IN one of our most successful challenges yet, we have been blown away this week by some gobsmacking photography.

For some reason, the theme of 'reflection' has produced a perfect mix of beauty, clever trickery and good humour.

Seeing as we have recently been marking the 10th anniversary of the devastating 2007 floods in Oxford, a good place to start seems Ian Marriott's shot of high-water markers on the Thames just upstream of Osney Lock: the three black plaques solemnly mark 1894, 1947 and 2003.

Their three, step-wise reflections in the calm water below provides a most pleasing symmetry which belies the events they remember.

Another absolutely cracking shot of the Thames is this one taken by Heidi Hayward under a bridge near Buscot.

The way the setting sun has set the stone on fire is priceless, and the curve of the bridge frames the softer sky in the background.

Jim Jutton didn't tell us where he took his 'black swan in the pink', though he sent in some other shots of swans on Oxford Canal so perhaps it was there.

Wherever it was, it's the most incredible image: perhaps if you'd been there at the time, you might have thought whatever was causing that neon pink glare was spoiling the view of the water in an unnatural way, but Jim has zoomed in to remove all context and left us with something quite beautiful.

Not all the shots have had an aquatic theme: Ann Faulkner captured the excitement as this future beauty queen prepared for some kind of pampered pageant.

Jade Masterson, meanwhile, flipped that idea on its head with this shot of what appears to be a headless student at Wheatley Park School.

Camera club regular Dawn Tivnan twisted the portrait idea again by visiting a funfair hall of mirrors with her friend to give us all a giggle.

Thanks as always to everyone who sent in photos, and we're only sorry we don't have room to share them all.

This week's best picture will be reflected with our £25 prize – see tomorrow's paper.

As for next week's challenge, August is here and for many people that means only one thing – summer holidays!

Ice creams on the pier, a drizzly camp site or piña coladas on the beach – we want it all, and of course we want to see your smiling faces in there as well.

As always, please tell us where the photo was taken and what we're looking at – we'd hate to say you're at Butlins when it's Pontins.

Happy snapping and happy holidays!