Photographer:

Merissa Benedict, Lynnwood.

Photo taken:

May 25, Cannon Beach, Ore.

Photographer's description:

"A picture of my best friend on Cannon Beach at sunset. Taken with Canon T3i, 18-55 MM lens."

Expert says:

"The image is a playful take on a sunset photo. Positioning creates a relationship between the subject and the sun, a fun way to skew proportion and create illusion. Nice use of a silhouette. Suggestion: A tighter crop would strengthen this image by removing unnecessary dead space."

— Kathryn Bachen, Seattle Times photo staff