Southwest Metro Photo Contest

Thor Hansen of Eden Prairie took the photo at the Chaska Curling Center.

It's that time of year again: The Southwest Metro photo contest has returned for its 6th year of beautiful photos of our community. This photo contest, presented by Southwest Metro Magazine, showcases the best photographers in our community—not to mention the subjects that give them inspiration.

We're looking for photos that show off the core values of Southwest Metro in five categories:

Spring and summer in Minnesota mean rain, thunderstorms and sometimes severe weather. One April day last year, Matthew Peyton knew a lightning storm was around the corner. Equipped with his trusty Sony Alpha 99 and hanging out the window of his Victoria home, Peyton snapped this electrifying photo.

The 2016 contest is now closed.

It's that time of year again: The Southwest Metro Photo Contest has returned for its 5th year of beautiful photos of our community. This photo contest, presented by Southwest Metro Magazine, showcases the best photographers in our community—not to mention the subjects that give them inspiration.

We're looking for photos that show off the core values of the Southwest Metro in five categories:

The Zoar Moravian Church was erected in 1863, east of Waconia in Laketown Township, and has since become a landmark in the community. Though it is without heat or plumbing, the Waconia Moravian Church congregation maintains the church’s rustic identity and still uses it to this day.

Published photographer Craig Eiler says the structure’s simplicity is what initially struck him. “It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere,” he says. “Even with the chapel it’s small; really calm and quaint.”

Photos by Eden Prairie’s Christine Neff Kojetin have graced our pages many times in the past, illuminating some of Minnesota’s most striking landscapes and scenery. This shot taken at Deardorff Orchards and Vineyards highlights the serenity of Minnesota’s transition to winter.

Making a trip to Parley Lake Winery and Deardorff Orchards has become a family tradition for Neff Kojetin and her family. The winery and apple orchard has become one of their favorite places, she says.

On a typical afternoon, David Schmidt can be found blazing one of many trails near his Chaska home. One particular morning in late 2014, he was running along one of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s trails when he decided to stop for a moment.

Schmidt says he often takes time during his runs to pause and listen to the sounds of nature. He felt there was something compelling about what he was seeing and hearing. “It had just snowed and there was no one else around,” Schmidt says. “It was relaxing, really serene.”

Eden Prairie’s Christine Neff Kojetin captures a fiery performance at last year’s Ice Castle in Miller Park in Eden Prairie.

Last year, winter enthusiasts flocked to Eden Prairie to explore the Ice Castle at Miller Park. There was plenty of opportunity for photos, especially during the performances of “Insphyre,” featuring a group of fire-wielding entertainers who were regular fixtures at the Ice Castle.

However, few photos capture the intimacy and contrast that photographer Christine Neff Kojetin was able to do one night in March.

When the driveway, street, cars and everything in sight is buried in snow, it’s sometimes difficult to remember why Minnesota is worth living in. “I’m a lifelong Minnesota kid,” says Mike Rusinko, who captured this photo with his iPhone. “As I get older, I probably love winter a little bit less, but I love the season.”

When Eden Prairie’s Christine Neff Kojetin needs a girls’ night out, it doesn’t involve cocktails or shoes. Instead Neff Kojetin calls her best friend and partner in crime, Lisa Lorenz, grabs her camera and the two women meet up to take pictures.