Islands June 09 Editorial

from the photo editor

photo contest honorable mention One of Lori’s ­f avorites: a clothesline in Cuba by Carmen Nance Sanders.

i’ve been more places than my passport has stamps. I spend my days working with some of the most talented travel photographers anywhere, and from the confines of my desk, I travel the world with them, helping plan their journeys and discussing the best visuals through which to illustrate a story. When the trip ends, we’re left with fantastic souvenirs: hundreds, sometimes thousands, of amazing photos. That’s when the hardest part of my job begins. How do you choose the best? Is it content? Composition? Light? Depth of field? ­Color? A magic combination of all these? When I think I have those rules figured out, an image comes along that breaks the rules and blows me away. It should come as no surprise that judging the ­islands ­Photo Contest is Christmas morning for me. As the ­entries pour in (more than 3,400 this year!), each is like ­another stamp in my passport as I travel the world with you, the reader. This year the judging panel included islands contributing photographer/guest judge Jad ­Davenport, who offered special insight on just how challenging it can be to capture these island moments. Enjoy 2009’s winning images and see if they take you someplace new. — lori barbely, islands photo editor, [email protected] NEW ONLINE

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carmen nance sanders; “new online”: courtesy orion; ty sawyer; kate mcredmond

Traveling Through Your Eyes