Photographers from across the state submitted images for the 2026 Lower Loup NRD Photo Contest, and now winners have been selected. Submissions included prairie landscapes, days on the lake, astral phenomena, agricultural beauty, and more.
Taking first place is Danielle Bayer of Platte Center with a black and white photo of cattle coming to feed near Columbus. Danielle enjoys spending time around the Columbus area photographing farm life and nature.
Misty Horn of Mullen came in second with a photo of the northern lights taken on the north side of Homestead Knolls at Calamus Reservoir.
“This photo reminds me that beautiful things come and go,” said the hobby photographer. “We are lucky if we can just capture the moment they are in.”
Third place was awarded to Sarah Tetschner of North Loup, who captured a shot of a supercell storm from a vantage point near Calamus Reservoir in June of 2025.
The winning image from Bayer will be printed and displayed in the LLNRD lobby in Ord for the next year. All three winners will be receiving prize packages as well.
The next LLNRD Photo Contest is slated to start in December of this year.
