The Detroit News,

The 10th annual Detroit News Celebrate Michigan Photo Contest ended as it always does, with beauty in the eye of the beholder, the judges all over the map with their votes, but a few photos edging out the rest with their emotional connections.

From June 1 to Sept. 9, we received 1,451 photos of Michigan at its best from enthusiastic photographers around the state and beyond, and from that group selected 56 finalists.

What was a little different about this year’s group of finalists was the large number of spectacular images of birds: twin baby woodpeckers peeking out of a tree, ospreys returning to the nest with a fish, a bald eagle taking off, an elegant sandhill crane in flight, a green heron enjoying a snack, a cardinal and woodpecker battling over a stump, and others. All received votes from the panel of 24 Detroit News judges, but in the end, they canceled each other out.

Images from the contest were judged on originality, technical excellence, composition and artistic merit. The final voting was done on a weighted scale, from 1 point for fifth place to 5 points for first place.

When the points were tallied, 40 of the finalists had received at least one vote. Four would rise to the top. And so we are please to announce ...

The first-place winner is “Two Little Starrs,” by Bethany Starr of Berkley, in which her two children are snuggled up on the beach in Oscoda to watch a double rainbow.

“The sky looks gorgeous, the kids are so sweet, and a double rainbow in any picture is a great catch,” one judge wrote. Another commented, “The rainbow photo reminds me of my sister and me when we were younger and going up north in Michigan, except that these two are getting along.”

Starr wins a two-night stay at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island plus a 16-inch-by-20-inch framed print of her photo.

Second place goes to ”Where the Living Is Easy” by Marissa Aiello of Rochester Hills, featuring tubers having a splashing good time on Lake Orion over the Fourth of July weekend.

“This is a real moment. I like the girls laughing and the fact that the camera lens is wet makes me feel like I’m in the water, too,” one judge wrote. Another called it “about as Pure Michigan summer as you can get. This photo just makes me happy.”

Fittingly, Aiello wins a waterproof GoPro HERO4 Session camera.

The third-place winner is “Fist Bump for Detroit” by John Clark of Westland, an up-close view of the business end of the monument to Joe Louis in downtown Detroit.

“We’ve all seen a million pictures of this statue, but never from this angle,” a judge wrote. “There are so many details here, from the nail bed to the scuff marks, that it’s like looking at an entirely different statue.”

Clark wins a $100 gift card to etsy.com.

In a separate vote for best digitally enhanced photo, “Sunset Over Detroit” by Chadd Horanburg of St. Clair Shores was the winner, a nighttime view of the Scott Fountain on Belle Isle.

“I like how it offers depth and perspective of the city skyline,” a judge wrote. “It’s a unique point of view.”

Horanburg wins a 16-inch-by-20-inch framed print of his photo, plus four tickets to any Emagine theater.

Two other photos receive Honorable Mention for finishing as runners-up in the overall voting: “Storm Rolling Away on Traverse Bay,” by Rick Motyl of Troy, and “Barn Swallow Feeding Its Fledglings,” by Sabrina Dao of Novi.

Keep shooting!

To all of the photographers who submitted their photos during the 14 weeks of the contest, we send our thanks and sincere appreciation. You can continue to share your photos all year long at detroitnews.com/submissions.