The Annual Best Image of the Summer Contest

Traditionally, January is the time for taking stock and making plans for the year ahead. For me, it’s September. Maybe it’s because I was a teacher’s kid and our lives revolved around the ebb and flow of the school calendar, but back to school time signifies the swan song of summer, as well as getting organized and looking ahead.

In mid-September of each year, I sort through thousands of images captured between May and early September and take joy in reliving my summer in a few mere hours. The process allows me to more easily transition into fall and the changes that lie ahead – chillier temperatures, fall colors, shorter days, and the closing down of the year – in addition to adding my best new images to my portfolio.

I need your help in determining which was my best image captured from the summer of 2011! For the next week, I will be posting a series of pictures in five categories: People, Kids, Cityscapes, Nature, and Still Life. Put the title of your favorite picture in the comments. You can vote more than once if you really like multiple images. Winners for each category will be picked based on the majority of votes. Then, we will have the winner of each category square off against the other category winners to choose the best image of the summer.

Here was last year’s Best Image of Summer 2010 winner, affectionately known by my giggly nephew as “The Butt Shot.” For me, there is no image that better personifies the wonder of summer and childhood.