Guardian readers July 1, 2009

Summer in the city

The entries for our June photo competition capture life in some of the world's busiest cities. See our pick of the best and the winning shot

Ho Chi Minh city — Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam by Nick Board: 'Ho Chi Minh city at dusk. Chaos at the best of times' Photograph: Nick Board /guardian.co.uk

Elliots Beach Chennai, India — Chennai, India by Karsten Koehler: 'The picture was taken at Elliot's Beach, Chennai, India. The guy was the instructor of a group of boys practising acrobatics' Photograph: Karsten Koehler/guardian.co.uk

Tokyo, Japan — Tokyo, Japan by Philip Genochio: 'This image was taken in the midst of a wet evening rush hour. I think there's a lovely contradiction here. These guys are just a handful of the millions of commuters having a beer on the way home, yet they're down a small alley and could be a world away from the travelling hordes passing by at the end of the street' Photograph: Philip Genochio/guardian.co.uk

Izmir, Turkey — Izmir, Turkey by Umit Yesildag: 'I spotted this window cleaner working on an office block. Izmir is a port and this building is yards from the sea and prone to high winds. This guy is on the sixth floor with no safety harness or anything to prevent him from falling backwards' Photograph: Umit Yesildag/guardian.co.uk

Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina — Buenos Aires, Argentina by Philip Morris: 'This photo was taken in Recoleta. Dog walkers are everywhere, sometimes taking a dozen dogs for a walk at a time while their owners are at work' Photograph: Philip Morris/guardian.co.uk

Warsaw, Poland — Warsaw, Poland by Julie Tese: 'This photo was taken in Warsaw, in the Zlote Tarasy shopping complex behind the Central Station. It was certainly bustling with life, and far outdid most English shopping malls' Photograph: Julie Tese/guardian.co.uk

Melbourne, Australia — Melbourne, Australia by Jamie Lafferty: 'It may be one of the world's leading cities for street art, but Melbourne's graffiti isn't for everyone' Photograph: Jamie Lafferty/guardian.co.uk

Malmö, Sweden, train station — Malmö, Sweden by Peter Leyden: 'The bicycle parking lot during rush hour at Malmö train station on a typical weekday' Photograph: Peter Leyden/guardian.co.uk

Deep in Thought on a Lisbon Tram — Lisbon, Portugal by Shay Coyle: 'Deep in thought on a Lisbon tram' Photograph: Shay Coyle/guardian.co.uk

Baku, Azerbaijan — Baku, Azerbaijan by John Gawthrop: 'Men fishing in the Caspian Sea against a backdrop of high-rise buildings, which are transforming Baku’s formerly low-rise skyline.' Photograph: John Gawthrop/guardian.co.uk

Istanbul, Turkey — Istanbul, Turkey by Emma Durnford: 'After a busy morning getting lost in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, I spotted this group of men frantically shouting into their mobiles and at each other. On chatting with a few bystanders I found out that they were merchants bidding for gold and the markets had just opened' Photograph: Emma Durnford/guardian.co.uk

Le Louvre, Paris — Le Louvre, Paris by Martin Higgs: 'A peaceful summer's evening reflected in the fountains of Le Louvre. After a hectic Parisian day, couples chat and relax by the famous pyramids' Photograph: Martin Higgs/guardian.co.uk

Times Square in New York — Times Square, New York by Alison Wallace: 'These people are taking time out to sit and watch the world go by - in my opinion, one of the best things you can do in a city like New York' Photograph: Alison Wallace/guardian.co.uk

Skateboarding in central Prague — Prague, Czech Republic by Fabrizio Florit: 'Skateboarding in central Prague. When shooting this photo my eye was caught by the contrasting images of the young rasta skateboarder and the façade of the stately building reflected in the warped mirror' Photograph: Fabrizio Florit/guardian.co.uk

Santeria Fiesta, Havana — Havana, Cuba by Martyn Saxman: 'Santeria Fiesta, Havana' Photograph: Martyn Saxman/guardian.co.uk

Macau, China — The winning picture by Morag Brown: 'The woman in this photo is sweeping up rubbish on the roof of the old fortress in Macau, China. I like the contrast of the woman with the city in the background'

Our judge, professional photographer Natalie Mayer, says: 'I like the feel of the vastness of the sprawling city that this image gives. Thousands of individual flats contained in the many skyscrapers. Millions of people, living on top of one another, in what looks likes a dirty and run down area. And one lonely soul, keeping the street lovely and clean, with a makeshift dust pan and brush. It gives a sense of peoples' triumph' Photograph: Morag Brown/guardian.co.uk

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