While in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this summer, Cathy Surowka of Richmond took this photo of the Copacabana Beach and the famous black-and-white swirl sidewalk. Sugar Loaf Mountain is the large mountain to the right. “From the top of Sugar Loaf, you can see breathtaking views of this famous beach,“ she said.

Laura Goetz of Henrico County was vacationing in Arizona recently with a best friend from childhood. This scenic view was captured from a small hill on Upper Red Rock Loop in Sedona “as the light was beginning to change towards sunset,“ she said.

While on a trip to Alaska, Gary R. Zeevi of Manakin-Sabot was near Juneau when he saw this. “The view is of a field with ‘fireweed’ in the foreground and the Mendenhall Glacier in the center of the background,“ Zeevi said. “The glacier dominates the Juneau area and gives rise to a beautiful glacier lake.“

“When planning for our spring trip to Europe, I decided that a visit to Holland to see the tulips in bloom definitely had to be included in our itinerary,“ said Karen Raab of Henrico County. “My husband and daughter were thrilled to hear that the annual Queen’s Day festival would coincide with our trip dates and insisted that we make time to attend the event.“

Bruce A. Yoder of Richmond was in California with his wife when he traveled to the Darioush Winery. “My wife, Deborah Love, serves on a national advisory board . . . that meets in Napa Valley, Calif., every August. I have the day to travel and take photos. This stately structure with its magnificent pillars and calming fountains was irresistible,“ Yoder said. The Darioush Winery in Napa Valley is modeled after the ancient city of Persepolis in Iran. Darioush is a temple to wine, hospitality and founder Darioush Khaledi’s Persian roots, Yoder said.

Dick Crews of Chesterfield County saw this albino male deer in his backyard in the Salisbury subdivision in Midlothian. There are four albino deer in the area, one male and three females, Crews said. “The offspring of these deer are a natural brown.“ Submit photos: Send your photo to Your Best Shot, Travel, Richmond Times-Dispatch, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293. Include your name, address, phone, e-mail and brief info about the scene. Photos also can be e-mailed to . If e-mailed, please use Your Best Shot in the subject field.

YOUR BEST SHOT Enjoying the natural beauty “My wife and I visited Costa Rica for nine days in May,“ said William H. Jones III of Midlothian. “One of our favorite places was the Springs Resort & Spa in Arenal. The picture is from one of their 18 pools looking at the most active volcano in Central America.“  Submit photos: Send your photo to Your Best Shot, Travel, Richmond Times-Dispatch, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293. Include your name, address, phone, e-mail and brief info about the scene. Photos can be e-mailed to . If e-mailed, please use Your Best Shot in the subject field.

The wilderness and beauty of Montana Ellen J. Wolf and her husband went on a hiking vacation in Glacier National Park in Montana in June. She said they had not planned to hike in the Two Medicine area, but they were so eager, they “changed into our hiking clothes in the car, and for our first hike of the trip climbed 2,500 feet in 3 miles up the rugged scree on the side of the mountain,“ the Richmond resident said. “About halfway up, we were rewarded with this view of Two Medicine Lake and Rising Wolf Mountain.“

Mike Green of Richmond visited Yellowstone National Park with his wife, daughter and son in June. One stop in the park was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.

Debbie Krupp of Chester was able to capture this photo of ospreys nesting in the Outer Banks. “The birds hatched, and I was so disappointed that I didn’t have my camera. Two weeks later when visiting the same location, I was very surprised to see the birds still in their nest, and luckily I had my camera this time.“

“A 3.2-mile hike through Mount Rainier National Park will get you this view of Mount Rainier on a sunny day,“ June Windmuller of Glen Allen wrote in an e-mail. “I was in luck on Friday, July 3, when I took this picture. As you can imagine, people from all over Washington flock to Mount Rainier on days like this.“

S. Keith Barker of Henrico County was at Longwood Gardens in the Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania when he shot this photo. “Our family discovered Longwood by chance back in the 1980s coming back from Boston. Ranked as one of the Top 10 gardens in the world, it’s easy to see why once you visit,“ Barker wrote in his e-mail. “Last August on a trip back from New England we stopped in. By the time we got to the lily pond, it became very cloudy, setting off a ‘shooting frenzy’ among the photographers around the lily pond.“

Hal Tyler of Richmond was at Presquile National Wildlife Refuge, a 1,329-acre island in the James River near Hopewell, when he captured this image. “This osprey swooped by, having just picked up his catch from the James River, heading to his nest,“ Tyler said. 

YOUR BEST SHOT Tanzanian wonder “It had been cloudy all day, but near sunset the clouds cleared for a spectacular view of Mount Kilimanjaro,“ said Bob Holdsworth of Glen Allen. “We were at 13,600 feet above sea level at Barranco Camp. Two days later, we were on the summit.“  Submit photos: Send your photo to Your Best Shot, Travel, Richmond Times-Dispatch, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293. Include your name, address, phone, e-mail and brief info about the scene. Photos also can be e-mailed to . If e-mailed, please use Your Best Shot in the subject field.

“My office is located downtown [Richmond], adjacent to this intersection [14th and East Franklin streets], and in the winter I’m at my desk before the sun rises,“ said Chip Payette of Henrico County. “Most times, I fail to see the beauty of the downtown landscape. This February morning, I took a break to enjoy a nice ‘cuppa’ outdoors. I’m glad I did. By slowing the shutter speed down, I was able to record the movement of traffic at the intersection, and capture the first morning light.“