2012 Adoptive Families Cover Photo Contest

Congratulations to Carah!

She and eight stunning finalist photos were chosen from nearly 4,000 entries. Thank you to all the families who entered this year's contest. Share your comments on the individual photos in the 2012 Adoptive Families Cover Photo Contest album.

Photo Contest Grand-Prize Winner

Carah (11 months, U.S.)

daughter of Jake and Corrie, Georgia

"Carah was born on the fourth of July, she's our little Miss Independence. It was a couple of weeks before her first birthday, and I wanted to take some pictures at one of my favorite places in downtown Dallas, Georgia -- it's an old factory building, and all the doors and windows on one side are painted turquoise. In this shot, she was laughing at her older brother." -CORRIE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Corrie

Finalists

Grace Magnolia (3 months, U.S.)

daughter of Vanessa McGrady and Steven Spiller, California

"It was in the summertime, and Grace just happened to be wearing a white shirt, and just happened to fall asleep in our bed, and I wanted to capture that moment. To me, this photo underscores how small a baby is in such a big world, and yet how comfortable and safe she seems in it. We used this on our Christmas card last year." -VANESSA

PHOTOGRAPHER: Vanessa McGrady

Alexandra Ming (1, China)

daughter of Lisa Bryant, Connecticut

alexandra ming 2012 cover contest finalist

"I took this photo the second day my daughter and I were together, after a full day of signing at government offices and a final parting from the nannies she had grown to love in foster care. When we got back to our hotel room, she was exhausted. The peace on her face was a sharp contrast to all the confusion and sadness she was going through with every waking hour. This picture represented the peace I hoped she would come to find in our family." -LISA

PHOTOGRAPHER: Lisa Bryant

Beverly, Kaliyah, Brandon, and Luke (7, 4, 6, and 4; all U.S. foster adoption)

children of Shawn and Amy Honnerlaw, Kentucky

honnerlaw children 2012 cover contest finalist

"This was the first day of the first vacation we took as a family, and the first time any of the kids had seen the ocean. They ran down the beach, plopped down in that order, and sat there for the longest time, in awe, letting the waves crash up toward them. And that's typical of our four kids, sharing an experience like that. They're very close-knit." -SHAWN

PHOTOGRAPHER: Shawn Honnerlaw

Beau (1, U.S.)

son of Elizabeth and Zak Dyer, Oklahoma

"Beau was a 10-pound baby, and he's grown into a tough kid. As soon as he started walking, he'd kind of run, fall over, and take off again without ever really crying. We went out in downtown Tulsa to take photos for his one-year birthday and happened to find this great brick wall to use as a backdrop." -ELIZABETH

PHOTOGRAPHER: Elizabeth Dyer

Hana (14, Ethiopia)

daughter of Dawn and Tony Short, Texas

"My sister took all three of my daughters to the park one day last summer and was snapping photos of the girls. We have a couple of more posed shots, but I love this one of Hana just playing around in the tree. It stood out to all three of us, actually -- my sister has it on her desk at work, and Hana has this picture in her room." -DAWN

PHOTOGRAPHER: Debra Creel

Jack and Ben (5, U.S.; 3, China)

sons of Greg and Kim Schultz, Indiana

jack and ben 2012 cover contest finalist

"Last summer we stayed at a lodge with log-cabin hotel rooms. Jack and Ben had just gotten up and were playing on the bunk bed, when I asked them to pose. Their relationship has had its ups and downs since Ben came home last year. Jack was no longer the baby; he had a kid almost his size come into the family. But they are getting to be good buddies." -GREG

PHOTOGRAPHER: Greg Schultz

Nathan (4, U.S.)

son of Miriam Hobart and Jeff Leicher, Minnesota

"Nathan is a kid who likes to get away with things. We love this photo because of the mischievous look the photographer captured, and have taken to calling it the 'Sneaky Nathan' picture. Even now, if he makes that face, we're like, Oh, look at that -- Sneaky Nathan!" -MIRIAM

PHOTOGRAPHER: Meghan Doll

Bodhi (6 months, U.S.)

son of Mani Sheriar and David Miller, California

"I'm not a big craft person, but I have two children, and, with each one, I went through a kind of insane hat phase. Bodhi just turned one, and I've made probably 10 hats for him. This watermelon hat was one of my favorites. I wanted to take photos of him wearing it, and felt like this picture really captured who he is -- he's just the sweetest little boy." -MANI

PHOTOGRAPHER: Mani Sheriar