Young and in love with photography

  • Photographer Ethan Ramaekers’s dog, Buddy is the subject of this first prize winning photo in the Animals/Pets category.
    Photographer Ethan Ramaekers’s dog, Buddy is the subject of this first prize winning photo in the Animals/Pets category.
  • Tiffany Stevens won first prize in the sports category of the ANR amateur photo contest with this shot of a Sky High Vaulter making one last jump before sundown last month.
    Tiffany Stevens won first prize in the sports category of the ANR amateur photo contest with this shot of a Sky High Vaulter making one last jump before sundown last month.
  • Ethan Ramaekers also captured this drone shot of the Husky stadium, and top honors in the drone/aerial category.
    Ethan Ramaekers also captured this drone shot of the Husky stadium, and top honors in the drone/aerial category.
  • Sandy Eckert took first place in the landscape/nature division of the ANR photo contest with this early morning shot of Lincoln Creek taken on a frosty morning last winter.
    Sandy Eckert took first place in the landscape/nature division of the ANR photo contest with this early morning shot of Lincoln Creek taken on a frosty morning last winter.
  • This selfie of Ethan Ramaekers taken on his iPhone and was chosen by the judges as the grand champion image in the 2023 ANR amateur photo contest.
    This selfie of Ethan Ramaekers taken on his iPhone and was chosen by the judges as the grand champion image in the 2023 ANR amateur photo contest.

    A 17-year-old Aurora High School senior with an eye for the perfect picture and a desire to possibly become a professional photographer is this year’s big winner in the Aurora News-Register’s annual amateur photography contest. Not only did Ethan Ramaekers sweep the first place prize in three of the five categories, he was also crowned by the judges as the overall grand champion for his black and while selfie shot taken on his iPhone 14 Pro while on a trip to Pagosa Springs, Colo. back in May. View all the top entries in this week's ANR, which also shares insight from the winning photographers.