The 45th annual Central Lakes College Photo Contest in Brainerd was one of
the largest, with 72 photographers from 33 communities entering 490 photographs. The contest included nine categories -- Landscape, Portrait, Action, Creative, Birds,
Animals, Flowers, Children, and the theme category Everything Under the Sun. Photographers from 13 communities were recognized for their Best of
Show images. Jamie Birkedahl of Nisswa,
a CLC student and 2009 Brainerd High School graduate, received Best of Show in the Everything
Under the Sun theme category with a narrow landscape of a sunrise viewed from
inside a cave.
Thea Romann, Perham, received the Best of Show Runner-up in the theme
category for a hot orange sun appearing to be melting with the melted reflection
on a lake.
Due to the large number of entries, each color category received a Best
of Subject award. John Nielsen, Baxter,
received this award for “Animals,” with a picture of two romping grizzly bear
cubs.
Samantha Laderer, a CLC photography student from Motley, received the
award for Children with a young child pulling off an unwanted flower
bandana. Ann Marie Lamser, Brainerd, received
the award for Flowers with a close-up of a white lily.
Michael Perkins, Nisswa, received the award for Birds with a close-up
of a soaring bald eagle, in full wing span.
He also received a Judge’s Award for this photo.
The Best of Subject in Action was awarded to CLC photography student Nick
Weeks, Buffalo, for a scene of a rodeo cowboy being bucked off a bronco.
Jessina Van Uden, received the award for Creative of a close-up of a
lone fishing bobber creating ripples in still blue water.
Megan Maki, a CLC photography student from Crookston, received the
award for Portrait of two young ladies pretending to hitch a ride on a freight
train.
Sandy Arcand, Crosby, received the award for Landscape of a hidden
stream seen through trees in full bloom in the spring. She also received a Judge’s
Award for this photo.
Two other Judge’s Awards were given to Perkins for a duck (shown) swimming into
a grassy shoreline and to Dawn Pierce, a CLC photography student from Brainerd,
for a close-up of a rapid waterfall streaming over mossy rocks.
Best of Theme, Everything Under the Sun in black and white was awarded
to Marcia Flood, Aitkin, for a Monarch butterfly on a flower blossom.
Other black and white awards for Best in Show went to CLC photography student
Abraham Kretzman, Brainerd, for a close-up of a bobcat; and Best in Show
Runner-up to Jennifer Salvevold, a CLC photography student from Breezy Point,
for a creative photo of the front grill on a classic rusted car.
Other Best of Subject in black and white were awarded as follows:
Barbara Heimer, Brainerd, in the Flower category for a close-up of a
white daisy; Alyssa Wagner, a CLC photography student from Clarissa, in the Children
category for three children running down a muddy road carrying sticks; Tina
Hawks, Brainerd, in the Action category for a young girl tossing leaves in the
air; Kim Bollig, a CLC Communication Art and Design student from Aldrich, in
the Portrait category for a sepia tone of a man and his dog; and Bill Kuehl,
Nisswa, in the Landscape category for a sun
bursting through a snowy birch forest.
