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GRAND PRIZE WINNER

“Brutal Cold Creates Beauty” 

Dave Nackers

Dave Nackers took this photo at Vulcan Heritage Park in Appleton at the end of January when the temperature with wind chill was negative 25 degrees. “The water was freezing in the air and creating a thick mist swirling everywhere,” Nackers says. “I was able to get a few pictures before I had to go back to my car for warmth. By the time I made it to my car, I wasn’t outside for more than 10 minutes, I was frozen solid.” Nackers’s fortitude paid off as the judges deemed the photo best overall. “I like how the concreteness of the bridge is captured as it evaporates into nature,” said judge Jan Smith. “It’s a striking moment.” Nackers believes the image reveals the dual personality of Fox Cities weather. “It can be a brutal place during the winter months. However, it also creates beauty everywhere you look and transforms our landscape,” he says.