A super fun time was had by everyone in attendance tonight at our TVAA Photo Contest Reception! Amazing photos, delicious food and lots of shop talk about photography. The community turn out was overwhelming and it was so neat to see how many people turned out in support of our super talented contest participants! 
This contest is held twice a year (February and August) and it's popularity grows every year. Plan ahead and don't miss out on participating in August! Submissions will be accepted July 25 through August 1, 2016. 
This year the contest featured over 50 local area photographers as well as a whole separate mini sub-contest which featured 30 photographers from the Tehachapi High School Photography Class taught by Carol Horst. Many visitors from the community showed up to see what our contest participants had to share this year and were not disappointed in the caliber of talent on display. 

We are so pleased to congratulate Diana Palmer who took Best of Show honors with her photo titled "Old Barn Tack Room". She is also the first person to ever win Best of Show twice. Below is a full list of categories and ribbon winners. 

Animals: 1. Ashley Holden 2. Thomas Medaris 3. Jeff Husted HM. Lori Marvin 
Black & White:1. Thomas Medaris 2. Heather Tingley 3. Dennis Cowden 
People: 1. Jeff Husted 2. Krista Tomlinson 3. Dan Kullrich HM. Patti Kullrich 
Details & Macros: 1. Chris Naftel 2. JP Charmichael 3. Chris Naftel 
Flowers: 1. Ashley Coles 2. Patti Kullrich 
Landscape & Nature: 1. Jeanne Riesen 2. Dennis Cowden 3. JP Charmichael HM. Patti Kullrich 
THS Photography Class: 1. Lizzie Segovia 2. Garrett March 3. Ethan Teare HM. Samira Alwanabi 
Travel & Architecture: 1. Diana Palmer 2. DJ Judkins 3.Debbie Martin HM. DJ Judkins 
Youth Photography: 1. Grace Miller 2. Grace Miller 3. Grace Miller HM. Nilas Orvin Ballard
 

Results from 2015 TVAA Chalk on the Walk! (Be sure to look at our Facebook album for more pictures of this fun event! 

BEST IN SHOW: LISA BURT 

TVAA CHOICE: JESSICA GRANT 

1st-2nd grade: 
1st place Katheryn Donnel 
2nd place Sara Mc Quillen 
3rd place Haley Richardson 

3rd, 4th, 5th grade: 
1st place Peyton Kirk 
2nd place Kiera Judkins 
3rd place Logan Renehan 

6th, 7th, 8th grade: 
1st place Amanda Arebalo 
2nd place Cierra Bellah 
3rd place Jaqueline Torres 

High School 
1st place Krista Link 
2nd place Bridget Lucas 
3rd place Nicole Williams 

Adult 
1st place Autumn Burt 
2nd place James Ramos 
3rd place Zach Patterson 

Family or Group 
1st place Mojave River Academy 
2nd place Mojave River Academy 
3rd place Sosnowski Boys

43 photographers submitted 150 photos for our annual August Take Your Best Shot Photo Contest. This year we mixed up the categories a bit and our contestants really WOWed the judges with their entries. As contest coordinator for every contest so far, I've never seen the judges have such a difficult time judging. There were just too many entries deserving of awards! congratulations and thanks to all of our contestants, you did an amazing job! 

Below is a list of winners: 

Best of Show: Susan Kohkonen - Down at Strawberry Marina 

Action 1. Heather Tingley – Grand Slam 2. Chris Naftel – One Direction 3. Rob Mezaros – Hungry Mantis HM. Kelly Miller – Trick Roper 

Altered Images 1. Missy Sutton – Mr. Rusty 2. Susan Kohkonen – Little Miss Shutterbug 3. Austin Miller – The Return of Tonto HM. Diana Palmer – In Safe Hands 

By Land, Sea & Air 1. Susan Kohkonen - Down at Strawberry Marina 2. Heather Tingley – Oh Beautiful for Spacious Skies 3. Austin Miller – Look up…I Mean Down HM. Gail Martin – Perpendicular funicular in Particular HM. Thomas Medaris – 57 Chevy Belair 

Elements of Design 1. Joanne Hays – Gypsy 2. Rob Mezaros – Untitled 3. DJ Judkins – Lighthouse Sunset in Tehachapi HM. Sonja Bronson – Morning rites HM. Austin Miller – They Are Among Us 

Favorite Sights and Places 1. James Carmichael – Kilkenny, Ireland 2. Rob Mezaros – Untitled 3. Nancy Wilkinson – City of York HM. Sonja Bronson – Shore Leave HM. James Carmichael – Old Cemetery HM. Chris Naftel – Bonaire Pelican HM. Chris Naftel – Buckeye Butterfly 

Food & Drink 1. Sharon Weisbard – Harvest bouquet 2. Gail Martin - Taco Tuesday 3. Gail Martin – Cold One at Crow & Gote 

Silly Selfies HM. Austin Miller – Laugh at Yourself 

Youth Photography 1. Grace Miller – Percheron Thunder 2. Grace Miller – Summer Smile 3. Grace Miller – Splash HM. Abby Evansic – Cuttlefish Swimming in a Tank HM. Tony Horn – Pety the Piranha

2015 WINNERS TVAA YOUTH ART CONTEST 

Best In Show 9th – 12 Grade: Jessica Grant - “It Comes Naturally” 

Best In Show K-8th Grade: Carolyn Gallella - “Self Portrait” 

Kindergarten: 1st Place: Warren Woolf - “Blue Whale” 

1st & 2nd Grade: 1st Place: Liam Haas-“Lindin”, 2nd Place: MacKenzie Fitch - “Jungle Friends”, 3rd Place: Lilliana Line - “Made-Up Magic”, HM: Valeria Leon - “Desert Color” 

3rd & 4th Grade: 1st Place: KiKi Judkins - “The Mystery Monster”, 2nd Place: Camille Whitten –“Sea Dragon of Atlantis”, 3rd Place: Eden Beyer - “Spring”, HM: Jillian Parker - “Butterfly Flowers” 

5th & 6th Grade: 1st Place: Lauren Follis - “Lake at Night”, 2nd Place: Ella Whitney - “Zantango Cat”, 3rd Place: Cassandra Smith - “Elephant”, HM: Ella Hutchison -“Colorful Feelings”; Nat Whiteside - Vocaloid Gir” 

7th & 8th Grade: 1st Place: Ethan Tenderholt - “Zebra”, 2nd Place: Nathan Beyer - “Forest”, 3rd Place: Cierra Bellah - “Valentine”, HM: Jennifer Buchanan - “Beautiful Eye”, 

9th-12th Grade: 1st Place: Daylynn Buntin - “Color Run”, 2nd Place: Madyson McLaughlin - “Ansel Algort”, 3rd Place: Evan Tenderholt - “Elephant”, HM: Jackalyn Grant – “Bird”; Nicole Williams - “Mad Hatter”; Autumn Shackelford – “Sea Dream” 

Twice a year in February and August Tehachapi Valley Arts Association celebrates and showcases our local photographers at their best. This month the walls at Gallery ‘N’ Gifts are filled to capacity with 172 photos submitted by 53 photographers for the 9th annual TVAA Photo Contest. On First Friday February 6th winners were announced during a First Friday reception with music, food and plenty of camera talk. 

Best of Show Winner was Heather Tingley with her entry in the People category titled “Joyful Innocence”.
Other winning ribbons were given in the following categories: 

Animals: 1. Arden Howell, 2. Gale Caldwell, 3. Cheryl Esquivel, Honorable Mentions Diana Fifer, Dago V 

Black & White: 1. Dennis Cowden, 2. Nelson Gonzalez Amado, 3. Austin Miller, Honorable Mentions Ritchie Roesch, Diana Palmer 

Details & Macros: 1. Susan Kohkonen, 2. Gale Caldwell, 3. Arden Howell, Honorable Mentions Sam Lysse, Nelson Gonzalez Amado 

Digital Darkroom: Diana Palmer, 2. Susan Kohkonen, 3. Jan Alford, Gail Martin, Thomas Medaris 

Flowers: 1. Gail Martin, 2. Deanna Brown, 3. Deanna Brown 

Landscape & Nature: 1. Heather Tingley, 2. Diana Fifer, 3. Dylan Arbaut, Honorable Mentions Heather Tingley, Savannah Miranda, Dennis Cowden 

People: 1. Heather Tingley, 2. Dylan Arbaut, 3. Vincent Hernandez, Honorable Mentions Diana Palmer 

Tehachapi: 1. Dylan Arbaut, 2. Heather Tingley, 3. DJ Judkins, Honorable Mentions Kumbe Sadler, Vincent Hernandez 

Travel & Architecture: 1. Nelson Gonzalez Amado, 2. Norma McClean, 3. Karen Schoen, Honorable Mentions Linda Oliver, Norma McClean, Virginia Walker 

Youth Photography: 1. Kiera Judkins, 2. Grace Miller, 3. Grace Miller, Honorable Mentions Madison Marty, Grace Miller Samantha Storm