Images: Photo Contest Finalists
Connie Dimick of Mundelein stares out from a backyard pool as she wears ballet clothing in the water.
Abby Nierman of Mundelein
The hazy sun glooms behind the transparent-like white rose at the Chicago Botanical Garden in Glencoe in early June.
Jeff Farinosi of Vernon Hills
Children look out at the Ohio River and across to the Kentucky shore from inside Cave In Rock State Park in Southern Illinois. In the 1800s, it was used by river bandits to rob boats traveling down the Ohio River.
John Porteous of Round Lake
A neighborhood boy decided that hitting water balloons with a plastic bat was a good way to beat the summer heat in Arlington Heights last month.
Frank Vitucci of Arlington Heights
Fog rolls in as people come out to the pier to view the sunset in South Haven, Michigan.
Chris Lajiness of Palatine
A child cartwheels on the beach in San Diego.
Lauren Walter of Palatine
I took this photo of tree swallows in Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin. We were walking on the floating boardwalk, and saw 4 or 5 fledgling swallows on branches sticking up out of the water. Every so often the parents would swoop down and feed them. They did not seem to mind us watching them.
Sharon Kurth of Elgin
This past July our son Steve and I spent a wonderful week hiking and sightseeing in Glacier National Park, Montana. This photograph of cloud reflections in a calm Lake McDonald reminded me of an impressionist painting.
Mike Weimer of St. Charles
Last April when my wife Judy and I were in Hawaii on our vacation, I took this picture of some turtles we saw at the Honolulu Zoo. The turtles really seemed to enjoy relaxing in the sun.
Corey Schuster of Roselle
This photo was taken at Starved Rock during a recent hike in the 90 degree heat and humidity. This Hackberry Emperor butterfly climbed onto a friendÂ’s hand to enjoy the salty taste of his skin. Except for a minor cropping the photo is unedited.
Ray Vegter of Carol Stream
I took this photo of the Matterhorn about two weeks ago in Zermatt, Switzerland. A friend had told us that the mountain was covered in clouds most of the day, so my husband and I set our alarm for 6 a.m., and it was soooooo worth it. The sun was shining just on the top, turning the peak golden.
Sharon T. Goodman of Warrenville