Northern Exposure College Photo Contest

Congratulations to the 2025 Winners!

College Photographer of the Year: Maddie Kasper, UW-Eau Claire

College Sports Photographer of the Year	Cole Pannell, Michigan State University
First Runner Up	Claudia Staut, University of Minnesota
Second Runner Up	Bennett Moger, Bethel University

College Sports Photographer of the Year: Cole Pannell, Michigan State University

College Photo Story	Cole Pannell, Michigan State University
Second place	Maddie Kasper, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Third place	Neil Roy, University of Minnesota

College Photo Story, First Place: Cole Pannell, Michigan State University

College Photo Story, Second Place: Maddie Kasper, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

College Photo Story, Third Place: Neil Roy, UMN

College Feature	Sofia Pate, Michigan State University
Second place	Gavin Hutchings, Michigan State University
Third place	Gavin Hutchings, Michigan State University
Honorable Mention	Maddie Kasper, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

College Feature, First Place: Sofia Pate, Michigan State University

Esther the donkey stands behind a fence beside a sign that reads, “My name is Queen Esther and I sometimes bite! Be careful,” on Sept. 20, 2025, in Berrien Center, Mich.

College Feature, Second Place: Gavin Hutchings, Michigan State University

Postdoctoral Research Associate Rosemary Martin (top hand) gently dips a dragonfly into a tube of water at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Pond Lab in Hickory Corners, Mich., gently releasing its eggs on June 3, 2025. Dr. Alisha Shah (bottom hand) and the Shah Lab at Michigan State University focuses on ectotherm thermal biology, physiological ecology, and climate change.

College Feature, Third Place: Gavin Hutchings, Michigan State University

Sandip Mondal, a postdoctoral research associate in the Sprunger Lab, experiments with the nematode communities inside agricultural soils at MSU’s (Michigan State University) W.K. Kellogg Biological Station LTAR (Long Term Agroecosystem Research) site in Hickory Corners, Mich., on July 21, 2025. Mondal joined the Sprunger Lab in June 2025 and is focused on researching nematode communities and their role in ecosystems, specifically within agriculture.

College Feature, Honorable Mention: Maddie Kasper, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Local grunge band ValleyKiL performs during the first night of Decadent Cabaret, an all-local music festival on Thursday, February 27, 2025 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. ValleyKiL was formed in Eau Claire in summer 2024 and is fronted by vocalist/guitarist Emm K with Seany Cope on lead guitar, Kman on bass and Ryan Pleski on drums.

College News	Dilan Parekh, University of Minnesota
Second place	Claudia Staut, University of Minnesota
Third place	Maddie Kasper, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Honorable Mention	Neil Roy, University of Minnesota
Honorable Mention	Maddie Kasper, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

College News, First Place: Dilan Parekh, University of Minnesota

Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey preparing to speak to a crowd at his election night party on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minn. Frey was officially re-elected the next day over opposing candidate Omar Fateh, marking his third and final term as mayor.

College News, Second Place: Claudia Staut, University of Minnesota

Voters fill out their ballots for the 2025 Minnesota general election at Lumen Christi Catholic Community in St. Paul, Minn. on Nov. 4, 2025.

College News, Third Place: Maddie Kasper, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams speaks with students and community members after a screening of a documentary about his 50 year legal career on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

College News, Honorable Mention: Neil Roy, University of Minnesota

City Councilman Jamal Osman celebrates his fourth election in the last 5 years at Omar Fateh’s election night party in at the Courtyard Mariott Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis. Osman won the election for Minneapolis Ward 6.

College News, Honorable Mention: Maddie Kasper, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Protesters assembled outside the Richard J. Daley Center on Washington Street for a ‘Hands Off’ rally and march to protest Elon Musk and the Trump Administration on Saturday, April 5, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

College Portrait	Henry Creel, University of Minnesota
Second place	Sofia Pate, Michigan State University
Third place	Alexis Schmidt, Michigan State University
Honorable Mention	Elsie Dempsey-Rice, University of Minnesota
Honorable Mention	Sofia Pate, Michigan State University

College Portrait, First Place: Henry Creel, University of Minnesota

Theorin Randle poses for a portrait on top of a parking lot in Downton Minneapolis, Minn, April 23, 2025.

College Portrait, Second Place: Sofia Pate, Michigan State University

Tony Jordan, a senior at Berrien Springs High School, jumps in front of the Berrien County Courthouse on Aug. 15, 2025 in St. Joseph, Mich. Jordan said he enjoys expressing himself through movement and dance.

College Portrait, Third Place: Alexis Schmidt, Michigan State University

Michigan State University quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) holds a football while seated in a warehouse during a shoot on Sept. 13, 2025, ahead of the team’s game against the University of Southern California.

College Portrait, Honorable Mention: Elsie Dempsey-Rice, University of Minnesota

College Portrait, Honorable Mention: Sophia Pate, Michigan State University

Paige Mulick, from right, as Cathy, appears during The GhostLight Theatre production of “The Last Five Years” on April 18, 2025, at The Acorn Theatre in Three Oaks, Mich., alongside Wes Shenker as Jamie.

College Sports Action	Maddie Kasper, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Second place	Cooper Schwartz, Michigan State University
Third place	Cole Pannell, Michigan State University
Honorable mention	Bennett Moger, Bethel University
Honorable mention	Cole Pannell, Michigan State
Honorable mention	Duncan Martin, Black Hills State University

College Sports Action, First place: Maddie Kasper, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

UW-Eau Claire forward Connor Szmul (#17) attempts to score on UW-River Falls goalie Brennan Boynton during the WIAC Championship game on Saturday, March 8, 2025 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

College Sports Action, Second Place: Cooper Schwartz, Michigan State University

MSU F Fr. Emily Graham (14) jumps while shooting the ball in DeMartin Stadium on Oct. 19, 2025.

College Sports Action, Third Place: Cole Pannell, Michigan State University

Rhode Island FC midfielder, Jojea Kwizera and Detroit City FC midfielder, Rhys Williams battle for a header on April 15, 2025, in Hamtramck, Michigan.

College Sports Action, Honorable Mention: Bennett Moger, Bethel University

Colson Pearce, left, and Josiah Walker, right, from St. Paul Central set up for a block against a Rogers hitter during a quarterfinal playoff game of the State Boys Volleyball Tournament at the University of St Thomas in St. Paul on June 10, 2025.

College Sports Action, Honorable Mention: Cole Pannell, Michigan State

Chicago Fire forward, Omari Glasgow falls to the ground a grabs a hold of Detroit City FC defender, Devon Amoo-Mensah while batting for possession of the ball on May 7, 2025 in Bridgeview, Illinois.

College Sports Action, Honorable Mention: Duncan Martin, Black Hills State University

Santee’s Ronald Goodteacher (1) draws the contact at the basket as Oelrichs’ Jesse Her Many Horses (12) during a game in the Lakota Nation Invitational on Dec. 20 at the Barnett Center in Rapid City.

College Sports Feature	Claudia Staut, University of Minnesota
Second place	Cole Pannell, Michigan State University
Third place	Bennett Moger, Bethel University
Honorable mention	Cooper Schwartz, Michigan State University
Honorable mention	Cole Pannell, Michigan State University
Honorable mention	Claudia Staut, University of Minnesota

College Sports Feature, First Place: Claudia Staut, University of Minnesota

Will Norris crosses the finish line at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in St. Paul, Minn. on Oct. 5, 2025, ending with a time of 2:15:39. Norris placed 1st overall in the Medtroic Marathon.

College Sports Feature, Second Place: Cole Pannell, Michigan State University

Indiana Senior, Aiden Fisher lifts the Old Brass Spittoon on October 18, 2025 in Bloomington, Indiana after beating Michigan State 38-13. The Hoosiers have claimed the Spittoon for two consecutive years for the first time since 1969.

College Sports Feature, Third Place: Bennett Moger, Bethel University

Fifth-year guard Anna Garfield celebrates and holds the Bethel University sticker above her head after a 71-65 victory against DePauw University in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Oshkosh, Wis., on March 7, 2025. Garfield considers this her redemption year after she missed out on the NCAA tournament her freshman year due to COVID-19 cutting the season short.

College Sports Feature, Honorable Mention: Cooper Schwartz, Michigan State University

College Sports Feature, Honorable Mention: Cole Pannell, Michigan State University

Maryland junior, Rose Coats falls to the ground, bleeding from her knee after placing 10th in the Big Ten Cross Country Championship on Oct. 31, 2025 in East Lansing, Michigan.

College Sports Feature, Honorable Mention: Claudia Staut, University of Minnesota

Andover High School seniors Colton Miller (50) and Joseph Mapson (3) embrace in a hug after the end of their final football game of their high school careers on Oct. 24, 2025, at East Ridge High School in Woodbury, Minn. Andover lost 28-20 against East Ridge High School in the Minnesota Class 6A football playoff game, ultimately ending the 2025 football season for Andover.

COLLEGE CONTEST RULES

ELIGIBILITY

The college division is open to students who are residents of or attending school within two states of Minnesota: North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri and Illinois in 2025. All work must have been taken or published in 2025. Those who graduated in 2025 or were working as interns and are no more than 6 months removed from graduation may compete in the college division.

ENTRY FEE

FREE – fee is waived for the college division
Register to enter here. You will receive a link to the contest entry form in the confirmation email.

AWARDS

First, second, and third place awards will be made along with any honorable mentions the judges feel are merited. The judges will not be required to give awards to three places in all categories. The winners will be announced at the Northern Exposure Conference hosted by the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Judges: Elsa Garrison, Jay Clendenin and Zun Lee
Prizes: Plaque for POY awards, certificates for individual category placements, others TBD by sponsors.

ETHICS POLICY

Altering the content of documentary photographs through technology is prohibited. Image cropping, adjusting levels and basic toning is acceptable. It is fine to dodge and/or burn areas and to correct technical defects in a photo (such as minor dust spots or dropped pixels) as long as the work’s content is not changed. No use of AI to alter images is allowed. No removal of objects in the images as it was recorded is allowed. When in doubt, don’t. If contest organizers determine that a photo has violated these standards, the photograph will be disqualified. Documentary works that are proven to be “set up” or “staged” will also be disqualified. Organizers may request the original, unedited file if concerns arise.

COLLEGE CONTEST CATEGORIES

(CNWS) News – A picture of a scheduled or unscheduled event of general interest. Examples of this include but are not limited to: natural or manmade disasters and their cleanup/aftermath, protests, press conferences, accidents, etc.
(CFEA) Feature – A picture of a found situation with a strong-human interest and provides a fresh view of the familiar.
(CSPA) Sports Action– A picture that captures peak action and the spirit of competition.
(CSPF) Sports Feature – Any feature photo from a sporting event that is outside the field of play or is separate from the game action.
(CPOR) Portrait – A picture that reveals the essence of the subject’s character. Can be either a found moment or a setup image. (Individual images only – no diptics, collages, etc.)
(CSTO) Photo Story – A series of images that tells a story on a single topic or subject. A minimum of three images is required and there can be no more than ten images per story. The caption field in the first entry in the story should include a short title and a brief introductory caption to summarize the entire picture story. Individual captions for each photo are required.

‘OF THE YEAR’ AWARDS

(CPOY) College Photographer of the Year – Entries should include a variety of single images. The portfolio must include at least one picture story. A title slide must separate the picture story from the singles. The title slide should simply be a black image with white text with the name of your story.
- Maximum of 30 images including picture story. (title slide doesn’t count to 30 picture limit)
(CSPY) College Sports Photographer of the Year – Entries must include a variety of at least 3 different sports represented. Picture story is encouraged, but is not a requirement. If a picture story is included, it must include a title slide.
- Minimum of 8 single images required with a maximum of 20 images total including story (title slide doesn’t count to the 20 picture limit).

HOW TO ENTER THE COLLEGE CONTEST

1. NAME THE FILES CORRECTLY

CategoryCode_PersonalCode_Slug_PhotoNumber.jpg

CategoryCode = Four letter code for each category
PersonalCode = First four letters of your last name + first initial + middle initial
Slug (only applicable for stories) = One word description of any photo stories
PhotoNumber = Entry number (01, 02, etc.) You do not need to enter multiples in each category. For photo stories, be sure to number them in the order that best suits the story.

EXAMPLES

Single: cfea_smitmj_01.jpg or cspa_smitmj_03.jpg
Story: cpst_smitmj_election_02.jpg or cpst_smitmj_homespun_01.jpg
of the Year: cpoy_smitmj_05.jpg

2. FILE INFO REQUIRED

The following information that must be included in the metadata for still images. Images without metadata will be disqualified:

Author/Photographer: Your full name.
Caption/Description*: Enter the caption here. This is mandatory for every picture, including individual pictures in a picture story. Captions may be projected onto the screen during judging. DO NOT add your name in the caption field. Any entry that includes your name or organization in this field will be disqualified. If you haven’t written captions before, this article provides tips. If you are unsure how to add captions in metadata, it is easiest in Photoshop, Bridge, Lightroom or Photo Mechanic. Photo Mechanic has a free 30-day trial, and will easily let you add captions to metadata. You must confirm that there is caption info included before you enter.
Date: Date photograph was taken.
City: Location image was taken.
State: Location image was taken.
Credit: Organization affiliation, if any.
Headline: Name of entry. This will be what is used when winning images are posted.

*Picture stories must include a title slide with a brief introductory caption summarizing the entire picture story. This overall caption should be included in the metadata of the title slide before the first individual picture. The remaining pictures in the picture story should only include the caption for that photo.

3. NUMBER OF ENTRIES

A total of 15 entries allowed. “Of the year” categories count as one entry each.
There is a limit of five photos or stories for each non “of the year” category.
There is a limit of one entry for each “of the year” category.

4. FILE SIZE

RGB or grayscale JPG files only. Final images should be resized to 3000 pixels on the longest side.

5. UPLOAD ENTRIES

Upload correctly named and sized files to the website URL you will receive in your registration email confirmation.

ENTRIES SUBJECT TO DISQUALIFICATION

Missing the deadline
File names not properly slugged / formatted
Name / organization/ appears in caption field
Violating the contest’s ethics policy

THE 2025 CONTEST DEADLINE IS 11:59 PM (CST) ON FEBRUARY 15, 2026.

The contest deadline will not be extended.

QUESTIONS?

Email Matt Gade: Matt.Gade@605Sports.com