lens on the lake

Julie Orloske has been drawn to photography since right after high school. “I have always loved seeing the details of nature or capturing the images as they are unfolding,” Orloske says.

The photo was taken when Orloske joined her friend and her friend’s dog for a walk around White Bear Lake and they stopped at the dog park. “Stella loves to play in the water and was chasing and bringing back a floating toy,” Orloske says. “I love how Stella’s ears are standing straight up with the excitement on her face, waiting for the toy to be thrown again.” Read more about Lens on the Lake: Barking on Water

It's that time of year again: The Lens on the Lake photo contest has returned for its 8th year of beautiful photos of our community. This photo contest, presented by White Bear Lake 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 White Bear Lake in five categories: Read more about Lens on the Lake 2017

“This is a good example of community events bringing us together,” remarks Jay Rendall on his photo Pumpkinmania, which won third place in the 2015 Activities and Events category. Rendall also captured a few other award-winning shots, including Hiking, which appeared in the June issue, and High School Regatta in the September issue. Read more about Lens on the Lake: Picture-Perfect Pumpkins

Summer in the land of 10,000 lakes wouldn’t be complete without spending the nicest days fishing off the end of the dock. Fishermen and women, young and old, flock to the shores of White Bear Lake with the hopes of catching “the big one.” White Bear Lake resident Penny Rendall used her iPhone to capture this snapshot, Going Fishing, of her then 3-year-old grandson Tanner, his fishing pole and tackle box in hand. “We remember taking our son and daughter fishing,” says Rendall. “We just continued the tradition.” Read more about Lens on the Lake: Going Fishing

Summertime in White Bear Lake means the races begin at the White Bear Lake Yacht Club. It was on a Monday evening last June that Jay Rendall captured this shot of an A-scow crew “hiking”—balancing the boat against the push of the wind. The photo, entitled Hiking, took first place in the Activities and Events category of our Lens on the Lake contest. Read more about Lens on the Lake: Hiking

Garnering an honorable mention in the City Landmarks category, Dale Grambush’s photo, Nearing Ice Out, caught White Bear Lake in seasonal transition. “There’s still ice on the lake,” says Grambush, “but not around the docks.” Grambush says that the shadows of the dock and the fog in the distance prompted him to stop and snap the shot; he took the photo near Boatworks Commons with his cellphone one morning late last March.

Driving along Lake Avenue South, Grambush looks out onto the lake nearly every day on his commute. He enjoys photographing the lake throughout the seasons. Read more about Lens on the Lake: Nearing Ice-Out

Julie Orloske was at her White Bear Lake home when she took the photo Hi Neighbor, which took first place in the Pets category of our annual photo contest. Orloske was standing on her driveway in the late spring when she saw her neighbor’s dog, Crixus, peering out through the crack in her fence. Placing her Canon 70D camera on the ground, she captured the dog in action. “This is Crixus,” Orloske says. “This is how he is.” Read more about Lens on the Lake: Hi Neighbor

Julie Orloske was at her White Bear Lake home when she took the photo Hi Neighbor, which took first place in the Pets category of our annual photo contest. Orloske was standing on her driveway in the late spring when she saw her neighbor’s dog, Crixus, peering out through the crack in her fence. Placing her Canon 70D camera on the ground, she captured the dog in action. “This is Crixus,” Orloske says. “This is how he is.” Read more about Lens on the Lake: Hi Neighbor

In december 2014, Ron Hawkins, a White Bear Lake firefighter and paramedic, photographed a veteran emergency dispatcher named Wendy taking a call. Hawkins used his Fuji point-and-shoot camera to capture the photo, “911, What’s Your Emergency?,” which was taken at the White Bear Lake Public Safety Dispatch Building and took second place in the People and Families category of our Lens on the Lake contest. Read more about Lens on the Lake: 911, What’s Your Emergency?

Rick Dott has a passion for his main hobby—photography—and it translates to his photos, including “Dedicated Bookworms,” which won second place in the City Landmarks category. Every winter, locals dress up the “children” in the statue located a few steps outside the White Bear Lake library.

“I just like the photo and it makes me smile,” Dott says. “It seemed like a small-town picture and what people in the town would do.” Read more about Lens on the Lake: Book Lovers