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Patch's Summer Vacation Photo Contest—Week 1

Think you've got great vacation photos? Share them and win big!

Editor's note: Thank you for submitting all the great photos. The submission period for Week 1 ended 9 p.m. Wednesday. Check back Thursday morning to see the 10 finalists. We'll link to that page from here. You can vote for your favorite photo by leaving a comment on that post supporting the photo and its corresponding number. Voting goes through 9 p.m. Sunday. Starting Monday, we'll accept submissions for Week 2 for a chance to win a Caribou Coffee gift card.


Sharing snapshots from a recent vacation isn't a new idea. But being rewarded for it is.

Patch has partnered with Caribou Coffee, , Foodies on Foot and  to sweeten the idea of sharing.

Each week for the next four weeks, we're encouraging you, the Patch user, to upload your favorite vacation photos from this summer. Whether it's a dramatic scenic photo or a picture of your child never looking cuter, we want to see it! Submissions are accepted Monday through Wednesday each week.

Ten photos will be selected from each week's pool of photos. Thursdays through Sundays are designated as voting days. A winner will be selected based on the number of comments showing support of a particular photo. The winner, who will be announced the following Monday, receives a $25 gift card to Caribou Coffee.

After the four weeks, the winners face off for seven days of voting. The photo that collects the most comments of support gets the photographer a grand prize getaway to Stillwater valued up to $500 with an overnight stay at Water Street Inn, a Foodies on Foot adventure and a tour at Northern Vineyards Winery.

It’s pretty simple, here’s all you have to do:

  • Find your best, original pictures from your summer vacation.
  • To add your images, click on the "Upload Photos and Videos" button under the photo. Please include your hometown.
  • Once voting opens, get all your friends to vote for you!

And, some of the legal details: 

  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
  • To enter, upload your summer vacation photos to the “Patch's Summer Vacation Photo Contest“ post on any of the 25 Minnesota Patch sites. Entrants can only submit photos of their own original photos, which must be from this summer. The use of any agencies or automated software to submit entries will void all entries submitted by that person. 
  • All entries must be received by 9 p.m. CDT Wednesday of the competing week.
  • Four weekly winners will receive a $25 gift card to Caribou Coffee.
  • One grand prize winner selected from the weekly winners will receive a grand prize valued up to $500. The grand prize includes an overnight stay at Water Street Inn, a Foodies on Foot adventure and a tour at Northern Vineyards Winery, all located in Stillwater. Transportation to/from Stillwater is not included in the prize and will be the responsibility of the winner.

See the attached PDF for complete Official Rules.

Of course, we encourage you to share the link with your friends and family and brag about your great photo. Tell Patch and community members something awesome about your photograph in comments section below.

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Corey Butler Jr. (Editor) August 6, 2012 at 04:04 pm
Wow. There are some really great photos up already. It'll be tough to narrow the field to 10. Remember, you have until 9 p.m. Wednesday to upload photos for this week's contest.
AV August 6, 2012 at 05:55 pm
Love number 53!
Evan H. August 6, 2012 at 08:16 pm
Wow, how many pics can one person enter? Seems all these pictures are from one person
Corey Butler Jr. (Editor) August 6, 2012 at 08:34 pm
There are indeed a few people who submitted several—or a lot—of photos. That's OK. Folks can submit as many photos as they like each week. Our hope is to have 10 different finalists each week when voting starts, but if one person happens to have two photos that grab our attention, they might get selected. But don't be deterred if you only submit one or two!
Grant Martin August 7, 2012 at 04:17 am
Number three's gotta be a finalist! What a picture! That bass is almost as big as he is!
Corey Butler Jr. (Editor) August 7, 2012 at 04:31 pm
It's going to be a tough decision. There are so many good photos. Remember, we have three more weeks (all separate contests) for folks to make it into the finals. Submissions for this week are accepted until 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Melanie Fleischer Sydow August 7, 2012 at 04:42 pm
Love #94
Melanie Fleischer Sydow August 7, 2012 at 04:50 pm
is that how we vote? just leave a comment with the number?
Corey Butler Jr. (Editor) August 7, 2012 at 04:58 pm
Thursday morning we will have a new post with the 10 selected photos. At that time, folks can vote for their favorite photo (1-10) in the comment section, just like you did above. We'll be sure to have a link to the new post on this post.
Jim August 7, 2012 at 05:07 pm
Love pic 40 my favorite place up in northern minnesota.
Jim August 7, 2012 at 05:17 pm
Just love the pictures of the goosberry falls area
KLS August 7, 2012 at 06:38 pm
It seems like a lot of these photos are by professional photographers. Many don't seem like vacation shots.
Corey Butler Jr. (Editor) August 7, 2012 at 06:58 pm
"Vacation" is a pretty broad term, so we're OK with that. As far as the photos themselves, they won't be judged solely the technical points of photography but also for the subject matter. It's a wide-open competition—lots of great photos!
Ann Heyda August 7, 2012 at 07:57 pm
Which photos do you think were done professionally? Our vacation photos were either taken by my husband, who is not a professional photographer, or my 9 year old with her new digital camera. The thing I love is that northern Minnesota is beautiful and we could capture a quick little memory, but the story behind them is worth more than the picture.
Susan August 7, 2012 at 09:41 pm
I agree.
Susan August 7, 2012 at 09:42 pm
And I also agree here, #s 3 and 53!
Kristin August 8, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Love #40 and the ones from Northern MN! What beautiful pictures and place!
Dave G. August 8, 2012 at 08:46 pm
It says you submitted that one. I hope you love it!
Cheryl McCarten August 8, 2012 at 09:14 pm
#3 is my favorite as it is the essence of good summer vacation. I also really enjoyed #84 for being at the right place at just the right time. #107 just screams pure joy! And who doesn't know that happy toddlers know how to make the best of wherever they are... see # 135.
Corey Butler Jr. (Editor) August 8, 2012 at 09:16 pm
Be sure to stop by tomorrow and vote when we have the 10 finalists for this week!
AV August 9, 2012 at 12:17 am
You're right Dave! But it's my niece, and I just think it's such an awesome, fun summer photo.
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