This week’s Celebrate Michigan contest finalists
“I love taking photos of birds and go to Kensington Metro Park frequently,” said Susan Hughes of Brighton. “My big dream was to get a photo of a pileated woodpecker. I’ve heard the distinctive jackhammer sound of them boring holes and have tried to follow the noise but, previously, hadn’t been lucky enough to spot one.
“I did find out that there were some pileated woodpecker babies, so I hiked the paths to the location I heard about. To my delight, I not only got to see an adult pileated woodpecker, but I also got to see these adorable babies. It was a dream come true!”
Hughes’ photo, “Waiting for Dinner,” earns a spot in The Detroit News’ 10th annual Celebrate Michigan Photo Contest, which continues throughout the summer. The contest rewards photos that capture the people, animals, scenery, places and events that make Michigan special.
Each Wednesday through Sept. 7, Detroit News judges will select four photos to become eligible for prizes to be awarded on Sept. 14.
Other finalists named this week:
■“Loon on Diamond Lake” by Helaine Kamps of White Cloud. This closeup of a male loon was made possible when he the loon? lured Kamps’ kayak away? from his female partner, who was protecting their nest.
■“Soda Fountain” by Roxanne Lake of Grand Rapids. Lake’s grandson drinks from the splashpad spray at Millennium Park in Grand Rapids.
■“Orlando Sunset on Saginaw Bay” by Robert Mouton of Clinton Township. This sunset on the lake off Port Austin occurred on the weekend of the nightclub shootings in Orlando. “I looked out at the sunset and saw the rainbow in the sky and on the water and thought how meaningful that was,” Mouton said.
The prizes are:
■First prize: A two-night stay for two at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, plus a 16-inch-by-20-inch framed print of your photo.
■Second prize: A waterproof GoPro HERO4 Session camera, for capturing on-the-go video and photos.
■Third prize: A $100 gift card to etsy.com, where you can find hand-crafted Michigan products and more.
■Best digitally enhanced image: A 16-inch-by-20-inch print of your photo, plus four tickets to any Emagine theater.
■In addition, the Michigan Wildlife Council has donated a 10 x 25 pair of digital camera binoculars to every photographer who has a photo in the finals. See that wildlife long distance and snap its picture, too!
The contest is open to all nonprofessional photographers who are 18 years or older, except employees of The Detroit News, Michigan.com and their immediate families. For the complete contest rules, go to detroitnews.com/ celebratemichigan, where you can view all of the entries, share them on social media, browse a photo gallery of the finalists and enter your own Michigan scenes.