2022 Photo Contest

FIRST PLACE – Southwest State Parks

by John G. White

UPPER SIOUX AGENCY STATE PARK

Photographer notes:

Over the years I’ve camped in these Upper Sioux teepees, and a friend I and had set up my camper nearby for a few days to await family coming up from Kansas City. Earlier I was chatting with a Dakota elder who spoke of the teepees and wondered how it might have looked back in the day … since this is along the Yellow Medicine River where Natives likely set up before Euro migration. So, yes, I worked for most of an afternoon and morning to gather an image that would feature the teepee along with the surrounding ecosystem … and in the midst the storm clouds gather in the west. All three elements came together for the image. My goal was to picture it with the surrounding prairie grasses and trees in as close to a moment in time as possible … away from the park trails and roadways. The image was made toward the end of June last year, 2021.

FIRST PLACE – Southeast State Parks

by Tomas Alvarez

NERSTRAND-BIG WOODS STATE PARK

Photographer notes:

One of my favorite things to photograph is waterfalls. Prior to my driving down to Nerstrand Big Woods State Park to photograph Hidden Falls, I had only seen a few images of it, which was enough of an excuse to wander in that direction. By the time I was able to visit the park in November, Minnesota was long past peak fall color season. It was one of those cold days where you could see snow falling at any minute, and if I remember correctly, a few flakes did fly.

As we descended into the valley where Hidden Falls is found, I noticed the majority of the leaves had fallen from tree limbs and were now on the ground. There wasn’t another soul around. I was a little concerned with what the scene would look like, but when we arrived at the falls, many of the leaves were in the water. The deep oranges and reds were a beautiful contrast to the moss along the rocks composing the falls. The shoreline was also orange, and the sand of the riverbed offers a nice transitional tone between all of the colors. My primary purpose of the image was to show the leaves in the water on the flat part of the falls.

It was my intent to tell the story of the day with this image, though it takes a little investigation to see the tiniest of ice dams along a branch in the run-off area. When I look at this image, I want a cup of coffee, or tea. Something to warm me up and create that cozy feeling, while still wanting to be there in person.