We asked Ankeny residents to choose their favorite local photographer and, boy, did they deliver.

Two weeks, 3,800 votes, 68 comments and several reviews later, we have a winner in our Readers' Choice contest for favorite Ankeny photographer.

Congratulations to Kampens Creations Photography! Kampens clients made it clear the love they have for the business and its owner, Jodie Kampen, casting 1,766 votes and leaving a staggering 45 comments to tell Jodie why her business deserved their vote.

We also want to give a shout-out to Ashes Photography and its owner, Ashley Wilkerson. Ashes is getting an honorable mention award, which is just as good as a win in our eyes, because the business took home the top number of votes at 1,776, not to mention nine positive comments and eight reviews and five-star ratings in our business directory.

Here's what one voter had to say about our winner, Kampens Creations:

"My vote is for Kampens Creations Photography! Not only is Jodie a talented photographer, she is just as sweet as the pictures she captures! I would urge anyone looking for someone to capture life's memories to give Kampens Creations a try. Gorgeous work, attention to small details, and a personal touch...you can't go wrong!" ~ Kate Robertson

Those who voted for Ashes Photography were equally as passionate:

"Ashes photography definitely has my vote! She is young and talented and best of all is her creativeness . She is an amazing photographer and very easy to work with. Her prices are fought to beat and her work is great. My vote goes go ashley. She is one of the most friendly person I know." ~ Rick Sandquist

So how come the business with the most amount of votes didn't take it all home? We do things a little different here at Patch and when a business' clients go the extra mile, it pays off. Here's why:

When determining a winner, we award points based on two factors. The business with the highest number of votes gets 10 points, the business with the second highest gets 8. Then we look at reviews and comments. Again, the business with the highest number of reviews and comments gets 10 points, the business with the second highest gets 8.

This resulted in a tie as Ashes Photography earned a total of 18 points for having the most amount of votes and the second-highest number of positive reviews and comments. Kampens Creations also earned 18 points for having the second-highest number of votes, but the highest number of positive reviews and comments.

The contest can’t end in a tie, so according to our official Readers’ Choice rules, the business with the highest amount of reviews and comments is declared the official "winner".

But we think ALL our contestants are winners, regardless of their finish in the poll. Ankeny residents are lucky to have such a great selection of talent to capture their priceless moments.

A big thank you goes out to all our participating businesses!

Stay tuned, Ankeny Patchers! On Monday, we’ll kick off the next Readers’ Choice contest, which will focus on those yummy breakfast spots in Ankeny that help you rise and shine right every morning.