And the winners are: See the 2023 Amateur Photographer contest’s top images

With landscapes, wildlife, special events and cherished memories from across the West Coast and beyond shared in the 2023 Amateur Photographer of the Year contest, judges faced a challenging task to select a winner.

But after poring through the many thousands of entries, one photo stood out among the rest: Brian Sondergaard’s Midnight at Emerald, a stunning, starry view of Emerald Lake, in B.C.’s Yoho National Park. Judges appreciated the composition of the image from the moon peeking from behind the treetop to the perfectly reflected view of Emerald Lake Lodge.

Hosted by West Coast Traveller and Black Press Media, the annual Amateur Photographer of the Year features six categories, ranging from scenic landscapes and wildlife to local gems and #InstaFavs.

Beyond bragging rights of being named 2023’s “Amateur Photographer of the Year,” as grand prize winner, Sondergaard will receive round-trip flights for two from Vancouver, Victoria or Kelowna, courtesy of Air North, to take in the Northern Lights with Northern Tales, and two nights’ accommodation with NVD.

The Rocky Mountains also offered a dramatic backdrop for Trina Wheaton’s First Prize-winning summer view of Jasper National Park’s Spirit Island. For her gorgeous landscape, Wheaton receives round-trip tickets for two to anywhere Pacific Coastal Airlines flies.

Second prize goes to Leeann LeBlanc’s delightful photo of a – dare we say smiling? – sea otter cavorting in the waters off Port Alice, on northern Vancouver Island. Whether the otter is actually grinning or not, we couldn’t help doing so when looking at this entry. LeBlanc took home a second prize package of three nights at Vancouver’s Burrard Hotel for up to four people, including parking and a $150 gift card for Elysian coffee.

This year’s third-place winner was Richard Steward’s Local Gems entry showcasing the Fisgard Lighthouse, a National Historic Site in Colwood, near Victoria, B.C. Steward will enjoy a prize of two nights at the Pan Pacific in Whistler for his image.

Of course, it wasn’t only our judges who got to weigh in on their favourites. This year’s People’s Choice winner went to Colleen Kaiser-Gill’s beautiful Winter Jay, taken in Clearwater County, Alberta. Kaiser-Gill will receive a tour package for four people with Cheers Okanagan Tours that includes the winner’s choice of four wineries and picnic lunch.

A big thank you to our sponsors – AirNorth, Pacific Coastal Airlines, NVD, Northern Tales, Pan Pacific Whistler, The Burrard Hotel and Cheers Okanagan Tours.

And watch for details for this year’s contest, coming up later this spring!

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