A huge thank you to everyone who entered our recent photography competition. We’re continuing the voting in our second round today, and it’s another great chance to see some inspiring photography and help us pick a winner!
The Voting Process
We’ve gone through all the submissions received, and picked around 150 that we feel are worthy of putting to a reader vote. If yours wasn’t included, we hope you won’t be discouraged and will try again next time!
Voting will take place in three parts of around 50 images each, with the 10 highest rated photos of these three rounds going into a “final”.
This is the second round, and the third will be published early next week. If you don’t see your photo here today, don’t worry – it’s probably coming up the third round.
Spend some time looking over the following photos and, when you’ve decided which you’d like to win, scroll to the bottom of the page to cast your vote! You’ll be able to vote once for each round, and again in the final!
The Competition Finalists – Round 2 of 3
Entry Number: 1
Well, in this photo I portrait an old man called Don Lucho, a vagabond of the plaza de armas in Santiago, Chile.
He tells me his story, all about what he does and what he done and the photo really captures those memories, the time is imprinted on his face and so the memories of the past. I think old people are intrinsically linked to the memories, because it’s what has become his life, a bank of memories.
Entry Number: 2
Photographs are little pieces of time. And even this is quickly becoming a memory of photography. He could be looking at any number of memories there. Those pictures could have been taken any number of years before. Maybe he need to reprint a memory because the original print faded. Or maybe those are pictures he took that day. The stories here are endless. The man has obviously seen many things and some of those things he has seen he’s also stored in picture format there. On those negatives are some of his own precious memories, just as this picture is one of mine.
Entry Number: 3
I took this picture in West Bengal, India. My picture depicts the memories of his sister with whom he used to play, but his play mate is no more.
Entry Number: 4
I took this picture in West Bengal, India. Here the memories of the boy’s friends reflect through a mirror.
Entry Number: 5
This is my niece. She was a C-section because there were complications at her birth that could have killed both her and my sister. This photo was taken in the hospital the day she was born. I hope that every time I look at this, I’m reminded how much of a gift she is.
This was the first time I saw her open her eyes.
Entry Number: 6
Take in Kyiv, Ukraine
Entry Number: 7
My brother’s family, who I am very close to, moved quite far away from me a few months ago, but before they left I had to capture a moment of my nieces, so I could have them near me forever. When I took this picture, it captured much more than just a moment. It captured the sadness of the day and move, but also a glimmer of hope and prosperity they will have in their new home.
Entry Number: 8
The Sandakan Memorial Park is at the site of the Prisoner of War Camp where the Renau Death Marches started from. This message, along with many others were left by visitors to the Park on ANZAC Day and are on display.
Entry Number: 9
The loss of a loved one leaves a grave hole in the life of the living. Coping with it can be hard and sometimes, an extended process. What reminds us of the departed is the time we spent with them, good or bad; their memories. Even though the loved one is not among us any more, we can relive their life and remember them through the fond memories we have of them. Memories as simple and routine as sitting with your loved one on a park bench every evening, watching the sun set amongst the roses.
This photograph conveys such a feeling to me. The picture that it paints in my mind is of a loving husband dedicating this to his departed wife and perhaps sitting on this bench, now alone, but smiling with her fond memories, reminiscing the beautiful sunsets of the years gone by.
Entry Number: 10
Do you know what this is? It’s half of a MIZPAH Charm. It’s a symbol of an emotional bond shared between two people that are separated. It says, “The Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from another.” But it’s more than that. It’s a flood of memories. It’s like a tidal wave. The wave hits me.
It’s our first kiss. It’s sitting in the car in the dead of winter because I don’t want to say good night and leave her side. It’s sitting on the bow of the boat watching the fireworks as they explode over Lake Superior. It’s belting out “Livin’ on a Prayer” at the baseball game. It’s watching a movie while sharing one giant bowl of ice cream.
It’s all of these memories wrapped up in a tiny little charm. A tiny little charm that says, “I love you.” A tiny little charm that says, “I’m here for you, always.” A tiny little charm that says, “You have a friend in me.” It’s this tiny little charm that uses all these wonderful memories to wash over me and remind me that I am loved.
Entry Number: 11
Perhaps memories are like tags or labels that get created/posted once we get to experience something out of that certain object or being. These labels (memories) remind us of how what we felt or how we experienced a particular moment together with that object or being.
This photo represents ‘memories’ as labels or post-its that get posted on something. In these labels indicate certain emotions or reactions that can be summoned once the person remembers a certain memory based on that specific object or being.
The photo also represents a struggle to capture and immortalize the objects or being that contain the memories that can be cherished once they get immortalized in a photograph.
Entry Number: 12
Children’s are god’s angels, they are very innocent. For them there is no religion, caste, creed etc. their hearts are pure and full of divine love. The above image was clicked at cultural program in small village near Panaji city. It is a program where everybody keeps awakes till night and there are many cultural programs where every one participates. It is full with joy; happiness etc.
I was shooting the program, suddenly my eyes grabbed on the small child looking to the camera. One of the television channels taking interview of the participants, what I like is the innocent look of the boy. It really catches my attention and within a fraction of moments I release the shutter. It is a memorable image to me, whenever I look at it; it evokes a different kind of innocent, divine feeling within me.
Entry Number: 13
The lady in the picture is my girlfriend Megha who I have been stealing horses for the better part of my life. This was taken in Shimla when she came for an overnight trip to surprise me from Agra.
Entry Number: 14
I have this reoccurring memory: a vivid image of a white horse turning at speed in a vast green field.
We all have memories that pop up now and then that we just can’t place and this is one I’ve had since as long as I can recall. I’ve no idea of the context – a scene in a movie, imagery from a book or an event I might have seen when I was young and it is something that is utterly frustrating.
The white horse has come to represent anything I have forgotten: where I put my keys, date of my Mother’s birthday, if I actually ate breakfast or if it’s still on the kitchen counter; if it’s something I can’t place, the image of a white horse hits me pretty hard.
So when my girlfriend approached this window display I had to snap it.
The illuminative radiance pouring from the white horse could signify that glimmer of recognition we feel when we try pull on some obscured memory; and in this shot my girlfriend could be on the cusp of that ‘Eureka moment’, that knife edge where focus and distraction determine whether memory is either recalled, or lost to us again.
Entry Number: 15
This picture reminds me of all the good times of my past summer. This photo reminds me of the warmth, and happiness of summer. I treasure it because it has no people in the image but only a pair of sunglasses. Sometimes an object can remind you of a past experience or event, similar to when one goes through their old toys from back when they were a kid. This image is like that old toy for me.
Summer is the time in Vancouver which everyone looks forward to because we have to face with the constant downpours of rain during the fall and winter time, and the summers in Vancouver are amazing! It represents memories in the sense that I personally have a horrible memory, and the fact that I remember what I was doing on that day and where this picture was taken really proves the saying that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. Now all I have left to say is, summer is near, I cannot wait, and I hope to be taking lots of pictures soon!
Entry Number: 16
I have taken this picture on a parking next to a highway in Germany, we were returning from vacation in Austria, when our car brooked down so we needed to stop. We had to wait for more than 8 hours before a tow truck arrived and brought us back to Belgium. While we were waiting we needed to get some food and because it was too dangerous to walk next to the highway we needed to go through the fields that where next to the parking in order to get to a small village where there was a hostel, here we were able to get some food, I ordered a wiener schnitzel which is a typical German dish whit some fries, it was very delicious and the best wiener schnitzel I have ever got so far.
When we got back to the car the sun started to descend which is the moment I have taken this picture of the fields where we just walked trough. Whenever I see this picture it remembers me of that day and I get the taste of that delicious wiener schnitzel back in my mouth, it’s something I will remember for many years.
I actually didn’t mind that we needed to wait so long because I was able to take this picture, I like the way how the sky looks and personally I think this is one of my best pictures so far.
Entry Number: 17
It was a cold, grey, and windy day in Wellington. The kind that makes you want to stay inside and do constructive things or play a board game. But my California based girlfriend Heidi and I were all about making the most of each day come rain or shine! This day will forever remain with us for the simple things we spent doing; visiting our favorite spots, being in one others presence; talking about where we are going in our relationship, and what we wanted with our lives. This photo displays just how very different the two of us are: coming from different places in the world, with different backgrounds and upbringings, but still being able to meet somewhere, somehow and maintain it beyond that big blue ocean.
Entry Number: 18
This couple decided to go to a resort located on top of a mountain and having a great view of the lake and the metropolis. The planned everything and announced his marriage proposal. This will surely be one of the happiest moment of their lives as a couple.
Entry Number: 19
Almost every one of us have a very happy memory of us playing with our friends when was just a young kid. This what is shown in this pictures a group of kids having a great time in the river. Surely all of them would remember this day as part of their happiest moment when they still young.
Entry Number: 20
Her parents are our godparents. After 25 years of marriage, my brothers and I had become like their children since they had none of their own. That was until January 24th when Devyn Michelle was born. She’s the happiest surprise our families have ever had. After our first girls’ day with her – a full day filled with games, reading about princesses, and a enjoying a tea party – she announced that she needed to take a nap.
She grabbed her blanket and off she flounced to the couch where she promptly fell asleep. As I watched her softly breathe, I couldn’t help but think it was a beautiful day spent with mothers and grandmothers. It was a bittersweet day knowing that her grandmother, in the early stages of Alzheimer disease, won’t remember this day much longer…much less her granddaughter. It was a day filled with love. The image of Devyn sleeping, in all her princess glory, is a precious memory of her innocence, care free spirit at the age of 2, and a dream 25 years in the making.
Entry Number: 21
My 2 children walking in front of me on a holiday in Wales. It gives me one of those happy/sad feelings.
To see them so young and without a care in the world, the only thing that seems to matter is what is around the next corner to explore. And knowing this will one day change and they will have responsibilities and problems and will loose this time in their lives forever.
Entry Number: 22
To me, this photo represents trying to hold on to or recreate something they enjoyed so much in the past. As a child I loved the slippery dip at the local park. Quite often I could be found going backways, sideways and upside-downways on the slide. Now as an adult I miss being able to act like that, simply because the slides aren’t big enough. That’s why when I was looking to take this shot I composed it so it caught that slightly cheeky moment before you let go and slide away – the memory of a feeling that everyone can identify with.
Entry Number: 23
A photo of my wife being pregnant on our fourth baby and the first and my only boy on all of my children(3 girls). Everytime i look at this photo and watch my boy grow up now always reminded me of how lucky i was in having him and how he grow up so fast.
Entry Number: 24
I’m aware this HDR isn’t the perfect photograph, with a little bit of messy flair and so on. But it holds the key to my memory of my father. He passed away in January of this year after a long battle with cancer. This hill is on the family farm in Swaziland and Dad often used to say he wanted to build a house here.
We spread his ashes on top of the hill and although it had been a cloudy day, they parted allowing the sun to shine through and finally to set affording us this wonderful view. When I remember this hill and that view it brings tears to my eyes, but I know that he would have appreciated this final resting spot.
Entry Number: 25
This picture was taken at Robber’s Cave State Park. This photo represents my childhood memories of camping with my family. Whenever we had a break from school we would go camping. I have so many cherished memories of these experiences.
The first time I ever went backpacking was here at Robber’s Cave State Park. My dad, brother, and I went in, taking only what we could carry. We caught fish for dinner (although they tasted like dirt-flavored mush). My brother even speared a monster bullfrog that we ate for breakfast! After breakfast we explored the cave used as a hideout by the bandits of the Old West. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
This photo also represents the “memories” of the tree. Robber’s Cave often served as a hideout for Old West criminals. This tree, which grows in the entrance of the cave, must have seen them all come and go. And now this ancient pine watches as hundreds of tourists pass by each year.
As the years go by, this tree will continue to watch the people coming to visit the hideout of past criminals. I can only wonder what kind of memories this tree will have of us when we are all long gone.
Entry Number: 26
Every year Mysore celebrates the Dasara festival and part of that includes blessing everything from tools to computers, cars to buildings to rid them of evil for the coming year. This photograph was taken during Dasara when the Raleigh International field base was being blessed. A few months later Raleigh moved to a different building to run their operations.
What memories of the strange foreigners will these children grow up with?
Entry Number: 27
This was taken in the Atlanta Aquarium during Dragon*Con 2009. Three good friends of mine were dressed as Merryweather, Princess Aurora and Fauna from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty (I was Flora, in case you’re wondering why one of the fairies was missing).
Sleeping Beauty was on constant rotation at my house when I was a child and easily still ranks as one of my favorite animated movies. When my friends and I decided to make and wear these costumes the entire process brought back memories of running around my parents house waving a chopstick at various objects in order to “magic” them.
When we were at the convention in these we were constantly greeted by exclamations from people who shared the same love from this childhood classic.
Entry Number: 28
This picture reminds me of how a beautyful girlfriend I had who is now my wife.
Entry Number: 29
This photo is a photo I took of my best friend while we were taking lots of funny pictures in the forest. How it represents memories is that we unfortunately don’t take photos together anymore and i really miss that.
Entry Number: 30
The first flower of spring in eastern Ontario is always a pretty and inspiring site. After many months of cloudy and dark skies, along with the dreary brown to dark melting snow, the site of any colour that announces spring is always welcomed.
Just as the days get longer, the sun is just beaming down lighting this dormant life and bringing smiles to all that see it. When I see the first flower bloom of the season, it triggers my memories of Christmas where you are all smiles and just want to un-wrap your gifts and play with them forever.
This flower instilled that same feeling, where I run into the house to get my camera and capture this beauty forever. This not only allows me to look at this beautiful flower and think of how small a miracle can come from a frost bitten winter, but just like memories, if not captured in a photograph it will disappear forever.
Entry Number: 31
This photograph might be of no value to others, but personally it’s one of the most meaningful photos I have captured. This is my female pup, the only survivor out of 8 pups. The mother Chihuahua had delivered deformed puppies; all with the brain fully exposed and twisted bones and missing tails. It’s a tragic story behind this photo. I would love to look at this photograph in the future and remember how hope never died, for my family, my pup, and me.
Entry Number: 32
Littlest thing can make a difference and make you smile. That memory shows it all. It’s how life works. It always gives you something to make you happy. But the point is realising them. The snow upon your head, the sun shines at sky…
Everything is happening for us. We must realise it everytime we wake up. Our eyes must be wide open and we must be sensitive to earth. The memory shows simplest things can make a difference.
Entry Number: 33
I went out to photograph some steam trains from an old grassed over bridge in West Sussex when I heard some Bluetits squawking nearby. Then I nearly trod on this fledgling who had fallen out of the nest into the long grass.
He was quivering with fear so I picked him up on a piece of bark and placed him in sight of his parents and left him. When I turned back for a last look I noticed that he seemed to be on a surfboard so I took a shot. The parents then came and fed h
Entry Number: 34
Sitting and staring into the distance in Wisconsin is one of my personal favorite memories. Me and a friend took a small vacation to Devil’s Lake national park and had an excellent time there boating, rock climbing, and just having fun in general.
We spent a lot of time photographing each other doing random things such as freeclimbing and changing the angle to make it look far more impressive than it actually was, getting up at 5 in the morning to catch the sunrise over the horizon, etc. It was a much needed break from school and just served to relieve a ton of stress I had at the time.
I also got one of my best photos from it, and this is it. This is also my very first attempt at HDR, and as far as I can tell it turned out pretty well, although I hope that I don’t fall into the HDR hole that so many other people seem to succumb to.
Entry Number: 35
Reminds of when my brother and I were much more younger. I was about 10 and he was 3 years old and we went down this exact same field to play next to the old ruins hide and seek. Now were not that close to each other, we often fighting about nothing. I miss that little girl and boy who we were at that time.
Entry Number: 36
Childhood memory. A football game. The part that is about waiting, waiting, waiting. Waiting and boredom is a part of childhood. I thought that deserved a picture.
Entry Number: 37
This is my cake when I turned 24 last April 17, 2010. Believe it or not, this is my first birthday cake. I’m very thankful to my wife. This is also my first birthday as a married man, together with my wife, my son and my wife’s family. I wanted to keep this my whole life because there is too much memories in it.
A lot of good things happened to me during year 2009. I got married, my wife gave birth to our first boy and so much more. And April 2010 is the start of the year for me with my own family.And this photograph will reminds me of the starting point of my life as a married man.
Entry Number: 38
This is not a stranger. It is my friend. We climbed at the top of the mountain and we were pretty much feeling down, because the summer was ending. He was remembering on the great summer memories that we spent together. We were traveling for 1500km in my little country. That’s why I named this photo “Remains Of Summer Memories”
Entry Number: 39
She was sorry about her village, and its population there. She said to me: “Son, its beautiful here, I wish there were younger people here. Without them everything looks old. The young people left this place long time ago, they all went living in the cities. Now this village is dying. Long time ago there were so much happenings here, but now… I am very happy that I see young people like you here. Take care my son!”
She was remembering back when she was young. She was very sad. That’s why I named this photo “Reminiscent”. I was really sorry for her, and after taking the photo I said to her that I will come back and give her a print. I will do that in the next few months! She said that she would be happiest person if I do that!
Entry Number: 40
This watch calls up a strong memory, a fixed idea. A promise to ourselves. An interdiction to forget.
Entry Number: 41
This photo for me reminds the childhood days, when we used to carry the bat and stumps to play cricket in the gully. The fast changing life has made us so busy in work, that we are unable to enjoy the life as we had.
Entry Number: 42
Just a ball and a green court: I can look backwards and it’s always me playing and kicking with my friends and almost alone. That’s football. Fun, concentration, teamwork.
Football grew up inside me. It means the strongest value, the sense which I don’t imagine to live without: it’s just passion.
Entry Number: 43
Balloons. Turning any 19 year old into the child they really are. Never gets old.
Entry Number: 44
This is a picture of my girlfriend, Breanna, at the Santa Rose Plateau this past January (2010). I’m a real big fan of hiking and outdoors so she took me there for our 1-year (dating) anniversary. Also, I had just bought my first Canon L lens a couple days before that that I had been saving up for forever. A Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L that I hadn’t really had an opportunity to use. I was super stoked.
As we were hiking, I saw this field of grass and it looked just like the pictures of where many pros take theirs so I decided to put my new lens to its money’s worth.
It was about 4:00pm so the sun was starting to set and had this awesome glow behind the treeline that illuminated everything perfectly. I had my girlfriend pose close to the ground and I angled myself so that the grass in the foreground and the trees in the background would give a nice sense of the depth of field. Took the FIRST shot, looked at the result on my LCD and I knew right then and there that it was THE best picture I had ever taken.
Entry Number: 45
Smile of children is a rare thing and hard to catch after we are adults. The smile of children is truthful. Unlike smile of adults, inside of a child, we will find an innocense, liberated from thoughs of an adult. When we were children, we smile and laugh at loud in nature. I remember the moment when I could laugh enthusiastically with no worries and pretending. It is difficult to gain the moment back and for that, I deeply missing those moments. Smile of Children could not deceive, it is a gift from God.
Entry Number: 46
Going back home by train took a day and a half, right across the Indian subcontinent. It was monsoon season, and the coming of the rains brought back memories of previous journeys, of the years past. The smell of the rain and the darkening of the skies reminded me of the the rains before, and of previous journeys back home, always in the rain, in the slowly moving train.
Entry Number: 47
When I was a kid my friends and I had only one thing on our mind – we want to play. As a part of all the games we played we were competing all the time. Who will be better, faster, smarter.
It was the only concern, unlike today. So when I see this two boys it brings back memories.
Entry Number: 48
Back in January 2002 (I guess it was that year) I came back from school and noticed the jets of the local air force were much noisier than other days. They appeared to do combat training. An experienced pilot was showing off too much and noticed he was running out of fuel resulting in having to crash somewhere because he would never get back soon enough to the base.
He aimed at the grass field in front of our home (it’s a big field). But because of the seat that ejected, the force of it made the plane move in a slight other direction.
My dad was working outside in our fruit yard and didn’t feel so well, he went walking in that field the pilot aimed for. Suddenly he sees the F16 fly incredibly low and with no cockpit cover on it anymore, right above his head and sees it smack all the way trough the trees, through the fruit and explode +-40 meters next to our house.
I heard a loud bang and saw the windows glasses turn orange. I instantly thought it was an attack of Bin Laden since back then he was very active. Other F16 kept blasting/flying over the crashed plane, I thought it was the plane throwing a bomb. After lots of doubt my mom, sister and me went outside to see what happened. Many people were already there and appeared to know what actually happened.
A really strange moment when you’re so young and don’t really know what happened. In this picture you see a part of the plane sticking out of the ground. The ripped off part looks like a mouth/face of a monster while the plants form an X over it. The image is heavy at the right because i wanted the air to play a big role. Also the situation wasn’t balanced at all, now represented here.
Entry Number: 49
Reminds me of the pictures i took with this camera when i was a child, i wanted to give it a “vintage” feel with some post processing.
Entry Number: 50
During their holidays, boys are playing and fishing in a temple pond at Kanchipuram, India. Childhood friendship memories will not go away from anyone’s mind. Boys are enjoying their joys in fishing is a good example for childhood memories. Two boys are giving pose to the camera is giving the strength to this photograph. Others are interested in fishing. If their parent find them, they will run and hide somewhere there.
Coming up Next…
Stay tuned to the site, because we’ll be posting up the third and final round of voting next week. Best of luck to all our photographers!