Reader’s Lens | July 4, after the show

Seattle Times reader Tom Overlin’s photo of the smoky Seattle cityscape after the July 4 fireworks over Lake Union.

Katie G. Cotterill

Seattle Times photo staff

Photographer: Tom Overlin

Photo taken: July Fourth, from Seattle’s University District

Photographer’s description: “Aftermath. After the fireworks show on Lake Union, I stayed to capture the boats moving through the Montlake Cut and the smoky haze moving into Seattle.”

Katie’s critique: “This wasn’t the fireworks photo I was expecting to be submitted this week and I think that’s why I like it so much. The hazy aftermath from the big Lake Union fireworks show creates a different look to the city. The 15-second exposure creates a glow I really like from so many sources, and the fireworks captured at the bottom of the frame, due to the long exposure, add some context and a burst of fun. This cityscape long exposure is technically well done and an overall excellent photo.”

JULY PHOTO CONTEST ‘Take a hike’

For this month’s reader-photo contest, we’re looking for your favorite photo from an early-summer trek around the Northwest, whether it’s among balsamroot flowers in the Methow Valley or through lingering snow at an alpine lake.

Send us your best recent “Take a hike” photo, and we’ll choose a favorite to spotlight in The Seattle Times’ Reader’s Lens feature. A Canon photo bag goes to the winning photographer. Submit by the end of the day Sunday, July 30, to seattletimes.com/submit-photos.

Photographer: Vikramkumar Allakonda, Redmond

Photo taken: Dec. 3, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle

Photographer’s description: “Image of the bird expanding its wings to fly. This photo was taken with an iPhoneX with cloudy sky.”

Photographer: George Hu, Kirkland

Photo taken: Nov. 18, Crystal Mountain ski resort

Photographer’s description: “During opening weekend at Crystal I emerged from the gondola and took some nice selfies (while) enduring 40-mph ice crystals. As I walked up the ridge I noticed this opening between trees and a visiting friend asked, ‘Is that a river?’ I was struck by what looked like a river of snow and ice coming from Mount Rainier and took this on my iPhone 6.”

Photographer: Jola Charlton, Republic, Ferry County

Photo taken: Nov. 4, in Republic

Photographer’s description: “A group of white-tailed deer in the snow in Republic, Washington. Taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 100-400 mm lens.”

Photographer: Sterling Yun, Bellevue

Photo taken: Oct. 14, Rattlesnake Lake, near North Bend

Photographer’s description: “A few friends and I hiked the Rattlesnake Ridge trail at sunrise. On the way down we noticed that the water level of Rattlesnake Lake had receded and exposed these tree stumps. The rising sun caused the water on the lake’s surface to evaporate. Canon EOS 7D, 50mm lens, 1/500s at f/2.2 and ISO 100.”

Photographer: Jesse Van Hoy, Seattle

Photo taken Oct. 29, 2017

Photographer’s description: My wife and I went to Kubota Garden to enjoy the foliage. The water rushing over these leaves caught my eye. Photo made with a Nikon D750 and a NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4.

Photographer: Shun Takano, Renton

Photo taken: Oct. 19, Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park, Renton

Photographer’s description: “On my morning walk as I was walking under some oak trees, noticed the colorful leaves in the water. Also, the raindrops, drips from branches, and acorn falling in, were making interesting ripples.”

Photographer: Bob Ross, Gig Harbor

Photo taken: Oct. 14

Photographer’s description: “Taken from the deck of our home in Gig Harbor. Mount Rainier at sunrise with beautiful color and lenticular clouds, using 300mm lens.”

Photographer: Tim Nicol, of Republic, Ferry County

Photo taken: Oct. 7, in Republic

Photographer’s description: “A chipmunk gathering food for the upcoming winter. Taken with a Nikon D7100 and a Tamron 150-600mm lens.”

Photographer: Kalisa Beyer

Photo taken: Skyline Divide Trail on Sept. 24, 2017

Photographer’s description: Backpacking near Mt. Baker, woke up to a beautiful sunrise. The rays of sunlight just starting to wake up the land. Used my phone, Google Pixel.

Photographer: Lyda Harris
Photo taken: The Enchantments on Sept. 5, 2017.
Photographer’s description: I went backpacking in the core region of The Enchantments (Cascade mountain range) and used a Canon 70D to capture this photo.

Photographer: Chris Picard Photo taken:
Washington State Fair in Puyallup. Photographer’s description: This is my third year taking photos of the fair rides at night. The rides move around the grounds from place to place but have been essentially the same each year. So I look for different aspects and points of view from my past efforts. Here’s a look I have not captured before.
Taken with a Nikon D7100, 18x200mm lens, at 2.5 seconds f/18, ISO 100.

Photographer: Gowtham Ramesh Photo taken: August, 29 from Alki Beach. Photographer’s description: “Seattle skyline from Alki Beach.”
A long exposure photo at dusk. Settings: Canon EOS 550D 18-35mm ƒ/6.3 29.0 mm 30sec ISO 100″

Photographer: D.J. Doan, Renton Photo taken: July 19, at Snoqualmie Falls Photographer’s description: “I’ve taken this photo with my Sony A7II camera at sunset. The orange light of the sun painted a beautiful color on the rocks, making it an outstanding image. It is the best time of a summer day to photograph the falls.”

Photographer: Jen Sotolongo, Mukilteo

Photo taken: Aug. 19, Waterfowl Lake, Alberta, Canada

Photographer’s description: “We headed on a road trip to the Canadian Rockies on a whim, taking advantage of the free entry to national parks in celebration of the nation’s 150th anniversary. Avoiding the major tourist spots, we pulled over at a random trail and followed the short path to Waterfowl Lake, where we (and our dog, Sora) had the entire turquoise lake to ourselves. Taken with a Canon 60D on a 10-18mm lens.”

Photographer: Alice Becker Photo taken: Aug. 12, 2017, Seattle Photographer’s description: “I took this photograph of a sunflower using my iPhone. I think sunflowers represent all that is wonderful in the summer in Seattle and this photograph seems to capture that feeling.”

Photographer: Yoshiki Nakamura Photo taken: Aug. 12, Festival at Mt. Si, North Bend Photographer’s description: “Decent fireworks are presented every summer in North Bend as a part of Festival at Mt. Si. I experimented by changing the focus ring, and rotating the camera so that the resulted images became abstract, colorful, strange-shaped and unpredictable. I’ve attached a ND filter to avoid overexposure while using larger aperture for meaningful out-of-focus blurriness. 155 mm, ISO200, 1.5 sec at f/2.8.”

Photographer: Terry Weiner

Photo taken at Chinitna Bay in Lake Clark National Park on 2017/06/27

Photographer’s description: “We were on a bear-watching adventure at Chinitna Bay in Lake Clark when we came across this brown bear (grizzly) with her two very young spring cubs clamming on the beach. Mom paid us little heed, but the cubs were very curious. Taken with a Nikon D3300 using a 55-200 mm lens.”

Critique: “The contrast of the mother’s not-caring face and two faces of the bear cubs looking at the camera while standing straight up make this classic nature shot a lot of fun. The zoom lens at 185mm really lets viewers see the rainy and wet details of the bear family on the beach. The overcast light making the water uniformly bright gray really helps our eye focus straight to the brown bears.

Photographer: Jefferson Ashby, Seattle.

Photo taken: Mount Hood, Oregon; July 3.

Photographer’s description: “This is a shot of part of my team on the summit of Mount Hood. Camera and settings: Canon T2i, 18-55mm @ 18mm, 1/250 second, f/5.6, ISO 100.”

Katie’s critique: “Beautiful light and glorious views help lead this photo to the top of our ‘Take a Hike’ monthly contest. The burst of light hitting the rough mountainside and snowy peak is nice without being overexposed. Well done highlighting the team of hikers atop the rigid summit using the rule of thirds. And the vertical composition showcases some of the terrain those hikers endured to summit the mountain, which we might not understand with a horizontal composition. Great photo that makes me want to be in the great outdoors.”

Photographer: Edward Villacorta.

Photo taken: June 16, 2017, at Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle.

Photographer’s description: “I was walking to take photos of birds in Union Bay, when I saw two great blue herons, this one perched on a log eyeing this turtle. Used my Nikon D7000 with a 500 mm lens.”

Katie’s critique: “The standoff between the turtle and the heron made me laugh. Good choice of lens by the photographer so we are tight on the subjects and nicely compress the background and foreground, while maintaining a nondistracting, out-of-focus background. I’d try cropping slightly from the left so we notice the turtle a little quicker.”

Photographer: Dan Evans, Seattle.

Photo taken: July 9, from Denny-Blaine district of Seattle.

Photographer’s description: “Taken the day after a full moon, looking east at the Somerset area of Bellevue, with a Nikon D750.”

Katie’s critique: “The almost-full moon peeking through the clouds, centered over the twinkling homes, makes for a lovely scene. The photographer did a great job of getting a long-enough exposure (1/15 second at ISO 1600, f/5.6) to see the outline of the hills without blowing out the exposure of the moon, which is helped by those clouds acting as a filter. Beautiful and soothing.”

Photographer: Tom Overlin.

Photo taken: July Fourth, from Seattle’s University District.

Photographer’s description: “Aftermath. After the fireworks show on Lake Union, I stayed to capture the boats moving through the Montlake Cut and the smoky haze moving into Seattle.”

Katie’s critique: “This wasn’t the fireworks photo I was expecting to be submitted this week and I think that’s why I like it so much. The hazy aftermath from the big Lake Union fireworks show creates a different look to the city. The 15-second exposure creates a glow I really like from so many sources, and the fireworks captured at the bottom of the frame, due to the long exposure, add some context and a burst of fun. This cityscape long exposure is technically well done and an overall excellent photo.”

Photographer: Jason Stowe, Bainbridge Island.

Photo taken: July 1, on Bainbridge-to-Seattle ferry.

Photographer’s description: “Jason Stowe photographed his wife and 9-month-old daughter watching the Space Needle pass by from the ferry. Camera was iPhone 6. Our family was on our way to see family in Carnation.”

Katie’s critique: “The photographer did a great job balancing the brightness of the outside light with the darkness of the interior of the ferry, which can be difficult when shooting on an iPhone. This just shows if you know how your camera functions, you can make great images. I love the symmetry and framing within this image, and it’s a great, tender moment. Lovely photo.”

Photographer: Steven Seibert, Renton.

Photo taken: May 5, SeaTac.

Photographer’s description: “G.H.Y. Bikes high-jump contest. Shot on a Nikon D500 with a 50 mm f1.8g lens.”

Katie’s critique: “This highflying photo wins our ‘Festival Focus’ monthly contest by capturing a fun peak-action moment. I love all the wowed faces of the contest watchers as the biker heads to the apex of his jump, as well as the biker’s determined facial expression as he hangs in midair. The lens used creates a separation between the high-jumper and the trees in the background so we are able to focus on that moment without getting distracted. Fantastic moment captured.”

Photographer: Jeff Seldomridge, Curtis, Lewis County.

Photo taken: June 14, in his garden.

Photographer’s description: “The Frog Bureau Investigator is Watching and is reporting back to D.C. This Pacific Tree Frog appeared on our window two days ago and very nicely posed for a photo on our rose petals. Taken with a Nikon D800, 105mm AIS F4.5 lens, and a SB-800 flash.”

Katie’s critique: “Wow — such a cool photo of this little guy. I love the bright, contrasting colors. By using a flash, the photographer was able to create that black background, which really makes the image clean and the colors pop. The frog is large in the frame and we get to see a lot of detail because the photographer also got in close.”

Photographer: Rohit Agarwal, Redmond.

Photo taken: May 21, Cascara Park, Redmond Ridge.

Photographer’s description: “My son loves basketball and he was shooting accurate hoops one after the other on this gorgeous sunny day. I wanted to capture a memory and decided to literally lie low to get a different angle.”

Katie’s critique: “I love that the photographer chose to get on the ground for a different angle. The result: a clean background and a totally different photo from what we normally see — it’s abstract and fun. Also, this was taken on an iPhone, which shows anyone can make fun and different photos if they just think creatively — gear shouldn’t hold anyone back.”

Photographer: Janis Murphy, Edmonds.

Photo taken: Downtown Edmonds, June 5.

Photographer’s description: “My lovely neighbor has a backyard bounty of beautiful blooms. Besides sharing bouquets with me, she enjoys seeing the photos I’ve taken as well. I used my Canon Rebel.”

Katie’s critique: “This is a beautiful detail shot that well utilizes the rule-of-thirds. The shallow depth of field accentuates the delicateness of the windmill of petals and creates a super-clean image. I really enjoy this soft and simple photo — great job.”

Photographer: Dale Johnson.

Photo taken: Dec. 28, 2016, Harstine Island.

Photographer’s description: “I was staying at my brothers cabin on Harstine Island and on the south end, there is a windy road through the trees. I thought it would be perfect from above so brought my DJI Phantom 4 along to shoot it.”

Katie’s critique: “Dale Johnson continues to impress with his drone photography and wins this month’s Above & Beyond contest. The Romanesco-broccolilike trees are what immediately catch my eye and the winding road through the frame creates a great composition. I enjoy seeing more drone photography because it brings us images we don’t see on a normal basis and broadens the creativity of our growing photography community. Beautiful photo.”

Photographer: Mark Wangerin, Seattle.

Photo taken: April 22, Alki Beach, Seattle.

Photographer’s description: “This Canada goose hatched its young very near a bald eagle nest. During an eagle flyover, the goslings darted to the parent and stayed hidden under its wings. Finally one gosling emerged.”

Katie’s critique: “This photo is pretty much the definition of adorable. I love seeing the detail in the feathers protecting the gosling, which is emphasized by the nice, clean background. I wish the goose’s head was a little more in focus. Overall, a cute moment captured really well.”

Photographer: Betsy Carmona, Poulsbo.

Photo taken: May 8, in her yard.

Photographer’s description: “Enjoying springtime and watching the busy bees packing on the pollen. Used a Nikon D810 camera with 105mm lens.”

Katie’s critique: “Wow, look at all that pollen! I’m surprised we can see all of that with so much detail without using a macro lens. Great job by the photographer to get in tight and create a relatively clean background so we can see all of the bee’s details.”

Photographer: Fatih Oger, Seattle.

Photo taken: April 10, Seattle waterfront.

Photographer’s description: “Great Wheel and seagulls created the composition. Canon 5D Mark IV, with Canon 28-70 2.8 lens.”

Katie’s critique: “I love the simplicity and cleanness of this photo. The symmetry of the Great Wheel is great and the scattering of birds makes your eye move around the frame and adds an interesting element. Having the sun just out of the frame creates a gradient in the sky, another technical element that makes this shot different from other straight-on shots of the Great Wheel. Great photo!”

Photographer: Robert Wrench, Seattle.

Photo taken: March 20, Magnuson Park.

Photographer’s description: “Willow catkins are blooming in the Magnuson Park wetlands, bringing birds and bees in flocks. I tried to see what the bees are seeing in these pollen planets. This is a Scouler’s willow male catkin in flower.”

Katie’s critique: “An exquisite macro shot bursting with pollen wins our monthly theme of ‘Flower Power.’ I love how the frame is split between the willow catkin, which isn’t fully shown, and the clean background. It’s captured by a creative eye. Being able to see those tips of pollen on a very small plane is extremely cool and creates a surreal feel to the photograph.”

Photographer: Steve Piccolo, Seattle.

Photo taken: At Red Square on the University of Washington campus, April 6.

Photographer’s description: “After attending a presentation at the Burke Museum, I strolled through the UW campus looking for nighttime photographic opportunities. Among the subjects of interest was this view of the moon from the Red Square exhaust stacks. Used DMC-G5, 14-140mm at 14mm (28mm equivalent), ISO 160, f/8, 50 sec.”

Katie’s critique: “The composition is great and almost makes you wonder if you are looking up or down until you spot the moon. The lighting on the brick makes the orange contrast well with the deep blue sky. I really love the lines and the spacing between those lines within this frame. A great abstract photo.”

Photographer: Yoshiki Nakamura.

Photo taken: April 4, UW Quad.

Photographer’s description: “One of the ways to enjoy cherry blossoms is at night (yozakura). I wanted to capture my friend, family and the cherry blossoms at night in the Quad when rain is dropping. I’ve used 3 off-camera flashes, 82mm, ISO1000, 1/25 sec at f/2.8.”

Katie’s critique: “I absolutely love this photo with its creative lighting yet documentary feel. Lighting the cherry blossoms at night is beautiful in itself but the illuminated raindrops and umbrellas add something special to this frame. The composition always has my eyes coming back to the center of the photograph. Beautifully captured.”

Photographer: Nick Magill, Bellevue.

Photo taken: Feb. 25, Mount St. Helens.

Photographer’s description: “A fair-weather window allowed for a winter summit of Mount St. Helens followed by great skiing on the way down. When we got to the top, just above the clouds, we got a glimpse of Rainier just before a whiteout rolled in. Taken with Canon 6D.”

Katie’s critique: “Very cool view. How Mount Rainier pops above the clouds and the sun hits it is really what makes this photo stand out. The elongated crop accentuates the cloud line and just how cool it is to see Rainier on the other side of that. The snow-covered ridge at right gives you a sense of place. Overall, just a super-clean photo.”

Photographer: Greg Lammert, Seattle.

Photo taken: March 22, Ballard.

Photographer’s description: “Walking with my kids on a beautiful Seattle spring day. GoPro Hero5, shot in RAW, processed with Lightroom.”

Katie’s critique: “I love the perspective of this shot, which is helped greatly by the super-wide angle of the GoPro and the leading lines of the sidewalk that go on to eternity, as well as the hand on the stroller just peeking into the frame. The bright red petals are beautiful and add a nice pop. Really fun photo.”

Photographer: Tracey Hillman, Seattle.

Photo taken: March 10, downtown Seattle.

Photographer’s description: “The rainbow was caught while I was on my way to grab some coffee from the kitchen at my office. I ran to my desk to grab my Windows phone and captured it right before it disappeared!”

Katie’s critique: “As Seattleites, we learn to find bright spots in sometimes-dreary days. Hillman perfectly timed a coffee break and saw the greatest spot of color on a gray day, and for that wins our monthly themed contest. What’s great about this photo is how lucky Hillman was to be perfectly centered to see the full arch of the rainbow in the fleeting moments before it disappeared. I love how the Space Needle peeks through under the rainbow at the perfect place. My one tiny critique would be that the horizon line is slightly crooked, but that’s me nitpicking.”

Photographer: Lee Koshman, Bothell.

Photo taken: Feb. 25, in his yard.

Photographer’s description: “I’m always trying to get pictures of the hummingbirds in our yard. They like to perch in our dogwood between taking sips from their feeder. Picture taken with a Nikon D5300 set at f/5.6, 1/640 sec., and 400 ISO.”

Katie’s critique: “I really enjoy this hummingbird photo — the background is super clean and the leading lines of the dogwood branch swooping in to the hummingbird (which mimics the angle of its beak) is perfect. Being able to see those fuzzy feathers on its legs is fun. I also enjoy how the focus is very much on the hummingbird’s colorful feathers. Beautiful photo.”

Photographer: Jacklyn Kennedy, Seattle.

Photo taken: Feb. 25, Golden Gardens Park.

Photographer’s description: “I’m learning to use my tripod with my Canon Rebel, and armed with my new depth-of-field app, I headed to Golden Gardens to practice. These bare trees were the perfect spot.”

Katie’s critique: “I always see these trees photographed at sunset as a silhouette but this captures a different scene where we can see the detail of the bark. Great job using a small aperture (f/22) to get more in focus. I love that those people walking pop up between the trees. In this case, I think I want one more element to catch my eye and pop against the browns — maybe a bird flying through the sky or someone with a bright yellow or red rain coat walking through the sand a little closer to your camera. It might not always appear but patience is a photographer’s friend.”

Photographer: Ron Raport, Bothell.

Photo taken: Jan. 15, Skagit Valley.

Photographer’s description: “Snow geese have a beautiful but goofy feel to them, particularly contrasting to the graceful swans. This photo captures a pair searching for a landing spot, complete with flared wings and muddy feet. Captured with a Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 100-400mm lens with 1.4X extender creating 560mm, 1600 ISO, f9 and 1/3200.”

Katie’s critique: “Twins! These guys coming in for a landing are a great capture, muddy feet and all! Good use of a long lens to clean up the background (even with an f-stop of f/9) while still allowing us to get a sense of the crowded field to show they are searching for a place to land. The birds’ body contortion is super interesting and a nice moment captured.”

Photographer: Attila Laszlo, Lynnwood.

Photo taken: From top of Tye Mill chairlift, Stevens Pass ski area, Jan. 27.

Photographer’s description: “While I was skiing at Stevens Pass recently there was a constant fog layer blanketing the ski area. Clear at the top but foggy at the bottom. It made for challenging skiing but a unique photo opportunity. Used an Android Droid Turbo camera.”

Katie’s critique: “The horizon of fog splitting the frame in two is really cool and creates a super clean photo. The snow-covered trees bracketing the bottom of the image add a textured element to ground us in an otherwise airy scene. The one tree on the right that just gets above the fog horizon bugs me just a bit and I might consider cropping to just inside that tree. Gorgeous scene!”

Photographer: Gloria Z. Nagler, Lake Forest Park.

Photo taken: Feb. 7, in her yard.

Photographer’s description: “Freezing mornings are good for something! Spotted this on the way to my car in the morning. Took several shots to get the drops in focus — macro’s tough on depth of field. Canon 5D Mark IV, 100mm macro lens”

Katie’s critique: “The use of a macro lens here is perfect to create a clean background and isolate what is in focus. And the photographer is right — it can be difficult sometimes to make sure what you want in focus is actually in focus because that in-focus plane can be so tiny. I love the blue moodiness of this whole frame. A really great macro detail.”

Photographer: Kevin Schafer, Seattle.

Photo taken: Feb. 6, Alki Beach, West Seattle.

Photographer’s description: “A couple skis along Alki Avenue after the morning snowfall. Camera: Nikon D500.”

Katie’s critique: “Such a great Seattle moment! I love the clean look snow creates, and the fog over the Sound accentuates that in this photo. By having a foreground (the skiers) that relates to the background (the beautiful snowy tree) a more visually complex image is created.”

Photographer: Mark Wangerin, Seattle.

Photo taken: Jan. 5, LequeIsland, near Stanwood.

Photographer’s description: “I have never seen a short-eared owl do this! I found a preferred perch, sat down on the frozen ground and waited. The owl hunted and returned numerous times. Here it is looking right at me and wondering ‘What are you doing?’ Photographed with Nikon D7100 with Tamron 150-600mm lens set at 150mm.”

Katie’s critique: “Ha! I love this moment and those eyes! The long lens, even at its shortest length, creates a clean image, allowing the owl to be brought forward and separated from the background. All of the lines in this photo are really nice, from the subtle reeds in the background to the dark feathers, which all lead you to that clearly defined face. Such a fun and beautiful photo!”

Photographer: Ted Forman, Mukilteo.

Photo taken: Franklin Falls.

Photographer’s description: “I took this photo of a lone ice climber scaling the frozen walls surrounding Franklin Falls. Recent cold weather has created an icy wonderland that is a wonder to behold. Taken with a Canon EOS 70D.”

Katie’s critique: “I love seeing all the beautiful photos from those venturing to Franklin Falls. Great job by the photographer to use the rule-of-thirds but get wide enough to show the grand scale of the ice and still be able to make out the climber. I only wish the climber was looking up so his or her head is separated from his or her arm. Great capture either way.”

Photographer: Chris Picard, Seattle.

Photo taken: Dec. 28, in his Seattle home.

Photographer’s description: “Something completely different for your consideration. On these dark winter nights, I look for different ways to create photographic images that are unique. This design was made from rolled up Post-it notes on a glass table top with fixed light from below along with a handheld flashlight from above.”

Katie’s critique: “I love getting photos like this to mix things up a bit, even just for the week. The photographer created something really fun and beautiful from Post-it notes and two simple light sources. This is a great reminder for all photographers to use your imagination, just play around and try out something different.”

Photographer: Yoshiki Nakamura, Seattle.

Photo taken: Jan. 5, Heirman Wildlife Preserve, Snohomish.

Photographer’s description: “In winter, there are many birds including (migratory) swans spending their night at a small lake in Heirman Wildlife Preserve. As it was a severely cold morning, I was expecting the lake to be frozen… Amazingly and pleasantly, I found over 300 swans in the lake…(The birds) created spectacular scenes in the gentle morning sunlight. Used 840mm (600mm x 1.4 Tele-con) lens, ISO 500, 1/1600 of a second, at f/9.”

Katie’s critique: “The simplicity of this photo makes it really stand out. The gorgeous light perfectly illuminates these elegant birds, and the perfect spacing between the two, and around them, allows this frame to breathe. An extremely beautiful, simple photograph that feels like winter.”

Photographer: Tom Overlin, Renton.

Photo taken: Dec. 13, Snoqualmie Pass.

Photographer’s description: “My friend Karen leads the way up to the top of the ridge at Snoqualmie Pass ski area. Our original intention was a trip to Lodge Lake, but the conditions were so foggy we could not determine the route with any certainty. Camera: Nikon D750, 24-70mm lens.”

Katie’s critique: “A bright pop of color is always so fun against a blanket of snow. Having that pathway leading from the bottom of the frame is great as well. TIP: Try waiting just a little longer or moving your camera slightly higher so that the person with the pop of color is not on the same plane as the horizon. It will add a little more depth and room for a viewer’s eye to move around the frame.”

Photographer: Jack Freelander, Monroe.

Photo taken: Over Mount Rainier’s foothills, Dec. 7.

Photographer’s description: “Sunrise with Mount Rainier, as shot from a Cessna 172 at 11,500 feet, at minus 20 degrees Celsius, with the window open.”

Katie’s critique: “This is a great photo to start off the new year — it screams beauty and freshness. A small f-stop (in this case f/20) created that splendid sunburst and definitely makes this photo. Thanks, Jack, for bringing us to 11,500 feet with you. Happy new year, all!”

Share your recent photo from around the Northwest. Submit online at seattletimes.com/submit-photos (and see an online gallery of other Reader’s Lens photos). We judge the year’s best and award prizes every December.

Katie G. Cotterill: 206-464-2203 or kcotterill@seattletimes.com; on Twitter: @kgcotterill.

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JULY PHOTO CONTEST ‘Take a hike’