Cottage Grove announces winners of 2024 annual photo contest

The Cottage Grove City Council on Jan. 22 presented awards to the winners of the city’s 2024 annual photo contest, known as Capture Cottage Grove, and said the images will be used in city marketing materials.

The contest ran Nov. 18–Dec. 9, 2024, and required photographs to be taken within the city during 2024; staff said the contest drew roughly 50 submissions across several categories. Phil Gents, the City of Cottage Grove’s communications manager, introduced the winners and described the contest as a way to highlight resident photography for city publications.

Gents said the contest included categories for life in Cottage Grove, business in Cottage Grove, Cottage Grove parks or landmarks, and faces of Cottage Grove. Winners announced by staff were Angie Schaffer (Life in Cottage Grove) for a photograph titled Morning Run; Sabrina Thuringer (Business in Cottage Grove) for a photograph titled Easter Egg Hunt; Joseph Pavel (Parks and Landmarks) for Smoke on the Water; and Ashley Thompson (Faces of Cottage Grove) for Griz. A child model in the Easter Egg Hunt photo was identified in the meeting as Eva Grayson.

"This is one of those things where our folks get to have a little extra fun seeing all the great photos that our residents send in," Phil Gents said, noting staff review and voting to select winners.

Mayor Bailey and council members invited the winners forward to receive plaques and prize money. Council members said the city will request usage permission from photographers so the images can appear in visitor materials and other city publications.

The city said staff will continue the annual contest in future years and encouraged residents to watch for the next entry period.