So we decided to make the contest an annual event, where you can showcase your best photos, and they can help inspire others to get on the road too. The new design for the website is coming along nicely, and we have a lot of new stuff in the works - one of them will be using the photos - they will appear randomly in the web pages, so everyone will get to enjoy almost ALL the photos submitted, not just the winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the 2006 contest - (in month order) Nezasa Takayuki (cover), Michel de Schoutheete, Ingo Cordes, David Robinson, Timothy Bussey, Martijn Pater, Todd Lawson, Rupert Wilson-Young, Sheonagh Ravensdale, Yau Chi Lim, Pierre Saslawsky, Emma Myatt and Andy Gower. It was a really hard job to narrow it down to only 13, as we had hundreds of great photos to choose from, but I think you'll agree when you see these pics (small photos don't really do them justice, but the full-size ones are gorgeous!) that the winners really deserve the accolades.

The Grand Prize winner of a portable solar charger (generously donated by Antonio Caldeira, our HU Portugal Meeting organiser) is Michel de Schoutheete for the picture of Gerald Regnier crossing a bridge in Park National Torres del Paine, Chile.

If you really like these photos, you can have them in a 2008 HU Motorcycle Travellers Calendar!

Grand Prize winner, Photo by Michel de Schoutheete of Gerald Regnier crossing a bridge in Park National Torres del Paine, Chile.

Cover: by Nezasa Takayuki (Seagull), Japan; RTW; at The Pyramids, Egypt, Suzuki DR250 'Djebel 250XC'.

February: by Ingo Cordes, Germany; of Claudia Suleck, Germany; visiting the Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland, BMW F650.

March: by David Robinson, UK; On the F26, right through the centre of Iceland where the trails are black volcanic sand and very few vehicles. Suzuki DR 350E's.

April: by Timothy Bussey, USA; Owner of the Bagdad Cafe on the road from Damascus, Syria to Iraq, Harley-Davidson Wide Glide.

May: by Martijn Pater, Holland; Never ending rocks in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, R1100GS.

June: by Todd Lawson, Canada; of Christina Tottle from Canada; chatting with a friendly local, complimenting her hand-picked bouquet, La Moya, Ecuador, Latin American odyssey. Yamaha XT 350.

July: by Rupert Wilson-Young, UK; Evening light over our Salar de Uyuni camp, Bolivia. Alaska to Tierra del Fuego on a Yamaha Vino 49cc scooter, with my girlfriend doing the same trip, but by bicycle.

August: by Sheonagh Ravensdale, UK; of Pat Thomson, UK; The Hostal promised us there was good bike parking, Ollantaytambo, Peru, Honda Falcon NX400.

September: by Yau Chi Lim, Canada; Solo RTW. A magical lake and castle in the Dolomites near Trento, Italy, BMW R1200 GS.

October: by Pierre Saslawsky, France; of Merritt Grooms, USA; Riding through Death Valley, California, on our RTW tour on two 2002 F650GS Dakar.

November: by Emma Myatt, UK; of Hamish Oag, UK; In Australia - after a hard day in the saddle Hamish Oag relaxes in the hammock next to our BMW R1100 GS.

December: by Andy Gower, UK; End of the road at the Tauerntreffen, Hohentauern, Austria; Part of a 1900 mile European winter trip, Honda Cub C90.

The 2006 contest is now CLOSED, but the 2007 contest is now open, so start shooting!

Tip: Make sure your camera is set to at least 2300x1800 pixels!

Prizes

The best 13 photos will be used in the calendar, and those photographers will receive a share of the proceeds. 2005 winners received over US$50 each, and for 2006 we hope it will be more!

Winners will also get a free calendar, and 1 year Gold Member status on the HUBB.

Details:

• Send up to 6 photos, in high resolution format using the form below.
• Photos must clearly portray MOTORCYCLE Travel. The whole bike doesn't need to be in the picture, but it must be obvious that it's a motorcycle trip.
• Copyright remains with the photographer, but Horizons Unlimited (HU) requires the right to:
  • publish the photos on the Horizons Unlimited website as we see fit,
  • in Horizons Unlimited DVD's, and
  • in the Horizons Unlimited Travellers Calendar. If used in the Calendar, you will receive a portion of the proceeds. You will always get full credit for your photo wherever it's used.

• For the contest entry, you can send any file size from 800x600 up.

• BUT to be a winner, so we can publish the calendar, you must have available 2300x1800 (2272 x 1704 will do) pixel or greater files, at a high jpg quality, suitable for printing to 8.5 x 11 inches (A4).

Remember, contest closes September 1, so get your entry in soon!