'Your Life Covered' Summer Photo Contest winners announced
<p>The grand-prize winner in the Daily Inter Lake’s “Your Life Covered” Summer Photo Contest was Scott Wilson of Many Lakes, who submitted a colorful, high-tech image of a barn on Montana 35 near Bigfork.</p>
<p>First place in the Animals of the Flathead category went to Sue Haugan of Kalispell, for her photo of three goats crossing a stream north of U.S. 2 at Goat Lick in Glacier National Park.</p>
<p>Derek Vander Ark of Kalispell took first place in the Scenic Flathead category for this shot of a fence stretching from Somers toward the mountains east of the valley.</p>
<p>First place in the People of the Flathead category went to Jessica L. Sturzen of Kalispell for a photo she submitted of her daughter Hailey dressed up as a mermaid when she was just over a year old. The photo was taken on the shore at Lakeside.</p>
<p>Steve Rains of Whitefish won Second Place in the Animals of the Flathead category for his photograph of a grizzly bear in the Swan Range.</p>
<p>Marie Smith of Kalispell won Second Place in the People of the Flathead category for her photograph of her daughter Skylar riding her horse "Sneakers" at Herron Park.</p>
<p>Sue Haugan of Kalispell won Second Place in the Scenic Flathead category for her photograph of a Many Glacier sunset.</p>
<p>Christina Williams of Kalispell won Third Place in the Scenic Flathead category for her photograph of a sunset near her home off Spring Creek.</p>
<p>Mary Pat Olsen of Columbia Falls won Third Place in the Animals of the Flathead category for her photograph of a mama moose nursing twins.</p>
<p>Nichole Johnson of Columbia Falls won Third Place in the People of the Flathead category for her photograph of her 3-year-old daughter Alona taking a snapshot while at Big Sky Waterpark.</p>
With well over 600 submissions, the Inter Lake’s “Your Life Covered” Summer Photo Contest was a huge success.
“We were stunned by the quality of some of the entries,” said Managing Editor Frank Miele. “The Flathead Valley is one of the most scenic places in the world, but also, it turns out, we are blessed with some of the most talented photographers.”
The grand-prize winner — selected by a panel of Inter Lake judges — was Scott Wilson of Many Lakes, who submitted a colorful, high-tech image of a barn on Montana 35 near Bigfork.
The photograph uses high dynamic range imaging technology and is actually a composite of nine photographs overlaid on one another to bring out the darks and lights in the photos at maximum value.
Wilson has only been shooting photographs seriously for four years, and for a little more than a year has worked as a professional photographer.
“This prize means a ton to me,” Wilson said. “I danced when I heard about it. This is a wonderful place to live, and to be able to share a photograph of the valley and have it be honored this way makes me feel great.”
Wilson’s prize is a weekend getaway for two to Seattle from Oct. 11-13 sponsored by Flathead Travel Service of Kalispell. Included in the package are airfare for two, a two-night stay at the Edgewater Hotel in downtown Seattle, two tickets to the touring version of the Broadway play “The Wizard of Oz” and $250 spending money. Estimated value of the grand-prize package is $1,500.
First-, second- and third-place prizes were also awarded in each of three categories. First place is a $250 gift certificate to The Lodge at Whitefish Lake. Second place is a $75 gift certificate to Snappy Sport Senter. Third place is a $35 gift certificate to When in Rome Pizzeria.
The winners were selected by the Inter Lake judges from the top five entrants in each category as determined by online voting on the Daily Inter Lake’s Facebook page.
First place in the Animals of the Flathead category went to Sue Haugan of Kalispell, for her photo of three goats crossing a stream north of U.S. 2 at Goat Lick in Glacier National Park. Haugan has always been interested in photography but developed a passion for outdoor photography after surviving cancer. She described it as “enjoying God’s creation and sharing it with others.”
The other winners in Animals of the Flathead were:
v Second place, Steve Rains of Whitefish, for a photo of a grizzly bear in the Swan Range.
v Third place, Mary Pat Olsen of Columbia Falls, for a photograph of a mama moose nursing twins.
First place in the Scenic Flathead category went to Derek Vander Ark of Kalispell, a 2013 graduate of Stillwater Christian High School, who is currently attending Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Derek’s photo focused on a fence stretching from Somers toward the mountains east of the valley.
The other winners in Scenic Flathead were:
v Second place, Sue Haugan of Kalispell, for a photo of sunset at Many Glacier.
v Third-place, Christina Williams of Kalispell, also for a sunset photograph.
First place in the People of the Flathead category went to Jessica L. Sturzen of Kalispell for a photo she submitted of her daughter Hailey dressed up as a mermaid when she was just over a year old. The photo was taken on the shore at Lakeside.
The other winners in People of the Flathead were:
v Second place, Marie Smith of Kalispell, for a photo of a young woman and her horse resting before a race.
v Third place, Nichole Johnson of Columbia Falls, for a photograph of her daughter taking a picture back at her.