With ‘exciting changes’ around the corner, Axel’s hosts annual Photo Shoot-Out

February 2, 2026  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

2026 Axel’s Photo Shoot-Out entries

The annual Photo Shoot-Out contest at Axel’s Gallery & Frame Shop is winding down this week with just a few days left for community members to weigh in on the People’s Choice prize.

Voting closes at 6 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 6, with all of the winners announced at 6:45 p.m. The public is invited to hear from the judges who will attend to discuss their choices, share their feedback, and celebrate the photographers who entered their work in this year’s contest. 

The Photo Shoot-Out exhibit and contest proceeds as Axel’s staff and owner Whitney Aldrich are preparing for a much-anticipated transition for the longtime downtown Waterbury small business. A little over a week ago, Aldrich announced “exciting changes” to customers in an email newsletter and on the shop’s website: Over the next several weeks, Axel’s will welcome a new owner, The Drawing Board in Montpelier. 

After searching for more than three years, Aldrich said she has found a buyer for the gallery and frame with a similar history as an anchor small business in Vermont’s capital city. 

As the ownership change moves ahead, there are no plans for major changes to Axel’s day-to-day operations, Aldrich assured customers. “Our incoming owner brings nearly the same depth of experience, along with a deep respect for the legacy of this small business,” she wrote in her newsletter. “Like Axel’s, they are deeply committed to craftsmanship, care, and longevity.”

Aldrich and Drawing Board owner Liz Walsh say they will share more details soon.

Meanwhile, the current exhibit on view at Axel’s features the work of numerous Vermont photographers competing for 2026 Photo Shoot-Out honors. The contest theme, “It’s the Little Things,” was chosen by Justin Highet, of Enosburg, first-place winner of the 2025 Shoot-Out. Highet’s challenge for this year’s entrants was to find inspiration in the familiar notion that “It’s the little things in life” that bring comfort and meaning. 

Highet’s winning photo last year was a black-and-white image titled “Platform 5 ½”  taken at Victoria Station in London, England.  

Photographers were invited to share images that “capture the seemingly small but deeply significant parts of life,” that might otherwise go unnoticed, the contest rules explain. “Whether it's the intricate texture of an object, a close-up of a tiny creature, a candid moment with a child … maybe it's a random act of kindness, a shared smile, the way light hits a familiar corner of your home, or something even more personal.” 

The annual contest is open to photographers of all levels – amateur, hobbyist, and professional. Entrants can submit up to two prints. 

A panel of several judges in the photography and visual arts community is chosen by Axel’s to award the first and second prizes. The People’s Choice is just that – the entry chosen by visitors to the gallery. 

Each photograph is judged based on its use of the contest theme, its creativity and originality, composition and technical quality, and emotional impact.

The first prize winner receives an invitation to present their photography in a solo show at Axel’s Gallery later this year, and they have the honor of selecting the following year’s contest theme. Each of the prizes comes with gift certificates to Axel’s for framing and to LeZot Camera. 

The public is invited to visit this week to take in the Shoot-Out show and drop their votes for People’s Choice, as well as to attend Friday’s winner announcement reception. 

Axel’s is open Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.