Spectators arrive at the complex’s indoor Events Center. Photo by Joyce Hollister.When you think of Winnemucca, you normally don’t think of wrestling. That is, unless you have a wrestler in the family.

My grandkids, who live in Las Vegas, recently competed in the state Greco-Roman/Freestyle wrestling finals in Winnemucca’s Events Complex. The indoor arena was covered with thick plastic flooring where cowboys and bullriders normally compete. Topped with red, yellow, green, and blue wrestling mats, the center looked like a big gym. Even so, you could occasionally catch a faint whiff of manure at the edges.

Winnemucca, thanks to its geographic location in north central Nevada, draws wrestlers from the Western states for major tournaments. Angie, my granddaughter (yes, girls compete in this sport!) wrestled here in a girls’ tournament when she lived in the Bay Area. Now she and her brother, Andrew,...

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Winnemucca to the Sea Highway: I remember this sign from when I was a kid coming through Winnemucca. I love that it details how Winnemucca leads you to the ocean. Photo by Ryan Jerz.Last week I attended Shooting the West, which gave me the time to learn some great new skills and techniques while enjoying the town of Winnemucca, Nevada.

Winnemucca has been around a long time. Since the earlier part of the 1800s there has been a settlement in that spot and in the latter part of that century the town became “Winnemucca” and began to take shape as it stands today. It was primarily a ranching and railroad town, as most of northern Nevada was, and has become heavily involved in gold mining in recent decades.

The Basque...

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Winnemucca, Nevada hosts the 20th annual Shooting the West conference March 6-9, 2008.

Shooting the West is all about finding great ways to photograph Nevada and the Great Basin. By many accounts, it’s the one conference any photographer interested in the West should attend.

Ethan Salter, a two-time attendee, photographer and former videographer/producer for the television show Wild Nevada says, “shooting the West is the best opportunity to rub elbows with the people who love the state and fully understand the uniqueness it offers any photographer.”

Uniqueness is really it. Nevada has one of the most photographable landscapes around and the opportunity to learn from the best in the state should be something any photographer jumps at.

You can also learn how to set yourself up with the best gear for the task. There will be talks given by Nikon and Epson on their latest...

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