GRAND PRIZE "From the Sky" | Brighton Beach, Duluth • Kenji Ogura | Duluth
GRAND PRIZE: "From the Sky" | Brighton Beach, Duluth • Kenji Ogura | Duluth, Minn.
The Winners
Photo Contest Cover Winner “Light of Our Life” by Deb Nordgren Deb Nordgren of Cornucopia, Wisconsin, focused on her granddaughter and Lake Superior to win the cover prize in the 30th annual Lake Superior Photo Contest. Deb’s title for the image, “The Light of Our Life: Our Granddaughter,” matched that sense of love and joy the judges got when choosing this photo as the cover of the magazine. It was submitted in the People/Humor category.
Those of us who live by Lake Superior know that the Lake and the sky often form an almost seamless horizon, captured so eloquently by our Grand Prize winner this year, Kenji Ogura. Kenji wins the $200, as well as the 2025 Lake Superior Calendar, certificate and 1-year subscription to Lake Superior Magazine given to all First and Second Place winners. On the cover of this issue, you see a photo by Deb Nordgren, an image that earned her $150 as the Cover Winner. This year presented another delightfully difficult choice for the judges, and we encourage you to browse the winners and honorable mentions thinking about how hard those final choices can be with such a good crop. They will all be placed onto our website, LakeSuperior.com, where we will also add details about the Artsy category winners revealing how they got their shot. With the 30th Lake Superior Photo Contest now a wrap, please consider entering the 31st annual contest. Deadline for submission is October 20 and you can find the details on our website. Remember, keep in the good light.
Thanks to all who entered and made choices so difficult for the judges. Please enter your photos in the 31st Lake Superior Photo Contest via LakeSuperior.com. Entries for the 31st annual Lake Superior Photo Contest must be received electronically by October 20, 2025.
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 $9.95 (Plus shipping).
Nature
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FIRST PLACE "The Dragonfly" | Grand Marais, Minn. • Jenna Martin | Ramsey, Minn.
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SECOND PLACE "Little Red" | Au Train, Mich. • Jenny Miner | Au Train
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"Two Trees" | Jay Cooke State Park, Minn. • Matthew Bruno | Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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"Momma Turtle laying eggs" | Point Abbaye, Keweenaw Bay, Mich. • Ila Turgeon | Rhinelander, Wis.
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"Seven Little Cygnets" | Presque Isle, Wis. • Robert Haase | Eldorado, Wis.
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"Bee" | Duluth • Ricky Vennevold | Cloquet, Minn.
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"Baby Loon On The Run" | Minong, Wis. • Michelle Bragg | Eagan, Minn.
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"Silly Fawn" | Marquette • Diane Dahlstrom, Marquette
First Place: "The Dragonfly" | Grand Marais, Minn. • Jenna Martin | Ramsey, Minn.
Second Place: "Little Red" | Au Train, Mich. • Jenny Miner | Au Train
Honorable Mention: "Two Trees" | Jay Cooke State Park, Minn. • Matthew Bruno | Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Honorable Mention: "Momma Turtle laying eggs" | Point Abbaye, Keweenaw Bay, Mich. • Ila Turgeon | Rhinelander, Wis.
Honorable Mention: "Seven Little Cygnets" | Presque Isle, Wis. • Robert Haase | Eldorado, Wis.
Honorable Mention: "Bee" | Duluth • Ricky Vennevold | Cloquet, Minn.
Honorable Mention: "Baby Loon On The Run" | Minong, Wis. • Michelle Bragg | Eagan, Minn.
Honorable Mention: "Silly Fawn" | Marquette • Diane Dahlstrom, Marquette
Lake/Landscape
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FIRST PLACE "Rock of Ages Lighthouse" | Isle Royale • Jason Kahler | Superior
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SECOND PLACE "The Last Ice" | Katherine Cove, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ont. • Jake Cormier | Goulais River, Ont.
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"Layers" | East of Cornucopia • Christopher Rowe | Overland Park, Kan.
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"Sunny Day Lake" | Duluth • Lauren Gros | Indianapolis, Ind.
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"Montreal River" | Border of Hurley, Wis., & Ironwood, Mich. • Tom Mortenson | Rothschild, Wis.
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Falls in the Fall" | Kakabeka Falls, Ont. • Judy Trousdell | Rochester, Minn.
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"Morning Star Superior" | Tombolo, north of Grand Marais, Minn. • Dennis Chick | Lakeville, Minn.
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"Keystone Bay" | Keweenaw Peninsula, Mich. • Sophie Smit | Ann Arbor, Mich.
First Place: "Rock of Ages Lighthouse" | Isle Royale • Jason Kahler | Superior
Second Place: "The Last Ice" | Katherine Cove, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ont. • Jake Cormier | Goulais River, Ont.
Honorable Mention: "Layers" | East of Cornucopia • Christopher Rowe | Overland Park, Kan.
Honorable Mention: "Sunny Day Lake" | Duluth • Lauren Gros | Indianapolis, Ind.
Honorable Mention: "Montreal River" | Border of Hurley, Wis., & Ironwood, Mich. • Tom Mortenson | Rothschild, Wis.
Honorable Mention: "Falls in the Fall" | Kakabeka Falls, Ont. • Judy Trousdell | Rochester, Minn.
Honorable Mention: "Morning Star Superior" | Tombolo, north of Grand Marais, Minn. • Dennis Chick | Lakeville, Minn.
Honorable Mention: "Keystone Bay" | Keweenaw Peninsula, Mich. • Sophie Smit | Ann Arbor, Mich.
People/Humor
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FIRST PLACE "Chillin" | Cornucopia, Wis. • Amy Hafeman | Glenwood City, Wis.
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SECOND PLACE "Storytelling" | Red Cliff, Wis. • Jim Peacock | Bayfield, Wis.
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"No Soup for You" | Baraga, Mich. • Donna R. MacIntosh | Houghton, Mich
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"Wedding Ferry Selfie" | Madeline Island Ferry (Wis.) • Jamey Penney-Ritter | Washburn, Wis
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"Another Great Day" | Cornucopia, Wis. • Mike McGowan | Dayton, Minn.
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"Please Don't Feed The Mosquitos" | Keweenaw Peninsula, Mich. • Robert Haase | Eldorado, Wis.
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"Gladiator" | Wheeler Field, Duluth • Dan Vander Ark, Duluth
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"Through the Trees" | Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, Minn. • Jennifer Banas | Chicago
First Place: "Chillin" | Cornucopia, Wis. • Amy Hafeman | Glenwood City, Wis.
Second Place: "Storytelling" | Red Cliff, Wis. • Jim Peacock | Bayfield, Wis.
Honorable Mention: "No Soup for You" | Baraga, Mich. • Donna R. MacIntosh | Houghton, Mich.
Honorable Mention: "Wedding Ferry Selfie" | Madeline Island Ferry (Wis.) • Jamey Penney-Ritter | Washburn, Wis.
Honorable Mention: "Another Great Day" | Cornucopia, Wis. • Mike McGowan | Dayton, Minn.
Honorable Mention: "Please Don't Feed The Mosquitos" | Keweenaw Peninsula, Mich. • Robert Haase | Eldorado, Wis.
Honorable Mention: "Gladiator" | Wheeler Field, Duluth • Dan Vander Ark, Duluth
Honorable Mention: "Through the Trees" | Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, Minn. • Jennifer Banas | Chicago
Artsy/Altered
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FIRST PLACE "Foggy Tree Reflection" | Near Grand Marais , Minn. • Glenda Mueller | Rochester, Minn.
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SECOND PLACE "Hanging On Here" | Duluth • Elaine M. Podlecki | Duluth
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"Exotic Whitefish Point" | Whitefish Point Lighthouse • James L. Allen | Troy, Mich.
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"Shop Adorned" | Bayfield, Wis. • Marty Greder | Mason City, Iowa
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"The Shoreline" | Crisp Point, Mich. • Sherry Buckowing | Auburn Hills, Mich.
First Place: "Foggy Tree Reflection" | Near Grand Marais , Minn. • Glenda Mueller | Rochester, Minn. How did you make this image? I started out with my image of trees reflecting in a lake. In Photoshop, I added the Poster Edges filter. Then I went into Pic Monkey added the purple evening sky and copied it in the lake to create the reflection. Then I took one of my photos of the moon and copied it into the evening sky. I used a brush in Photoshop to create the moon reflection in the water along with some star reflections.
Second Place: "Hanging On Here" | Duluth • Elaine M. Podlecki | Duluth - How did you make this image? Lighting behind tree branch/leaf was from the parking lot lights. I chose a pre-loaded filter from my phone and have no idea which one it was (took this photo in February 2024.) The filter enhanced the color and brightness of the photo.
Honorable Mention: "Exotic Whitefish Point" | Whitefish Point Lighthouse • James L. Allen | Troy, Mich. - How did you make this image? This is a photograph of Whitefish Point Lighthouse with non-native (“exotic”) birds added in photoshop. The King Penguins on the beach, the Black-browed Albatross in the sky and the female Upland Goose peering behind one of the rocks were all photographed in the Falkland Islands. The Upland Goose is only found in the Falkland Islands.
Honorable Mention: "Shop Adorned" | Bayfield, Wis. • Marty Greder | Mason City, Iowa
Honorable Mention: "The Shoreline" | Crisp Point, Mich. • Sherry Buckowing | Auburn Hills, Mich. - How did you make this image? Basic color correction and cropping, image was warped vertically to slightly change the perspective.
Maritime
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FIRST PLACE "Sunset on the Polsteam Koprowo" | Park Point, Duluth • Molly Milroy | Duluth
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SECOND PLACE "Everybody In!" | U.S. Coast Guard Station Bayfield, Wis. • Jan Wilcox | Bayfield
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"Twin Disc" | Bayfield, Wis. • John Berglund | Mattawan, Mich.
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"Lake Superior Vista" | Thunder Bay • James Brown | Thunder Bay
First Place: "Sunset on the Polsteam Koprowo" | Park Point, Duluth • Molly Milroy | Duluth
Second Place: "Everybody In!" | U.S. Coast Guard Station Bayfield, Wis. • Jan Wilcox | Bayfield
Honorable Mention: "Twin Disc" | Bayfield, Wis. • John Berglund | Mattawan, Mich.
Honorable Mention: "Lake Superior Vista" | Thunder Bay • James Brown | Thunder Bay