2/4 Hot Pic: "Sunflower Kiss," by Tyson Chastain, Knoxville, Tennessee
Tyson writes: "A friend asked me to take some pictures of her family. While most of the family was cooperative, this little girl was a challenge. ... Upon grandma's request, the cranky little girl planted her face into this sunflower. Out of about a hundred pictures that I took that day, this was the one-in-a-million shot."
2/11 Hot Pic: "Swan at the Baltic," by Przemek Krysinski, Kansas City, Missouri
Przemek writes: "I took this photo in the Baltic resort town, Swinoujscie. A storm was approaching from the sea, and couple of swans were leisurely walking around on the beach.... The difference between the setting sun and the darkness of the approaching storm provided a contrasting image. I used a Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T9."
2/18 Hot Pic: "Blue," by Todd Frantz, Rancho Cucamonga, California
Todd writes: "This little scene grabbed my attention because of the way the surface tension of the water bent to meet the flower, and the way the blue color of the flower flows into the blue water around it."
2/25 Hot Pic: "Christmas Angel," by Tom Weber, Wadsworth, Ohio
Tom writes: "I took this photo in a very dark room, with a flashlight positioned directly behind an angel statue that we received for Christmas. I then shot it with a long, 4-second second shutter."
2/4 Runner-Up: "Peaking Through the Clouds," by Kristine Boise, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
Kristine writes: "This photograph shows the top of one of New Zealand's numerous snow-capped mountains, peeking through the layer of clouds around it. I took it from a plane going into Christchurch with my Canon Powershot SD450. I later edited it with Adobe Photoshop to increase the contrast."
2/11 Runner-Up: "Cliff House Beach Dawn," by Cynthia Farr-Weinfeld, Portland, Maine
Cynthia writes: "I took this photo with my Pentax K10D on a long exposure just as the sun was rising. I combined it with another, slightly shorter exposure to not only get a silky water effect, but a misty effect by the rocks as well."
2/18 Runner-Up: "Pollination Pleasure," by Debra Ferris, Spring Hill, Tennessee
Debra writes: "I took this photo with a Canon 20D and a Lensbaby 2.0 attachment, using just natural lighting in the late afternoon. This bee was warning me that I was too close for his comfort. I was too close for my own comfort as well--I'm allergic to bees!"
2/25 Runner-Up: "Spirit Interstate on a Full Moon," by Austen Broadbent, Royersford, Pennsylvania
Austen writes: "I took this late at night on my back deck. The moon was full, and patchy clouds were moving very quickly overhead. I set my Canon Digital Rebel XT's shutter to stay open for about 2 minutes, and used a wide angle converter lens for a broad view."