Summer has officially come to an end. Luckily, EcoWatch is here to keep its memory alive by sharing the winners of our "Best of Summer" photo contest.
<p>For our third ever <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/photo-contest" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">photo contest</a>, we at EcoWatch broke the competition into two parts: one Judges' Choice, selected by a talented team of activists, photographers, adventurers and influencers, and one EcoWatchers' Choice, selected by readers like you!</p><p>The winner of the "Best of Summer" Judges' Choice award is ... Raymond Paul Freitas, for his Late Summer View of the Milky Way over Bodega Head, California. </p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMTEzMzc4MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNTYwOTYzNX0.sI-D9PNh1u8mY2NkDHGr0tA62PqcywI3pkPjer-VhUM/img.jpg?width=980" id="0512c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c421d0038cc4449d36618b6a8ddf01f5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Late Summer view of the Milky Way over Bodega Head, California.
<p>"I love Milky Way images," Freitas said of the piece, "so I am always searching for stunning locations to photograph. I thought this coastal setting would be a perfect backdrop."</p><p>Freitas' photo was chosen by an accomplished team of judges: activists and filmmakers Gary and Sam Bencheghib, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> photographer Anthony Bucci, award-winning photographer and expedition leader Amos Nachoum and zoologist, activist and social media Influencer Margarita Samsonova.</p><p>Samsonova called the winning picture "stunning."</p><p>"I know how hard it is to shoot stars and edit pictures like that. The colors and clarity here are amazing. Winner shot!" she said.</p><p>Bucci, meanwhile, praised Freitas' technique.</p><p>"The photographer didn't over edit this image while post processing it. I like the crop used in the post processing," he said. "The colours and overall composition of this image keeps pulling me back to view it. I think overall the photographer spent some time to properly setup his camera and chose a decent foreground to break up the Milky Way."</p><p>Freitas is retired and lives in Santa Rosa, California. His favorite summer activities are landscape photography, pickleball and hiking.</p><p>And now the photograph voted for by you, our readers. The winner of the "Best of Summer" EcoWatchers' Choice award is … Michael Pizzi, for this majestic photograph of Yosemite Valley.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMTEzMzc4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDI4NzY5Mn0.pgnkwlBpUbIr1I_xH5ONEplBcI9CEYJMDjEM2Kx8Ufg/img.jpg?width=980" id="32f32" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8c2dc2bbe678c45c26f4723f3ea81022" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>"This was my very first time at Yosemite Valley, and it did not disappoint! The rock formations completely blew me away, the sunsets filled up the entire sky, and the wildlife seemed indifferent to my presence," Pizzi told EcoWatch of the moment he took the photo. He has since been back to the iconic <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-parks" target="_blank">national park</a> several times.<br/></p><p>But even before that first visit, Pizzi had long been drawn to the valley by the writings of John Muir and the photographs of Ansel Adams. He hopes to inspire other nature lovers in the same way.</p><p>"My goal here, and in every photo, is to bring the beauty of a location to people who have not yet had the privilege of experiencing it themselves," Pizzi said. "Hopefully viewers are motivated to make the trip to Yosemite, and join the fight to protect these places for future generations."</p><p>Pizzi lives in Los Angeles, where he runs <a href="https://vibesandhorizons.com/" target="_blank">Vibes and Horizons LLC</a>, a scuba-diving travel agency, underwater photography sales platform and environmental blog. His favorite summer activities are scuba diving and exploring the ocean.</p><p>"On the weekends, you can usually find me out in The Channel Islands and occasionally down in Baja Mexico," he said. "Feel free to shoot me a message to go diving!"</p>"Spirit of the Valley" at Yosemite National Park, California.
Michael Pizzi / Vibes and Horizons
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Our EcoWatchers have determined their favorite photos for July and August, featured below! Vote now. Pexels
Update, September 17: Voting is now closed. Winners of both EcoWatchers' Choice and Grand Prize will be announced on Sept. 23.
On June 26, EcoWatch launched its "Best of Summer" Photo Contest. Throughout the summer, we've been receiving submissions from EcoWatchers, and we've been giving readers the opportunity to vote for their favorite image. Our EcoWatchers have determined their favorite photos for July and August, featured below!
<p>Now it's time to vote on your favorite summer photo! Vote below and let us know which photo you think should win our EcoWatchers' Choice award.</p><h2>Here's How to Vote:</h2><p>Upvote an image below by clicking on the green up arrow located above each photo. You can also downvote photos. You can only submit one vote per photo, and voting will remain open for one week.</p><p>The winning photo from the vote will receive our "EcoWatchers' Choice" award of a $100 Patagonia e-gift card.</p><p>But that's not the only prize we're giving away. Our panel of judges are also choosing a photo to win our "Best of Summer" photo, with a $250 Patagonia e-gift card award. The judges are: Gary and Sam Bencheghib, Anthony Bucci, Amos Nachoum and Margarita Samsonova. To be considered for this larger prize, please read our guidelines below and submit your photo by September 11.</p>
<p>Submit your photo to bautista@ecowatch.com with the subject line "ECOWATCH SUMMER PHOTO CONTEST" by September 11th for a chance to win and to have your photo appear on EcoWatch.com. To be considered, submit your photo with the following information:<br></p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Name</li><li>Email</li><li>Phone Number</li><li>Photo Submission (.jpeg file format recommended)</li><li>Caption & Location</li><li>Facebook and Instagram profiles (if available)</li></ol><p>Our judges will choose the winning photo and the winner will be announced September 23rd. The EcoWatchers' Choice award winner will also be announced September 23rd.</p>
EcoWatchers' Choice July Winner
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMTEwMDExMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0Mjk3NDYwN30.HfP1v9aXa3SOv-vUoErCdsG5tVj59l_VaaIFFoWa2uk/img.png?width=980" id="d81d3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b0e6e17dc5018f314d350427f496a88b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California.
Michael Pizzi / Vibes and Horizons
EcoWatchers' Choice August Winner
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMTEwMDExMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDk0OTg2NX0.37Pf2nkGBIZySNjl6a_0d-nCYiDIWva3GtPAMJfIZlk/img.jpg?width=980" id="19a64" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="966d58e680c3594c21e042d59a8d72a1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />This photo, August Harvest, was taken in Greece, in the area of Halkidiki and specifically the village of Hanioti.
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