’ll keep going and pick two more Random Voters who win a $25 customized, cool looking Starbucks card!
Deadline for all voting is this Tuesday night at midnight PST!! That means we have to clear 400 votes by that time!
The winner of the Five Finalists will also win a copy of Adobe’s Lightroom Software!
So cast your votes and lets give some Lightroom Software away!
Question: How do you vote?
Answer: Just click on the pink word “Comments” at the end of this blog post, and then post a comment that says which of the Five Finalists you vote for. And add few words about why you like their image the most. Remember, your comments and feedback give to the Five Finalists more than any prize from us. Please be kind, encouraging, and share all that you can with these wonderful Five Finalists! Your feedback on their images is priceless! That’s why we do the Random Voter Awards, because we appreciate your voting and feedback so much. So spread the word to family and friends! And ask them to vote!
Next Question: What is the theme for August’s Photo Contest? And when is the Deadline?
Answer: The theme is Pets. You must send an image of your pet that shows us their personality. Deadline is at midnight, the last day of August! Send your images to contest@fioria.us.
Last Question: What is the Workshop Combo going to be for December 6th and 7th 2008?
Answer: We’re going to spill the beans tomorrow! If you haven’t voted yet on what workshop combo you want, make sure you do today! Go here to vote on the workshop stuff!
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To see our day job , visit here.
For more fun photo exercises, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese , our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the words of your choice! The Chicago Workshop is sold out. But the December one is going to open for registration soon!
Holy Moly! I am DEFINATELY going to have to vote for #5, Millennium Park, by Amber! The feeling that her photo captured is just, well, there are no words! Great job Amber!
Number 2 took me a long time to get…lol
Love # 3 and 4…so hard to decide.
I will have to say 3
#5 – hands down!
My vote is for #5! for years my friends and I have always said we can “hear” a picture, and in #5, I hear absolute silence, and that is a good thing. for me, its a calming silence. i absolutly adore when a child lays their head down and just plays. its so innocent, and I miss that innocence in my everyday life.
Great job, Amber! And great job to the other finalists!
Can I vote twice in one comment? 😉
My husband wants me to vote for # 1, so that vote is for him… I on the other hand love # 2 and 4! hmmm… #2 is so beautiful it reminds me of fairies dancing, but I will have to go with #4 for the colors and the pure joy that was captured in the image. I miss having those summer breaks!
#3 Love the suprise on the boys face!
Wow… What great finalists! I have to vote for number 5. I love how quiet it feels, how even though there is a lot going on around this sweet girl, you would never know it. It does not seem like she knows it either. Great shot!
I love Dancing on Water for its uniqueness.
Can I vote for Phelps photo? That is my favorite 😉
Ok, seriously… I am going to have to go with #4… because it is a great picture and I feel sorry for the guy at the bottom– looks like he got a little too much chlorine in his eye 🙂
I vote for #5. It’s so unexpected and different from the water picture that I would imagine. I love it. It’s great.
putting in my vote for #2… very unique perspective and I love the fact that it makes your mind work… almost like an optical illusion… unless you see it right away you’re kinda puzzled and then once it comes into focus it’s like “of course, how did I not see that” very cool.
All such great shots.
I love number 1 b/c it reminds me of places I’ve been, and the water not only captures contrasts, but so does the sky.
2 is so interesting. Was she standing on glass w/photog. underneath? Kind of like those underground tunnels in Pioneer Square?
3 just so caught my eye. I love it! The capture on that little guy’s face is priceless.
4 captures summertime pooltime perfectly.
And 5. You certainly can “feel” the silence. And I love the story behind it — it adds to the depth of the silence that the photo communicates.
In the end though, I’ll go with number 3. As I did my initial scroll through, it was 3 that just lit up for me. I love it.
Great contest!
Aileen
I vote for #4, its just such a fun picture!
#4 — you just can’t beat those great expressions!
So hard to choose! I think #4 for the sheer smile factor.
They are all so great!!
Oh my goodness….they all so how awesome summer is! I found myself smiling at all of them. AHHH, to be a kid again! Since we have to select one (and since I am a dog lover/owner of 3), I have to go with #3. Anyone who has given a dog a bath can relate to the surprise “shake”!
#4! It just screamed out to me! You can almost hear the girls squeals! Love the colors and the comp. everything!
Awesome photo!
#5 definitely!!! I love that one because of the contrast between a darling little girl in pink…lying in muddy water. Beautiful and fun.
they are all amazing but my vote goes to #5…amazing! 🙂
I’m with you on #2, that’s an amazing perspective. I love it!
I vote for #2.
#5 – what is the lighting story here? Was the sun the only source? Or was there some diffused secondary lighting? It’s really amazing.
Those images are astonishing! Hard to decide, but I think I favour #5 Millenium Park – its amazing and says so much about life, contemplation, observing the world. Congrats to all the finalists for their excellent work!
I had a really hard time deciding. All of the images are beautiful and evocative. I think, though, I will have to go with #5. I have seen my son play just like this so many times. My favorite part of this shot is the color. I love the rich dark browns of the sand and water and the muted, subtle pink and blue of the girl’s swimsuit and the dozer. It’s truly a fantastic shot.
#1
It looks exactly like outside of our beach house in Lincoln City, Oregon
Wow, what incredible images! Each one is so special and full of meaning. But in the end it’s #5 that gets my vote.
#3 – it is framed very well, was great timing, full of action/fun
They are all fantastic shots! I think I have to choose number 4 by Deene – that one makes me feel the most nastalgic for my childhood! LOVE the faces of the top of the totem and the bottom the most!
Number 3!
All the finalist did a wonderful job!
It was a hard choice.
my favourite is number 4. I love the kids playing – it brings back so many happy summer holidays!!!
love #3 – classic. 🙂
Very tough. I will vote for #5 but they are all amazing. I have learned so much since I started reading your site!
Finalist #2, Dancing on Water, by Kirsten.
I love the murky but still ethereal quality to it.
hello there!
i like #1 the best. first off i love the ocean, which puts this shot ahead from the begining…but, i also love the faded color in it. i love how the waves are in the distance yet they still seem intense. also…i love the very opaque rainbow…is that a rainbow? i think so. i would make a canvas of this and put it up in the living room. great job heather!
they’re all great in different ways, but i vote for #5 b/c it caught my eye the most at first glance. i like the “moodiness” of it. =)
#3!! it feels like your there! i almost want to shield myself from the water when i see this picture! true summertime fun everyone can relate to 🙂
#3 i love the wet dog photo, what a precious memory for this little boy and his best friend sam, way to go!
#3
I love all the photos but based on the contest theme of water #3 did it for me.
Great job everyone!
My vote is for #2. For being so new at this, Kirsten is an amazing photog. She has a great eye and really understands how to bring out the most in a photo.
[…] 21, 2008 by Kirsten Geyer Hey everyone! I am honored to be a finalist in a photo contest over at Me Ra Koh Photography Blog! On a whim I decided to enter one of the pictures I took on my New York trip. The contest’s […]
I vote for #5. It is stunning. It’s personal, it’s got landscape, fabulous colors, great mood, unique & interesting.
They are all very great photos though & I enjoyed looking at them.
Id like to vote for number two please. I love those fantasy type shots – I’ve never been very good at them, which might be why I love them so much. Really good job everyone! The first one is REALLY beautiful as well – and of course the one of Michael Phelps – YUM!
Yeah.. #5 does it for me. I love when a moment like that is captured. It may never come again, but she has preserved it forever. 🙂 Wow!
numero cinco!
Just to be different I said it in Spanish. 🙂
They are all awesome.
#5 is amazing
I vote for #4! You can just hear those kids laughing and screaming. It would have been fun to see what happened right after that very moment!
I so want to win the random voter prize!!!!
They are all amazing photos. It took me a while to figure out number 2, but when I did, it is cool!
My vote is for #5.
Definitely #5! WOW!
I vote for #1 because my heart relaxed as soon as I saw that pic. I know I need a little R&R and that picture made me feel like I was there and relaxed at least for a few seconds anyway. Lovely shot!
hahah #3 made me laff out loud!!!! just the shear water flying off the dog! hahaahahahah 🙂 was so great!!!!
so #3!!!!!!
they are all so great though.
My vote is for Finalist #4, Summer Reunion, by Deene Souza! It just embodies the feelings of summer fun. It’s one of those pictures that make you happy. 🙂
They are all amazing in their own unique ways…It’s hard to pick just one, but #5 gets my vote.
#2, I love the movement and the colors.
My vote is for #3. It makes me smile, like MeRa, I can feel the water splashing and smell the ‘wet dog’. That’s a hard shot to capture and to make it look good too. I’ve tried that before and the dogs face is all distorted b/c his jowls flopped over his face…LOL.
Runner up for me is #4. So fun!
number 3!!!!!!!!!!
soooooo adorable!!!!!
love it!!!!!!
I LOVE number 5!!! All the pictures were great number 2 definitely caught my attention too!
I vote for Picture #2. It’s so dreamy! I love the fact that it leaves me wondering…it gives me just enough but doesn’t spell it all out. How did you take this?
#5. Loved them all, but this one speaks to me.
i adore #3 the action is amazing… and that boy!!! is he not the cutest thing in the world!
that are all amazing, but i am going to have to go with number 3 as well, so much fun, takes me right back to my younger years….
All of them are beautiful, but #5 absolutely blows me away. I would love to know how she captured that image. The composition, the lighting, the emotion of the little girl — all of it is remarkably perfect.
My vote is for #5…such an amazing picture,such serene silence.
I vote for #1.
My vote goes to #5. After looking at all the photos I went back and just stared at this one. So many stories can come from this photo. It is amazing.
They are all fantastic–but I vote for #3 because it brings back so many memories of my childhood dog. Also, the timing of the shot had to be perfect. Congrats to all on some fine work.
oh my word how to choose?!
i am in love with the mystery of #2 but #3 is by far my fave ~ it is like some thing out of a book about the fun times of summer! and how did she capture this moment?! beautiful!
whoa, #2 is really cool, frankly #5 kinda gives me the creeps!
We have an English Mastiff too! she loooooves the water!
I’m going to have to go with #3 because i am so familiar with this scene! and the movement is stunning, well done to all… they are all beautiful but Ali… you hit the mark!
#2, dancing on water. I just love the dreaminess.
number 3 number 3 number 3 number 3!!!!!!
wish i had been there! it looks like such a fun time!!!
Number 2 and I want to know how it was done. Wow!
I vote for photo #3 – so fun!!
all gorgeous. the purity of #5. the excitement of #4. the motion of #3. the fantasy of #2. and the tranquility of #1.
but in my opinion #3 really captures the essence of water: the movement, the uncontrolled, the surprise, the trill, the refreshment.
Hats off Ali
I vote for #5 definitely! The lighting is amazing and the picture really makes you want to know the story behind it. Awesome picture!
What a great group of finalists! I vote for #2, “Dancing on Water” in all its unusual, ethereal, doubletake-worthy glory.
They are all amazing! Number 1 reminds me of home….oh how I miss California! Number 2….I want to know how it was done…it’s simply amazing. Number 3….makes me laugh and smile as does number 4. And number 5 tugs at my heart with all the emotion it conveys.
But…..I’d have to say #3 wins it for me. I love his smile as he gets soaked by the dog. The picture makes me so happy and brings me back to my childhood summer breaks!
😀
I love #3. Its a classic scene, almost like a Norman Rockwell painting, capturing true Americana.
#3! It reminds me of my childhood. I miss my puppy. 🙁
Number 5, hands down! It’s breathtaking!
I vote for number 2, so very unique! But all of these photos are amazing!!
WOW! How do you narrow down from awesome choices? I’d probably say #1, simply because the lighting is almost personified in the photo. The shadowy areas and the smoothness of the brightly lit areas play off each other so beautifully that it’s mezmerizing.
Love, love, love #2 – Kirsten. I love how this shot is so different from anything I have ever seen. What great perspective and the water really shows the dancer’s motion. She did a great job and blew it out of the ballpark on this one. 🙂
First I want to say congrats to all of the finalists!! Great Job! I have been watching Me Ra’s blog every since a friend told me about it, and love all of the tips and inspiration I find on the site. I feel truly honored to be one of the finalists.
Love this photagraph lighting is great looks like you are there. This is were I would lke to be with my photos.
Amber! She captured the essence of how photography should be looked at…your interpretation and that only! Congrats and very well done…you’re a star 🙂
YAY!!! You can ask my sister how loud I squealed when I found out that my image was chosen to be one of the finalists…I’m sure she’ll need an eardrum transplant. What an honor…thank you MeRa for all your inspiration and encouragement! All the other finalists have wonderful shots…I feel blessed to even be apart of the group 🙂
i love the 1st water entry .i vote for ist one
#3: what a talented and patient mom to work with a kid, a giant wet puppy… and make it work… wow-wee
all the pictures are amazing.. but i have to vote for no. 1..
having just come back from the beach.. this picture brings back memories of such good times that i spent with my family on the beach..
#5-my heart was drawn to this. i’m a mother to little girls and this picture captures so much of a child…wonder, emotion, and pure innocence. it is an amazing captured moment. great work!
i vote for 4
#5. Love the composition. It’s simple, yet leave you lots of thoughts and childhood memories.
I swear the voting gets harder and harder with each contest!!!!
My vote is #5. It is so calming and peaceful. I can feel the quietness of that image.
ME RA! Thank you for picking my photo as a finalist! I’m so honored! I truly love your blog and read every ounce of it. I absolutely LOVE your videos too. SO WORTH EVERY PENNY . . .but that Brian . . . I tell ya, he’s cute and all, but do you sometimes just have to wonder? HHMMMM.
All kidding aside, thank you for picking my SUMMER REUNION entry (check out my blog for more background info on the meaning behind this photo) and most of all, thank you for all you do by sharing your knowledge and inspiring photographers everywhere around the world, everyday through your blog. Thank you!
My vote is for #5. I think Amber did a wonderful job of capturing a mulitude of emotion.
I pick #4….all the expressions on the kids face is priceless.
My vote is for #2, Dancing on Water, by Kirsten. I love how you can just feel the sensuousness of the water, and what an amazing angle too!
Number one is really beautiful. I love the color and the calm feeling you get when you look at it
It is very hard to pick just one… I will have to go with #3
It is very hard to pick just one #3
#5 for sure!
Number 4 makes me smile. I love the range of emotions on everyone’s faces.
#5 grabbed me and made me gasp. It is absolutely stunning. It shows such carefree abandon – a cute girl in a cute bathing suit just doesn’t care that she’s laying in muddy water, so content, so beautiful.
#5
I like #3 for the action captured in the shot…
I love all the finalist photos. I am stuck between 2 and five. But I think I will go with five. I love water and reflection pictures 🙂
I vote for #1. Besides having a major soft spot for ocean photos, I just love the ying and yang of this photo. The strong harsh ocean right next to the calm peaceful creek. Beautiful. I really love how the one surfer is so perfectly outlined by the crashing wave–very cool!
It looks like the dog is laughing if you look really close, that’s why I like #3
#4!
I love the vibrancy & color in #4. That can be tough to pull off in the summer sun. Also, the expressions are classic! Love it!
#4
The color & vibrancy is amazing. That can be so tough to pull off in the summer sun. Also the expressions are classic! Love it!
my vote goes to ali #3
#4 for my vote. Wish I could vote for all, but, since I am a grandmother, Deene’s photo tugged at my heartstrings.
I have to go with #1 – I love the beauty of nature in that one. It’s just gorgeous. They are all wonderful images, though.
#3—What an amazing picture! I also have a big dog and a little boy—I can relate to this awesome picture!
Ali Brown’s photo captured the vibrant spirit of a child and an animal! What an amazing picture! When a photo makes you smile, you know that the photographer is sincere in their passion to capture emotion. Ali displays her amazing gift….keep it up!
I vote for #3 – Ali. The picture has great detail and makes you feel like you are there enjoying all the fun.
I love dancing on water (#2). Amazing shot!
I love #3 this is an amazing picture. It really captures the moment.
gotta go with #5 because of the stillness of the water, you would think, a kid in the water, gonna be ripples, but it’s just smooth and creates some wild irony to the entire composition. Amazing shot.
#5, the composition grabbed me immediately but I was blown away when I read that she was surrounded by children b/c the shot just looks so ‘quiet’.
Ok so it was rough…I came on here thinking I was going to vote for one, but one totally made me think twice. I love #3 I love the difficulty of how it was to capture, and the time and energy to capture it. But # 5 is so sweet and full of emotion as well. But in the end I totally think that #3 wins! Well done Ali!!
I love them all, but I think #5 evokes the most emotion from me.
Oh very tough! It was a toss up between #4 & #5. Oh decisions, decisions….#4 I just kept going back to it! Summer water fun, love it.
Finalist #2, Dancing on Water, by Kirsten. is my winner – I agree how did she do that – WOW 🙂
Great shots though, I was amazed by them all! 🙂
Great entries… I first thought that Michael Phelps picture was one of the entries and I thought, “WOW! How did one of our ladies get that???” Silly me. 🙂
#1 for me! It’s so beautiful and serene with the still water overlooking the crashing tide. It could be a postcard! And a beautiful look at both the gentleness and raw power of water.
All 5 pictures were fantastic, though, and I had giggles for the shakey dog and pool totem, and an “awww” moment for the little girl playing by herself in the puddle.
#3! love it!You captured a perfect moment!
Wow, this is a tough one. I am going to have to go with number 5, I just keep coming back to it.
All of the photod were awesome. I have to say #5 hands down!!! That photo took my breath away!!! That sweet little girl in that muddy water, lost in her own thought…. JUST PRICELESS!!!
#3 #3 #3!!! What a picture that is not only difficult to get but in such great detail.
[…] been so exciting to watch people vote and comment on the Five Finalists for the Water Photo Contest! Aren’t they all […]
#4 is by far my favorite. That’s my vote. That is a hard shot to capture with the bright sun and keep everyone from blurring. #5 is weird. I thought it was a dead child at first. Composition or not, it didn’t feel good to me.
#3 Rocks—-GO ALI!!!!
#3—#3—-#3—-It must have taken all day to capture that exact picture!
#3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great entries!
They are all great but #3 is my favorite!
They are all wonderful, but I vote #5. Every time I look at it I feel a different emotion. It’s the kind of art you love to look at again and again. Nice work Amber!
#4 – it is just such a fun shot that evokes some many memories of summer
My vote is for #1
#3 great detail!
Love #2. Any picture that makes you stop and look twice is a great picture.
# 3!!
I love the little ones expression, shock and excitment! Perfect timing to capture that shot.
I absolutely love “Finalist #5, Millennium Park, by Amber”. Everytime I look at it I think I feel a different emotion. But each time I feel that emotion in the depths of my heart. It is timeless, amazing and beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing!
I love #1 it gives me such a peacefull feeling just looking at it
This was the best contest yet, I think! So hard to choose…
#1 is breathtaking
#2 is intriging and tres cool
#3 is an awesome action shot
#4 is just plain fun
but #5 keeps pulling me back in
Gotta go with #5!
#3 – Wet Dog
#5 because any can take photo’s of water and people, but this is exceptional and real talent
Great shots ali! Really capture the moment! Make you feel a part of the action.
Sincerely,
David
I vote for #3 – kids, dog & water an unbeatable combination
My vote is for #2……there is something mystical and mysterious about the picture at the same time! It leaves the viewer with lots of questions!
#2 for me! It’s such an intriguing photo and Kirsten really captured the movement, bubbles and life between the water and the subject.
gotta go #3!!!! rad shot girl!
spectacular job one and all!!!!
number 3 is the one i <3!!!!
I Love #4. Summer for children should be All about fun, and this picture depicts it PERFECTLY.
I love #5! It’s so different.
I vote for #1. I just loved the composition and the tranquility. Nice image.
My vote is for #1.
I love the picture for so many reasons. One being that what you said about it is so true! I love your writing! So expressive!
I also liked the “fun-ness” in #3!
I vote for #3. There is just something special about a boy and his dog. Maybe it’s your new puppy, or the love I have for my own two crazy pugs, but I kept going back to #3.
Ooh, so hard to decide! I like No. 1 and No. 5 the best, but if I HAVE to choose (LOL) I’m going to pick No. 5! But, GREAT job to ALL five finalists! You guys totally rock!
I vote for Dancing on Water. It’s the most unusual, not rooted in a season or a specific vignette, no familiar cast of characters. Could be any girl I know. Could be a phantom. Could be me. That’s why I like it.
These are all awesome- my vote goes to #3- I loved that Ali took away from the DVD series enough to use it in action!
I love #3. What fun!
#5 – it is just so rich and thought-provoking. They are ALL beautiful images though – such a diverse selection!
I vote for #5. There is something otherwordly about it. It looks like it belongs in an art museum.
#3 is my choice. All are great shots, but 3 makes me smile.
I vote for number 3!!!!!! Sooooo precious!!
#2, how in the world was this shot taken?
it was a very tough decision for me between #1 and #5, but in the end i choose #5. it just so evocative of that fleeting childhood innocence of long hot summers and daydreams and playing outside and being small in this huge world.
#4 is pure summer fun & makes me wish my children mern’t already back to school! Amazing, Deene!
Maybe I should go back to school to learn how to spell weren’t!! HA!
#4 – It makes me smile every time I look at it. You can just tell that they had so much fun doing this.
Loved the energy in #4. chicken fights rock! all the photos are beautiful. #4 takes it for me though. this captures summer beautifully
#3–I love the composition of the oversized dog spraying the undersize boy. Great detail!
#3 is my pick. Detail is amazing.
#4 – what wonderful expressions !
Number 4 gets my vote. I too love their difference expressions. Good work Deene!!
Congratulations to all of the finalists, great work!
Photo 1 is stunning and technically perfect. So crisp and sharp, yet serene and soft all at the same time. I could see this being sold as a print…
Photo 2 is interesting and ethereal. I love how she captured the beauty of motion and fluidity in water. Reading through her blog you unravel the mystery of how this was shot…but I love how not knowing keeps the viewer guessing.
Photo 3 is just a joyful photo, one you want to look at. It warms you from the inside, reminds you of childhood, summertime, your favorite family pet. She also really captured the moment here in a BIG way.
Photo 4 is one of those shots you try and try for and just get so excited when it finally works. Getting a shot of 4 people (kids) where they all have amazing expressions, well it can seem like an outright miracle! Great job catching the action and vibrance of summer.
Photo 5 is simply AMAZING. Thought provoking, beautiful, emotive, and as some comments have expressed slightly controversial. And to all this I say good. This photo to me is fine art. It stay with me. It reminds me that in the murk of the world there still lies innocence, beauty and wonderment.
With all that said my vote is for Photo 5, it is a photo I wish I would have taken.
Great job and Congratualtions to all!
(Me Ra so excited you’re giving away Lightroom to a random voter, I SO need that program! looks like you may get to 400 this time…)
#2 ~ I would love to know how it was captured! Amazing! Dancing on the car sunroof with the sprinkler going? haha 🙂
What wonderful pictures. the first one makes me wish for a vacation. the next draws you in wondering if the picture taker was in the water or what. the next two are just plain fun. the last one is another thinker. I like this one best because it’s a moment in time, timeless wonder. I can imagine that if it were my child it could pick up her layed by personality and the ability to take a moment anywhere when she tired. I would treasue the story it tells. So my vote is for #5
#4 – I love the color and the expressions!!
This is a toughie because they are all so good.
But my first instinct is…
#3
#4
So much fun! Makes you smile.
I vote for #3. Technically, it is a wonderful image, but more important is the way it makes me feel. I can relate to the litte boy…lol. The photo is fun and brings back many good memories.
I pick number 4. Great action shot.
This one was really hard! But for capturing water during the Summer, I have to make my vote for #4. 🙂
Im voting for #4!! As a mom, I know how hard it is to get just one kiddo to have a good expression, let alone 4!!! Love it!!!
Hayley
Awesome action shot!!
# 3 rocks! Wonderful pic Ali!
#5!!! Gorgeous shot!
#5!! A GORGEOUS SHOT!
#5!! Such a great shot!
I’m voting for #5. It shows such wonderful emotion. I just wish I knew which one. LOL
#3 It looks so fun!
I LOVE #5!
These all look great — my personal favorites are #3 and #4. I felt that #1 is a lot like what I have in my photo collection (and I am strictly an amatuer photographer). #2 is kind of strange — I didn’t care for that one. #5 seems to be very posed and stiff/rigid.
But when it comes right down to it — I vote for #4. It might be because it’s really hot here right now and that I would like to be one of these kids.
#4 – it just says summer!
I love #4 – reminds me of fun times in the pool with all my cousins when we were little.
#4 gets my vote- it captures the true innocence of summer through a childs eyes. Every mom can appreciate those smiles!
I vote for Deanne’s picture…#4. The range of emotions is hilarious. Plus, I think her kids are so cute.
#2 just totally speaks to me. It’s dreamy and surreal. It is beautiful! (#5 was a close 2nd!)
All pictures are great, but #4 is priceless! It’s the most joyful one out of them all and captures a moment in time! CLASSIC!
Great photo! #4 has great expressions and color.
#4 has by far captured my heart. You can just put yourself right in the picture and the excitement of it all. Great job.
I vote for #4. Very fun shot.
#4 is great!
I vote for #4, such fun!
#4 by deene souza!!
My vote’s for #4! Looks like so much fun!
I have to vote for #4! I love Deene’s work!
I pick finalist #4 Summer Reunion because I love the expession of each child in this fun summer activity. I love the pool and this is the kind of stuff I think about when I think of water.
I love everything about #4. Definitely reminds me of everything summer.
I vote for #5, great job….aren’t little girls just precious!!!!!
My vote is for #5. I really wonder what thoughts are going through her little head.
Mary Ann
I vote for #4, It is so much fun to see the children laugh-great shot.
# 4 WHAT A SHOT OF KIDS AT THE BEST TIME OF THE SUMMMER.
#4
Millenium Park by Amber. Breathtaking.
#5
This is an amazing shot. a view I would never imagine. Totally captures “in the moment” GREAT PHOTO!
Finalist #3, Wet Dog, by Ali
This shot is so cute! Love the action!
#5. Different than anything I’ve ever seen.
My vote is for #5. It is an amazingly beautiful picture.
#3 wet dog! Amazing Action
I love all of them, but Number 4 reminds me of my kids….love it!
Number four. Really neat photo. The little girl on the top is so cute and the kid at the bottom’s face is priceless
I vote #5! This picture is wonderful! It’s so mysterious and even though I know a photographer shot this, it makes me wonder who is really looking at her? Is she the last surviving girl on this planet? Or has her journey come to and end? Great job!
They are all wonderful and for different reasons. Hard to pick just one.
I think number 5 though is the one I keep looking at……
Pure Joy #4…Did you catch the spalsh? So Fun!
number one is my favorite. I like the light and the waves
I love a couple of them, but I think in the end, I have to go with number 5. Amazing! I loved it even more when I read your comments about them and learned that she was surrounded by chaos, but found this tiny piece of solitude.
I like #3. It is really cool.
#5 – AMBER!!! All the way – gorgeous photo. It not only draws your attention, but it holds onto it and keeps you there. Great job Amber!!
My vote is for #5! What an adorable little girl. It is a timeless treasure.
Have 2 kids that love to swim, I’d have to say #4. The look on the kid on the bottom is priceless. I also think it is amazing that they were able to get 4 high. I also like how the image just “pops” out to me. I like all the others, and it was a close tie for me between the dancing with water and the pyramid. In the end, I like #4.
#4 what fun!
I vote for #4. It captures the fun of summer.
Finalist #5 – Amber’s Milennium Park. I absolutely LOVE the composition. It is really striking and caught my eye right away.
I’m in dilemma for #3 and #4.
I love #3 for the right exposure and shutter speed. the dog is not too blurry, but we still can see the motion of the dog.
#4. I love the color and the expression of the people. It’s the picture I wish I have when I’m playing in the pool with my children.
In the end, I guess I will vote for #4.
I love the expressions in this one! They’re having so much fun and she captured them at just the right moment!
I vote for #4 – looks like a lot of fun!!!
I think #4 shows the most expressions!
I love #4, those expressions are just perfect! I love how you explained the photo, that definitely sold me! And you know in just a second they were all in the water. Oh, and how do none of them LOOK WET?!?!? ^_^ LOL Well except on the bottom.
#5 – no contest. The composition, the texture, the blending of the hard and the soft, the angular and the curve, dark and light come together in such a way that the girl becomes a pupil of an eye looking back at us, sending us the image. Both concrete and surreal at the same time. (Hey Me Ra, this is Genie’s Lauren!)
Tough choice! If I’m voting for the best composition and image, it’s #5. If I’m voting for the best moment captured (with great color and lighting) it’s #4! Sigh…I guess I’ll go with…..#4! All are beautiful in different ways. Wonderful job everyone!
I am going to cast my vote for #3!! Great Job Ali. Captures such a pure and simple moment of childhood that everyone can relate to.
i am voting for #4 beautiful picture
cool pic #4 is the best
Wow! I have to go with # 5 by Amber. It really catches your eye.
#5 is my favorite. It is unique and completely unexpected.
Picture #5 – hands down!
My vote has to be for #2, Kirsten’s Dancing on Water.
It is so unusual and intriuguing. I love that you can tell a foot is in the image and water is somehow involved but you would never in a million years figure out how she did it. I also like the subject on the left in the image and the blur and how the black background sets it all off.
Really a once in a lifetime kind of shot.
i vote for #5
I like #3 the best. The water spray has made it into a slight abstract in which the feeling of the moment is captured very well.
They’re awesome. Each entry tells it’s own story.
I’m totally amazed and mesmerized by #5. I find myself staring at it wondering what the little girl is thinking. It gives the viewer a sense of imagination…asking “where is the little girl? Is she in a different world? Why is she there and is she alone?” Absolutely incredible!!!
They’re awesome. Each entry tells it’s own story.
I’m totally amazed and mesmerized by #5. I find myself staring at it wondering what the little girl is thinking. It gives the viewer a sense of imagination…asking “where is the little girl? Is she in a different world? Why is she there and is she alone?” Absolutely incredible!!!
#4, brings back memories and reminds us to enjoy the simple things in life!
I vote #4 – Deene Souza because this is my family and I LOVE the picture! They crack me up 🙂 And Deene is a WONDERFUL photographer!!!
No.4 Think that is a wonderful picture of a group of kids having a great, great time.
Love #3. The little boys expression tells it all!!
#4 – loved the kids in the pool. Would love to have a shot like that of my own 4. Great, great shot!
oh, this is hard. I loved the kids in the pool and Kirsten’s feet shot but my favorite is number one, where creek meets ocean – fantastic. Speaks to my own desire for adventure and tranquility.
#5 gets my vote.
Wow they are all great but I vote for #1
This is a toughy! But I’ll have to say it’s between #1 and #4. #1 just for the powerfully contrasting elements and #4 because it epitomizes kids and summer fun. It just makes you smile to look at it!
I vote for #3, given the water theme and the expression on the little boy’s face.
Totally #2. I would hang that on my wall.
I vote number 5. So sweet!
I love #4! Good job Deene, color is perfect! To be sure. Actually, If I could vote for more than one, 3 is fun and 5 is amazingingly pure!
# 5 !!!
Beautiful.
All of them are very good though.
#5. Love the simplicity of the picture.
#5
All of the photos are AMAZING and evoke many thoughts and feelings, but #5 reminded me of a moment I’ve tried to catch with my two year old. She’ll be dancing and running around with such an excitement when all of a sudden she stops, as if to take everything in. This brief pause she does always reminds me to stop and take in every moment of life for myself. The photo of the little girl just gave me that same feeling- great job capturing the stillness of the little girl’s “moment”!
#4!!!!!!! Hard to get kids to do ANYTHING for pictures 🙂
#2….I like the fact you have to look (more than once) to figure out just what you are looking at!!! Great photo.
I love them all! I vote for the #2 image.
My hubby and I just got home from a weekend vacation and after scooping up and kissing my kids I went directly to your blog to see if the new class registration had been announced. When I saw that you had picked my image, I think I scared my kids with my scream of excitement. Anyway I absolutely loved your description of it and it is just what I would have said myself if I was talented in any way what so ever when it comes to writing. When I sent you the image I was literally running out the door with my kids and I had about two seconds to get it sent off. We have this picture framed in our office and every time we look at it, it just relaxes our souls. So THANK YOU again for choosing it and I really hope to meet you soon in person and learn fabulous things from you 🙂
Amber’s #5. As a mom, I have tons of smiling, playing, full-of-life images of my children. It is the quiet solitude that is so hard to catch without interrupting and yet so fleeting in our memories. Beautiful art and a beautiful moment for a mother to cherish.
[…] I went to bed last night, I was so excited to see that we were up to 273 VOTES!! I was so […]
Wow, they are all fantastic. I’m voting for #5. It’s a beautiful shot and it doesn’t show a typical beach scene.
They are all so beautiful! But I think I’m going to have to go with #3.
Number 3 all the way!
#3. Great lighting and awesome clarity.
I love #3! Its totally a summer picture!! And you can totally feel this picture! So great!
I vote #3
Wow….#5 for me. I do love the moments when can catch kids just being….kids.
#4 I love number 4 because I remember those summer reunions myself. My cousins would come over and we would all get on top of eachother and have wars. So much Summer Fun! Deene the facial expressions on the kids are priceless!
My vote is for #2 – this is just such a different perspective and unique shot that I think it deserves to win.
I vote for #1. The madness and serenity all captured in one photo is breathtaking. And the three oblivious surfers just make it all reality. Great photo!
I vote for number 3. I really think that is a look of summer. GREAT picture!!! Sherrie
I’m voting #4, Summer Reunion
I adore and vote for #3 “Wet Dog”. I can picture this being my son and dog and it cracks me up every time. Great job to everyone!
Julie
My vote is for #3. All the pictures look great. I have experienced the “dog splatter” in the past, but never saw anything like this in photography!
I vote for #3. Big dog, little kid, memorable experience, very cute picture.
Number 2. Is beautiful.
All are get photos no matter who wins.
#4 gets my vote. So fun!
#4 You can hear the laughter of all these kids!
I vote for #4!
Tough choice, but I think #2 gets my vote. It’s just so interesting!
#5. Great capture. I love the lighting.
Tough one! I vote for #4 because I can feel what’s coming. Perfect timing and the expressions are fantastic. That’s a fun family and Deene caught it!
oh gosh ! 3,4 and 5 ! I’m going to go with 4 ,love the expressions and the feeling.
Keep voting people!
Great job on all but I like #4 the best.
Thanks
Jess
I like them all, but I really enjoy #4.
Thanks
Jess
Ohhhh, number 5 is wonderful!
#5 she’s so focused…so untouched by what is going on around her, she looks as comfortable as if she was lying on her own soft, dry bed. This is the kind of moment that disappears once another child comes running through the puddle or yells her name! A fantastic capture. . . .
I love #3!!
It felt the most real and unposed to me. Just a natural, fun moment that makes you smile!
Number 1 by Heather. The way she capured the peacefulness of the day is superb. How could you not want to be there. Great job.
#4
All the photos are stunning, for all the reasons already listed!
I can feel summertime in this image – it also makes me think of how nostalgic these kids will feel looking back on this photo as adults – how it will bring them back to this time of life.
My vote is for #1. Beautiful photo Heather! It really gives that calm and peaceful feeling we all have when we are at the beach. Fabulous job.
I am loving #1 – It is stunning! So clear, clean, and crisp. It’s just beautiful!!!
Finalist #5, Millennium Park, by Amber
For many reasons I am drawn back to #1. (If I have to vote for just one)
It’s the hidden details & the untold story within the picture. I just noticed the little one walking down the sand towards who I assume is her family. Where a Creek Meets the Ocean is beautiful, peaceful, warm, crisp, powerful, and fun…to me.
This was tough since they are all such beautiful photos, but the two that moved me most were #3 & #5. In the end my vote is for #3.
I have to vote for number 5 because it is the image that sticks in my mind long after I have scrolled to the bottom of this page. It evokes so many questions in my mind and I think that is what makes it the winner for me. The others were great too but Amber’s pic gets my vote.
no. 2.
such a different take on the theme.
I am voting for # 2 because the theme is water. The photo captures the water for me. I can imagine the feel and movement of the water.
(# 5 is a brilliant, brilliant photo, and my first instinct was to vote for it but I see the child more than the water).
My vote is for #5.
We took a poll in our house and we just can’t get past the sheer exuberance of #4. I also love the ways the colors really pop.
That’s our collective vote: #4
Love the colors and characteristics of #4.
They are all really emotion filled pictures but the one I like the best is #4. The expressions on the kids faces are priceless. It brings me back to a time when I didn’t have a care in the world, except for having fun. Good job Sis!!
My vote is for #4 – Summer Reunion
The colors are all so bright and vibrate – which reflects the expressions on all of the faces. It makes you smile when you look at it!
Um, wow! SO hard to pick just one! I truly love them all! I have been inspired…Not just the pictures, but the people and blogs that are behind them! So after days of trying to decide which one to vote for, here it is:
#3, Wet Dog, by Ali
Why? Well, I love that I almost feel like doing a little shimmy myself when I see this image. Not only do I feel like doing a shimmy, but I can also smell the “wet dog” too! 🙂 I have a HUGE soft spot in my heart for dogs, so I think that may have contributed as well. 🙂
Fun stuff!
#4. Love the expressions
I pick number 1 because it reminds me of the harmony of God’s creation.
#4 lovely expressions!
#1…much emotion w/o people. It’s peacful to look at…
voting # 4
WOW great Pic!!!
These are all so fantastic, but I am completely in love with #4 – so that gets my vote!
Vote! Vote! Vote! We are so close to 400! 73 more!
I absolute LOVE #5. It reminds me of my little girl. The look of innocence and wonder on her face is absolutely priceless! GREAT shot!!
#5 – What a precious moment in time captured forever!!
I vote for #3 “Wet Dog” I like the comp and it completely captures summer fun being had by a boy and his dog. I like the nostalgic feel.
I vote for # 5.
It really shows a peacefullness. The simpleness of one toy and an incredible imagination busily at work.
Beautiful work! I really love the image (#5) of the little girl ‘day dreaming’ while gazing at her pin wheel . . . reminded me of my childhood and all the wonderful times we spent at the beach!
I love #3. The detail in the picture along with the timing of the shot are spectacular. I can see my own son and dog in this same shot! Well Done!
I loved #1 and your thoughts on it. I have a feeling the photographer Heather appreciated your perspective.
#4 captures the simplicity of summer with the innocence of children having fun. The pool water looks amazing in that light.
#3 – it’s a perfect reflection of both kids and summer.
#5 Love this because it is so calm and real. What is she thinking about?
#4 you just can’t fake expressions like those! all were wonderful!!
I love #3
It’s so lively!!!!!!
My vote is for #5.
#5 is my pick! As a mother of girls, I felt sweet delightful compassion for this little angel.
#3 is the best
#3 for sure! Amazing.
Boy this is always so tough
#3 forsure
#3 is my vote
I vote for #1 – this is the kind of shot you get once in a lifetime! Truly beautiful!
I hope it’s okay for me to vote even though I’m one of the finalists (I REALLY want that lightroom) 🙂
I’m not going to be obvious and vote for my own photo…my vote is for #5!!! I love this picture! It is so interesting, my husband and I have been talking about it on and off for days now. It would fit perfectly in a gallery show. Great work!
my vote is for #3.
great picture, awesome timing, classic pic of a kid and their dog.
very detailed.
Love #4 and #5. My vote will go to #5.
I vote for number one. I love the color of that water, makes me want to dive right in!
I pick #1. I find myself wanting to stay there and explore it’s every detail. It just draws me back again and again. Great picture Heather. I love it!
Though I wavered for a bit between images
#2 and #5, I will definitely say that my vote goes to #2. I love the abstract quality of the photo and the energy that is captured.
I love them all but the one that captured my eye is #5
Love the simplicity and realness of #3!! Great Job!!
#3–no wait, #4– no wait, 1! hold on, #5. No– 2!
Geez, this is really hard, so many good pics and so diverse. i’ve been looking at them for a few days and each time i like a different one…. but i guess the one that strikes me on the most complex level, the one that stays with me and makes me think, the one that seems to (in my opinion) transcend the theme, is #5.
So yea. i vote for #5. nice work!
It was a hard decision, but #1 stands out to me.
I’ve had such a hard time deciding! I’m going to have to go with #3 I just can’t get over the perfect detail. All those water drops… Wow! If I were to capture this image I would have been sooo excited! Congrats!
Oh so close to 400 hooray!
#3 gets my vote. staring at that little picture it took no time at all before i was lost in the wonder of how the scene unfolded from there. pure joy!
definitly #3!!!!!
the water droplet detail is astounding!
Numero 3 is rocking. thats my vote. Its amazing to see so much action frozen all at once. It’s an explosion of movement frozen in an instance. Good eye
*3 does it for me!!
the all american summer!
I vote #5. The light, the texture, the emotion , the color, all contribute to the moment time stopped. Wonderful inspiration!
I vote for number 3, because it is so not “staged” looking. I am sure it took hard work to get the shot but it just doesn’t look that way. Plus I love the childlike attitude towards something like this…fun rather than annoyance which would be my attitude. Great shot!
#3 Wet Dog – sometimes capturing great spontaneity takes a little planning.
I vote for #4. I love love love the way the facial expressions go from struggling at the bottom to pure joy at the top.
They are all great. This was a tough choice! But I just love #5. Just like a child. Looks like she’d played hard and wore herself out. Took me back to when my girls were little. Great shot!
Sherry Mason
I have come here to vote several times and each time I do a different picture is my favorite…they all have such a different mood to them, and they are all wonderful.
So, I am going to vote for the one that spoke to me first…#2.
I really adore #5, it’s just amazing the feeling it evokes. I can just imagine the world this little girls is in at the moment. Thanks for a great shot.
Number 5 is my favorite
Wow. I just LOVE this blog.
It was immediately between #3 & #5 for me, but since I can only vote for one picture. I have to vote for #3. Both images stir such emotion for me, but I can’t stop smiling at #3. And when I put both of them side by side, #3 is the one I want to stare at.
Awesome job to all of the photographers!
I like picture number 3 the most!
#1. That is a beautiful image.
Someone’s going to win LIGHTROOM and Starbucks! YIPPEE!!!
I’m voting for #3. I love the expression on that little guys face. Priceless!
I vote for #3 – it’s classic summer and a priceless capture! AWESOME set up!!
Photo #3 Great Photo
#3 – i love the picture of the little boy with the wet dog!!! SO cute.
All the pics are FANTASTIC – but I vote for # 3!! Great picture:)
#5…..this picture captures a contemplative moment that kids easily slip into and all adults wish they could find again. Tough decision though ’cause ALL the pics were great in their own right!
All of the entries were great and so different it made choosing the one i like most difficult. In the end i have to go with #5 because it stirred up such emotion in me when i saw it. I took in a sharp breath.and then i just kept starring at it. I see it in two ways: a child completely lost in her own imaginary world where everything is calm. and then there is other thought that comes to mind like it’s a little creepy…like kids in a scary movie. i’m just waiting for something to happen..kids dont play that calmly (at least my 3 dont) and the water it is too smooth, too still, she’s been lying there still for too long….something is wrong! and then i just keep starring at it to figure it out. wierd thought i know, and that’s not like me, but that’s where my mind went.
#3 I just love everything about it! It makes me smile. There is emotion, action and texture. What an awesome shot!!
I think #2 because it is so unique.
#1!!! It looks so peaceful and powerful a the same time. The light is gorgeous too!
#3!! I love it it’s great!
#1 Hands down! I love it!!!!
Since the theme is water, #1 and #5 spoke to me loudest about water. I’m so torn because the two pictures evoke such different feelings.
But I’m going to choose #1 Where a Creek Meets the Ocean by Heather. When I think of water I think of a large force, even in smaller quantities. I think of something that is chameleon-like; it can be calm and flowing one minute, then pounding, crashing and loud the next.
All the pictures are absolute beautiful, but that one says “Water” to me the most.
My vote is for #2. It is very interesting, please let us know how you did it!
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I love #5!
I love number 2 because of how different it is from every other and it shows that the photographer thinks outside the box.
The blur it has adds motion to the photo which really makes it different.
HOly MOly at the # of votes!!!
that is awesome!
I LOVE #3!!!!!
they’re all wonderful!
i vote for #5 because it’s unique (other than the fact that my daughter has that same suit! 🙂 ). i love how deep in thought the little girl is. it’s a wonderful moment.
I absolutely love number 5. It makes me wonder what she is thinking about and why she is there and so content.
#2 is my favorite
# 5, so beautiful.
#3–love the movement and feel of this photograph!
After reviewing these photos for some time, I have finally came to a decision.
My vote goes for #4.
I can’t get over their expressions and how much fun they were having being together. What a perfect swimming pool picture.
I would also like to reiterate the fact that all these photos are simply AMAZING. I would totally hang #1 on my wall, #2 is so definitely unique and simple but so captivating also, #3…can we get any more of the detail here? I mean come on! and #5, the sweetness of that little girl playing…I would absolutely love a shot of this with MY little girl!
CONGRATULATIONS to all the finalists…your photos are truly breathtaking. Keep shooting! 😉
#1, beautiful picture. Makes me want to go on vacation!
#5, how precious is that little girl. What a moment.
#3, I would love this photo of my precious pup!
I got turned onto this blog by my coworker and WOW these shots are amazing! Are these all professional photographers? AND…do I really have to pick just one?
After much decision making and breaking I am in love with #2.
#5
I imagine this little girl laying in a dinosaur foot print and alone in the world.
#5
I love #1. That’s the type of place I’d like to sit and read or drink a glass of wine. 🙂
the others are all lovely, but #4 is so vibrant and happy, so that’s my official vote.
My vote is for #5…there is something so ethereal and quiet about it, more of a fine art quality.
#5 is my vote. I love the lighting. I love the windmill. I love the point of view. This photo is excellent.
I’m voting for my home girl Ali finalist #3!! She is an amazing photographer and she deserves to win this! Good Luck Ali
#4 – all the expressions are perfectly captured and the composition and color is awesome!!
# 4 is the winner, but wow they are all great!
Awesome shot girl!!!
Betsy
http://www.betsyandjohn.net/blog
My pick is #5. I just love how the little girl seems lost in her own world. Beautiful composition!
Love #3!
My vote- #3. I’ve been trying to catch such an image of my bullmastiff and my two year old all summer. Great timing- boys face says it all!
wow, tough. and such variety! hmmm… tough choice.
#3. Love everything about it.
I love the action in number 3: Wet Dog.
I vote for wet dog!
I’m going with the minority and saying #1. It’s so technically strong and just a gorgeous photo. The other ones are beautiful moments too. Great contest!!!
#3.
I love #4! Grabbed me right away!
i love all,but #5 it is.
#3 (I do love #1) tough decision. Hope you get the 400 votes!
I’m proud to see that Amber has found her creative side with photography. I’m hoping she can teach me a thing or two. So I vote for my wife, #5.
I like #3 (although #1 is pretty close to the top for me too). I can totally relate to this moment and it brings me back to being a kid playing with my dog. I feel like I’m right there in the moment laughing and trying my hardest to escape this wet dog!!
I vote for #3, cause Ali just knows how to snap a picture, she’s awesome!
#2 please
#4! Just love the kids expressions! 🙂
#4! I just love the kids!
#3- picture captures that moment perfectly if you’ve been there… which i definitely have!
#3.
#1 Rocks!!! Beautiful stuff cangrats to all th efinalists!
#3 -great shootin!
#4-great shot Deene!
#4 great shot Deene!
VOTE! VOTE!
I vote for #4. I love the pure joy and all of the expressions on their faces.
I vote #3 I love it!
i vote #3 yay i love this photo!
I’m diggin the dog shot! The kid’s face and all that water, great shot. #3
These images are so strong, I like them all. How did you ever narrow it down? I can only image how many other goodies you had submitted. It’s a toss up for me I love the whole fantasy aspect of #2, the quietness of #5, they giggles from #4, The waves crashing in #1 but my vote goes to #3. It makes me happy and looks like an ad for summer time. Congratulations to all the finalists.
I love #1! It reminds me of spots we saw on Kauai, HI. 🙂 Oh, to go back!
I have to vote for #5.
To me, these contests are not about who is technically correct but more about the ‘art’ of photography and the feeling the photograph evokes in you. #5 is very artistic. The photographer saw this and immediately knew this would be a photograph that was intriguing and evoking of emotion & feeling.
The girl lying in the mud makes me so uncomfortable!! And to contrast that uncomfortableness I’m feeling with how extremely comfortable the little girl is feeling, is amazing!
I love this picture!
Photo #5
#3 wet dog all the way!
#1 I guess I better tell wich one I love…
My vote goes to 3
Photographer set up a great shot, had good timing and got it all in detail! Color is great too!!!
Millenium park. I am so there, lying in the mud, oblivious to the fact that I’m lying in mud.
I had such a hard time choosing this time. #3 shows a fun action of water…I love the droplets…#4 was hilarious, love the expressions of the kids being IN water…but #5 took water to a different dimension…it wasn’t the silly or usual type picture you’d take surrounding water…
Therefore, I go for the different one…my vote is for #5…wonderful pictures everyone!!!
Okay, that was really hard but #5. That little girl just appeals to the mom in me. Someone give her a popsicle.
Definitely #3.
#5…really beautiful..
#5 is great
Wow! All of them are amazing! We moved to Denver, Colorado after living in Seattle for the past 10 years and all of these images made me really miss the water!!! My vote is # 1 – I felt very peaceful when I saw it.
#4. Summer reunion. I feel like I’m there. So Fun. All of these are great!
#4 Summer reunion – this picture istantly put a smile on my face and reminded me so much of childhood summers. The girls expressions are priceless. Great emtotion!! #4
I love them all — wow, tough choices, but my favorite from the first time i saw them was #5! I just love how this photo was captured! It’s amazing and so sweet
My vote is for #5. It is so wonderful to see a child so into a single moment of play that all else is oblivious. Who knows what wonderful things she is imagining while laying in the warm sun with her feet and part of her body submerged in cool water.
#5 is my vote! It’s so beautiful and evocative!
# 5 is absolutely gorgeous!!! I love it.
Definitely #5 – it literally made me gasp when I saw it…
My vote is for #1. I especially like landscapes. I love the crashing waves in the background, but yet, it’s totally still. Just beautiful.
My vote is for # 5. It’s a work of visual art that only an artist would find in our everyday activities.
love them all, but I think #3 is my most fav, love the innocence that is captured and the fun of the moment.
#4. I love the S curve created by the kids. The color is exceptional and I just love taking pictures of children and appreciate a true capture!
Hi,
I vote for #4! You can just hear the kids laughing when you look at the picture. It makes you really wonder what happened after the pic was taken. Who got hurt in the tumble to the water! It also makes me wish for our hot weather to come back!
#2 – It is so creative and unique – LOVE IT.
I vote for #1. I’d like to be there right now.
Number 3! Made me miss my own puppy!
#4, i think this photo really captures memories of summer.
I love #2. It is creative and unique. What a great photo.
#5 for me, it’s such a great image, reminds me of those quiet moments when you’re a kid, everything is moving about you but it can’t take you away from your thoughts. If only it was as easy to be that way as an adult!
I vote for #2, it is absolutely breathtaking!!!
I love number 3.
I like the mystery but also happy funky action on this photo — Finalist #2, Dancing on Water, by Kirsten.
I remember this pose, and the position I was the in the middle always..with my cousins.. love and my vote is for #4 it brought back a childhood memory….
I vote for #5. It is my favorite, hands down. It really does take me to a different place!
#4 for me! I love the energy of the image.
I absolutely LOVE #3!!!
#4 is my vote. It’s definitely got life to it.
I would have to say #3. It really grabbed me. Reminds me of being a child:) It’s just a “feel good” image….. I love those:)
I love #4! It is fun and it is difficult to get that in full sun…I love it!
Number 4!! Made me laugh. 🙂
Tracy
# 5!!!!!!!!!! gorgeous!
#5, Mellinnium Park. All photos are stunning and evoke some kind of emotion, but with photo 5, it’s such a vivid image. You immediately wonder about the entire story behind the little girl with her pinwheel. She is in her own little world. The contrast of the photo is very eye-catching. Well done!
It’s hard to choose one-they are all great-but I’ll vote for #4-such a fun picture!
#1! Awesome color!So much power conveyed. You can feel the energy come right through this photo.
[…] are also going to announce the winner of the Water Photo Contest and the Random Voter Award Winners this week! AND, you all AMAZE me because we got 440 votes by the […]
#5
[…] This blog thought my picture was rad enough to make it a finalist in their photo contest…and they said my blog was “cute” (not exactly what I’m going for, but I’ll take it!) […]
wow. wow. wow. how to decide?
ok…um, #2!
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#3!!! this picture truly defines what i want water to be all about….fun!
Ali, your amazing!
♥catt
[…] contest obsessed. And I did it again. One of my photos that I took this summer at a family reunion has been chosen as a finalist for a monthly photo contest by one of my favorite photographers, Me Ra Koh. So naturally, I need […]
Number #5 is the one I really like, the child and the horse is excellent !
[…] helpful thing is when I met a good friend on Me Ra’s blog. Ali won a photo contest for the “wet dog” picture, so I emailed her and we’ve been friends ever since. She had started a photography business […]
Hey – whats up. Thanks for the blog. I’ve been digging around for info, but there is so much out there. Google lead me here – good for you i guess! Keep up the great information. I will be popping back over in a few days to see if there is any more info.
hi!, thx for the info, this post was very very nice ! I just received a copy of a interesting Mastiff Book. Wow! I recommend it for anyone thinking of getting a mastiff !