Five Photographers Compete for $10,000 at Durango Pro Showdown

Durango —Five finalists. One $10,000 check. That’s the entire premise of the Colorado Pro Photographer Showdown, kicking off this week in Durango.

On paper, it sounds simple: photographers submit work, judges pick the top five, and the crowd watches them present their slideshows. In practice, the history is messier. The event traces back to 1997, when Jack Turner returned from a snowboarding trip in Iran. He and his photographer, Eric Berger, had captured more than just action shots — they documented the streets and buildings of Tehran. At the World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler, Canada, they hosted a bar gathering and played the slideshow.

“By the end of the night, there were 200 people, everybody was really drunk and it was really fun,” Turner said.

That chaotic bar scene became a festival tradition. Action sports photographers set their images to music and compete for cash. Turner is now bringing that format to the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis in Durango. He expanded the rules earlier this year, opening the contest to any Colorado photographer, not just those in the action sports niche. Over 50 applicants submitted portfolios, and the committee narrowed the field to these five competitors.

Let’s do the math on the stakes. The winner takes home $10,000. But the money doesn’t stop there. There are two additional $1,000 prizes on the table: one for the people’s choice award and another for the best single photograph. So, theoretically, a single photographer could walk away with $12,000 if they sweep both the main competition and the best single image category.

The event serves as the anchor for Colorado Photography Week, a cluster of photo-centric activities running from Nov. 14 to Nov. 22. Turner wants the energy of that 1997 Whistler bar to translate to the concert hall. He encourages attendees to scream, cheer, and loudly express their preference for specific photos to influence the judging process.

“This is one of those things that if you blink, you don’t miss it,” Turner said. “It’s really to be savored and enjoyed.”

Tickets range from $25 to $35. The show starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Fort Lewis Community Concert Hall, located at 1000 Rim Dr. in Durango.

For folks who can’t make it to the showdown, the rest of the state isn’t sitting idle. The 17th annual DocuWest Film Festival is rolling through the Sie FilmCenter in Denver from Thursday to Sunday. The lineup includes five feature films and two short film collections. The topics are as varied as they are strange: a two-month bike ride advocating for civil rights and a burlesque troupe led by Weird Al Yankovich. Each screening costs $15. The festival caps off with a community barbecue on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the holiday season has officially crashed the party. The Deck the Halls market opens Friday night in Carbondale. It’s a free entry event, but your wallet might bleed anyway. The market runs until Dec. 24, featuring candles, greeting cards, and other local crafts. It’s housed at the Carbondale Arts center at 76 S. Fourth St.

So, here’s the practical bottom line. If you’re in the Durango area, you’ve got until Wednesday night to catch the photographer competition. Bring cash or a card for the $25-$35 ticket. If you’re in Denver, you’ve got until Sunday to hit the documentary screenings at $15 each. And if you’re in Carbondale, start browsing the holiday markets Friday. The prices on the crafts aren’t listed, but the entry fee is zero.