Readers’ best travel pictures of the year

With more than 5,000 reader entries, judging the Travel section’s year-end photo issue presented quite a challenge. I viewed the photographs numerous times as I tried to whittle them down to the top 100 for LATimes.com and the top 18 for the print edition you’re seeing now.

FOR THE RECORD:
Photo of white cliffs: In last week’s section, which featured reader photographs, a picture of Turkey’s white cliffs was incorrectly identified as being in Pergamum. That photo was shot in Pamukkale in southwestern Turkey, where mineral waters solidify into various formations. —

Foremost, I was so impressed by how readers have traveled and visually captured the world in lovely and unique ways. Some photos simply took my breath away, and others made me smile.

The guidelines were simple: No professional photographers were allowed to enter, and photos could not have been altered.

Those that made the top 100 had one thing in common -- the initial awe factor, the photo’s essence and soul. Along with the picture’s emotional pull, technical aspects such as lighting and composition were considered when advancing photos to the next round of judging.

For the final “best of the best,” three more editors were brought in.

What you’re seeing is what we arrived at. I’m sure you’ll agree with some choices yet disagree with others. Let us know what you think.

Most of all, thank you for your entries.