Inspired by our series How to take great summer photos, we invited readers to share a summer photo they were really proud of, that captured the moment perfectly. Here's a selection of our favourites
Summer Holiday: 'Accidental snap that captures the atmosphere perfectly'Photograph: Joel Segal/GuardianWitnessSunset Kayaking, Dubrovnik: 'This was a pretty difficult shot to get level as I was also taking it from a kayak. My girlfriend was in the front seat and I shamelessly took advantage of her furious paddling to take some snaps. She's still amazed what hard work kayaking is'Photograph: ID9389111/GuardianWitnessKathleen: 'Cararoe in Connemara, on the hottest day of the year. A fantastic beach surrounded by a graveyard. Kathleen doesn't link suncream, hence...'Photograph: DamienK/GuardianWitnessReaching the Baltic: 'My bike and I journeyed across Sweden with the goal of reaching the Baltic Sea. Little did I know how beautiful the destination would be nor how the journey would make me feel so good to be alive. This is my bike, this is the Baltic. This picture makes me grin with the memory of how exultant I felt'Photograph: miniegg/GuardianWitnessMidday in ParatyPhotograph: stripysocksrock/GuardianWitnessBucking bronco – Calgary Stampede 2013: 'Very difficult to get an action shot with a hand held camera – these guys go like a bat out of hell'Photograph: tynegal/GuardianWitnessBallynoe Stone Circle, Downpatrick, Northern Ireland: 'Storm clouds gathering just before thunder gave a wonderful opportunity with the light and added to the atmosphere at this Neolithic monument'Photograph: Ricky Bamford/GuardianWitnessEnglish Summer Bliss: 'My gorgeous six-month pregnant wife on our two-year anniversary with our seven-month-old pup! Lots of numbers, but all contribute to a lovely scene in an English country garden. Mad world seems a million miles away!' Photograph: adamselbow/GuardianWitnessSouthern summer; flamingos take flight: 'Suddenly this large flock of birds rose up from the lake before the lens as I focussed my lens on the sight of so many birds feeding in a shallow Andean lake at over 4000m above sea level. A magical moment as llamas grazed on the fringes of the water'Photograph: RicciAchillini/GuardianWitnessFistral Frisbee: 'Searching Fistral Beach for our frisbee that landed in the sea. Never found it'Photograph: Joe Burt/GuardianWitnessCafe view Southwold, SuffolkPhotograph: acerman2/GuardianWitnessIce cream in the valleys: 'Came across this ice cream van in a lay-by in the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain'Photograph: ID5222174/GuardianWitnessBritish "summer" at the seaside: 'My daughters making the best of a classically gloomy English summer's day at the seaside – great fun in any weather'Photograph: yorktone/GuardianWitnessWelcome to Margate: 'Lads diving off the harbour arm in Margate in July 2013'Photograph: matt_starling/GuardianWitnessStunning Stellisee: 'The classic shot of the Stellisee is a clear blue sky, with the Matterhorn and other mountains in the background. I love this shot of a soggy Stellisee, great even in the summer rain'Photograph: Fi_Bee/GuardianWitnessSummer stroll on Holkham Beach, Norfolk (self portrait): 'I took this late on a summer's afternoon on the North Norfolk coast. The sand stretched for miles and there was no one else around so it felt like I had all the space in the world! I wanted to be able to remember what it was like, so I set up my tripod and wireless shutter and set off on a stroll, snapping occasionally as I walked. I picked up my kit on the way back and this became one of my favourite photos of the summer'Photograph: Helen Ogbourn/GuardianWitnessNinja fight with herring gull: 'Candid shot of my son scaring a gull – boys will be boys... Upplands' finest beach... where local Swedes go to get some sun, sea and sand'Photograph: Siarl Phillips/GuardianWitnessNot always so tranquil: 'Whilst I was waiting to take this snap of a cruiser passing the old coastguard building at Lepe I was told an extraordinary life-saving tale. A local lady resident (a nurse) and others rescued a youth who had jumped into the sea and broken his neck by floating him ashore using an old door'Photograph: iamrichardmh/GuardianWitnessWalking at high tide: 'Walking over the mud flats at Westerhever my partner leading the way followed by our daughters. Living in the city one rarely sees the horizon. Walking over this vast expanse of "Watt" where the sky meets the land on all sides was quite an uplifting experience. I used a simple fixed focus camera to take the shot taking the light reading off the brightest area'Photograph: Tim Davies/GuardianWitnessSwirl: 'So much fun in Theme Park in Stockholm'Photograph: StanleyDellimore/GuardianWitness
