The winner of this year’s Discover Stillwater photo contest took his prize-winning shot during the city’s fireworks show in August.
Nathan Klok, a professional photographer from Burnsville, used a drone with a built-in camera to capture fireworks exploding at night on Aug. 31 with a backdrop of a lit downtown and Stillwater Lift Bridge. City officials postponed the annual Fourth of July fireworks show due to flooding in Lowell Park.
“I biked out to Stillwater from St. Paul a couple of days before the fireworks show to location scout and to find areas that would allow me to safely and legally launch my drone — and safely fly my drone,” Klok said. “I’ve had experience shooting fireworks before. A pro tip is to under-expose slightly to keep all of the vibrant details in the fireworks.”
Klok’s picture, chosen from 300 entries, won him a Stillwater getaway, valued at $1,000, that includes a stay at the Crosby Hotel and gift certificates for several businesses.
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Kassie Friedrichs took second place and $200 with a shot of an American flag at the World Snow Sculpting Championship, and Josh Pritchett took third place and $100 for a black-and-white photo from the Stillwater Lift Bridge showing houses and a church steeple.
“The incredible talent and creativity displayed in this year’s entries truly highlight why Stillwater is considered one of the most picturesque towns in America,” said Kelly Nygaard, president of Discover Stillwater.
The contest was sponsored by the Stillwater/Oak Park Heights Convention and Visitors Bureau.
To see all the winning shots, go to DiscoverStillwater.com/Photo-Contest.
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