Readers Photo Challenge: What you did on your summer vacation

Clifford Oto, The Stockton Record
·3 min read

Everyone takes pictures while on vacation.

Mostly it’s to help capture and retain the happy memories of the good times we have while on the road, or sea, or air, to get away from it all. The best vacation pictures are essentially travel photos which capture the character and personality of the places you visit. Fifteen readers sent in a total of 81 photos.

Here are the top examples.

Moris Senegor used a Nikon D6 DSLR camera to photograph a setting crescent moon over the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
Moris Senegor used a Nikon D6 DSLR camera to photograph a setting crescent moon over the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Moris Senegor of Stockton garnered the top spot with his photograph of an exotic locale. With an Canon EOS 6D DSLR camera equipped with a 600mm lens, he photographed the Sultanahmet Mosque while on a trip to the city of his birth, Istanbul, Turkey. Senegor chose to photograph brilliantly illuminated mosque at night which stood out against the blackness of the night sky. He waited until about 10 p.m. for a setting crescent moon, turned an amber color by atmospheric conditions, to sink just behind the mosque to make for an exceptional image.

Courtney Wise of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 14 Pro to photograph the bust of George Washington through a crack in a boulder presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
Courtney Wise of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 14 Pro to photograph the bust of George Washington through a crack in a boulder presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

While visiting Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Courtney Wise of Stockton took her vacation photo of the famed monument from a slightly different angle than most tourists. Instead of photographing from the visitors center where most people take their pictures, Wise followed the Presidential Trail which takes visitors a little more than a half-mile closer. Along the way she came across a boulder with a large crack down its center. With an Apple iPhone 14 Pro she photographed the bust of George Washington. The edges of the crack frames the monument and creates a bold diagonal that cuts across the images composition for an unusual view of a familiar sight.

Paul Engelman of Stockton used a Sony A6400 digital mirrorless camera to photograph a portrait artist in Salzburg, Austria.
Paul Engelman of Stockton used a Sony A6400 digital mirrorless camera to photograph a portrait artist in Salzburg, Austria.

Most travelers are concerned about the places that they visit but they often fail to remember about the people who inhabit those places. Paul Engleman of Stockton didn’t forget. While vacationing in Salzburg, Austria, he photographed a street artist as he worked on a creating a portrait in a public square. With a Sony A6400 digital mirrorless camera Engelman captured other vendors in the background as well as the artist’s work and the concentration on his face.

Lindy Passer of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 12 Mini to photograph the colors of an candy vendor in the Jerusalem Shuk (outdoor marketplace).
Lindy Passer of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 12 Mini to photograph the colors of an candy vendor in the Jerusalem Shuk (outdoor marketplace).

Lindy Passer of Stockton visited Israel on her vacation. While in Jerusalem she took in the Mahane Yehuda Market, also known as the Shuk, which features more than 250 merchants where she camera across a candy vendor. With her Apple iPhone 12 Mini Passer captured the vibrant and diverse colors of the various treats set out for sale.

Andrew Dompeling of Stockton used a Revvi 6 Pro cellphone to photograph mountains along Washington pass near Mazama, Washington.
Andrew Dompeling of Stockton used a Revvi 6 Pro cellphone to photograph mountains along Washington pass near Mazama, Washington.

Andrew Dompeling of Stockton photographed Liberty Bell Mountain in the Cascade range in Washington State with a Revvi 6 Pro cellphone. While traveling along State Route 20 through Washington Pass near Mazama, Washington he captured the craggy peaks thrusting above the evergreen tree line. Large clouds float serenely and fill the sky overhead to add to majesty of the scene.

For first place Senegor receives an 16x20 print from UlmerPhoto and a $25 gift card to a local restaurant. Wise gets a 11x14 print for second place and Engelman receives an 8x10 print for third.

All of the entries can be seen in an online gallery at recordnet.com. A new challenge assignment will be issued on Oct. 17.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Travel photos from readers summer vacations