A special thanks to renowned photographer Jeff Vanuga for his collaboration by selecting the following winners:

Congratulations to alexel winner of the PictureMate Charm Printer by EPSON with photo “Battle of the Gods”

“There were many good images entered in the Clouds Contest making for some tough decisions but I kept gravitating back to this particular image of the Battle of the Gods.  At first glance it reminded me of an Albert Bierstadt painting.  He was  known for his romantic and glowing landscapes of the American West .  The image captured the essence of time and place focusing on the clouds while at the same time giving the image a sense scale and place, worthy of first place.” – Jeff

Congratulations to Second Place KrisMontgomery winner of the Digital Cleaning Kit by Zeikos with photo “Storm Approaching”

“Storm Approaching shows a large amount of atmospheric elements and dramatic lighting beginning with the ominous storm clouds to the subtle green glow of summer grass.  The use of a panoramic format for this storm vista captured the drama on a large scale.” – Jeff

Congratulations to the following Honorable Mentions:

kenmcall with photo “Steel and Sky”

“This image was well executed with puffy clouds reflected in the windows appearing almost cryptic and one with the sky.   The use of building placement and negative space balanced the photograph nicely.” – Jeff

Rigman with photo “Untitled”

“What drew me to this image was the simplicity of the scene with a lone tree placed in a seascape of atmospheric disturbance.  The tree gives the viewer a sense of place in an otherwise featureless landscape with the clouds placing it all into context!  Well done.” – Jeff

SunsetSam with photo “Last Days Of Summer”

“An image certainly worthy of a panoramic format and a candidate for a golden glow award!  Beautiful evening light gives the viewer a warm feeling about this place and the photographer utilized great use of foreground interest with leading lines of cut wheat to lead the viewers eye into the storm clouds of summer.” -Jeff

Congratulations to Viet Van Tran winner of the 16GB iPad with photo titled “Praying”

“This woman come from Asia, or Africa, or Europe, or North America? It is not important. People always wish a better life and many women only knows praying. Subject in the picture is 87 years old- woman named Thi, who was praying at Huong Pagoda, Hanoi, Vietnam.” – Viet

Congratulations to the following Runner-ups:

Ryan Young with photo “Swimmer”

“Ohio University Kristen Witham poses for a portrait in the Ohio University Aquatic Center.” – Ryan

Iva Bebek with photo “Glance Through The Window”

“This portrait is taken as a reflex in the window. Awakening nature in the spring is blending with face making one surreal image. P.S. The blend of nature and face is not product of photoshop or special effects. ” – Iva

Congratulations to Papion Silva, the Highest Voted photo titled “Never Give Up” with 1404 votes:

“This work was designed for those who have cancer. Even with this sad disease. never give up their dreams.” – Papion

A special thanks to celebrity photographer David J. Nightingale for judging the contest and choosing the following winners:

Congratulations to Jhonk83776 winner of the Pro Tripod and the Zeikos memory card wallet with photo “Yosemite falls”

“It is the most artistic and elegantly executed of all the images submitted to this competition.” – David

Congratulations to jimmy53 winner of the $50 MOO gift card with photo “Niagara at Night”

“This soft and colourful image provides a creative and original take on this theme.” – David

Congratulations to the following Honorable Mentions:

FarleyBarley with photo “Niagara Falls”

“Although I think this image would have benefitted from a tighter crop (removing some of the distracting detail from the bottom of the image) I think it deserves an honorary mention for deliberately obscuring the waterfall behind the cloud of spray and mist thereby creating a more original take on one of the world’s most photographed waterfalls.” – David

CG with photo “Mill Race”

“While the majority of the images for this competition concentrated on the natural environment CG’s image of the Mill Race turned to the built-environment for inspiration. This wonderfully composed, original and atmospheric image is a well-deserved runner-up for this competition.” – David

Congratulations to gregman70 winner of Zeikos Deluxe Starter Kit and a camera strap by MyCameraCouture with photo “Humpback Whale”

“This shot encapsulates everything that an outstanding wildlife photograph should possess. From a technical perspective it works perfectly, with a well considered and balanced composition that gives the subject space in the frame, while providing the viewer with plenty of information about the habitat. The near monochromatic colour strengthens the appeal of the picture, plus the clean and uncluttered background offers no distraction, so the whale really stands out. Technical skill is of course important, but it is the atmosphere of the picture that elevates it to something special. The eye contact with the camera is wonderful, as it, along with the patches of bubbles around the tip of the tail, generates a strong sense of the whale enjoying a playful moment mixed with its curiosity in the photographer.” – Simon

Congratulations to runner-up andrefaubert and winner of the hand strap by MyCameraCouture with photo “Glass goblet splash”

“The high aesthetic appeal of this picture is founded in the excellent technical skills that were used to record the shot, particularly the lighting, which is so important in the way it has revealed the detail and patterns in the water. The use of the solid black background and frame filling composition add to the overall impact of the picture. All in all it is a very competent piece of work.” – Simon

Congratulations to the following Honorable Mentions:

Alex69 with photo “Diving”

“The simple, bold composition with the deep shadow areas framing the two divers helps to evoke a strong sense of mystery and adventure. It is a good example of why more often than not keeping things simple will produce a strong shot.” – Simon

ZSB with photo “ZacharySpira”

“It is the visual enigma of this photograph that is its strongest attribute, as it really makes you look twice. The thoughtful use of colour set against the complimentary light tone of the background adds to the appeal of the shot, and all credit to the model for her pose, which heightens the impression of her being carried off by the floating balloons.” – Simon

Anneme with photo “Underwater ballerina”

“A very competent shot that demonstrates great teamwork between the photographer and model. The harmony of colour between the model’s hair and her costume, set against the wonderful pattern of dappled light on the background really adds strength to the photograph, while her elegant pose supports her direct eye contact with the camera to hold the viewer’s attention.” – Simon

Outdoor photography is one of the most popular themes for all level photographers as natural sceneries provide beauty everywhere we look, but capturing the essence of this beauty is not as easy as it should. Thank you to all photographers that participated in this contests and shared their amazing captures making this contest one of the hardest contest to judge so far…

“Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer – and often the supreme disappointment.” – Ansel Adams

Congratulations to DLCunningham winner of the Lowepro fastpack and the Joby Gorillapod with ballhead with photo “Yosemite”

Congratulations to the following Runner Ups and winners of the digital camera cleaning kit and the 300 Reward Points:

ThePixFiles with photo “Empty Spaces Dunes”

tranini with photo “lightfall”

Milo55 with photo “Corona Arch Sunset”

Congratulations to the following Honorable Mentions:

aycee with photo “Cordingup Creek”

NorriePhillips with photo “Rough Weather Ahead”