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I caught this frog on the lily pads of our pond one early morning. Glenn Domovic, of Aurora

I am new at photographing butterflies and have found a spot at the arboretum where butterflies like to go. I was using everything in manual including manual focus on my Nikon D90 so it was a challenge chasing them from flower to flower but it was so much fun. Nancy Havener, from Naperville

A walker stops to watch the sun rise at 7 a.m. in Lake Villa on August 11. Sue Colbert of Lake Villa

I took this photo earlier this month in the field behind our home which is inundated with the Cup Plant. The sea of sunflower looking flowers has become an attractant for not only the birds, but also the butterflies. In this case the white Cabbage butterfly. I've been intrigued by butterflies in motion and wing movement. The distortion of the body, flexing of the wings, and the ability to hover while feeding caught my interest. I guess an excellent dancer would be judged on his or her talent and not by their costume. The somewhat boring white insect has shown some good dance moves. Tony Pocewicz, of Carpentersville

The deep blue sky on a perfect August day is reflected in Chicago's buildings. The flagpole and the Willis Tower reach for that sky in this shot taken at Adams Street and the Chicago River. We had a memorable day downtown, including packing food at Union Station for Feed My Starving Children. Christine Essenburg of Sugar Grove

I took this photo in Wheaton in front of the DuPage County Fairgrounds. I was on my way to a park with my kids but didn't notice the bright sunflower field until the return trip when I saw all the sunflower heads pointing in my direction. With my own children I am always trying to replicate a photo that was taken of me when I was four in front of a sunflower field in Wisconsin. Since it's often difficult to find fields with just sunflowers, I was elated to come across this just at sunset time. Naomi Krodel of Batavia

An alligator floats near the surface of the water in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Julio Guerrero of Rolling Meadows

Jake Bolling jumps off the back of a boat in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin this past July as his brother, Evan, sticks his head in to photobomb the shot. Debbie Roller of Arlington Heights

A group of people walk to the end of the pier to watch the sun go down during the summer in St. Joseph, Michigan. Jeanne Garrett of Arlington Heights

I took this from the Granville Street Bridge on my trip to Vancouver. I thought it was rather festive. Todd A. Sherlock, of Downers Grove

Eager and hungry donkeys poke their heads in a car window to eat carrots at the Donkey Sanctuary in January on the island of Bonaire, in the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. Tom Kreuser of Libertyville

A wren with food for its young in a Vernon Hills backyard on July 30. Sue Matsunaga of Vernon Hills