Events

As the sun sets and darkness descends, the Nuclear Museum comes alive in a whole new light.

Mark your calendars and join us for a night where photography and history converge to create an unforgettable experience. While unleashing your creativity you can enjoy food trucks on Vision Plaza, special lectures throughout the evening, and enter our photography contest. With plenty of captivating subjects and unique photo opportunities, you'll have the perfect chance to capture something unforgettable. Tickets are just $15.

Secure your tickets today!

About the Contest

The theme of this year's contest is, What the Museum Means to Me. We are looking for unique expressions of your connection to the science and history preserved in the museum. Your admission to the museum provides you with up to three entries into our Nuclear Museum calendar contest. 14 images will be chosen for inclusion in our 2024 Museum Calendar. All competition photos must be taken on the night of the Photography event (October 20, 2023) All images can be used in promotional activities for the museum. All competitors must agree to the rules and guidelines provided by the museum. The Photography contest is open to individuals of all ages.

For a downloadable list of contest guidelines, please click here. Or scroll down on this page.

Our Guest Speakers

Keith Tolk first became excited about photography when his parents gave him his first camera in the 50s. He dreamed about becoming a professional photographer but decided that engineering would provide a more stable income for his family. He was able to work his photographic skills into his work, though. The projects he worked on developing nuclear weapons treaty verification technologies at Sandia National Labs included several approaches for taking macro photographs of seals, tags, and other items in the field. He is mostly retired now, and his photographic interests include landscape, travel, macro, and portraits. He also enjoys working with beginning photographers and models to help them develop their skills.

Keith will introduce using Lightroom and Photoshop to easily manage and edit photographs. Both programs can be intimidating, and he’ll concentrate on how to easily import your photos and get started with editing them. You can learn these programs well enough to get started in a matter of minutes, and you can continue learning the advanced features for months if not years.

Alan Osterholtz is a self-taught astro, landscape, and portrait photographer who has been exploring the night sky for more than 20 years. Alan's work has been published in many fashion and photography magazines and he is most known for his work with light painting. Some of Alan's earliest work reflected a balance of light, motion, and well, kites. As his work has matured, his ability to use light in novel ways has allowed him to share the night sky in alignment with landscapes and other nearby objects. Alan's portrait and landscape work has been published worldwide and models have traveled to NM specifically for the opportunity to have Alan photograph them. In addition to his photography skills, Alan is also an active photography mentor, his love of photography expands into a love of teaching photography.

Photo Contest Guidelines

This contest is open to individuals of all ages and can include amateurs and professionals. Employees of the museum are not eligible to participate.
Photo submissions
a. Entries must be from the Photography Night at the Museum event on October 20, 2023, and can only be submitted between October 20-27 at midnight. No entries will be accepted before or after the designated day.
b. Museum admission enables each participant to submit up to three photographs for consideration.
c. All entries must be original works created by the participant. Plagiarism or copyright infringement will result in disqualification.
d. Photos must be in digital format and should meet the following specifications outlined by the museum: Photos should be submitted as .png or .tiff files and no larger than 10 MB. JPEG files can be accepted, but .png and .tiff are preferred. The lowest quality accepted is 300 ppi. Photos can be submitted with coloration treatments such as grayscale, or color adjustments in a photo editing program, but the color version must be included as well. No date stamps should be on the image.
e. If your image contains people, where you can see their faces, you will need to ask them to sign a release form. If your image includes minors, where you can see their faces, you will need a signed release from the minor’s parent or guardian (even if it is a family member).
e. Entries that contain offensive, inappropriate, or explicit content will be disqualified.
f. Participants must complete all required fields of the submission form accurately and truthfully.
Permissions and Usage Rights
a. By submitting a photograph, participants grant the museum a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide license to use, reproduce, display, and distribute the entry in any media for promotional and educational purposes related to the museum without further compensation.
b. Participants warrant that they are the sole owners of the submitted photograph and have obtained all necessary permissions, releases, or consents to grant the museum the rights specified in section
c. The museum will credit the photographer whenever the photo is used.
d. The photographer agrees that if their image is chosen by a panel of museum-appointed judges as a top 14 image, the image will be placed in a museum calendar that will have limited distribution to those designated by the museum and participants and will be available in the museum store. There is no compensation for the use of images.
Judging
a. A panel of judges selected by the museum will evaluate the entries based on creativity, composition, technical skill, and adherence to the contest theme, “The Museum Through Your Eyes,” showcasing the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.
b. The judges will narrow down the selection from all entries to 20. These 20 images will be uploaded to the Museum’s Facebook Meta account. The top 14 vote-getters (likes) will be included on a special edition museum calendar. The public portion of voting will take place November 6-8th with winners announced on the 10th. Winners will be notified via email or other contact information provided during submission.
Rights to Modify or Cancel
a. The museum reserves the right to modify or cancel the contest at any time due to unforeseen circumstances or if deemed necessary.
b. The museum may disqualify any entry that violates the contest rules or fails to meet the submission requirements.
Liability
a. Participants assume all risks and responsibilities associated with their participation in the contest.
b. The museum and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and volunteers shall not be held responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or claim arising out of or related to the contest.