Chasing summer: the winners of our June Editors' photo challenge

The June Editors' photo challenge

The theme for our June Editors' photo challenge was 'Chasing Summer'. We asked you to share photos that evoke the spirit of summer fun and adventure.

DPReview photographers rose to the occasion as usual, and we were almost able to feel the heat coming off our screens. Here are our Editors' picks, presented in random order.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this photo challenge .If you want to participate in some other photo challenges, visit our Challenges page to see currently open or upcoming challenges or to vote in a recently closed challenge.

The secret oasis

Photographer: Giampier

Photographer's description: It was one of those July afternoons when the air is still and heavy, and the sun burns your skin. The city seemed to be slumbering under the oppressive heat. For three young friends, boredom was about to take over, until their parents brought them to a park that held a secret. At first, it was just a path like any other, lined by a wooden fence and topped by a pergola of climbing plants. But then, as if by magic, a thick, cool cloud began to descend from the pergola. It was a tunnel of mist. This photo captures the exact moment when shyness turned into pure joy. After a brief moment of hesitation, one of them darted off, and the others followed without a second thought. They are running not just to find relief from the heat, but to cross a portal into another world.

Equipment: Pentax KP + Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM | C

One more time?

Photographer: Martella Media

Photographer's description: My daughter was deathly afraid of the "swing swinger" at first. Then, after one ride, she kept asking, "One more time?" We bought an unlimited ride bracelet after that.

Equipment: Canon AE-1 Program + Canon FD 50mm F1.8

Sunset at city park

Photographer: Earl Goodson

Photographer's description: People enjoying an awesome sunset in Denver, Colorado, from benches and out on the water. City Park has multiple vantage points where you can see the downtown skyline, along with the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains just beyond.

Equipment: OM System OM-1 + Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS

Jumping for joy!

Photographer: Denaljo

Photographer's description: My granddaughter and her friend at a water park. The water was cold enough that they would take breaks to run around and warm up! Life imitating art?

Equipment: Nikon D850 + Nikon AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm F4.5-5.6E ED VR

All chasing summer

Photographer: toupia

Photographer's description: A couple that will get divorced shortly after having a baby, an abused wife who was finally left alone with three children, a man who has sailed alone for years and years, and many other lonely people, including the nostalgic photographer, all spending a sunny afternoon in a small summer resort village in central Greece, all chasing the summer.

Equipment: Canon EOS M6 Mark II + Canon EF-M 32mm F1.4 STM

Summer love?

Photographer: softmarmotte

Photographer's description: Taken during the alpine mountain summer at a swimming lake with views over the distant glaciers. A typical scene of young people flirting and maybe falling in love. Savoie, France.

Equipment: OM System OM-1 + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS Pro

Morning stillness

Photographer: ElenaGreen

Photographer's description: Sometimes, timing is everything to capture the moment and essence. Waking up early is definitely rewarding. It was a low tide time of the day, and no wind at all, and the aluminum boat was shining like gold.

Equipment: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Chasing summer in...

Photographer: Jack Simpson

Photographer's description: Chasing summer in the summer of 1988 at the Oasis, a beach just outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba. A couple of young lads take turns riding in and pushing a huge inner tube into the manmade beach.

Equipment: Pentax MX + Pentax SMC 85mm F1.8

Beach sprint

Photographer: LuMa

Photographer's description: A great afternoon with the kids, family and some wonderful beach fun. I was just lying around in the shallow waters and snapping away at my kids fooling around with their games. It's always more fun when the camera is waterproof.

Equipment: Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860

Ipanema beach vollyball

Photographer: poppyjk

Photographer's description: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazilians know how to do summer. The Ipanema and adjacent Copacabana beaches may be the best examples. On the weekends, the city closes the frontage road to vehicles, so it is filled with skateboarders, rollerbladers, cyclists, runners, and walkers. In addition to the many volleyball courts, there are countless small groups on the packed beaches just passing a ball around, trying to keep it in the air. Several hours earlier, there were hundreds of swimmers in the water 75-80 meters offshore competing in a triathlon. The whole scene is a feast for the eyes and a light for the soul.

Equipment: Canon EOS 5D Mark III + Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

Running down a dream

Photographer: Samantha Guillotte

Photographer's description: While studying abroad in Rome, my photography class walks around every day in hopes of capturing something. As we were walking, I captured this car driving down the lane, and it reminded me of my home, where driving with windows down to the beach and blasting 80s makes for the perfect summer.

Equipment: Nikon Z5

Summer innocence

Photographer: hanij

Photographer's description: Summer brings so many joys. Most beautiful of all is seeing my kids enjoying the long sunny days by the beach. Taken a few years ago at Tod's Point in Greenwich, Connecticut, this photo captures my two sons sharing their pure joy on a beautiful day.

Equipment: Apple iPhone XS