“Eyes Talk” by Leslie Mendoza

“The expression on the face of that steer, looks like it’s giving the photographer the stink eye, great capture. The cowboy attire, the spurs, the boot with jeans tucked in, snap button denim shirt, and the knife on his belt – classic cowboy image. And the dust is flying. This photo has it all.” 

H.L. Kokernot, Jr. Memorial Award

“The view of the Christmas and Chisos Mountains as seen from Texas Hwy 118, 35 miles North of Terlingua, TX” by Tim McKenna

“The color variety of the mountains, with the shadows interrupting, is stunning. And overhanging clouds at the top of the photo and the foreground prairie finish off this great photo. I wish I had been there to see that scene live with the photographer.” 

Charles Henry Trost Memorial Award

The City of Alpine announced the winners of the 2020 #AlpineTXPhoto Contest. Free and open to the public, the contest closed to entries on September 30th, 2020. The tenth annual photo contest had its greatest number of entries ever, with over 600 photographs submitted by 156 photographers.

Photographers throughout the region and beyond were asked to capture the city of Alpine in a personal, reflective way to reveal the personality of the area. The contest judge for 2020 was David Winslow. All entered photographs are submitted anonymously to the judge.

For the past 30 years, David has been photographing in Texas, Mexico, Guatemala and the southwestern U.S. He has exhibited his work at galleries in Mexico and Texas. After living in Mexico for 14 years, he currently resides in Alpine, Texas, where he has owned and operated Galeria Mañana since 2017 (www.galeriamanana.net).  The judge’s comments follow each photograph.

Cathedral Mountain Frost – Sharon McClanahan

Beautiful photo, with the frosty foreground, and the clouds hanging between the mountains, with the Cathedral catching the morning sun.

WINNER – Sunrise at The Desk – Matthew Walter

There were several photos of the desk submitted for this contest. Of course, The Desk is pretty much a “must see” if you spend any time as a hiking tourist in Alpine. This photo makes an especially beautiful image by capturing the wildly beautiful sunrise, the colorful reflection off the sides of the desk and the unique addition of the other photographers working hard to get the shot in the early morning light. The photographers picked a great morning to get up early and get out there.

Bucks honoring America & Law Enforcement – Felipe Fierro

Nice action in focus. Great idea highlighting the flags by putting the players and background in black and white. The image wouldn’t be near as powerful if the colors of the players’ uniforms, etc. were competing with the flags. A nice tribute.

White Morning – Francis Paul Carlo Creer

The pristine smooth white snow creates a beautiful contrast with the colorful furniture and evergreens. A beautifully simplistic winter photo.

Sunset Over Kokernot Field – Dave Hensley

Great setting for a classic old baseball stadium, with a beautiful Alpine twilight, a blue halo at the base of the hills, and the lights are on. Play ball. As the saying goes, wait ‘til next year.

Summer Thunderstorm in Alpine – Dave Hensley

Lots of energy in the stormy sky and the prairie in the foreground create a stunning photo.

Sunset Proposal – Joe Torres

I love old ranch photos, like this one. The old wooden loading chute is nicely composed, with the sunlight sneaking through the slats. That west Texas sky in the background is sweet. Editorial comment – this image would also be good, I think, in black and white or even in sepia tones.

Looking good, Doing better – Leslie Mendoza

There were several working ranch photos submitted. This one has the dust in the air, the cows and horses all doing what they do, and the cowboy in action. Art on the range.

WINNER – Patriot Cowboy – Carolyn Morehead

Well-worn cowboy hat, a little sweaty, a little dirty. Well decorated in patriotic fashion. The plaid shirt and the background bokeh finish it off. A great simple photo.

West Texas Sky – Shelby Cox

The night skies around Alpine make for some striking starlite photos. There were a lot submitted in the contest. The romance makes this one stand out for me. Editorial comment – cropping some vertically on the left side, and maybe even a little on the right side would emphasize the couple a little more, if you want to highlight the romance more.

Alpine Deer – Michael Smeets

The local deer are popular subjects for photographers here in Alpine. This photo looks like a posed portrait of one. The angle of the head, the light on the horns, and the framing of the face in the cedar and other vegetation make for a great pose of a handsome buck.

Reflections
 – Kam Baeza

Unique angle catches it all. West Texas windmill with the carmine sky reflecting off the fancy west Texas truck. I have taken several photo reflections off vehicles, with little success. This photographer was very successful.

Good Morning – Wesley Woods

A fun photo of a west Texas cowgirl. You could make one of those sexy cowgirl posters from this. Pretty cowgirl, great pose, and the old well-titled ranch truck finishes it off. And I’m a sucker for a pretty cowgirl in boots. I like it.

Rugged Hands – Annette Thompson

Hands can be a great photo subject. This photo captured the hands and the other details that make a beautiful photo. The light-colored mane and rope, the dark reins and saddle, and of course, the hard-working weathered hands create a thought-provoking photo. And the sepia print finishes it off.

Sisters Summer Sunset – Adayna Garcia

Just a creative, fun photo. The silhouette of the gymnast doing the splits with the hair flying straight up, and the colorful spectrum of clouds in the background combine for a well-imagined photo. Editorial comment – might consider cropping the bottom half or so of the image. Regardless, very creative and action-packed image.

God Bless Texas Ya’ll – Allen Elder

Cool idea for a photo, and the idea is very well executed. Nice exposure of all the photo elements.

Livestock Steer Show – Felipe Fierro

This photo captures the scene. The proud, serious steer handler with the fancy belt buckle, the handsome coat on his steer, the attentive onlookers, and the dynamic west Texas sky in the background. Nice show.

Twin Sisters Sunset – Dave Hensley

The Twin Sisters are an iconic profile associated with Alpine. There were several photos submitted capturing the sisters. I especially liked this one. It captured well the distinctive silhouette of the mountains, and the light woven colored clouds at dusk were soothingly beautiful. Made me think a little of Georgia O’Keefe.

WINNER – Birds in Snow – Tim McKenna

The bright colors of the agave and the pretty pair of birds with the white snow for contrast make for a nicely composed photo. The birds look cold. I wonder if the photographer was too.

Alpine Airport after a Shower – Gary B. Wood

A very unique beautiful photo. The wet tarmac and setting sun, blue sky, and the well-placed plane. Won’t get that scene very often.