David Berg, Lakeville, Minn.
Grand Prize
Spring Joy! Knife River, Minn.
GRAND PRIZE: Spring Joy! Knife River, Minn. David Berg, Lakeville, Minn.
The Winners
Somethings never change – and the quality and delightful variety of images for our annual Lake Superior photo contest are The photos you will find on these pages (and on the cover) represent the joy, the excitement and the stunning beauty of our Big Lake neighborhood. Perhaps nothing shows that surprise of Lake life better than the Grand Prize winner on this page. Who would have expected to witness a flurry of swans (and perhaps one confused duck) at Knife River, Minnesota? We hope you enjoy this "Big Lake family photo album" of Nature, Lake/Landscape, People/Humor, Artsy/Altered and Maritime winners and honorable mentions as much as our judges did. You can find additional finalists posted at LakeSuperior.com plus details about how to enter the next contest.
We can’t wait for the next round. Entries for the 28th annual Lake Superior Photo Contest must be received electronically by October 9, 2023.
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.
Nature
1 of 8
Jenny Miner, Au Train
First Place, Nature
Common Redpoll, Au Train, Mich.
2 of 8
Corrin Thorson, Saint Francis, Minn.
Second Place, Nature
Sun-Basking Craw, Beaver Bay, Minn.
3 of 8
Miriam Pickens, Hancock
Honorable Mention, Nature
Spring Azure, Hancock, Mich.
4 of 8
Michelle Running, Duluth
Honorable Mention, Nature
Hey Tom, Duluth
5 of 8
Marina Christine Johnston, Thunder Bay
Honorable Mention, Nature
Horned Grebe, Thunder Bay
6 of 8
David Braithwaite, Ontonagon
Honorable Mention, Nature
Garden Hummer, Ontonagon, Mich.
7 of 8
Julia Inda, St Paul
Honorable Mention, Nature
Forest Friend, Bear and Bean Lakes trail, Silver Bay, Minn.
8 of 8
Fintan Lethert, Minneapolis
Honorable Mention, Nature
Winter, Little Marais, Minn.
First Place: Common Redpoll, Au Train, Mich. • Jenny Miner, Au Train
Second Place: Sun-Basking Craw, Beaver Bay, Minn. • Corrin Thorson, Saint Francis, Minn.
Honorable Mention: Spring Azure, Hancock, Mich. • Miriam Pickens, Hancock
Honorable Mention: Hey Tom, Duluth • Michelle Running, Duluth
Honorable Mention: Horned Grebe, Thunder Bay Marina • Christine Johnston, Thunder Bay
Honorable Mention: Garden Hummer, Ontonagon, Mich. • David Braithwaite, Ontonagon
Honorable Mention: Forest Friend, Bear and Bean Lakes trail, Silver Bay, Minn. • Julia Inda, St Paul
Honorable Mention: Winter, Little Marais, Minn. • Fintan Lethert, Minneapolis
Lake/Landscape
1 of 9
Dale Fehr, Hampton, Ill.
First Place, Lake & Landscape
Sunrise Cave, Grand Island, Mich.
2 of 9
Molly Milroy, Duluth
Second Place, Lake & Landscape
Sunset Sail, Lakewalk, Duluth,
3 of 9
Kathleen Pine, Kenosha, Wis
Honorable Mention, Lake & Landscape
Rainy Sunset, Munising, Mich.
4 of 9
Glen Robertson, Richland Mich.
Honorable Mention, Lake & Landscape
Window to Lake Superior, Whitefish Point, Mich.
5 of 9
Gerry Kaiser, Windsor, Ont.
Honorable Mention, Lake & Landscape
Magic Light, Crescent Moon over Lake Superior, Pukaskwa National Park, Ont.
6 of 9
Peggy Carter, Chesterton, Ind.
Honorable Mention, Lake & Landscape
Devil's Island Skull, Bayfield, Wis.
7 of 9
Tom Ala, Springfield, Ill.
Honorable Mention, Lake & Landscape
Dark sky stars and Milky Way, Brockway Mountain, Mich.
8 of 9
Lori Warne, Newfolden, Minn.
Honorable Mention, Lake & Landscape
Peaceful Coexistence, Silver Bay, Minn.
9 of 9
Kevin Young, Devlin, Ont.
Honorable Mention, Lake & Landscape
Fallen Giant, Thunder Bay
First Place: Sunrise Cave, Grand Island, Mich. • Dale Fehr, Hampton, Ill.
Second Place: Sunset Sail, Lakewalk, Duluth • Molly Milroy, Duluth
Honorable Mention: Rainy Sunset, Munising, Mich. • Kathleen Pine, Kenosha, Wis
Honorable Mention: Window to Lake Superior, Whitefish Point, Mich. • Glen Robertson, Richland Mich
Honorable Mention: Magic Light, Crescent Moon over Lake Superior, Pukaskwa National Park, Ont. • Gerry Kaiser, Windsor, Ont
Honorable Mention: Devil's Island Skull, Bayfield, Wis. • Peggy Carter, Chesterton, Ind.
Honorable Mention: Dark sky stars and Milky Way, Brockway Mountain, Mich. • Tom Ala, Springfield, Ill.
Honorable Mention: Peaceful Coexistence, Silver Bay, Minn. • Lori Warne, Newfolden, Minn.
Honorable Mention: Fallen Giant, Thunder Bay • Kevin Young, Devlin, Ont.
People/Humor
1 of 7
Michelle Key, Gorham, Ont.
First Place, People & Humor
Ice skating on Lake Superior, Thunder Bay
2 of 7
Liz Welch, Minneapolis
Second Place, People & Humor
Shadow Dancer, Tettagouche, Minn.
3 of 7
Debbie Hartmann, White Bear Lake, Minn.
Honorable Mention, People & Humor
Helping Hand, near Lutsen, Minn.
4 of 7
Greg McDougall, Thunder Bay
Honorable Mention, People & Humor
Racing motorcycles with studded tires on Lake Superior ice, Wild Goose near Thunder Bay
5 of 7
Mike McGowan, Dayton, Minn.
Honorable Mention, People & Humor
Gone Fish’n, Sand Island Apostle Islands, Wis.
6 of 7
Amy Hafeman, Glenwood City, Wis.
Honorable Mention, People & Humor
At Cornucopia, Wis.
7 of 7
Heidi Mensch, Nisula, Mich.
Honorable Mention, People & Humor
Sunrise Fishing, Baraga, Mich.
First Place: Ice skating on Lake Superior, Thunder Bay • Michelle Key, Gorham, Ont.
Second Place: Shadow Dancer, Tettagouche, Minn. • Liz Welch, Minneapolis
Honorable Mention: Helping Hand, near Lutsen, Minn. • Debbie Hartmann, White Bear Lake, Minn.
Honorable Mention: Racing motorcycles with studded tires on Lake Superior ice, Wild Goose near Thunder Bay • Greg McDougall, Thunder Bay
Honorable Mention: Gone Fish’n, Sand Island Apostle Islands, Wis. • Mike McGowan, Dayton, Minn.
Honorable Mention: At Cornucopia, Wis. • Amy Hafeman, Glenwood City, Wis.
Honorable Mention: Sunrise Fishing, Baraga, Mich. • Heidi Mensch, Nisula, Mich.
Artsy/Altered
1 of 6
Don Malcolm, Thunder Bay
First Place, Artsy/Altered
Confrontation, Mission Island, Thunder Bay | "I changed the background on a photo of an abandoned Cadillac to a forest then added a photo of a fawn I had taken earlier in the day on the same Island. I also changed added drama with a change of lighting."
2 of 6
Julia Convissor, Duluth
Second Place, Artsy/Altered
Left Behind, Wisconsin Point, Superior | While not altered, the creative capture of a lone feather earns the photo a place as "art," the judges decided.
3 of 6
Brian Marquis, Coon Rapids, Minn.
Honorable Mention, Artsy/Altered
Winter Bliss, Canal Park, Duluth | Effects from Adobe Lightroom were used.
4 of 6
James L. Allen, Troy, Mich.
Honorable Mention, Artsy/Altered
Mellow Yellow, Munising, Mich. | The colors of this young maple in a pine forest were saturated individually in the HSL sliders and "intentional camera movement" used.
5 of 6
Michelle Bragg, Eagan, Minn.
Honorable Mention, Artsy/Altered
Star Trails over Ellingson Island, Minn. | Taken near Split Rock, multiple long-exposure images were combined to create star trails.
6 of 6
Adam Fleischhacker, Hugo, Minn.
Honorable Mention, Artsy/Altered
Onward & Northward, Sugarloaf Cove, Schroeder, Minn. | Simply altered from color to monochrome using Adobe Lightroom.
First Place: Confrontation, Mission Island, Thunder Bay • Don Malcolm, Thunder Bay | "I changed the background on a photo of an abandoned Cadillac to a forest then added a photo of a fawn I had taken earlier in the day on the same Island. I also changed added drama with a change of lighting."
Second Place: Left Behind, Wisconsin Point, Superior • Julia Convissor, Duluth | While not altered, the creative capture of a lone feather earns the photo a place as "art," the judges decided.
Honorable Mention: Winter Bliss, Canal Park, Duluth • Brian Marquis, Coon Rapids, Minn. | Effects from Adobe Lightroom were used.
Honorable Mention: Mellow Yellow, Munising, Mich. • James L. Allen, Troy, Mich. | The colors of this young maple in a pine forest were saturated individually in the HSL sliders and "intentional camera movement" used.
Honorable Mention: Star Trails over Ellingson Island, Minn. • Michelle Bragg, Eagan, Minn. | Taken near Split Rock, multiple long-exposure images were combined to create star trails.
Honorable Mention: Onward & Northward, Sugarloaf Cove, Schroeder, Minn. • Adam Fleischhacker, Hugo, Minn. | Simply altered from color to monochrome using Adobe Lightroom.
Maritime
1 of 6
Mark Ryan, Minneapolis
First Place, Maritime
Duluth Tug, Duluth Harbor
2 of 6
Greg McDougall, Thunder Bay
Second Place, Maritime
Ocean-going freighter ready to load grain, Thunder Bay
3 of 6
Walt Huss, Coon Rapids, Minn.
Honorable Mention, Maritime
Tall Ship Passing, Two Harbors, Minn.
4 of 6
Steve Bensing, Valparaiso, Ind.
Honorable Mention, Maritime
Retired Eagle, Cornucopia, Wis.
5 of 6
Paul Ranelli, Duluth
Honorable Mention, Maritime
Greetings from American Integrity, Duluth Harbor
6 of 6
Jim Hill, Riverside, Ill.
Honorable Mention, Maritime
Two Boyz, Bayfield, Wis.
First Place: Duluth Tug, Duluth Harbor
Mark Ryan, Minneapolis
Second Place: Ocean-going freighter ready to load grain, Thunder Bay • Greg McDougall, Thunder Bay
Honorable Mention: Tall Ship Passing, Two Harbors, Minn. • Walt Huss, Coon Rapids, Minn.
Honorable Mention: Retired Eagle, Cornucopia, Wis. • Steve Bensing, Valparaiso, Ind.
Honorable Mention: Greetings from American Integrity, Duluth Harbor • Paul Ranelli, Duluth
Honorable Mention: Two Boyz, Bayfield, Wis. • Jim Hill, Riverside, Ill.
Finalists
1 of 10
Judy Trousdell, Rochester Minn.
Finalist, Nature
Determined fungus among us; it’s not going to let a stick get in its way.
2 of 10
Kathleen Wolleat, Superior, Wis
Finalist, Nature
Icy Grip, Duluth
3 of 10
Molly Milroy, Duluth
Finalist, Lake & Landscape
Morning Glory, Park Point, Duluth
4 of 10
John M. Niska, Ontonagon, Mich.
Finalist, Lake & Landscape
Porkies Presentation, Lake in the Clouds, Porcupine Mountains State Park, Silver City, MI
5 of 10
Josh Bastianello, Cedarburg, Wis.
Finalist, People & Humor
Another World, Presque Isle River, Porcupine Mountains, Mich
6 of 10
Melissa Lauer, Janesville, Wis.
Finalist, People & Humor
Serenity, Wisconsin Point, Superior, Wis.
7 of 10
J. H. Arnold, Arbor Vitae, Wis.
Finalist, Artsy/Altered
Sand and Sandstone crossing paths 8 feet below the surface of Betsy Bay the Keweenaw
8 of 10
Dale Fehr, Hampton, IL
Finalist, Artsy/Altered
Black & White Lighthouse, Grand Island, Michigan in early March
9 of 10
Justin Hu, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Finalist, Maritime
State of Michigan approaching Munising
10 of 10
Peter Whitmore, Littleton, CO
Finalist, Maritime
Tidepools and Sailing, Grand Marais, Minn.
Nature:
Determined fungus among us, it’s not going to let a stick get in its way • Judy Trousdell, Rochester Minn.
Icy Grip, Duluth • Kathleen Wolleat, Superior, Wis
Lake/Landscape:
Morning Glory, Park Point, Duluth • Molly Milroy, Duluth
Porkies Presentation, Lake in the Clouds, Porcupine Mountains State Park, Silver City, MI • John M. Niska, Ontonagon, Mich.
People/Humor:
Another World, Presque Isle River, Porcupine Mountains, Mich • Josh Bastianello, Cedarburg, Wis.
Serenity, Wisconsin Point, Superior, Wis. • Melissa Lauer, Janesville, Wis.
Artsy/Altered:
Sand and Sandstone crossing paths 8 feet below the surface of Betsy Bay the Keweenaw • J. H. Arnold, Arbor Vitae, Wis.
Black & White Lighthouse, Grand Island, Michigan in early March • Dale Fehr, Hampton, IL
Maritime:
State of Michigan approaching Munising • Justin Hu, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Tidepools and Sailing, Grand Marais, Minn. • Peter Whitmore, Littleton, CO