The 24th Annual Photo Contest Winners

Picture Perfect

You just never know what will capture the spirit, the beauty and the fabulous fun of our region. At least, we never know until the hundreds of images arrive for our Lake Superior Photo Contest and then, yes, for this moment in time, we know. All the entries once again confounded the judges with spectacular choices. The evidence of that is the tie for 2nd Place in the People/Humor category. Images on these pages received 1st and 2nd place or are honorable mentions. We list where they were taken and the photographer’s name and town. To see notes on what caught the judges’ eyes for each top winner, to read details of techniques used by the Artsy/Altered honorees and to see the Finalist winners, shown online only, go to www.LakeSuperior.com.

Now sit back, turn the pages and enjoy your Big Lake neighborhood and neighbors.

Could your image win a Grand Prize? Start shooting now for the 25th annual Lake Superior Photo Contest. The deadline is October 14, 2019.

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Get it in print: Single copies of the Photo Contest issue – featuring the Grand Prize, First Place and Second Place winners plus Honorable Mentions – are available for $7.95 (includes shipping). Finalists are only featured online.

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Nature

First Place: Marquette, Michigan • Sharon Bodenus, Little Lake, MI

Second Place: Pengilly, Minnesota • Susan Frei, Lakeville, MN

Honorable Mention: Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario • Anna Bogucka, Toronto

Honorable Mention: Oberg Mountain Trail • Steve Aldridge, Prior Lake, MN

Honorable Mention: Cascade River Trail, Minnesota • J.H. Arnold, Arbor Vitae, WI

Honorable Mention: Tofte, Minnesota • John Yuccas, Minneapolis

Honorable Mention: Hancock, Michigan • Miriam Pickens, Hancock

Honorable Mention: Big Bay State Park, Madeline Island, Wisconsin • Tad Paavola, Bayfield, WI

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Lake/Landscape

First Place: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin • Steve Bensing, Valparaiso, IN

Second Place: Schroeder, Minnesota • Scott Pearson, Eagle River, WI

Honorable Mention: Superior, Wisconsin • Calla Erickson, Highbridge, WI

Honorable Mention: Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan • Debra Carey, Bessemer, MI

Honorable Mention: Palisade Head, Minnesota • Max Foster, Plymouth, MN

Honorable Mention: Grand Marais Harbor, Minnesota • Jaye White, Grand Marais

Honorable Mention: Munising, Michigan • Steve Nowakowski, Lambertville, MI

Honorable Mention: Split Rock Lightouse, Minnesota • Tom Brownrigg, Sauk City, WI

Honorable Mention: Stoney Point, Minnesota • Adam Holden, Lake Nebagamon, WI

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People/Humor

First Place: Beach off M-28, Michigan • Edward Smith, Grand Rapids, MI

Second Place: Bayfield, Wisconsin • Jeremy Oswald, Washburn, WI

Second Place: Apostle Islands, Wisconsin • Jan Wilcox, Bayfield, WI

Honorable Mention: Burlington Bay, Two Harbors, Minnesota • Patricia Jones, White Bear Lake, MN

Honorable Mention: Artist Point, Minnesota • Anne Scalia, St. Paul

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Artsy/Altered

First Place: Canal Park, Duluth • Dan Lee Vander Ark, Duluth • Changed from color to black and white.

Second Place: Copper Harbor Lighthouse, Michigan • Joshua C. Haertel, Cadillac, MI • In this rendering of the lighthouse, Multiple photos were taken, and digitally stitched together to render a High Res photo with phenomenal depth and detail. After the stitching process was completed, the reflection was created. Not a real reflection but was created post to give a dreamy dramatic feel.

Honorable Mention: Ashland, Wisconsin • Anneli Schraufnagel, Ashland • the photograph has been altered is using cloning, curves, levels, color fill, paintbrush, and selective color. I used to be a painter, so I use many traditional painting technique concepts.

Honorable Mention: Two Harbors, Minnesota • Kelsey Borntrager, Trimont, MN • I took this image through a glass ball, then flipped the image to make it right side up.

Honorable Mention: Marina Park, Thunder Bay • James Brown, Thunder Bay • Three bracketed images were taken, merged, and tone mapped to accentuate the drama of the clouds over the Sleeping Giant.

Honorable Mention: Star Lake, Wisconsin • Peggy Carter, Chesterton, IN • This photo was taken with a fisheye lens using exposure bracketing. Three images were merged using an HDR technique. The Interior 3 preset was the starting point with further adjustments to exposure and color saturation.

Honorable Mention: Knife River, Minnesota • Jessica Throgmartin, South Beloit, IL • HDR image, converted to black and white.

Honorable Mention: Split Rock Lighthouse • Cindy Vondran, Rockton, IL • Added textures to the photo.

Honorable Mention: Tettegouche State Park, Minnesota • Patricia Jones, White Bear Lake, MN • Was a panoramic with slow shutter speed of the fall leaves and trees.

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Maritime

First Place: North Shore, Minnesota • Like He, Duluth

Second Place: North Pier, Duluth • Tom Branlund, Duluth

Honorable Mention: Upper Harbor, Marquette • Diane Dahlstrom, Marquette

Honorable Mention: Ship Canal, Duluth • Sharon Mollerus, Duluth

Honorable Mention: North Pier, Duluth • Ann Dierkes, Duluth

Honorable Mention: Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth • Joel Swanson, Plymouth, MN

Honorable Mention: Bayfield, Wisconsin • Jeremy  Oswald, Washburn, WI

Honorable Mention: Bayfield, Wisconsin • Maranda Miller, St. Peter, MN

Honorable Mention: Duluth • Deborah Moe, Culver, MN

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Finalists

Nature:

Two Harbors, Minnesota • Roxanne Distad, Brimson, MN

Brighton Beach, Duluth • Leanne Hanson, Crystal, MN

Lake/Landscape:

Palisade Head • Denny Lehman, St Croix, MN

Pictured Rocks • Zach Hall, Saukville, WI

Vermillion Point Nature Preserve, Paradise, Michigan • Rebecca S Martin, Stevens Point, WI

Artist's Point, Grand Marais, Minnesota • Jennifer Hurd, Sartell MN

People/Humor:

Bovey, Minnesota • Martin Francisco, Duluth

Gratiot River County Park, Allouez, Michigan • Victoria Nelson, Houghton

Artsy/Altered:

Near Houghton • Pieter Froehlich, Cottage Grove, MN • Changed a color photograph to a black and white.

William O'Brien State Park • Larry Bean, Billings MT • Branches were removed.

Maritime:

Thunder Bay • Judy Bouchard, Thunder Bay

Duluth Entry • Ed Labernik, Duluth