Voting is now open for The Newsport's Most Popular category of Best Photo for July, with Lorree Cox's 'Jetty View' the early frontrunner, followed by Meryl Greet's 'Natural Light at 12 Metres' and Deborah O'Donoghue's 'Two Kookaburras'.

Cath and Ben Keating's Port Douglas photography company Sass Studios is the new sponsor of the monthly First Prize - $50 cash. "We're really happy to support the competition," Ben said. "Photography is seven days a week for us, and we love to encourage anybody who's willing to get out there and have a go," Cath agreed. 

"The photos that always appeal to us are the ones that make you look again, or hold your eye for a bit longer than normal," Cath said. "Be it a story or a pattern or the light and shade of the image, it's the ones you're still thinking about after the picture's gone."

"As always, there were lots of great images this month," Ben said. "Kevin 'KStar' Eldridge's 'Mackerel Sky' really drew us in, and Ian Waldren's 'Orchid Perfection' is technically spot on - beautiful exposure, great colour. Deborah O'Donoghue's 'Two Kookuburras' is a lovely moment, nicely framed and so typical of the Australian bush - you can hear the pair laughing!"

Cath and Ben's top shutterbug tips:

• Do your best to keep horizons straight, even if it means straightening them in your editing software.
• Over photoshopping can sometimes ruin the feel of an otherwise a good image. Good to keep in mind.

Visit <link best-photo.5467.0.html>www.tourismportdouglas.com.au/BEST-PHOTO.5467.0.html or click on the 'BEST PHOTO' tab on The Newsport homepage to vote for your favourite.Voting closes at 5pm on August 15, 2013.

Entries for August are now being accepted. Please send your photo (prefer max resolution 800px wide) to competitions@thenewsport.com.au.