By Railfan & Railroad Staff

EAST ELY, Nev. — For the 10th year in a row, the Nevada Northern Railway Museum is offering two young photographers scholarships to participate in their annual winter photography event. 

Mark Basset, executive director of the museum, said the Steam, Steel and Strobes Scholarship gives younger photographers the chance to experience an event that might normally be out of their reach financially. Two people, ages 18 to 30, will receive free admittance to the event, a $500 stipend and lodging for two nights. Two runner-up awards will include free admittance to the photoshoot and a $250 stipend.

“What can you expect during the photoshoots? World-class photographic opportunities, steam locomotives pulling vintage freight and passenger cars that are original to the railroad. Here, trains are still made up of wooden cars whose origins date back as far as 1872. The crews will be in period dress, adding to the experience,” Basset writes.

The 2021 photoshoots will be held on February 19-21 and February 26-28.

To enter for the Steam, Steel and Strobes Scholarship…

1. To be eligible for this contest you must be between the ages of 18 – 30 years old, or will turn 18 years old in January 2021
2. Email a proposal of no more than 250 words as to why you believe you should be awarded this prize.
3. Along with your proposal, email three images of your best work (If you send in only two images or more than three images, you will be disqualified). Photographs do not have to be of railroads or trains in general.
4. Watermark your image with your last name and numbered in sequence, 001, 002, 003. For example, if your last name is Smith, label them Smith 001, Smith 002, Smith 003. Failure to do so will automatically disqualify you.
5. Images must be no larger than 10 inches on the widest side at 72 dpi. Failure to do so will automatically disqualify you.

6. Previous grand prize winners are not eligible for the contest but former runners-up may enter.
7. Please be sure that you are available on the weekends of the photoshoots in February. If for any reason you win and are not available for this season’s event, you will not receive the cash stipend or you must return the stipend to the Nevada Northern Railway, so other runners up may receive the prize.
8. When you have made your three image selections, have labeled them and sized them properly, please send your images and your 250-word proposal to Mark S. Bassett, at president@nnry.com.

The deadline for entries is December 18, 2020, at 5:00 pm PST, please put Steam, Steel and Strobes in the subject line. Mark Bassett and Steve Crise will judge each entry and you will be notified after December 21, 2020, if you are among the winners.