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The winning photo depicts a fox resting in the landscaping of Simon’s backyard.
Photo by Nicole Simon, provided by Macomb Township
Runner ups in Macomb Township’s 2026 winter photo contest were taken by Barraco, above, and Andrade Oliveira, below.
Photos by Katherine Barraco and Otavio de Andrade Oliveira, provided by Macomb Township
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Local shutterbugs had their time in the spotlight last winter, and now three photographers stand at the podium as winners of Macomb Township’s most recent photo contest.
Out of around 20 photos submitted to the township for its Winter Photo Contest 2026, Nicole Simon’s photo of a fox in her backyard took first prize in a vote by township residents and stakeholders. Katherine Barraco’s photo took second place while Otavio de Andrade Oliveira’s photo took third. The three winners were awarded at the April 22 Macomb Township Board of Trustees meeting.
“It feels incredible,” Simon said of winning. “I can’t put it into words how I feel. It’s the first time I’ve submitted one and it’s gotten this far … I’ve never went this far to win.”
An avid photographer, Simon prefers taking photos on her Samsung Galaxy phone rather than with a specialized camera. Although Simon’s preference for the phone comes down to its technical elements and ability to retain detail in captured images, the mobility benefits of a phone certainly were useful when opportunity presented itself to her.
“One Saturday morning, my dad got up (and) had coffee,” Simon said. “He looked outside and was like, ‘What the hell is in backyard?!’”
Simon’s father grabbed his binoculars to get a better look at the fox while Simon herself took photos of the fox through the kitchen window.
“He sat there for a couple of hours and dug into our woodchips,” Simon said. “He dug in there and sat there and then he just left. He wasn’t there for any more than a couple hours or so.”
Township Supervisor Frank Viviano says the approach to the contests has remained consistent over the four times they have been run. Residents were given from New Years Day to March 25 to take and submit photos in the township. Submitted photos were reviewed by the Board of Trustees, and the board’s collective top 10 was then passed along to township residents to vote on.
While the contests have been fun for residents and given regional businesses some exposure through sponsorships and awards for winners, the contests have served as a way for the township to find and develop its culture. Viviano says this photographic development of Macomb Township’s culture remains active.
“One of the reasons we did it is because we want people to feel connected to their home, and one of the ways we can do that is to have these various community events,” Viviano said. “This one in particular, we wanted other people to be able to see the beauty in the community that they live in. By having these contests and focusing on some really creative photography, I think we’ve been able to do that.”
While Simon was able to capture a slice of this beauty from her backyard, the 20-year resident of Michigan’s fastest-growing township has had a difficult time finding lasting beauty here beyond her property line.
“Everywhere I turn, I’m like, ‘Oh wow, that’s nice,’ and then I go back and there’s always a house there,” Simon said. “I just wish (Macomb Township) had more nature for people to explore and take pictures of like I can, so people can submit photos like this and feel honored like I am. I wish they had more photography places like Stoney Creek, but Stoney Creek is not in Macomb Township … I just wished we had more parks to take pictures of.”
Simon, Barraco and Andrade Oliveira’s photos will adorn the township’s “Macomb Minute” newsletter and the walls of Macomb Township Hall, where they join previous years’ winners.
“We take all of the winning photos and maybe some of the favorites from the top 10 (and) we get them framed,” Viviano said. “My conference room upstairs has entries from the first three contests all hanging in it. Not only has it added a bit of hominess to our offices here, but I think it serves as a really nice reminder to what we do on a day-to-day basis (being) surrounded by images of our own community.”
Viviano says plans are in the works for another photo contest sometime in the future, though what the theme of that one will be remains to be determined. But for Simon, winning after years of trying has not quenched her desire to keep shooting.
“Oh, absolutely,” Simon said when asked about taking part in future competitions. “My whole phone is covered in photography (and) pictures of nature. I love sunsets, I love sunrises, I love nature — I just love taking pictures.”
