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This website will remain open for the foreseeable future as an archive. Photographer names have been added, they were not present during initial voting. Cheers!

Entry #1 of 19 by Gilrix

Summer, to me, means taking weekly trips out to the Pacific Coast and enjoying what the season has to offer: warm sands, cool winds, and plenty of daylight to soak in.

Entry #1 of 19 by Gilrix

Entry #2 of 19 by DaCoSim

So I wanted to submit something that completely embodies summer in my heart and what I try to instill in my kids. To me summer is about slowing down, taking it all in, make each day last as long as possible and don't rush it away. Enjoy every minute and make each one a new memory to keep with you. This pic is of my 3 boys fishing at sunset on the dock.

Entry #2 of 19 by DaCoSim

Entry #3 of 19 by Oblivia

I took lots (and lots and lots) of photos, but ultimately decided that this one best embodies what summer means to me.

I've always had an affinity for old and creepy places, and my favorite part of summer is that I'm no longer inhibited by snow and can satisfy my desires to explore and spend time outside. I found this little island that houses an old, abandoned gazebo on some to be developed land near my subdivision, and the only way to access it was via this rotting, dilapidated bridge. The whole area is completely overgrown and it took me hiking through waist-high grass over a tall hill to get to this specific spot. I think it's one of the coolest and most beautiful places I've ever seen, and it perfectly captures everything I adore about the summertime. I can step outside and see flowers or a sunset any day, but knowing that I'm likely the only person to see this particular place in years and that the beautiful summer weather made it possible for me to get there? Nothing compares to that feeling in my opinion.

And yes, I totally crossed the bridge. Thug life.

Entry #3 of 19 by Oblivia

Entry #4 of 19 by Murray

While many people see the Australian summer as a time a tan at the beach, this is how I see it. Ravaged by bush fires and even floods, the earth is scorched by the sun. However it’s not all so bad. Like the eucalyptus tree, these eucalyptus nuts even after being burnt countless times can still sprout new life. Survival through adaptability to eventually create something beautiful is what summer means to me.

Entry #4 of 19 by Murray

Entry #5 of 19 by Chipped-Teacup

Summer means to me being able to relax and being able to appreciate the world around me. This picture represents all of this quite literally, as the appreciation is the heart and I enjoy being able to relax in the garden.

Entry #5 of 19 by Chipped-Teacup

Entry #6 of 19 by The Hidden Owl

The picture is from the Downtown district of my city. Me and my family were walking along the river on a warm evening, spending time together just relaxing and enjoying the pretty lighted walkways and smells of delicious food. I feel like that's the whole premise of summer: to enjoy fun times together with people you love.

Entry #6 of 19 by The Hidden Owl

Entry #7 of 19 by Ana^^

Summer, colorful, happy.......

Entry #7 of 19 by Ana^^

Entry #8 of 19 by LaBelleFleur

To me, camping is the embodiment of summer. If I could, I would spend the entire summer by the lakeside with a campfire & a tent. Alas, I have real life responsibilities, so this weekend will probably be the only weekend I go camping this summer. At least I have photos...

I took this picture when my best friend (who makes a cameo appearance by way of hand on the far left) & I went exploring on Saturday. We found this beautiful secluded spot along the lake, perfect for swimming & relaxing. The lake was calm & clear and the weather was perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Entry #8 of 19 by LaBelleFleur

Entry #9 of 19 by SeraphicOrder

Hi guys this is my entry for the Photography Contest. It is a picture of a fisherman's boat (donated by our company) in a typhoon Haiyan devastated area in the Province of Leyte, Philippines (San Jose, Dulag Leyte)

I am from the Philippines by the way and I was one of those victims who lost everything during the Typhoon Haiyan and despite everything, Summer is a season of hope for me. Our company donated some boats to these fishermen who lost their boats during the strong storm. Recovery here in Tacloban is still on going and thanks to international NGOs like Unicef, people are starting to recover.

It was a nice feeling to help out other people in need especially a fellow victim like me. I know and feel their situation that even though the storm was like 2 years ago, rehabilitation is not yet complete especially in the far-flung areas like Dulag, Leyte.

I feel very hopeful that sooner or later everyone can fully recover from the devastation. Summer is a time for beaches and fun and laughter, but for everyone here in Leyte, it is about hope that after everything that we have been through, we can rise up again.

PS: I started playing ACNL because of they typhoon by the way. I lost everything (like my PC and PS3) so i decided to buy something affordable and stumbled upon a 3DS...

Entry #9 of 19 by SeraphicOrder

Entry #10 of 19 by AndrQmedA

I'm not much of a photographer, because I just don't see many interesting things. Summer provides a higher probability that I'll go somewhere and snap something. Like about a week before the Fire Festival, I was at the Georgia Aquarium and my eyes widened at many creatures--like whale sharks. OvO
Anyway, I knew I was going to write something for the festival, so I did. I have not done any art in a while, but I gave it a whirl...so I may as well try to do a photo, but time was running out.
I live in the middle of nowhere, and I didn't want to drive hours to the beach because I would be too tempted to swim (and possibly get a debilitating sharky souvenir)...so I had to think of what else I could do. I saw dawns and sunsets and flowers and bugs; the swallowtails flitted and the blueish dragonflies were too flighty. My little sister likes to catch bugs, so she was outside with me.
These last few days, I was pretty bummed until I saw this beauty of a praying mantis. It had been in front of me for at least half an hour, still and unnoticed.
And then I happened to see a little moment of Animal Crossing in the real world; after I took this picture, my sister caught (okay, coaxed) the bug into her net and is temporarily keeping it inside her terrarium.
A big part of summer to me is seeing amazing things...which, as it turns out, can be right out the front door.

Entry #10 of 19 by AndrQmedA

Entry #11 of 19 by p e p p e r

Summer has always been my favorite season and sunsets at the beach in California are the essence of summer! This photo is special to me on so many levels - it's of my sister who is going to have a baby, for me it represents a celebration of life and makes me realize how lucky I am to be able to see a beautiful sunset on the beach anytime I want... in Southern California, we have an endless summer.

Entry #11 of 19 by p e p p e r

Entry #12 of 19 by roroselle

The best time of year sea turtles come out and play is summer.
They love to feed on seaweed that is abundant in warm, shallow waters.
They also love to come out during summer because during winter, the surf is too high.
Summer is when I get to play with and admire these peaceful creatures.
Honu is Hawaiian for sea turtl

Entry #12 of 19 by roroselle

Entry #13 of 19 by BookeRenne

South Haven, Michigan.

What summer means to me is traveling; traveling 13 miles to work every day, and traveling cross state to visit my boyfriend for a weekend. It also means the ever changing weather of Michigan. My boyfriend and I go to two different colleges 160 miles apart so I do a lot of traveling to see him, and this is one of our favorite "get away" spots. When we got to this spot it was as sunny as can be, and then the wind picked up. The waves started crashing up over the lighthouse, and these dark clouds started rolling in as the sun was setting. I was hoping to get an amazing sunset shot, but what I captured was even better with the rich blue sky mixing with the deep and stormy clouds.

Entry #13 of 19 by BookeRenne

Entry #14 of 19 by MermaidSong

This photograph represent late summer nights. When the humidity is in the air, slowly dying as the sun sets. When the long summer days are drawing shorter and colder, but the heat of summer is still lingering. It's my favorite time during summer, when things are more fun and bittersweet because you can see them coming to a close. It's those late summer fairs and festivals that seem to be both a goodbye to summer and a hello to fall.

Entry #14 of 19 by MermaidSong

Entry #15 of 19 by KainAronoele

There was a lot of ideas I had, but this one stood out to me (and not only because I'm in love with Link). To me, though on the outside I complain it's too hot or stuffy, on the inside I feel like summer is more about the adventures. That's when most people go out and do amazing, fun, silly, awesome things. That's when kids are free from school, and some adults are free from work or can finally use up their well-saved paid vacation. It's when everyone wants to get out and see the world. Whether a realm real or fake, the summer is the best time to start on your adventure.

Entry #15 of 19 by KainAronoele

Entry #16 of 19 by Leil

I truly believe that some of my best memories are of summer storms. The way the skies grow dark so fast, with huge thunderclouds overtaking the sky, as my friends and I take shelter inside and play board games, listening to the rumbling of the thunder, seeing the flash of lighting illuminate the sky, if only for a moment. And the beauty of all the sparkling raindrops once the sun comes out. Such storms are only possible during the hot summer days, this is a photo of our mimosa right after one of those beautiful storms.

Entry #16 of 19 by Leil

Entry #17 of 19 by Clavis

Summer represents possibility, freedom to visit elsewhere, to discover other cultures, to escape from the monotony and repetition of the daily routine, to fall in enchantement in front of beautiful sceneries and landscapes, whether it is in a big city or a more rural zone.

(photo taken next to Florence - Italy)

Entry #17 of 19 by Clavis

Entry #18 of 19 by DapperGoatee

For me, summer means playing with my dog, Tonks; anywhere from playing catch, taking him on hikes, chilling in the shade, or taking a dip in the pool. For him summer means that it's time for swimming again, one of his absolute favorite things. He's pretty much what my summer revolves around, so I figured he'd be a fitting subject for my submission. Here he is chilling by the pool in some shades.

Entry #18 of 19 by DapperGoatee

Entry #19 of 19 by Lock

Fishing has been at the core of my family for as long as I could remember. Every summer, everyone would drop what they were doing and head south for a week to enjoy quality vacation time. As a kid I always anticipated those trips, but they have started to fade due to how busy everyone has become. I wanted to represent that even as an adult you can still enjoy a vacation even if it's not what it use to be. I may not have the same opportunities to travel with my family, but I can still relive that sense of tranquility in my backyard. I wanted to use the stuff animal tiger to symbolize feeling like a kid and just being in the moment, which is essentially what I think the summer is all about.

Entry #19 of 19 by Lock