Seventh Annual Focus on Nevada Photo Contest

Desert Companion

May 28, 2019

It really says something that there’s no single iconic image that sums up Nevada. That speaks volumes about our state’s diversity, complexity, richness, and, yes, strangeness. It also makes for one helluva photo contest. This year, entrants submitted more than 1,200 photos that aimed to reflect the spirit of Nevada — and they did, whether they were images of desert wildlife, signature Strip casinos, or the people who live and work here. Congratulations to all winners and honorees — not just for capturing some beautiful photos, but for capturing the essence of our home.

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Honorable Mention

Greg Anderson (Professional)

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Patty Bumgarner (Professional)

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Honorable Mention

Chuck Jones (Semiprofessional)

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Honorable Mention

Charles Scott (Amateur/student)

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Honorable Mention

Jim Atha (Amateur/student)

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Honorable Mention

Jim Wiltse (Semiprofessional)

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Honorable Mention

Mark Scott (Amateur/student)

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Artistic & Abstract

1st Place

Norm Craft

Amateur/student

“The backside of Hoover Dam. The shadow created this great geometric design with two beautiful shades of blue.”

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Artistic and Abstract

Shane Savanapridi

Professional

Interior of the Radial Symmetry sculpture Downtown

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Artistic and Abstract

Honorable Mention

Steve Omelia

Amateur/student

“Neon Supper,” a night portrait of sculptures in Rhyolite

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Faces

1st Place

Cerissa Lopez

Professional

Young woman on Fremont Street

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Faces

2nd Place

Greg Anderson

Professional

"On Fremont Street, I struck up a conversation with this man, and asked him to look at the camera after taking a puff. He did the rest."

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Honorable Mention

Case Tomczyk

Professional

“A portrait of Edward, a U.S. Navy veteran, from a recent photo project I completed. Veterans have a lot to teach us about strength, dignity, determination, sacrifice, and honor.”

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The Rurals

1st Place

Mike Cowan

Semiprofessional

“Evaporation ponds at the long-abandoned Three Kids Mine in Henderson, via drone. The colorful, graffiti-covered pond on the right is the infamous
Wheel of Misfortune.”

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The Rurals

2nd Place

Salman Akhtar

Amateur/student

"Sunset Tracks," rail lines in rural Nevada

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The Rurals

Honorable Mention

Norm Craft

Amateur/student

“These chimneys are perched on a hill above the ghost town of Tuscarora, an hour north of Elko. I walked around the foundations and tried to imagine what would have once stood in front of me, the places warmed by the fires filling the chimneys with smoke.”

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City Scenes

1st Place

Stetson Ybarra

Professional

“Half and Half,” a portrait of a mining site and suburban development near Durango Drive and Peace Way.

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City Scenes

2nd Place

Dave Harrison

Amateur/student

“Carson City Night”

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City Scenes

Honorable Mention

Carlos Manzo

Amateur/student

“Taken February 21 on a drive up Charleston to Red Rock. I took this shot out of the passenger window while at a red light.”

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Storyteller

1st Place

Wendy Jensen

Amateur/student

“At Cold Creek, there is a spot that shooting enthusiasts use regularly. This thesaurus was seated on top of a TV and used as a target. Ironically, the book was opened to the words ‘protection/guardianship/conservation.’”

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Storyteller

2nd Place

Keith McDonald

Amateur/student

“The casino I work with was getting ready to ship out a couple hundred old slots after a remodel. I snapped this shot through a window on an upper floor of the hotel tower. It looks to me like soldiers marching off to war.”

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Storyteller

Honorable Mention

Christine Hosack

Amateur/student

Bighorn rams being returned to the Bloody Run Hills in Humboldt County.

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Wild Nevada

1st Place

Warren Lee

Amateur/student

Red Rock before dawn

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Wild Nevada

2nd Place

Salman Akhtar

Amateur/student

Cathedral Gorge State Park

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Wild Nevada

Honorable Mention

Didier Ciambra

Semiprofessional

"Solitaire," a portrait of plant life at Smith Creek

Our Judges

Sonia Barcelona

Singer/Songwriter

Erica Bell

Fergusons Downtown

Chris Bitonti

Brooklyn Bowl

Carlo Castillo

Las Vegas Lights

Adriana Chavez

Artist

Marcus Civin

UNLV

Kellen Cornett

Bellagio

Scott Dickensheets

Desert Companion

Patrick Duffy

Nevada School of the Arts

Joe Dumic

B&C Camera

Dan D’Uva

Vegas Golden Knights

Priscilla Fowler

Artist

Heather Harmon

Nevada Museum of Art

Brent Holmes

Desert Companion

Brian Howard

Sparrow + Wolf

Melissa Kaiser

Discovery Children’s Museum

Roy Kaiser

Nevada Ballet Theater

Andrew Kiraly

Desert Companion

Scott Lien

Desert Companion

Michele Madole

Las Vegas Philharmonic

John Maxwell

Las Vegas Aces

Sabin Orr

Photographer

Eric Preiss

Nevada Film Office

Heidi Rider

Artist

Jim Seely

Lee Canyon

Christopher Smith

Desert Companion

Derek Stonebarger

ReBar

Vanessa VanAlstyne

Las Vegas Oddities

Curtis Walker

Photo Bang Bang

PHOTO SHOWCASE On exhibit through July 28 at Sahara West Library. Watch for future showcase locations at desertcompanion.vegas.

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