NEVADA CITY, Calif. February 1, 2017 – Today, the Tahoe National Forest announced the first place, second place and third place winners of the 2016 Tahoe National Forest Photo Contest.
First place is “Sunset Over the Little Truckee River,” by Matthew Rhodes. Second place is “High Mountain Meadow,” by Monica Haulman, and third place is “Weathered Beauty,” by Kian Berreman.
With so many high quality entries, it was hard to pick the best. However, after the judges voted, “Sunset Over the Little Truckee River” was the clear first place winner. “The caliber of submissions was breathtaking,” said Kial James, guest judge and Nevada City-based professional photographer. “It was tough narrowing down so many great entries. The submissions all had something special showing the depth and beauty of the Forest and its ecosystems. In the end, our three top submissions showcased beautiful light, reflections and strong compositions in a well thought out manner.”
The winning image of pink-hued clouds in the sky and reflected in the water below was taken by Matthew Rhodes during sunset on the Little Truckee River north of Sagehen Creek. According to Rhodes, he noticed how the still water was reflecting passing storm clouds and took photos before the clouds were gone. The second place image also shows clouds reflected in water, with the lush green vegetation of Sardine Meadows framing the reflection. Third place shows a large tree snag with the Milky Way arcing across the sky overhead.
“It is wonderful to see how visitors to the Tahoe National Forest were able to capture the beauty of this Forest through their lens,” said Forest Supervisor Eli Ilano. “I hope these photos will help encourage others to visit this special place.”
As the first place winner, Matthew Rhodes won the prize of two nights in the highly sought after Sardine Fire Lookout, located north of Stampede Reservoir on the east side of the Tahoe National Forest.
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.