great nevada picture hunt

By Nevada Magazine | September/October 2007

Every year, photographers share their finest work with Nevada Magazine. For us, that’s the easy part. The challenge is choosing the winners, which this year constitute a grand prize and the best photos from five new categories: City Limits, Wide Open, Lifestyle, People, and Events. More than 70 entrants sent us hundreds of captivating Nevada images. We cherish the annual thrill of the “Hunt,” and 2007 was no exception.

Grand Prize
Bill Kositzky
Location: Tahoe Meadows

Reno photographer Bill Kositzky and others call this nature getaway “chickadee point,” for the friendly fliers that love landing on a palm dotted with birdseed. At a high point on the east side of State Route 431—about a half-hour hike on snowshoes—Kositzky worked his magic with his Canon Rebel XTi’s motor-drive feature. “My strategy was to get a bird in flight coming into my hand and show Lake Tahoe in the background,” says Kositzky, who has made more than a dozen trips to the area.

Tourist Tidbit: The Sierra Club leads many Nevada outings, including a few to chickadee point.


WINNER: CITY LIMITS William Lane Location: Las Vegas Las Vegas photographer William Lane ventured to the top of the Stratosphere Tower to capture screaming thrill-ride passengers. Lane decided against using the flash on his Canon G6 “so the beauty of the sunset and city lights would be emphasized while showing the people in their dark, precarious position far above the city,” he says. Tripods are not allowed from this vantage point, so Lane’s strategy was hands-on. Tourist Tidbit: At more than 1,100 feet high, the Stratosphere offers three thrill rides: Big Shot, Insanity, and X-Scream.	Winner: City Limits - William Lane

RUNNER-UP: CITY LIMITS Bill Kositzky Location: Reno The downtown Riverwalk's lights reflect on the Truckee River.	Runner-up: City Limits - Bill Kositzky

WINNER: WIDE OPEN Kippy S. Lanker Location: Gardnerville Minden photographer Kippy S. Lanker woke up with the roosters to visit Andi VanBerkum's ranch off Highway 88. The blanket of clouds behind VanBerkum's horse, Royal, was the artist’s prize for arriving at 5:30 a.m. and a tranquil contrast to the powerful Belgian-draft-mix gelding. "Despite being an emphatic animal lover, Roy’s size intimidated me," says Lanker, who used a Canon Rebel XT. "I kept wanting to get closer, but his stomping on the ground reminded me to keep my distance." Tourist Tidbit: Highway 88 travels south from Minden and is accessible from U.S. 395.	Winner: Wide Open - Kippy S. Lanker

RUNNER-UP: WIDE OPEN Larry Turner Location: Near Vya Rancher Bob Cockrell surveys the scene from Home Camp.	Runner-up: Wide Open - Larry Turner

WINNER: LIFESTYLE Martin Aguirre Location: Pyramid Lake Reno photographer Martin Aguirre set out to shoot the landmark pyramid-shaped rock formation on the east side of the lake at sunset. He left with an indelible image of his wife, Trish Doscher, that will live forever in family albums—and Nevada Magazine. To kill time, the couple took a swim. When Doscher surfaced, the watery arch created when she flung her hair back fascinated Aguirre. "Sometimes the best photos happen when you're looking for something else," says Aguirre, who totes a Canon EOS 20D. Tourist Tidbit: State Route 446 and parts of SR 445 and 447 travel around the lake's southern end and make up a National Scenic Byway.	Winner: Lifestyle - Martin Aguirre

RUNNER-UP: LIFESTYLE Kenny Merlino Location: Reese River Valley Kenny Merlino’s dog, Sam, barks at a mountain lion he treed in March.	Runner-up: Lifestyle - Kenny Merlino

WINNER: PEOPLE Randa Bishop Location: Las Vegas Las Vegas photographer Randa Bishop wanted to portray a piece of the area’s earliest history and culture when she attended the 18th Snow Mountain Powwow at Las Vegas Paiute Indian Reservation. She spotted her friend, Fawn Douglas, who had given Bishop permission to photograph her previously. Bishop took this image of Douglas with her Canon EOS 5D just before the Grand Entry. “She has this wonderful, pensive look on her face,” Bishop says about Douglas, a dancer and member of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe. Tourist Tidbit: The Snow Mountain Powwow is held annually on Memorial Day weekend off Highway 95.	Winner: People - Randa Bishop

RUNNER-UP: PEOPLE Jim Galli Location: Tonopah Jesus Martinez during his 100th-birthday celebration.	Runner-up: People - Jim Galli

WINNER: EVENTS Kelly Haugh Location: Boulder City Boulder City photographer Kelly Haugh loves taking pictures, loves rodeo, and loves kids. Here, Haugh combined all three passions and used her Nikon D200 to illustrate 10-year-old Hayley Dalton-Estes' triumph in the Wrangler Junior Rodeo Association's goat-tying competition. Haugh says a recent shoulder surgery has slowed her hobby and made it more challenging to photograph her favorite action subject. "When you're shooting the bulls and broncs, you have to be able to get out of the way," Haugh says. "The closer you are, the better." Tourist Tidbit: The WJRA makes a number of stops in Boulder City every year.	Winner: Events - Kelly Haugh

RUNNER-UP: EVENTS Deanna Esplin Location: Reno A biplane rests at the Reno National Championship Air Races.	Runner-up: Events - Deanna Esplin

FINALIST Jodi Esplin Location: Lamoille Canyon	Finalist - Jodi Esplin

FINALIST Jim Decker Location: Las Vegas	Finalist - Jim Decker

FINALIST Barry Glazier Location: Ely	Finalist - Barry Glazier

great nevada picture hunt

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