Vote Early, Vote Often. When it comes to internet voting, it is certainly the American thing to do.

As a result, we are asking our Photo-remedy audience to select our Photo of the Year. From a cat who flipped this photographer her middle claw to several stunning natural wonders, there are 13 finalists to choose from.

All you have to do is take a look at (and hopefully appreciate) the options, and then select the one photograph that is worthy of being crowned ‘Photo-remedy Photo of the Year.’ The poll is offered at the bottom of this post. Here are the finalists, obviously in no particular order.

1. Sueltz Butterfly Is that the type of butterfly featured here? No, it was simply hanging out in our brother-in-law’s rather impressive Denver garden. Therefore, we named it after him. Thanks Dapper Dan Sueltz!

Sueltz Butterfly

2. Dapper Ice Plants Again, a great garden produces lots of options and impressive amounts of photo-remedy.

Dapper Ice Plants

3. Explosive Wedding We had to feature at least one of Will Gilstrap’s Photoshop creations.This photo was taken in early 2011 when our oldest son, Andrew, got married to our adorable neighbor, Katie Coronel.  Will dressed up the groomsmen photo with some visual pyrotechnics. We are happy to report that Andrew and Katie are expecting a baby boy to join them in late January 2012. 

Explosive Wedding

4. Deer Creek Reservoir We had the good fortune of taking a scenic summer drive between Park City and Provo just after sunrise when this 2011 photo was captured. If you ever find yourself near Deer Creek Reservoir, bring your camera. Photo-remedy is offered in every direction.

Dry Creek Reservoir

5. Verde Canyon Railroad While living in Arizona, we have been blessed with the opportunity to experience a most interesting mix of domestic and international attractions and destinations. Yet, for the nearly twenty years we have lived here, we have failed to travel just an hour down the road to ride the scenic Verde Canyon Railroad. As part of our ongoing attempt to beat the 2011 summer heat, we finally corrected that omission. It was truly a memorable trip.

Verde Canyon Railroad

6. Boxer Rush When our daughter Amanda and her husband Stephen moved back to Arizona this year, they spent a couple of months living with us while they found a new home. Their time here gave us ample opportunity to fall in love with our first grandpup, Rush. Named after the famous UFC fighter Georges ‘Rush’ St-Pierre, this boxer loves to wrestle and run.

Boxer Rush

7. Blue Angels We had the good pleasure of visiting San Francisco during 2011 Fleet Week. The Blue Angels were the featured performers. Capturing the aerial acrobats in action was extremely challenging, but well worth the effort.

Blue Angels

8. The Alleys of San Francisco The Streets of San Francisco may be more famous, but there are plenty of alleys (like this one in China town) worth capturing.

9. Sepia Tree This tree, near Boynton Canyon and Sedona, cried out for photographic preservation. The color version was interesting, but the Sepia tone development seemed to give it the ‘voice’ it needed.

Sepia Tree

10. An Angry Cat Our beloved Stella is both a lover and a fighter. I believe, however, this is the first time she was so bold as to flip me her middle claw. I can’t say I blame her. I imagine she gets tired of me pointing and clicking in her direction.

Angry Cat

Prayerful Kitty

11. Prayerful Kitty Our daughter and son-in-law let me tag along this year when they attended the Phoenix Feline Association’s 19th Annual All Breed Cat Show. Cats are often accused of being aggressive beggars, but this little guy seemed to take it to a new level while on stage competing for ribbons and recognition. He certainly took a different approach than Stella.

12. Irish Arizona Being a ‘wee bit Irish,’ I’ve always dreamed of tipping a pint or two on the Emerald Isle. Not sure I’m up to traveling that far these days, but I’m holding tight to my dreams. Minus the coast and waterfalls, parts of a December drive through Arizona’s Tonto National Forest reminded me of some of the rocky Ireland scenery I’ve seen in photographs.

Irish Arizona

Big Cactus

13. Big Cactus I must admit I love the Sonoran Desert. Many people don’t realize that Arizona is home to the world’s greenest, most flowering desert. This photo was taken during my December Tonto National Forest drive.

We hope you will take advantage of the opportunity–in the poll below–to rank our Best of 2011. Please vote early, vote often, and invite others to participate in this clearly un-scientific poll! We hope you had a great 2011, and that you are looking forward to an even better 2012.

– Greg