Winning images 2007

We’ll be blunt: Not everyone likes online pot delivery [28] N O V E M B E R

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See who made the photo finish out of a record number of entries [10]

Celebrate poetry with this Central Coast festival [37] FILM Spend an evening with Cal Poly’s Arabian Nights [38] Gangster is complex [48] Join the Italian family dining experience at Naples [55]

An issue with a view

Check out the results from New Times’ 12th annual Winning Images contest

BY RYAN MILLER PHOTOS BY STEVE E. MILLER

W

e thought last year was a record, but we should have known that a paltry 526 entries would soon be beat.

This year, in the 12th installment of New Times’ annual Winning Images contest, office managers Michael Antonette and Katie Gray prepared invitations and watched as readers brought in 718 submissions. Maybe there are more photographers out there these days. Or maybe our new category—travel— brought in a fresh crop of film jockeys. Whatever the reason, there were contestants of all stripes: professionals and amateurs, men and women, young and old.

Four judges—under the watchful supervision of the paper’s staff photographer, Steve E. Miller—sifted and sorted through the stacks of

photos, casting a critical eye at kids and cats, waves and women, babies and butterflies and blue skies. Together, they narrowed the selections down to 56 winners in six categories, featured over the next several pages.

New Times co-owners Bob Rucker and Alex Zuniga helped put together a party to celebrate the winners, with food from Calago, wine from Sylvester Winery, and sponsorship from AdMinds and First Bank of San Luis Obispo.

Even if you missed the big event, you can still enjoy the photos. And stay tuned for next year. If the 12th annual Winning Images contest results are any indication, the 13th annual is going to be huge. ∆ Editor Ryan Miller thinks a word is worth 1,000 pictures.

E-mail comments to rmiller@ newtimesslo.com.

PEGGY MESLER The owner of The Photo Shop in San Luis Obispo graduated from Cal Poly after studying photography and photojournalism. Mesler started her own freelance photography business in 1978, and opened her own retail camera store in 1995. When she’s not selling Canons, she

1975 and earned a master’s degree in industrial and technical studies in 2006.

He’s also a part-time photographer, photojournalist, photography teacher, writer, illustrator, blogger, and inventor, having created a hardwood camera mount for panoramic photographers. on display at the Bikram Yoga study in the Creamery at 570 Higuera St., suite 200. To see a sample of his work, visit www.elliottjohnson.com.

AMY V. GRIMM This independent curator, art critic, and art historian has 11 years of museum experience. She received a Bachelor

BRIAN LAWLER An

said, you can usually find her walking on one of the local peaks, gardening, or searching for the next image.

ELLIOTT JOHNSON This San Luis Obispo-based commercial photographer said that nearly every issue of New Times has found its way into his weekly reading for the past 18 years. He currently has a show, Yogafied,

associate professor in Cal Poly’s graphic communication department, Lawler has lived and worked in San Luis Obispo since 1969 and graduated from Cal Poly in graphic communication in

art, and changes in landscape painting in the 21st century.

She’s also worked at the San Luis Obispo Art Center and El Paso Museum of Art.

MEGAN MASTACHE The New Times photo intern helped to coordinate the judging for this year’s contest. Originally from Boulder, Colo., she came to Cal Poly to study business, but switched to photography in her third year. When not taking photos, she works at a wine shop and with a homeless program called Beyond Shelter. She said that she enjoys taking portraits and is going to be building light boxes—basically, large photographs illuminated from behind—for her senior project.

of Arts in psychology from the State University of New York in 1990, and a graduate certificate in museum management in 2000 and a master’s in art history in 2002 from the University of South Carolina. She’s lectured on Andy Warhol, contemporary

See who made the photo finish out of a record number of entries [10]

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Smooth Dunes, RD Bowlus, Amateur, Travel, First Place and Best of Show

Social Climber, Ryan Matteson, Amateur, Animals, Third Place

Ponder, Paul Foutz, Amateur, Animals, Second Place

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Spring in the Alabama Hills, Bill Bouton, Amateur, Travel, Second Place

Mop - China, Leslie Rugebregt, Amateur, Travel, Third Place

Lake MacDonald, Glacier Park, MT, Johanna Rubba, Amateur, Travel, Second Place

Social Climber, Ryan Matteson, Amateur, Third Place Untitled, Desiree Cobb, Amateur, People, Animals, Third Place

Horse Collars, Marlena McClain, Amateur, Travel, Third Place

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Day Dreaming, Allyson Magda, Professional, Kids, First Place

Made In China, Christopher Culbreath, Amateur, Open, Judge’s Choice

Cowboy on the Beach, Lisa Maksoudian, Professional, Kids, Second Place

Brown Pelican, Rich Hansen, Professional, Animals, Second Place

Sea Life, Mimi Ditchie, Professional, Open, Second Place

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Dead Vlei, Namibia, Dorothy Cutter, Professional, Travel, Third Place

Frozen Dreams, Nancy Koren, Professional, Flora, Second Place

Lily, Lindsey Hahn, Professional, Flora, First Place

Just In Case, Jenn Lawrence, Professional, Travel, Third Place

Boy and Incense, Lance Kinney, Professional, Travel, Second Place

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Parsimony, Donna Johnson, Professional, Flora, Third Place

Bakarwal Woman, Barry Goyette, Professional, Travel, First Place

Portrait of Manny, Christina Dillow, Professional, Animals, Third Place

Wave and a Walk, Big Sur, Lance Kinney, Professional, Land/Seascape, Third Place

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Untitled, Desiree Cobb, Amateur, Kids, Second Place Pygmy Blue Butterfly, Jim Morriss, Amateur, Animals, First Place

Mop - China, Leslie Rugebregt, Amateur, Travel, Third Place

Summer Storm, Steve Myrick, Amateur, Land/Seascape, Second Place

Ponder, Paul Foutz, Amateur, Animals, Second Place

Sea Cliffs, Andrew Amateur, Land/Seascape, First Place In Bloom, Ryan Matteson, Amateur,Aguilar, Flora, Judge’s Choice Horse Collars, Marlena McClain, Amateur, Travel, Third Place

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Leo the Lion, Lisa Maksoudian, Professional, Kids, Third Place

Dandelion Dewdrops, Donald Quintana, Amateur, Flora, First Place

In Bloom, Ryan Matteson, Amateur, Flora, Judge’s Choice

Green, Chris Hagerty, Amateur, Flora, Second Place

Diamond-Studded Leaf, Amber Howe, Amateur, Flora, Third Place

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Central Sierra Double Rainbow, Glenn Kardel, Amateur, Travel, Judge’s Choice

Hang Time, Natalie Arnett, Amateur, Kids, Third Place

Down the Slide, Teddy Llovet, Amateur, Kids, Second Place

Arirang Scene 4, Pyongyang, North Korea, Steve Arriola, Amateur, Travel, Intern’s Choice Lili, Rita Turner, Amateur, Kids, First Place

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Untitled, Jenn Lawrence, Professional, Land/Seascape, First Place

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Golden Girl, Ann Kunke, Amateur, People, Second Place

Passion, Natalie Arnett, Amateur, Land/Seascape, Third Place MontaĂąa de Oro Winter Day, John Huffman, Amateur, Land/Seascape, Third Place

California Blonde, Andrew Aguilar, Amateur, Open, First Place

4th of July at Pismo Pier, Marlena McClain, Amateur, Open, Second Place

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Red Baron Rides Again, Jenn Lawrence, Professional, Animals, First Place

Wispy Clouds - San Miguel, Shawn Ross, Amateur, Open, Honorable Mention

Barn Shingles, Glen GlennKardel, Kardel,Amateur, Amateur,Open, Open,Third ThirdPlace Place

Not a Dandelion, Barry Goyette, Professional, Flora, Judge’s Choice

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Jump, Mark Nakamura, Professional, Open, First Place

Friends, Professional, Kids, Second PlaceSecond Place Summer Mark Storm,Nakamura, Steve, , Myrick, Amateur, Land/Seascape,

Grandpa on Swing, Christopher Culbreath, Amateur, People, Second Place

Arielle, Lois Kann, Amateur, People, First Place