NEVADA CITY, Calif. November 27, 2017 – Today, the Tahoe National Forest announced the first, second and third place winners of the 2017 Tahoe National Forest Photo Contest. First place is “Celestial Wilderness,” by Joseph Dondelinger. Second place is “Dreamy Nights,” also by Joseph Dondelinger, and third place is “Mountain Biking Into the Light on the Lavezzola Creek Trail,” by Jeff Barker.
This is the second year of the Tahoe National Forest Photo Contest. This year, YubaNet partnered with the Forest on the Contest. “Celestial Wilderness” was the clear first place winner. As a testament to his excellent photography skills, Dondelinger won second place as well for his night-time image of the Duncan Peak fire lookout. “While the number of submissions were similar to last year, the quality of entries really increased,” said Kial James, a Nevada City-based professional photographer who participated in the judging. “The submissions all showed the detail and beauty of the Forest and its many landscapes and points of interest. In the end, our three winners showcased beautiful use of light, technical skills and strong compositions.”
The winning image of Castle Peak in the moonlight was taken by Joseph Dondelinger of Foresthill. According to Dondelinger, he used an app on his phone to get the timing of the Milky Way just right. The second place image, also by Dondelinger, shows Duncan Peak Lookout at twilight. Third place shows a mountain biker on the Lavezzola Creek Trail.
“With this second year of the Photo Contest, I continue to be impressed by the quality of entries,” said Forest Supervisor Eli Ilano. “Who better to show the beauty of the Tahoe National Forest than the people who visit this special place?”
As the first place winner, Joseph Dondelinger won the prize of two nights in the highly sought after Sardine Fire Lookout, located on the Sierraville Ranger District. Second and third place winners will be treated to a guided tour of the Rock Creek Nature Trail.
To see the winning images or more information about the Tahoe National Forest, go to www.fs.usda.gov/tahoe. Join the conversation by following us on Twitter at twitter.com/Tahoe_NF and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TahoeNF. More information about Kial James, including his photography, is available at www.nevadacityscenics.com or on Facebook at fb.com/nevadacityscenics.