101 Best Reader Photos Ever
Counting down from No. 101 (these curious monkeys on Bali) to No. 1 (who could it be?), these are the greatest winning photos of the ISLANDS Photo Contest. You'll see some surprises in this gallery, including the winner of our first-ever contest more than 20 years ago. Enter the ISLANDS Photo Contest 2013 now!
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Honorable Mention **JOHN MUHILLY **Bonaire | John Muhilly
First Prize **Oahu by Donna Imrie-Foulger ** | Donna Imrie-Foulger
Honorable Mention Jamaica by Jeremy Deddo | Jeremy Deddo
Honorable Mention Fiji by Tim Rahn | Tim Rahn
Honorable Mention ELLYN NORRIS Boracay Island, Philippines | Ellyn Norris
Honorable Mention MARC SCHNEIDER St. Martin | Marc Schneider
Honorable Mention JUSTIN BAER Key West, Florida
Honorable Mention LOWELL GREENBERG Bali | Lowell Greenberg
Honorable Mention RONALD O. KRIEGER Skogafoss Falls, Iceland | Ronald O. Krieger
Honorable Mention **SCOTT HANFT **Kee Beach, Kauai | Scott Hanft
Honorable Mention JENNIFER JENSEN Taveuni, Fiji | Jennifer Jensen
Honorable Mention NICOLE ANDERSON Bali, Indonesia | Nicole Andersen
Honorable Mention SCOTT HOWARD Whyte Islet, Canada
Honorable Mention VICTOR CAROLI Palermo, Sicily
Honorable Mention **PAUL HASSELL **Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Honorable Mention DON GUREWITZ Bali, Indonesia
Honorable Mention JAMES TARANTINO Krabi islands, Thailand
Honorable Mention **JOE ENENBACH **Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos | Joe Enenbach
Honorable Mention **ERIN DE SANTIAGO **Taroko Gorge, Taiwan | Erin De Santiago
Honorable Mention **BILL LEHMAN **Melekeok, Palau | Bill Lehman
Reader's Choice Winner **JESSICA VELTRI **Kailua, Oahu "There are a couple of mistakes in this image at Lanikai Beach. First, those are my footprints in the sand. I didn't do that on purpose. I'd gotten there before 6 a.m., when nobody was around to mess up the beach (being in the Army, I know how to get up early). When I saw my own footprints through the lens, I just decided to frame them. Also, in my excitement to get out the door and use my new camera, I forgot the clip for my tripod. So I had to hold it by hand. Somehow it all worked to my advantage in the end. The picture has a natural look, which makes it more special. Whenever I see it, I can feel the spirit of Hawaii, and my feet in the sand." **
** | Jessica Veltri
Grand Prize **HUDSON HENRY **Zanzibar, Tanzania Usually, one photo earns the top spot. But a stack of exceptional submissions from Hudson led us to showcase more of his portfolio.
Honorable Mention DUSTIN LUCAS WEKESSER Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland | Dustin Lucas Wekesser
Honorable Mention ERNEST MANEWAL Borneo | Ernest Manewal
Honorable Mention LORIE LA FON Papenoo Valley, Tahiti | Lorie La Fon
Honorable Mention LARISA MANEWAL Maui, Hawaii | Larisa Manewal
Honorable Mention **JOAN SCALA **Raiatea | Joan Scala
Honorable Mention LISA PARSONS Taoemin, Siciliy | Lisa Parsons
Honorable Mention ERNEST MANEWAL Baranof Island | Ernest Manewal
Honorable Mention **LESLIE CLEMENTS **Margarita Island, Venezuela
Honorable Mention JEREMIAH WILSON Andros, Bahamas | Jeremiah Wilson
Honorable Mention STEVEN MAY Puerto Rico | Steven May
Honorable Mention ELISABETH STONE Kauai, Hawaii | Elisabeth Stone
Honorable Mention WENDY PARR Oahu, Hawaii | Wendy Parr
Honorable Mention LISA PARSONS Taormina, Siciliy | Lisa Parsons
Honorable Mention Capri by Stuart Claggett | Stuart Claggett
Honorable Mention **WILLIAM CZARNOWSKI **Maho Bay, St. John | William Czarnowski
Grand Prize **Kauai by Ben Welborn ** | Ben Welborn
Honorable Mention **SYDNEY ROGERS **Penang | Sydney Rogers
Honorable Mention KELLY LARSON Bell Island, Alaska | Kelly Larsen
Honorable Mention PENELOPE VAN OSTEN Rangiroa | Penelope Van Osten
Honorable Mention DOUGLAS HODGKINS Puerto Rico | Douglas Hodgkins
Honorable Mention Tierra del Fuego by Ana Martin | Ana Martin
Honorable Mention ROSS JANUSZYK Maui, Hawaii | Ross Januszyk
Honorable Mention **ISABELLE CARBONELLE **Havana, Cuba | Isabelle Carbonell
Honorable Mention AMY CAMPBELL Ireland | Amy Campbell
Honorable Mention **DUSTIN LUCAS WEKESSER **Kauai, Hawaii | Dustin Lucas Wekesser
Honorable Mention ISABELLE CARBONELLE Dominican Republic | Isabelle Carbonell
Reader's Choice Winner **BRET WEBSTER **Fakarava, Tahiti "This wonderfully aged pier seems to go on forever. It actually leads to the most distinctive feature of the Society Islands: an outer ring of reef. On this day, you could pretty much point your camera anywhere and shoot a postcard. But the contrast of this bleached pier with that placid blue water made me reach for my wide-angle lens. It helped enhance the pier's leading lines and created a three-dimensional quality I love. The effect mkes me feel like I'm stil standing right there." **
** | Bret Webster
Honorable Mention JOAN SCALA Bora Bora | Joan Scala
Grand Prize **Maui by Robin Madgwick ** | Robin Madgwick
Honorable Mention STEPHANIE HILL Lantau Island, Honk Kong | Stephanie Hill
Honorable Mention HEYWOOD GREENBERG Kauai, Hawaii | Heywood Greenberg
Grand Prize **Big Island, Hawaii, by F. Stuart Westmorland ** | F. Stuart Westmorland
Honorable Mention AMBER COOK Maui, Hawaii | Amber Cook
Honorable Mention Maui by Heywood Greenberg | Heywood Greenberg
Honorable Mention DONNA WEBER Santorini, Greece | Donna Weber
Honorable Mention Marquesas by Amanda Bonfiglio | Amanda Bonfiglio
Honorable Mention **WILLIAM CZARNOWSKI **Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Honorable Mention RONALD O. KRIEGER Flateyri, Iceland | Ronald O. Krieger
Honorable Mention **KATE MCREDMOND **Maui, Hawaii | Kate Mcredmond
Honorable Mention JORGE DE LA TORRIENTE Java, Indonesia
Honorable Mention Azores by Emily Sandor | Emily Sandor
Honorable Mention **Palau by Kathryn L. Johnson ** | Kathryn L. Johnson
Honorable Mention **JIM MAGER **Mountain Lake, South Island, New Zealand | Jim Magers
Honorable Mention **SCOTT SPORLEDER **El Nido, Philippines | Scott Sporleder
Honorable Mention **Fiji by Christopher Mullen ** | Christopher Mullen
Honorable Mention **Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, by Jace Rivers ** | Jace Rivers
Honorable Mention Antigua by Jessica Lenchner | Jessica Lenchner
Honorable Mention HUDSON HENRY Kauai, Hawaii | Hudson Henry
Honorable Mention CODY SPINADEL Oahu, Hawaii **
** | Cody Spinadel
Artistic Merit AMY CAMPBELL Aruba | Amy Campbell
Artistic Merit CATHERINE FLYNN San Juan, Puerto Rico | Catherine Flynn
Artistic Merit **DAVID WATERSUN **Great Barrier Reef, Australia "Fisherman toss their extra bait at the end of each day, and these pelicans know the routine. Suddenly, they dove toward a small harbour nearby. About a hundred of these amazingly colorful birds were sitting in the water in perfect symmetry, waiting patiently for the bait buffet." | David Watersun
Artistic Merit **Port-au-Prince Haiti by Hal Myers ** | Hal Myers
Artistic Merit** ** AARON FEINBERG Kauai, Hawaii "This ridgeline between Honopu and Kalalau valleys offers incredible views. The sun was getting ready to pop out below the clouds, and across the valley the fluted ridges were holding tremendous light. I put on my telephoto to isolate a section of cliffs and left a small amount of trees at the bottom for a sense of scale. We eventually hiked back down with the aid of our headlamps." tech ⎢ Canon 1Ds3, 70-200 mm/2.8 lens, f/11, 1/6 second, ISO 100 prize ⎢ One-week workshop at the Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine. | Aaron Feinberg
Artistic Merit HUDSON HENRY Big Island, Hawaii | Hudson Henry
Third Place ERNEST MANEWAL Kake, Alaska | Ernest Manewal
Third Place **ELIZABETH BAILEY **Zanzibar | Elizabeth Bailey
Third Place **JANE MOTTERN **Santorini, Greece | Jane Mottern
THIRD PRIZE YEN BAET Venice, Italy "I wanted to show how this city can be peaceful while in motion. After the sun retired and the buzz faded to a murmur, I knew that by slowing things down to a mere 30 seconds, the gondolas' frantic dances could be softened to a blur and the speedboats in the distance could disappear into trails of light. That's when the magic of this city truly starts." tech ⎢ Nikon D700, 24-70 mm lens, f/14, 30 seconds prize ⎢ Five nights at the Whaler on Kaanapali Beach on Maui from Aston Hotels & Resorts, plus a photo prize pack. | Yen Baet
Third Place **MICHAEL ALDRIDGE **North Shore, Kauai "A morning earlier I saw a guy planting this field. That's what pulled my attention toward the glassy water and backdrop. I knew I'd have something special by shooting the field at just the right time." | Michael Aldridge
Second Place **HEATHER MOORE **Harbour Island, Bahamas "This man spent 20 minutes showing my son and me his church and sharing island history. We'd just met him on the street. A total stranger. He was so passionate, so proud and engaging that my 4-year old son couldn't stop listening. The man was happy to let me shoot a few frames." | Heather Moore
Second Place TATIANA RIVEST Honolulu, Hawaii | Tatiana Rivest
Second Place **LIBBY BAILEY **Zanzibar, Tanzania "Just outside the building where Dr. Livingstone once lived, I came across this old Zanzabari babu (grandpa)." | Libby Bailey
Second Place GREG SULLIVAN Puerto Rico | Greg Sullivan
Second Prize MARK STANKUS Huraa, Maldives "I was surfing with a guy who had spent a few years on Huraa in a fishing village. He asked me if I wanted to go meet some of the people. The island was full of vibrant colors and welcoming locals. 'Mama' was with us most of the day. Come nightfall, I felt as though I'd experienced the Maldives in a way very few others have, and Mama graciously gave me this look and a photo to remember her by." tech ⎢ Sony DSC-H50, 35 mm lens, f/4, 1/160 second, ISO 100 prize ⎢ Five-night stay on Scrub Island, a private-island luxury retreat in the British Virgin Islands, plus a photo prize pack. | Mark Stankus
First Place HAL MYERS Jamaica | Hal Myers
First Place **SCOTT SPORLEDER **Luzon, Philippines "I saw the details of this young couple wearing traditional attire in pink. The vibrant colors of the Pahiyas Festival shone through." | Scott Sporleder
First Prize DON GUREWITZ Caltagirone, Sicily "In Sicily, I spent about 10 days driving across the island, from the Mount Etna volcano in the east to the capital city of Palermo in the west. The town of Caltagirone is known for its spectacular ceramic work, especially these tiles on the steps of the Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte. This was a hard shot to get. The light wasn't quite right, and the steps are usually filled with people. I did a lot of lying on the ground shooting the stairs to get this shot." tech ⎢ Canon 1N, 28-200 mm lens prize ⎢ Seven-night Caribbean cruise for two with Star Clippers, plus a photo prize pack. | Don Gurewitz
First Place DAVE GALLAGHER Ubud, Bali | Dave Gallagher
Grand Prize **Bora Bora by Robert Randall ** | Robert Randall
Grand Prize **Madagascar by Douglas Nason ** | Douglas Nason
Grand Prize **Puerto Rico by Wilson Tsoi ** | Wilson Tsoi
Grand Prize JOAN SCALA Bora Bora | Joan Scala
Grand Prize Palawan by Jace Rivers "I almost threw in the towel this particular evening since it had been raining. I was walking on El Nido Bay, and the sun came out at this moment." | Jace Rivers
Grand Prize Winner **MARKO DIMITRIJEVIC**** **Inhambame Bay, Mozambique "These fisherman are pulling their dhow to shore to bring it home. The scene reminded me of those early 20th-century images of Africa. So I went for a backlit composition to silhouette the people. I enjoy taking photographs, but I'm no pro. When I see this image, I just see a wonderful souvenir." | Marko Dimitrijevic
Grand Prize Winner JESSE ESTES Java, Indonesia "My first trip to Mount Bromo, I took a Jeep up to this viewpoint. But the light wasn't great, so I vowed to come back. Two years later, that wasn't as easy. The volcano is active, and an eruption had closed the road. I started hiking at 2:30 a.m. to capture this sunrise. I love how the light hits the crater and how fog covers the valley, enhancing the prehistoric feel of it." tech ⎢ Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70 mm lens, f/16 prize ⎢ Seven-night Tahitian cruise for two with Paul Gauguin and airfare, plus a photo prize pack from Tamrac and Lexar. | Jesse Estes
Grand Prize **HUDSON HENRY **Zanzibar, Tanzania "I threw my wide-angle lens on my Nikon D700, jumped from the boat and shot before anyone tracked up the beach. It's a photo I can look at during a hectic, gray city day and be transported back to Zanzibar in my mind." | Hudson Henry