Ann Westling’s photograph, “Mongolian Practice Competition: Grabbing a Riding Crop Off the Ground” was awarded the Photo of the Year by the Nevada County Camera Club at their annual awards presentation Saturday night, January 10. Westling’s photo was selected as the overall favorite by club members from over 700 photos submitted by members throughout the year. “Ann is an accomplished and talented photographer and earned this recognition,” stated Oitzman. “The competition was significant the given the talent of club members and the high standard of their photography,” continued Oitzman.
Mongolian Practice Competition Grabbing a Riding Crop Off the Ground by Ann Westling
“I am deeply honored to receive this award. Traveling to Mongolia this past summer with a photography tour gave me an opportunity to experience some of the rich cultural traditions of Mongolian life,” stated Westling. “We were treated to Mongolian throat singing, horsemanship and Kazakh eagle hunting competitions, and local tea ceremonies. The Kazakh falconers use golden eagles to hunt for foxes and rabbits during the winter to make their coats and hats, critical for survival in subzero Mongolian winters. They were incredibly hospitable and welcoming. I gained tremendous respect for these hardy and kind people: their sense of humor, love of family, and amazingly harsh conditions in which they live,” continued Westling.
Also, on Saturday night, the winners of the club’s sixteen photo categories were announced. These awards included the favorites for:
Assigned Subject – “Feathers In Freefall” by Ann Westling
Abstract – “Triangulation” by Hanno Botha
Architecture – “La Samaritaine, 1870 Department Store, Paris” by Georges Pelpel
Fauna – “Flight of the Fox” by Bill Wages
Flora – “Baobabs at Sunset” by Janice Rosner
Landscape – “As the Storm Passes” by Eric Engles
Night Photography – “Dancing Skies, Resting Boats” by John Seivert
People – “Serek Jennisbek, Medal Winning Eagle Hunter” by Ann Westling
Photojournalism – “No End in Sight” by Susan Pollard
Travel – “Eagle Hunters in Western Mongolia” by Ann Westling
Creative Fantasy – “Becoming the Raven” by Darby Davenport in a tie with “Home Renovation” by Darby Davenport
Manipulated But Realistic – “Sharing the Sunset” by Ed Sylvester
Black and White – “Floating Shadow Leaf” by Robert Arnold
Color – “Ice Cave Hiker in Blue Magic” by John Seivert
Street Photography – “Sunset Flight” by Eric Lindberg
Birds – “Stork of Darkness” by Bill Wages
“I was also pleased to present Anita DuPratt, Ann Westling, and Frank Bloksberg each with an “Outstanding Service Award” for their commitment and dedication to the club. We are grateful to Anita for her two years as Secretary of the Club, to Ann for her more than 10 years as Public Relations Chair and to Frank for pro bono legal services. Altogether it was a night to celebrate,” stated Oitzman.
“Triangulation” by Hanno Botha
“La Samaritaine, 1870 Department Store, Paris” by Georges Pelpel
“Sunset Flight” by Eric Lindberg
“As the Storm Passes” by Eric Engles
“Sharing the Sunset” by Ed Sylvester
“Home Renovation” by Darby Davenport
“Becoming the Raven” by Darby Davenport
“Stork of Darkness” by Bill Wages
“Flight of the Fox” by Bill Wages
“Serek Jennisbek, Medal Winning Eagle Hunter” by Ann Westling
“Feathers In Freefall” by Ann Westling
“Eagle Hunters in Western Mongolia” by Ann Westling
“No End in Sight” by Susan Pollard
“Floating Shadow Leaf” by Robert Arnold
“Dancing Skies, Resting Boats” by John Seivert
“Ice Cave Hiker in Blue Magic” by John Seivert
“Baobabs at Sunset” by Janice Rosner
The club has about 145 members and aims to inspire, educate, and promote photographers in Nevada County. For more information on the Nevada County Camera Club and to see all the award winners – https://www.nccameraclub.com