The best reader travel photos of 2018

During his stay at South Africa’s Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Andy Miller of Hutchinson, Minn., saw elephants, lions, hippos, rhinos and more. For him, though, this was the photograph that best captured how surreal the experience felt. The zebra was with a herd but stopped to glance back at Miller’s safari vehicle as the sun blazed just above the horizon. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Oxbow Bend is one of the best places to take photographs in Grand Teton National Park, and sunrise offers the best light, according to David Halgrimson of Rogers. His photograph, graced by low clouds and pelicans in flight, proves the point. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Marla Solender of St. Louis Park captured a scene of rich heritage and emerald beauty when she encountered this farmer walking along a path in the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces of Bali, Indonesia. This irrigation system of terraced fields dates to the ninth century. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Kyle Turner of Minnetonka spent his 30th birthday hiking to the vertical rock formation of Roque Nublo on Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands. Dusk was settling and sunbeams were shooting through clouds when he captured this image, showcasing a vast landscape that dwarfs his friend. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The moon was moving swiftly when Kevin Hawkins of New Hope spied it framing a church in Vik, Iceland. He quickly got out of the car, borrowed his wife’s tripod and captured the beautiful scene. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Mick Richards of Burnsville waited 45 minutes for the sun to set at Aruba’s Eagle Beach to get this shot, capturing a sky painted yellow, orange and purple. A sailboat glided into the scene at just the right moment, adding a Dutch West Indies flair. A divi-divi tree, twisted by tradewinds, stands in the foreground. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The traveler: Ryan Karlstad of Stillwater, MN The scene: Cloudy skies hasten the darkness that settles over a canal in Amsterdam at dusk. The trip: My wife, twin daughters, and I made this trip to Amsterdam about 2 years ago. My daughters were eager to see Anne Frankís house since they had just finished reading her diary in school. It was a clear bright day when we entered her home and adjacent museum, but when we left the skies had become ominous and foreboding, reflecting perhaps Anne Frankís own experience in hiding. Amsterdam itself is such a unique city that lends itself to landscape and cityscape photography. Although we were only there for a few days, I took a couple hundred photographs. The historic center of Amsterdam is well preserved yet maintains the vitality of any modern city. A large population still lives in these old commercial buildings as evidenced by the ubiquitous bicycles residents use to navigate the narrow streets. Numerous small boutique stores still overlook the cityís canals. Although small cars are present, the area caters itself to pedestrian traffic. Therefore as we meandered among the brick-laden streets we could imagine we were visiting the city in its ìGolden Ageí in the 17th century. How I got the shot: I wanted a photograph that would capture historic Amsterdamís commercial and social culture. I chose to shoot these buildings because their architecture and because their setting among an intersection of canals and mounds of bicycles would be familiar to anyone who has visited this city. The natural light and the glow from the windows accentuated Amsterdamís ìOld Worldî character. I was initially disappointed that the clouds obscured the ìgolden hourî on our last night in Amsterdam, but the clouds provided a visual interest that clear skies would have lacked. As a result of the clouds the scene was actually quite a bit darker than the picture would suggest, so I used a tripod, high ISO, and (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

John Piepkorn of Minnetonka discovered that Icelandic horses are inquisitive and friendly; this one, with a great head of hair, walked up to the photographer when he got out of a car near Selfoss, Iceland. The animals spend most of their time outside, even in winter, so their coats get shaggy, he reported. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Can I have your name as you would like it to appear in print, and the town in which you live? Sue Kirchoff, Minneapolis Where were you when you took this photo? What does it show? I was in the Peruvian rainforest, in the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve. The photo shows a black-skinned parrot snake in the water lettuce, where it was probably hunting frogs or lizards. Found only in Central and South America, this slender snake is about 24-36 inches long. It is considered "mildly venomous." What equipment did you useóa phone or a particular camera? I used a Nikon D600 camera with a 70-300 mm telephoto lens set at 125 mm. How did you get this shot? Did you employ any particular technique: did you get low or high to change the angle, or wait just for the right moment? I took the shot leaning over the edge of a small boat on the water. We were paddling around looking for wildlife and spotted movement in the water lettuce. Then the snake spotted us, responding with an open mouth as I snapped photos! What struck you about this photoówhy was it one you wanted to share with us? I was so thrilled to get this great photo of this colorfu l, quick-moving snake I had never seen before. And t he snake's colors looked so pretty in the water lettuce. What do you want readers to know about the destination? The world's largest rainforest, the Amazon is home to more species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet. And you don't need t o "rough it" to explore the Amazon! There are very nice all-inclusive lodges there, with comfortable beds, modern bathrooms, chef-cooked meals, and knowledgeable, English-speaking guides . I stayed at the AquAmazon Lodge in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. Could we have your telephone number for our files, in the event you photo is selected to appear in our ìBest Ofî issue at the end of the year? Yes, my telephone number is 612-729-1150 (but I'm easier to reach via e-mail). (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A rainbow arcs above Kauai’s Waimea Canyon, a scene that Tim Wisser of Bloomington captured after rainfall. He and his wife have visited four of the Hawaiian islands, and he finds Kauai the most scenic. He warned that the island does get a lot of rain, but the upside to all that precipitation is that rainbows are almost everywhere. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

During a two-week drive through Utah canyon country, Lew Beccone of Minneapolis found stark beauty at many places, including Canyon De Chelly, Valley of the Gods, Newspaper Rock Monument and Arches National Park, where he captured this stunning view of Pine Tree Arch. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Darryl Tilden...Columbia Heights Mn. Where were you when you took this photo? What does it show? I was in The Sahara Desert in Morocco out side of the town named Rissani What equipment did you useóa phone or a particular camera? My camera was a Canon rebel T5-i How did you get this shot? Did you employ any particular technique: did you get low or high to change the angle, or wait just for the right moment? I got low on the sand dune & was riding a camel also...... What struck you about this photoówhy was it one you wanted to share with us? I loved the composition of the photo & LOVED the country of Morocco..... What do you want readers to know about the destination?.....Morocco was a great vacation & has many many diverse site to see..I will be going back someday, but first I have other places to see.... Could we have your telephone number for our files, in the event you photo is selected to appear in our ìBest Ofî issue at the end of the year?....My phone number is 612-723-1999 (The Minnesota Star Tribune)