North Berrien Photography Contest Winners Exhibited

This summer the North Berrien Historical Museum welcomed submissions to a North Berrien Photography Contest, which sought images that captured the distinctive character and culture of our region in southwest Michigan. Eligible submissions had to depict locations within “North Berrien” as defined by the museum—Hagar, Bainbridge, Coloma, or Watervliet townships, the cities of Coloma and Watervliet, plus all bodies of water. By early September, local photographers had answered the challenge with an array of striking and meaningful images of the area.


An exhibit of Winners and Honorable Mentions from the Photo Contest premiered on September 24, during the Tri-City Heritage Tour. The Winner in the Seniors category (Ages 65+) was Richard C. Lyon with “Angling Road Landmark.” Donna Duffield created the Winner among the Adults age group with her Paw Paw Lake photograph “Fire and Ice.” Honorable Mentions awarded in the 2011 North Berrien Photography Contest included: Joseph Littleton, “St. Joseph Church” and “Bridge in Flaherty Park”; Richard C. Lyon, “Trail by the Pines”; Shannon Closson, “A Ride in the Sky” and “Just Peachy”; Sandy K. Warren, “Summer Evening Meadow”; Scott Isbrecht, “Bi-Plane” and “Harvester”; and Saundra Lynch, “Ending of an Era” and “Paw Paw River Spillway Dam”. The Photo Contest Exhibit will remain on display through October 21, 2011 at the North Berrien Historical Museum.




“Angling Road Landmark”

Photographer Richard C. Lyon, Coloma

“This location depicts the versatility of Agriculture in our area. We have a foreground of grain culture, a background of fruit orchards, and a woodlot at the horizon. This was taken in Bainbridge Township in late Fall. It was near mid-day using a digital Canon A 630 camera.”

“Fire and Ice”

Photographer Donna Duffield, Coloma

“February 17, 2011, I was able to capture this sunrise shot off of Paw Paw Lake Road. I chose to label it “Fire and Ice” because of the way the sun is meeting the ice on the lake. Paw Paw Lake is a vital part of northern Berrien County as its lakes offer our area an opportunity for tourism and revenue all throughout the year. The camera used for this photo is a Fujifilm FinePix s8100.”

“St. Joseph Church”

Photographer Joseph Littleton, Coloma

“Built 1896 and still standing on Crescent Street in Watervliet.”

“A Ride in the Sky”

Photographer Shannon Closson, Bainbridge Township

“Jollay Orchards is valuable to North Berrien County as a well-known tourist attraction for people all over to enjoy. I chose to submit this photo because it’s a great place to visit in the Summer and Fall months. This photo was taken in Coloma Township on an August afternoon with a Nikon D40.”

“Summer Evening Meadow”

Photographer Sandy K. Warren, Watervliet

“I feel this photograph depicts the simple beauty we see daily in North Berrien County. We are often traveling to and from events—often driving by without realizing the true beauty we have! It was a hot summer day. As the sun was setting, a cool-front was coming in from the north causing fog to develop as the cooler air met with warm ground. As the sun is setting, you can still notice the beauty of the day in the sky. This photo was taken on Coloma Road, at the meadow northeast of Pier Road, on Friday, July 22, 2011 at 9:22pm. The camera used is a Hewlett-Packard 6MP Digital, using the zoom feature to capture the fog.”

“Ending of an Era”

Photographer Saundra Lynch, Watervliet

“I chose to submit this photograph because it shares the ending of the last boys varsity football game ever expected to be held between the Coloma Comets and the Watervliet Panthers. With Coloma joining the Wolverine Athletic Conference in the 2012 season, there will no longer be room in their schedule for “The Game”. This rivalry, one of the greatest in the history of the state of Michigan, has ended after 102 games with Coloma leading the series 62-34 with six ties. This image was captured at the Watervliet, Michigan Panther Stadium on August 26, 2011 at 9:43pm with a Canon EOS T2i.”

“Trail by the Pines"

Photographer Richard C. Lyon, Coloma

“The Dunes of Lake Michigan’s eastern shoreline are very unique and a signature of our area. This was taken in Hagar Township’s Roadside Park in early Spring with late afternoon sun highlighting the dune grasses. The image was made on T+Max 100 film with a twin lens Yashica – D camera.”

“Bi-Plane”

Photographer Scott Isbrecht, Coloma

“This photograph was taken at the Watervliet Air Field during the War Birds Fly-in. It was captured in the afternoon with a Canon Rebel DSLR camera.”