photo contest

Every time she's near Weaver Lake Park, Mindy Gallagher is reminded of how grateful she is to live nearby. “We take a personal tone with the lake, we feel like it’s ours,” she says. When looking at Maple Grove houses five years ago, the Gallaghers found their current home. And while sitting by the lake, they noticed a big piece of wood at the shoreline. “One of my daughters picked it up and we took it home with us as a piece of art and a sign from this lake; we still have it,” Gallagher says. Read more about Focus on Maple Grove: Home at the Lake

Mindy Gallagher has had a lifelong passion for taking photographs. “In high school, I took every photo class I could get my hands on,” she says. “My grandpa gave me his old film camera; it was a total amateur obsession with photography.” A Maple Grove resident of four years, Gallagher considers Weaver Lake a prime location for outdoor shots. She and her family enjoy running, walking, biking and nature in their own neighborhood. Read more about Focus on Maple Grove: Summer Sisters

Kaitlyn Walters has been part of the community since the age of 6. Recently married, she and her husband chose to stay close to home. When asked what she likes about Maple Grove, Walters explains the way she’s watched the community grow. “When I was a kid, it was a lot smaller,” she says. “I’ve been able to see everything bloom.” Read more about Focus on Maple Grove: A Fleeting Moment

Residing IN MAple Grove for 30 years, Kristi Bowman finds her photography inspiration on the trails at Elm Creek Park Reserve and in her own backyard flower garden.

Her photo, Finch, took second place in the Wildlife and Nature category and Bowman attributes the moment to chance. “Typically I scare them away when I come back outside with my camera, but I guess I got lucky when this one posed for me,” she says.

Welcome Back, Birds Read more about Kristi Bowman Captures a Still Finch and Second Place in the Wildlife and Nature Category

For Chris Spah, daily work turned into a hobby. As a graphic designer, he is always using photos for the websites he creates. “I always need more photos than what is given to me, so I started [photography] in my free time and it turned into another type of art,” Spah says. He likes snapping pictures of what is around him every day, though he prefers nature settings to other photographic subjects, because he also has a passion for watercolor art, and he finds inspiration in the outdoors. Read more about Photographer Chris Spah Finds Inspiration in Nature

“I always look for things,” Samantha Eyre explains of her photographic eye. “I don’t always have my camera, but I like to look for things everywhere I go.”

Born and raised in Maple Grove, Eyre has always been interested in photography, capturing varied subject matter including senior photos, 3-year-olds and nature photos. She studied graphic design and has carried her passion far beyond the classroom.

Eyre knew she wanted to strive for the City Landmarks category in this year’s photo contest, so she kept an extra eye out for opportunities. Read more about Samantha Eyre Photographs Wind Turbine at Dusk