Departments

THINGS

FIRST PLACE

“Looking In The Mirror”

Dave Nackers, Appleton

Photographer Dave Nackers took this picture from atop the parking ramp on the corner of Appleton Street and Lawrence Street in downtown Appleton just after a late spring rainstorm. The rain ended just before sunset and Nackers saw his opportunity to capture one of Appleton’s most iconic buildings against a vibrant sky. “I made it to the parking ramp and ran as fast as I could up the stairs to the top floor,” Nackers says. “Out of breath, I walked out onto the top floor of the parking ramp to see the sky on fire.” Brogan liked the image’s off-center framing. Smith agreed, adding that Nackers was successful in photographing the building’s mirror reflection in the rainwater by seeing “beyond just the appeal of a sunset and capturing things in a new way.” 

SECOND PLACE

“The Squadron of American White Pelicans at Menasha Dam”

Steven P. Wicihowski, Fond du Lac

The American white pelican is the unofficial mascot of summer. Photographer Steven Wicihowski knows the birds congregate at the Menasha Dam. On one June afternoon in 2014, he set out to photograph them. “Because of my love of birds, I usually try to make sure I get some bird pictures whenever I go out,” he says. “[The pelicans] can be spotted in the water or standing on the rocks, and of course soaring hundreds of feet above the Fox Valley area. I always think it signals the start of summer.” The judges loved the color contrast of the photograph as well as the action of the birds splashing in the rushing water. 

THIRD PLACE

“Dock at the Neenah Lighthouse”

Stan Feavel, Appleton

On an unusually warm day in late March, photographer Stan Feavel captured this image at Kimberly Point Lighthouse in Neenah where Lake Winnebago and the Fox River connect. Most of the ice had melted due to the unseasonably warm temperatures and despite the gray sky, visibility to the east was clear. However, Feavel says over the course of a half hour the temperature dropped and visibility became obstructed by a heavy fog that covered the area. “While the thick fog is unwelcome to boaters and fishermen, it can provide creativity,” Feavel says. “The fog can set the mood for imaginative children and mystery writers.” The judges definitely were taken by the cinematic feel created by the fog. “I appreciate its simplicity and the sense of place it creates along the water. It’s thought-provoking with the mistiness and moodiness,” Smith said. The way the dock melts into the foggy horizon also caught the judges’ attention. “It has a sort of infinite feel,” Volkman said. 

Panel of Judges

• John Brogan, CEO, Bank of Kaukauna
• Matt Carpenter, executive director, History Museum at the Castle
• Mary Rhode, marketing & communications manager, Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Karl Volkman, The Karl Volkman Group, First Weber Realtors
• Jan Smith, executive director, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass

Moderator

• Shannon Van Grinsven, owner, PeoplePaperPrints Photography

Prizes

Sincere thanks to the area businesses that have generously provided our winners with the following prizes:

GRAND PRIZE: One night stay at CopperLeaf Boutique Hotel, downtown Appleton

FIRST PRIZES: $75 toward a stay, dinner or golf at Bridgewood Resort Hotel & Conference Center in Neenah

SECOND PRIZES: $50 toward custom framing at Foxley’s Gallery in Appleton

THIRD PRIZES: $25 toward photo processing at Murray Photo and Video, Inc., downtown Appleton

Winning photographs will be on display at The Trout Museum of Art in Appleton from August 1–31.