VIEWFINDER: Sunsets of Kirkland Contest

Anyone can take a great sunset photo, as one of the best shooters I've known would say, a friend and former colleague at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. When the sun sinks and the sky screams shades of crimson and gold, you just point the camera and snap the shutter.

But that's one big reason they are so fun to shoot. Another is that sunsets -- and sunrises -- are often so colorful and so contemplative.

They make you think about the certainly of time and the vastness of the planet. Plus they're simply beautiful. If you have a camera in hand during a raging sunset, how can you resist taking a shot?

Kirkland happens to be  great place to take pictures of the sunset, largely because of its location on the eastern shore of Lake Washington, which often intensifies the display with reflection, and its large amount of public space on the waterfront.

What I try to do when taking sunsets shots is lift them above the ordinary by incorporating shapes and subjects in the foreground: people, plants, birds, sculptures. It's also fun to play around with angles to maximize the light, shading or reflection.

But I'm certainly no expert. And I'm willing to bet there are better sunset shooters out there among the readers of Kirkland Patch. So I'm laying down some cash -- OK, Patch is laying down some cash -- and throwing down a challenge. Upload your favorite sunset photo, taken in Kirkland, for a chance to win a gift card to the Kirkland restaurant of your choice.

Now, we tried this before, and only a few friends and family responded, at my urging (thank you, thank you!). So we're upping the ante from a $50 to a $70 gift card - that should buy you and your sweetie a pretty nice meal. Hey, you can use it at one of Kirkland's waterfront restaurants and watch another sunset!

The best sunset or sunrise shot uploaded here by the end of May wins the prize. It's easy to upload a shot, just click on "Add your photo or video" at the bottom of any photo here. You must first sign on to Patch, a short and simple process. Remember that shots of less than 1 mg load faster.

Please notify the editor of your upload by emailing greg.johnston@Patch.com.

So get out there, click away!