Here are a few pictures from the 2012 United States Barista Championship (higher-resolution versions of most of them can be found here):

The USBC competition area early Thursday morning

Everyone was competing for this

The TV crew was ready to stream the USBC live online

Tyler Stevens from Barista opened up the competition

Sterling's Ann Schneider competed second

Truman Severson meticulously prepares for his routine

Severson brings his best customer service smile to the table

The sensory judges listen attentively

Then taste the drinks

Technical judges hover, making sure the barista does everything correctly

On Friday morning, Stumptown's Laila Ghambari waited with her game face on

2011 USBC Champion Pete Licata (third from left) was a sensory judge this year

La Marzocco's Sarah Dooley competes under close scrutiny

The cameras provided close-up shots for the people in the audience, both at the competition and online

Case Study owner Christine Herman-Russell and barista Ricky Sutton take in the competition

Coava's Devin Chapman pours a cappuccino at the Barista Guild Brew Bar after he is done competing for the day. Photo courtesy Jinsu Lee.