November 2, 2023

The Great Nevada Picture Hunt is our annual contest dedicated to finding the photos that best represent the Silver State’s people, places, and landscapes. This year, thousands of phenomenal shots were sent in across eight categories. Suffice it to say, judgment was not easy! But the results are finally in, so without further ado, check out this year’s esteemed winners.

Looking out from a cave whose ceiling is very rough, knobby, likely-volcanic rock, there is an open valley or dry lakebed in the distance, with mountains and stormy clouds. In the foreground is a young boy with two dogs, climbing some of the rocks together.
©Scott Mortimore

SCOTT MORTIMORE, GRAND PRIZE
“In late April, my son and I headed out—dogs in tow—to one of our favorite desert haunts. Here, we find caves, dunes, and a dry lakebed in a landscape where the weather likes to play. I was drawn to the innocence of this image and how all the angles lead inward toward this trio of adventurous buddies.” iPhone 13, 1/270s, f/2.4, ISO 32

Looking out over the city of Reno, the back of the Mormon/Latter Day Saints temple is in the foreground, surrounded by trees. The city is in the distance, with mountains all around, and a blazing sunset that looks like the clouds are on fire, fading to blue sky at the top.
©Lee Molof

LEE MOLOF, 1st place, cities/urban
“I captured this scene from a site just above the LDS Temple looking across the western Reno foothills. The low-angled light of the rapidly setting sun set ablaze—if only briefly—the late afternoon cumulonimbus clouds.” Canon 5Dmkiv, 1/250s, f/8, ISO 320

Two purple-LED-lit arches intersect over a vibrant neon Las Vegas sign. This all happens above a busy road, photographed at night with a long exposure so you can see the streaks of the brakelights and headlights. In the background is the casino The Strat, which is lit up and tall, showing hotel behind and a marquis in the foreground.
©James Marvin Phelps

JAMES MARVIN PHELPS, 2nd place, cities/urban
“The Las Vegas Gateway Arches truly epitomize the spirit of this vibrant city and have brought a fresh wave of excitement and splendor to the already dazzling landscape of the city. As I stood there with my camera, I couldn’t help but marvel at the striking colors and mesmerizing LED lighting that adorned the arches.” Canon 5Dmkiv, 1.3s, f/18, ISO 100

A remote valley in Nevada, lush green trees and sagebrush can be seen on many layers of mountains leading back to taller ones across the valley that still have small patches of snow on them. A thin layer of clouds is visible in an otherwise blue sky.
©Ken Huynh

KEN HUYNH, 1st place, landscape
“I was on a mission to look for the long-eared owl that I had a glimpse of a few days prior but ultimately couldn’t find it. Feeling defeated, I walked back to the truck as the sun rose above the horizon and hit this scene just right. Clouds were the cherry on top, as this area often has none.” Sony ILCE-1, 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 100

A meadow of lupine and balsam root fill the foreground of the frame with yellows, whites, and purples. In the distance the hills give way to green and looming mountains beyond have a lot of snow on them. There are stormy-looking clouds against a blue sky.
©Kurt Kuznicki

KURT KUZNICKI, 2nd place, landscape
“The super bloom of a generation was spreading across northeastern Nevada. Early June was cold, a slight breeze was moving the flowers, but at least the rain had stopped. I still couldn’t see the peaks, but as the sun began to rise, the clouds started to recede, and the tall dark granite peaks of the East Humboldt Wilderness finally came into view. The light moved playfully on the peaks and a defused warm glow kissed the lupine and balsam root.” Fujifilm X-T3, 1/150s, f/10, ISO 400

A man and a woman in period clothing play a guitar and violin. There is an open guitar case in front of them that says "thank you." They stand in front of the historic Delta Saloon in Virginia City. The sidewalks are faded gray boards and the doors to the saloon are polished dark wood and glass.
©Katie Cerny

KATIE CERNY, 1st place, people
“Virginia City has a way of attracting people from across the country who come to witness its history by foot, car, trolley, and train. When walking its streets, you may get lucky enough to hear the Sugar Sweet String Band playing some tunes for you to enjoy.” Canon Rebel T100, 1/800s, f/5.6, ISO 1250

Two women, in denim overalls, stand on the back of a bright yellow caboose of a Nevada Northern Railway train. There is dark coal smoke coming from the front of the train, the rest of which is red. There is sagebrush all around, right up to the railroad tracks.
©Steve Luther

STEVE LUTHER, 2nd place, people
“Women of the Nevada Northern Railway take a quick pause from their duties running this historic engine. The train was making a run out toward the old mining area of Ruth, and the stately locomotive along with the bright yellow caboose really stood out in the otherwise monochromatic desert landscape.” Sony ILCE-7RM3, 1/640s, f/8, ISO 100

A herd of brown and white pronghorn antelope run across the dry brown desert floor, stirring up a huge plume of dust. In the distance are tall, looming blue mountains covered in snow. The sky is full of storm clouds.
©Denise Woodward

DENISE WOODWARD, 1st place, wildlife
“I was driving out to see my dad, who lives on a piece of land near the family ranch where he grew up. It has a great view of the Jackson Mountains, and the drive is always breathtaking. What a great day it was to see a herd of antelope out in the field enjoying the crisp winter afternoon.” Canon R5, 1/160s, f/8, ISO 100

Three baby great horned owlets snuggle up to one of their parents, all four standing on a log. Two babies have eyes closed, and one looks directly at the camera with wide open eyes. The adult also looks at the camera, and the background is a mottled green and blue.
©Ken Huynh

KEN HUYNH, 2nd place, wildlife
“I’d been watching this great horned owl family for a few days. One night, I noticed the weather forecast stating it would be windy and cold the next morning. I woke up before sunrise and headed to the spot to wait. After three hours, the babies finally got cold and snuggled together. My patience paid off that morning!” Sony ILCE-1, 1/800s, f/8, ISO 800

Under a starry night with a very prominent Milky Way visible, two old abandoned buildings sit in the middle of a dry valley with some snow visible on the ground. The closest building is stone and the further building is wood. There are mountains in the distance that also have snow on them.
©Rick Pott

RICK POTT, 1st place, ghost towns
“I went out to the abandoned Potts Ranch (no relation) for an evening of winter tent camping. This Monitor Valley property once had the reputation as one of the best cattle operations in Nevada, and the ranch house still stands in fairly good condition. It was a bit creepy as there were sounds coming from the walls of the main house, which I later realized to be birds nesting.” Sony ILCE-1, 15s, f/2.0, ISO 3200

Some old junk is strewn about in the foreground, with a lot of sagebrush and some snow visible. In the distance is a large abandoned wooden building, and further out more mountains. The sky is filled with a sunset orange glow on dramatic clouds.
©Rick Tegeler

RICK TEGELER, 2nd place, ghost towns
“Having visited photographed and explored more than 200 ghost towns, camps, and lost mines in Nevada, Berlin is still one of my all-time favorites. It embodies much of what there is to see of Nevada’s mining history. It is remote, but relatively accessible. It remains in a state of arrested decay thanks to the efforts of the State Park.” Nikon D7000, 1/60s

Zebra races. Three zebras wearing full riding gear have just been let out of their white wooden stalls at the beginning of a race. Two riders are visible. The first is a woman and the second is a man, and both of them look surprised and unsure. Beyond the zebras is a man in jeans and a red shirt, black hat, and suspenders, who looks like he may be with the organizers.
©Liz Huntington

LIZ HUNTINGTON, 1st place, events
“Every September for the past 64 years, Virginia City has celebrated its International Camel & Ostrich Races. What the title of the event doesn’t tell you is that they race zebras, too! Zebras are temperamental, comical, and a hoot to watch and photograph at the races.” Canon 5Dmkiv, 1/2000s, f/2.8, ISO 800

A close-up of a fighter jet in flight, with brown mountains behind. The jet pilot is waving from the cockpit, and the writing on the side reads "SSgt Joshua Echevarria" and "SSgt Keyshawn Williams"
©Morgan Stinnett

MORGAN STINNETT, 2nd place, events
“I took this shot during Aviation Nation 2022 at Nellis Air Force Base as the jets were taxiing back to the flight line. The combination of the American flag, mountains in the background, and the visible heat from the engine made for a great shot. These pilots have a lot of love and pride for what they do and for their country.” Nikon D5100, 1/1600s, f/5.6, ISO 400

A jeep is parked beside a single-person tent, in a remote part of Nevada. The tent is red and gray, the jeep is white. There is a blue camp chair sitting beside a table with some food, a glass of wine, and a lantern. The lemonade-colored sunset, yellows-orange and blue, is reflected in the jeep's windows. There are trees and sagebrush surrounding.
©Tami Force

TAMI FORCE, 1st place, cell/mobile phone
“Stanley Paher—the godfather of Nevada ghost towns—invited me to camp with his group near Hamilton. I parked my Jeep between my tent and the group campfire, poured a glass of wine, and turned to see the most beautiful cotton candy sunset…then I saw the reflection in the Jeep’s windows.” iPhone 11, 1/90s, f/1.8, ISO 125

Cathedral Gorge in a storm. Tall sandstone cliffs and formations are in the foreground, tan and brown. The sky is very angry looking with dark storm clouds and rain in the distance.
©Roger Ports

ROGER PORTS, 2nd place, cell/mobile phone
“Despite poor weather on a family road trip, the kids insisted we stop at Cathedral Gorge State Park. We immediately fell for the absolute magic of the place. Sunlight still played upon the park, but the atmosphere to the north had become alive!  The darkest clouds I had ever seen were swirling and dancing in the wind, all while the incredible geological art glowed in the sun.” iPhone XS, 1/5700s, f/1.8, ISO 25

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