Nebraskaland

56 Nebraskaland • January-February 2026 MIXED BAG The June 1970 edition of Nebraskaland Magazine accepted entries for the "Nebraskaland Festival of Color Photo Contest," a first in its history. In the categories of scenic, wildlife, events, outdoor recreation and people, the magazine's editors outlined an exhaustive list of submission rules as well as guidelines for a winning photograph. Complete with an entry form for participants to cut out like a newspaper coupon, the editors ended with this proposition: "Study the contest rules again. Then, start the entries pouring in. The judges are waiting." For the grand prize winner, the contest offered: A Frontier Airlines flight from "that airline's terminal nearest winner's home to Omaha, tour starting point, and back again at the journey's end," two weeks' use of a 1971 air-conditioned automobile from Hertz Rent-A-Car of Omaha, lodging at Holiday Inns "throughout Nebraskaland," and $500 expense money. In March 1971, the contest winners were announced in a 12-page spread. "Nebraskaland's Festival of Color Photo Contest promoted such a tremendous response that the judging team was literally up to its elbows in excellent photography," wrote Dick H. Schaffer, editor of the magazine and a member of the final judging panel. "And, the 1,300 entries from camera buffs proved both a joy and an agony." "There were so many top-notch photos with tremendous creativity and imagination," Schaffer continued, "that we were really hard-pressed to pick a winner." Given Schaffer's positivity about the contest's response, it was somewhat surprising that there was no photo contest the following year. However, it does makes perfect sense, because only color prints and slides were accepted during those days, and the magazine's staff promised to return all 1,300 entries to their respective owners. On top of a generous grand prize, the cost of labor probably took significant time to recoup. However, Nebraskaland Magazine gave the contest another go in 1972 — this time, with a much more subdued advertisement. Winning photos were to be published in May 1973, with first-place winners receiving a bound volume of Nebraskaland's 1972 issues plus a two-year subscription to the magazine. The result? These winners were hard to find — the May 1973 edition included no photos, and the winners were listed in a small box toward the back pages. Following the 1972 contest, there would be no photo contest until 2014's Beautiful Nebraska special issue. Because of advancements in technology, the photo selection process by this time had become much easier, as slides and prints were replaced by JPEGS and TIFFS, and an online form replaced the written cut- out of the 1970s. Despite the photo contest's sporadic start, one similarity does thread together the years. The selection process continues to be challenging, and next year will provide another bevy of photographs from across the state. We won't take a year, or 40, off — because there's nothing more delightful than seeing our wonderful state through the eyes of our readers. The March 1971 issue of Nebraskaland announced winners of the first photo contest. NEBRASKALAND ARCHIVES OUR PHOTO CONTEST HISTORY By Jeff Kurrus Celebrating 100 Years of Nebraskaland Magazine

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