narrowed my contest submission to these 3, right now i'm going with the first. feedback would be appreciated:
I actually really like this photo as I think it captures the scene very well, with Ellie looking sad and zoned out from what's around her. My one nitpick would be Joel aiming his gun in the background. I think if he was simply facing Ellie with his gun holstered, this would make a very good photo even better.