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Local photographers used their camera lens to spotlight Dublin’s captivating environment in the city’s annual “Nature in Our Backyard” photography competition this spring.
The grand-prize winner was “Fog Advisory” by Rajesh Subramanian, depicting a hillside neighborhood during a bright dawn veiled in fog. The other top finishers were “Unapologetically Free” by Ganesh Panneer in first place, “Thunderbolt” by Pankaj Bhargava in second place and “The World is Your Oyster … Mushroom” by Lacey Bockhaus in third place.
The contest, held in conjunction with Dublin Pride Week 2026, encouraged photographers to submit original pictures of natural or wildlife settings taken in Dublin between April 2025 and April 2026.
The city received dozens of submissions, from which a selection committee whittled the crop down to 10 finalists for the public to decide the placements. More than 500 votes were cast, with Subramanian’s photo rising to the top.
The award recipients, who were honored during the Dublin City Council meeting June 16, each earned a gift certificate and a metal print of their photo from Mike’s Camera of Dublin, along with having their picture displayed in the lobby of the Dublin Civic Center and on the city’s website at dublin.ca.gov.
“Unapologetically Free” by Ganesh Panneer earned first place in Dublin’s 2026 “Nature in Our Backyard” photo contest. (Image courtesy City of Dublin) 
“Thunderbolt” by Pankaj Bhargava took second place in Dublin’s 2026 “Nature in Our Backyard” photo contest. (Image courtesy City of Dublin) 
“The World is Your Oyster … Mushroom” by Lacey Bockhaus finished in third place in Dublin’s 2026 “Nature in Our Backyard” photo contest. (Image courtesy City of Dublin)
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