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.
Honorable Mention
Greg Anderson (Professional)
Patty Bumgarner (Professional)
Honorable Mention
Chuck Jones (Semiprofessional)
Honorable Mention
Charles Scott (Amateur/student)
Honorable Mention
Jim Atha (Amateur/student)
Honorable Mention
Jim Wiltse (Semiprofessional)
Honorable Mention
Mark Scott (Amateur/student)
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.”
Artistic and Abstract
Shane Savanapridi
Professional
Interior of the Radial Symmetry sculpture Downtown
Artistic and Abstract
Honorable Mention
Steve Omelia
Amateur/student
“Neon Supper,” a night portrait of sculptures in Rhyolite
Faces
1st Place
Cerissa Lopez
Professional
Young woman on Fremont Street
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."
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.”
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.”
The Rurals
2nd Place
Salman Akhtar
Amateur/student
"Sunset Tracks," rail lines in rural Nevada
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.”
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.
City Scenes
2nd Place
Dave Harrison
Amateur/student
“Carson City Night”
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.”
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.’”
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.”
Storyteller
Honorable Mention
Christine Hosack
Amateur/student
Bighorn rams being returned to the Bloody Run Hills in Humboldt County.
Wild Nevada
1st Place
Warren Lee
Amateur/student
Red Rock before dawn
Wild Nevada
2nd Place
Salman Akhtar
Amateur/student
Cathedral Gorge State Park
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.