2026 Photo Contest
Alpine Reflection
Colorado
Photo by Mary Cate Kiser, '27
"As the sun sets on the San Juan mountains and an alpine lake mirrors rocky peaks, we too are called to reflect on our values. Voters in the west overwhelmingly see water supply and water quality as a pressing issue. Political tensions over water allocation build as climate change and overuse increasingly drain water supplies. When we visit places where wild water resides, we are encouraged not only to take in the beauty, but also to recognize it as a force that gives us life, something deserving of respect and diligent treatment. Simply visiting these places may not be enough; we must use our love for land as momentum to change how we treat our resources."
The State of the Rockies project invites students to submit up to three photos and a description of each photo(s) taken from the Rocky Mountain West that reminds us why, how, and/or what conservation efforts are necessary to preserve and protect nature. Students are required to describe how their photo submission(s) relate to a conservation topic covered by this year's State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll.
Students sent us photos they took from the Rocky Mountain West that shows us Top of Mind conservation issues in the West! Students are required to describe how their photo submission(s) relate to a conservation topic covered by this year's State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll.
Contest Rules
Submit your photos by emailing chines@coloradocollege.edu
Please send up to three photos taken in the Rocky Mountain Region. Submission Deadline, April 11 @ 1159PM.
Please submit a photo description for each image that tells us why, how, or what conservation topic covered by the 2025 Conservation in the West Poll your image addresses. Please include where the photograph was taken.
Please submit photos at 600dpi.
You may share a link to a google folder or your one drive.
Judges announce 1st through 3rd place Winners on Earth Day at the Gaia Masquerade (Bemis Hall 6-8pm).Popular Vote winner announced April 22rd.
1st place $500 2nd Place $250 3rd Place $100 Popular Vote winner $100
Unsustainable Architecture (2024 Entry)
Eastern Colorado
This photo was taken in the plains of Eastern Colorado. It invites viewers to contemplate the fleeting nature of landscapes and structures in the region. Nestled within the often-overlooked expanse of arid and dry fields, the solitary building depicted stands as a testament to both resilience and impermanence. The structure pictured is made from cement that has outlived its residence and its surroundings. As Colorado’s infrastructure continues to rapidly expand, we must think in terms of building and consuming sustainably. Beyond mere conservation, this image compels us to consider responsible creation, thoughtful building practices, and harmonious coexistence with our environment.
Photo by Matan Fields, '26
This student event is made possible by funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and is sponsored by The Colorado College State of the Rockies Project.
Judges
Heather Oelklaus is the Print Work Shop Supervisor for the Colorado College Art Department. She has based her life around art for the last 30 years. After attending the Kansas City Art Institute, Heather moved to Colorado Springs where she has been creating artworks that incorporate her passion for photography, printmaking, sculpture, painting, fiber, and collage. Her work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums and is held in private collections around the United States. Heather explores the boundaries of photography and experiments with alternative processes and technologies. When she is not creating photographs, she can be found plein air painting, weaving on her loom, and researching new techniques for her art making.
Jamie Cotten is an award-winning photojournalist, and the photographer/photo editor in the Office of Communications & Marketing at Colorado College.
As a freelancer for nearly two decades, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, ESPN, San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, The Telegraph and in media outlets via Polaris Images, among others.
“It’s amazing to see the way people open up to photographer Jamie Cotten,” says former Colorado Life Magazine Assistant Editor Matt Masich. “Her genuine understanding of life puts her photo subjects at ease, letting her capture them as they truly are in unguarded moments.”
Jamie studied fine art photography at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in NYC before returning to her native Colorado where she graduated from Metropolitan State College of Denver with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and international business.
She then returned to the East Coast for eight years, where she frequently compiled story packages - finding, researching, reporting, writing, photographing and often shooting and producing video - solo.
Twice the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) awarded Jamie first place in feature photography - once for her photo story on an inspirational boxing coach who worked for free with inner-city youth, and once for her photo coverage of Burmese refugees in Colorado struggling to navigate the complicated U.S. legal system.
“My ultimate goal as a journalist is to help people relate to one another," Jamie says.
In her free time living back in Colorado, she runs, swims, plays classical piano and enjoys national and international adventures with her son.