Rajesh Subramanian secured the grand prize in Dublin’s annual "Nature in Our Backyard" photography competition. His winning entry, titled "Fog Advisory," captures a hillside residential area enveloped in morning mist. The contest, which ran concurrently with Dublin Pride Week 2026, invited residents to submit original images of local wildlife or natural landscapes captured within city limits between April 2025 and April 2026.
Dublin, located approximately 4 miles northwest of Pleasanton, received dozens of entries for the event. A selection committee narrowed the field to ten finalists, after which the public determined the final rankings through an online voting process. More than 500 votes were cast, with Subramanian’s image emerging as the clear favorite.
Other top finishers included Ganesh Panneer, who placed first in the overall category with his photo "Unapologetically Free." Pankaj Bhargava took second place with "Thunderbolt," while Lacey Bockhaus earned third place for her submission, "The World is Your Oyster … Mushroom."
The winners were recognized during the Dublin City Council meeting on June 16. Each recipient received a gift certificate and a metal print of their winning photograph from Mike’s Camera of Dublin. Additionally, the images are now displayed in the lobby of the Dublin Civic Center and featured on the city’s official website at dublin.ca.gov.
