Here we go friends! This is where it gets crazy!

Below are the beautiful, amazing, inspiring Top Five Finalists for the Vacation Aperture Photo Contest! Blog readers were not only asked to submit a Vacation themed photo, but they were also asked to integrate Aperture into their image. Buttery, blurry backgrounds or foregrounds. To see a couple Honorable Mention images that demonstrate what Aperture is, check out today’s earlier post!

Win a CAMERA! Yes, you heard me!

We are taking our voting to the NEXT level this week! If we get 750 plus votes, yes 750 by this Friday at midnight, we get to give one of the Random Voters a hip, new, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W170 camera!

Can you believe that?! I’m so pumped! But that means you’ve got to tell ALL your friends, family, even wake up Grannie, and get them to post their vote in TODAY’s comments! I know this contest is going to get crazy real fast with the voting, so we are going to close the voting this Friday, August 14th, at midnight PST. That means you have from now until midnight on Friday to vote!

How do you vote? See the FAQ below! (It’s super easy.)

But without further delay, I’d like to introduce you to the TOP FIVE FINALISTS for the Vacation Aperture photo contest! Notice how they used Aperture to tell their stories!

1. Fourth of July at the Stadium! by Jennie in Provo, Utah.

This image jumped out at me. It has this wonderful editorial feel to it. Jennie was able to frame the boys in such a way that helps us feel like we’re standing right in front of these guys. I have to ask Jennie, did you shoot this image with a wide angle lens b/c I can’t believe the immediate feel this image carries. You did an incredible job! AND, your use of aperture to tell the story is FANTASTIC. You could have just focused on your boy’s face and his face painting, framed tight, and left out all the surroundings. But the atmosphere of people in the stands, blurred, and going as far back as we can see, adds so much UMPH to the storytelling in this image. This is NOT a snapshot! This is a story! I also love the blue sky, and how it ties in with all the shades of blue on the boys’ faces, necklaces and teeshirts. Incredible image Jennie! Thank you so much for submitting! (Have you seen Jennie’s blog? Check it out!)

2. Fishing Break! by Liza in Key West, Florida.

Liza, this image is timeless. The decision to focus on the rocks in the foreground and let your son be a soft, blur in the background is incredibly moving. You’ve done a powerful thing with this image. You’ve given us a sense of volume. Think about that! To create volume with the one dimensional image as if it was a three dimension story is AMAZING. I feel like the volume of this image is quiet and peaceful. I hear the soft sounds of water and the subtle breeze. I hear it because of your decision to blur your son and not have everything in sharp focus. I also love the blue hues to this image. I think the blues accentuate the quiet feel even more. Liza, thank you for sharing a precious moment in your family vacation. (Be sure to check out Liza’s blog!)

3. Afternoon Getaway Vacation! by Carol Ann.

Take a good look at this image, it is HILARIOUS! Talk about using Aperture to tell a STORY! Carol Ann focused on the sign “Best User Age: 2 to 5 years of age”, and then let her husband blur in the background. Carol Ann, you did an AMAZING job! Your use of Aperture, blurring the background so we see just enough of your crazy husband going do the slide, is perfect! If you had shot this image in Auto mode, we would have lost a lot of the humor in the image. With your husband sharp in the background, just like the sign, it would have felt more like a snapshot vs. a story…or better said “a comedy”. Thank you for submitting this image (thank your husband too)! Thanks for giving us a great example of how blurred action in the background can draw out the humor in a story! (Be sure to check out Carol Ann’s Design and Photography website!)

4. Welcoming Grandma and Grandpa! by Jennifer.

After I narrowed down the submissions to the Five Finalists, I went back and read the notes people included. In Jennifer’s note, she said that she was deciding to not hide her photography anymore but take a risk and share it. And wow, I’m so glad she is sharing! Doesn’t this image take your breath away?! There is so much emotion in this single image. Who ever said photography was one dimensional…well, they never saw these Finalists! Can you just feel the excitement and energy pouring out of her daughter? And the use of Aperture makes this story pop! By choosing to blur the background (which is the arriving plane and trees), we subconsciously know that our focus is the little girl and her experience of this moment. And to tell you the truth, even though the plane is blurred–the presence of the plane becomes that much stronger b/c I know the story is about this little girl. Incredible job Jennifer! I’m so excited to see what else you share with the world! (Jennifer, if you have a blog or website, please share!!)

5. Escaping the Heat in the Good Old Tent! by Linnea while camping at Lake Mayfield.

Does anyone else feel the temperature in the room rise when they see this picture? The red tones are perfect for an image that is all about escaping the summer’s heat. And what a moment of expression Linnea caught on her son’s face. I have a couple things to say about this image. One, I LOVE how she cropped half of her son’s face out of the image. This choice made the image jump out at me. When Brian and I are shooting, we are often thinking “Less is More”. The expression in the boy’s single eye is enough to fill the whole frame. Good for you Linnea, way to try something different. I love how it turned out. The use of aperture is also wonderful in this image. I love how we see baby sister blurred in the background. We know she is there, and her facial expression is pretty powerful. But the focus is on big brother. It’s as if he is looking for a break from his sister and pulling away for a moment. The last thing I love about this image is the tight framing. A tent is close, tight quarters. I love how Linnea decided to frame in tight b/c it accentuates the close quarters that much more. Wonderful job Linnea! Thank you so much for sharing! (Learn more about Linnea!)

There it is! The Fabulous Five Finalists! Didn’t I tell you they were AMAZING!

Whoever gets the most votes will win their choice of three prizes!

And all of you, plus the winners, have the opportunity to win a Sony Cyber-shot Camera! All you have to do is post a comment and vote for your favorite finalist. Leave a few words about why they were your favorite, and you are entered into the Sony Cyber-shot Camera drawing!

Let’s go! 750 vote goal, HERE WE COME!

FAQ

FAQ #1: How do you vote?

Answer: Just click on the pink word “Comments” at the end of this blog post. Put the # of photo your voting for first (it makes counting the votes way faster), and then add a 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! We need 750 VOTES to give this camera away!

(Please vote one time for one image. Thanks!)

FAQ #2: Is there a new Photo Contest happening right now? And when is the Deadline?

Answer: After we announce the Winners for this contest, we’ll start a new one! Start thinking of a new theme! I love your ideas!

FAQ #3: What are the prizes for the Random Voters and the Finalist?

Answer: Scroll on down!!

Prizes for the Winning Finalist and the Random Voter Winners!

In the last couple of contests, we’ve broken our record for votes received! You all spread the word, and the votes came rolling in! If we clear 750 votes on this contest, we are going to pick a Random Voter (not necessarily #750, but a RANDOM Voter) to win the Sony Cyber-shot camera!!!

And then we’ll keep going and pick one more Random Voters to win a $25 customized, cool looking Starbucks card! So that’s one Random Winner of a new, slick Sony Cyber-shot camera, and one MORE random winner of $25 customized Starbucks cards, if we clear 750!

Deadline for all voting is this Friday night, 5 days from now, 8/14, at midnight PST!! That means we have to clear 750 votes by that time for two Random Voters to be picked and win a Sony Cybershot Camera!

Prize for being the Winner of the Five Finalists!!!

Now what about the finalist’s prize! What will they get? Well first, each finalist should vote too so they get a fair shot of winning the Sony Cyber-shot camera!

Great question! The finalist will get their choice of one of our 101 Kits or the downloadable version of our Refuse to Say Cheese/Beyond the Green Box DVD series. And then, and THEN they also get to choose between one of two MORE things!

1. Their own copy of Adobe’s Lightroom 2.0 Software!

2. Or a copy of the newly released DVD “See the Light” by Carlos Baez! Watch the trailer by clicking the title. Carlos is not only a dear friend, but he is also a PHENOMENAL photographer who has years experience in the fashion and wedding industry and is now sharing his knowledge on lighting with the wedding and portrait world. This guy is loaded with tips and strategies on lighting. We just got our own copy of his DVD, and I can’t wait to watch it. Carlos is a master with lighting, and on top of that he has a HUGE heart for teaching people. Just watching him work with his clients is amazing. Your business can’t help but go to the next level with this new DVD. Check out his blog! To purchase Carlos’s new DVD, check out the Photography Mentor store. Retail Price for “See the Light” is $175!

So get all your friends and family to jump on here and vote before Friday at midnight!

Enjoy! VOTE AWAY!!!

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For more fun photo exercises, check out our Award Winning, Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese , our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography , click on the words of your choice!