Yosemite Protests

• Prize
  Shortlist
• Photographer
  Tracy Barbutes, United States
• Category
  Americas
• Studio
  Independent
• Website
  https://www.tracybarbutes.com/
• Instagram
  @tracybarbutes

Shortly after a distress flag was hung from Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan in February 2025, protests materialized on public lands across the country. People gathered in Yosemite on multiple occasions to protest draconian budget cuts to National Parks, threats to privatize our country’s public lands, and existential threats to human rights. The systematic dismantling of the National Park Service by the Trump administration is designed to cripple “America’s Best Idea,” negatively impacting wildlife, conservation, research, park employees, and neighboring communities that rely on tourism.

Tracy Barbutes is an independent photographer who has been based on Sierra Miwok lands near Yosemite National Park for more than two decades. Select editorial clients include Reuters, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, High Country News, The Guardian, etc. Tracy's work often features wildfire, environmental issues, rural life and the people and landscapes in the Yosemite-Sierra Nevada region. Member - Women Photograph, National Press Photographers Association.

Awards 2024 - CENTER Santa Fe Review
2023 - Critical Mass TOP 50
2022 - Reuters Pictures of the Year
2022 - Critical Mass Finalist
Women Photograph Year In Pictures, 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020