Great Canadian Photography: 2016 Share Your Canada Photo Contest
Updated: Oct. 04, 2018
Congratulations to the winners of Our Canada’s annual photo contest — choosing among such amazing entries wasn’t easy! Here are the three winners, along with some others we felt worthy of special mention. Thanks to all who participated!
1st Place: $500 – “Light Up the Night”
Winning photographer: Christy Turner, Calgary
“I was out one pretty winter evening to take night photos of the Rocky Mountains. Just as I was leaving to head back to Calgary, these ladies arrived and pulled out their bikes preparing for a ride. I was so impressed with the hardiness of my fellow Canucks that I asked to take a pic. I love the dramatic backdrop of the Rockies and how it tells the story that we Canadians make the most of our gorgeous landscapes, no matter what the season!”
2nd Place: $300 – “Preserving History”
Winning photographer: Richard Goerg, Bruce, Alta.
“This image is of the cliffs of Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump, a World Heritage Site near Fort MacLeod, Alta. History tells us that before horses were used to hunt buffalo, the First Nations people would cause the buffalo to stampede over the cliff to their deaths. A camp would be set up at the base of the cliff by the tribe, to harvest their kill. Now there is a trail at the base that allows people to explore the area. I managed to capture this Swainson’s hawk in mid-flight over the cliff.”
3rd Place: $200 – “Stormy Skies”
Winning photographer: Lyle Eberle, Olds, B.C.
“Here in Olds we get some bad storms at times, but they also paint the sky beautifully and give us a great perspective on how large a sky we have in Alberta. Storms blow in very fast here and when storm warnings are issued we take precautions against tornados—except for the storm chasers, of course!”
Runner-Up – “Riding the Rapids”
Winning photographer: Shelly Priest, Calgary
“This photo shows the adventurous side of Canadians. Many of us enjoy getting outside to partake in numerous outdoor activities in our beautiful, diverse Canadian natural parks. There are so many options when it comes to getting out and getting active. I take great inspiration from the many sports and activities I photograph—it gives me a thrill to capture my fellow Canadians in action.”
Runner-Up – “Heads-up!”
Winning photographer: Brad James, Conception Bay South, N.L.
“For a few years now, I dreamed of capturing a close-up shot of a pair of northern gannets performing their bill-fencing display. When I noticed this pair sitting high on the ridge at Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve in Newfoundland. I knew my opportunity had arrived.”
Runner-Up – “Soldiering On”
Winning photographer: Bruce Raby, Perth, Ont.
“I shot this image in a restaurant in Stittsville, Ont., while volunteering with Rural Ottawa South Support Services. These two senior men were in their 90s, both had lost their spouses and were forced to deal with living on their own. It is an image that is repeated many times every day across our country. The generation that took us through the Second World War is fast disappearing and within a few brief years will be gone. For me, this image reflects a part of today’s Canada.”
Runner-Up – “Home Sweet Home”
Winning photographer: Charlene Carr, Castleton, Ont.
“In the summer of 2013, a solar light in our flowerbed wasn’t working. When I removed the shade and turned it upside down, I discovered a bee had decided to set up home inside the shade. I ran and grabbed my camera, put it inside the tulip-shaped shade and started snapping photos. I am so glad I got a great shot of the bee before the bee got a great shot at me!”
