World in Focus Photo Contest: Merit Prize Winner

Kari Smith, who works in a Brooklyn coffee shop, shot this photograph at Coney Island on an overcast, humid afternoon. While strolling toward the boardwalk, she was drawn to the contrast between the grit of the aging amusement park and the innocence of children playing in an inflatable pool. "Coney Island is always an attraction, whether you come away disappointed, disillusioned, or, like me, obsessed," she says. (Holga camera, 60mm lens, exposure at 1/125 second, f/11, ISO 400, Fuji 400 film.)

For our 21st annual World in Focus photo contest, Traveler partnered once again with Photo District News, an award-winning magazine for professional photographers. More than 4,100 amateur shooters entered 12,472 images in our 2009 competition. See all of the winning photos here.