Hello! The Desert Companion "Focus on Nevada" photo contest website is now open for your photo-uploading, contest-entering pleasure. This is our second annual contest — and even saying that feels weird, because, frankly, we had little idea of what to expect when we did the first one last year. In an age when the Internet serves as this vast, unsleeping factory constantly churning out images and memes -- which are as rapidly consumed as they are produced -- would the idea of a contest seem somehow out of touch with the tempo of modern life, anachronistic, retrograde? And one whose results appear primarily in print? We shrugged and hit the launch button.
2013 smartphone entry, "Pool," by Ginger Bruner
Well, any unspoken reservations or nervousness we had utterly vaporized when the entries started rolling in -- more than 1,500 total! -- and we began sifting through virtual piles of amazing images, from I-know-breathtaking-is-a-cliche-but-I-really-did-lose-my-breath Nevada landscapes to startlingly fresh portraits of the people of Las Vegas.
2013 honorable mention, professional, "Cowboys," by Antonio Gomez
This year, we're adjusting the recipe just a bit -- you'll notice when you visit the website. Instead of categorizing by skill level (professional, semi-pro, amateur, etc.), we're instead categorizing by theme -- landscapes, people, artistic, etc.; see the website for the complete list of categories. Entrants will still enter their skill level, but this time around, it'll serve more as a piece of wonky supplemental info along the lines of camera type, lens specs, and stuff like that. However, we kept the smartphone category, since it is, really, the de facto everyday imaging devices that's always at hand for creating ad hoc digital eye-candy. (Until we all begin shuffling through the streets as Google Glass zombies.)
2013 second-place winner, semi-pro, "CityCenter," by Susan Link
Also this year, we're empaneling (I always wanted to use that word!) a, uh, panel of judges to winnow the work. As yet unempaneled (!), the judges will include photographers, designers, artists and just people we think have really good taste. Watch the website for updates on the judges and the prizes!
Okay, enough blather. Send us your photos! The deadline is May 5. If you have any questions or the contest website explodes in your face, email us at editor@desertcompanion.com.