Formbys’ 10th Annual Hot Shot Photo Contest: And the Winners Are…

06 Jul Formbys’ 10th Annual Hot Shot Photo Contest: And the Winners Are…

“Tellurideʼs July Fourth festivities, likely among the most fun and most imaginative in the nation for a small town celebration, deserve to be documented with fabulous photographs,” said Katrine Formby, co-founder of the Telluride Hot Shot Photo Contest. Scroll down to check out this year’s winners.

First Place 2018: “Skirts and Stripes” Photographer Ellie Baker.

As photographer Nan Goldin once said: “Cameras don’t take great pictures. Artists take great pictures. And no two artists see the same things the same way.”

What’s more, photography today no longer means pictures printed and framed.

Photography today is all about an infinite number of images flowing on real-time data streams and captured on webcams, video blogs, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, platforms that have altered visual culture forever.

For better or for worse?

You be the judge.

This year,  the judges were Natalie Bowers, representing GenX; Rachel Bowers of  the Telluride Ski Resort; Werner Catsman, old time local and President, Finbro Construction; Patty Denny of Telluride Truffle; Arline Dowling, Board of Trustees, Ah Haa; Telluride Town Manager Ross Herzog; and Mayor Sean Murphy.

From well over 100 entries to Katrine and Bill Formby’s 10th annual Hot Shot Photo Contest, the group unanimously chose for the top prize an image taken by a popular local professional photographer.

And not for the first time.

In 2016, Melissa Plantz won for “Telluride Lights Up the Night Like No Other.”

And this year, based on artistic expression, creativity, originality, and image quality – drumroll please – Melissa walked away with $1,000 for “‘Flying High on the Fourth of July’ – Aiden Simpson sends it American Style,” a dynamic, beautifully composed variation on a theme in a town where 50 shades of “high” comes with the turf.

Second place, $300, went to Thomas Mueller for “MERICA MUTTS.”

Aidan Gibbons took 3rd place and $100, for “Milk Run Fireworks.”

Lisa Wright won the Audience Choice Award  for “Fireman.” For her effort, Lisa wins a sheet of 100 stamps featuring that image.

To see images of all the winning photographs, go here.

(Note: In addition to their checks, the three top winners also get 20 stamps featuring their image, as does the Audience Choice winner and the 10 honorable mentions.)

About the Formbys:

Bill and Katrine Formby divide their time between Austin, Texas and Telluride. In Texas, the couple owns two very popular restaurants, The Hula Hut.

The Formby’s first trip to town to escape the Texas summer heat was over 25 years ago.

“We are as smitten today as we were the first day we discovered this jewel-box town,” says Katrine.

In 1999, the Formbys purchased The Nugget Building on the corner of Main Street and Fir, one of the oldest structures in Telluride (built in 1892), right next door to their Heart of Telluride rental property.

The Formbys may be part-time locals, but they are full time involved with making a difference by making memories in the Telluride region. In addition to their commitment to The Nugget complex and the Hot Shot Photo Contest, the Formbys are responsible for bringing the annual TED Talks to the region through TEDx Telluride Live.