Photographers capture the West Coast in picture-perfect detail

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With the prize winners in this year’s Amateur Photographer of the Year contest announced, we’re pleased to also salute the category submissions that also captured the judges’ eye.

In all, nearly 30,000 entries were entered in the annual contest, named the best promotion in North America by the Local Media Association in 2018.

Amateur photographers from across Western Canada submitted photos in six categories: Scenic Canada, West Coast Travel, Wildlife and Nature, #InstaFavs, Local Gems and People. After narrowing the entries to the top 100, judges selected Grand Prize, Picture Perfect and People’s Choice Winners.

Grand Prize – Stephanie Brown, from Nanaimo, won a three-day trip for two to experience the Northern Lights in Yukon, courtesy of Air North – Yukon’s Airline; Northern Vision Development, Northern Tales Travel Service and MacBride Museum.
Picture Perfect Award – Janelle Ryan, from Agassiz, won a two-night stay at O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars’ luxurious guest house at the Lake Country winery, plus a winery tour and tasting.
People’s Choice – Brittany Cleminson-Patrick, Williams Lake, won a full-day Legendary Thompson Raft Trip for four people Kumsheen Rafting Resort, plus one night at Kumsheen Resort and meals.

Judges also share kudos for the individual categories.

With some stunning entries in the Scenic Canada category, honours go to Sean Holroyd’s “Emerald Lake at Night” (above) for a beautifully crafted image of this often-photographed spot in British Columbia’s Yoho National Park.

Also catching our eye was Bill Holmes’s image, “Pelly Rain,” taking us to Pelly, Yukon, for a visual tour of the grand landscape in the midst of a rain storm.

In the West Coast Travels category, Bryan Hui Feng earns kudos for his “Fall Colour and Reflection in Wenatchee River,” photographed near Leavenworth, WA., and showcasing the changing colours reflected in the rocky river.

And photographer Blair Denman transports us to Vancouver Island’s southwest coast in his “Mystic Beach” image, photographed along the Juan de Fuca Trail, several kilometres from the China Beach trailhead.

Spectacular lighting and composition come together in Darryl Ruff’s “Ospreys” photo, submitted in the Wildlife category, showcasing the distinctive birds against a dramatic sky.

Also earning a nod is Chad Frostad’s “Breakfast,” featuring a hungry Great Blue Heron and an unfortunate amphibian, photographed at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

Under the Local Gems category, we salute Stefanie Burri’s “Cabin Fever,” photographed at Rocky Ridge Resort in Smithers, where the quaint red cabins highlight the scale of the snowy mountains behind.

“Sunburst,” Len Langevin’s image photographed near Delia, Alberta, shares the beauty of the prairie landscape.

Submitted under #InstaFavs, we loved the tones and textures – not to mention the subject matter – of “Rub A Dub,” by Williams Lake’s Sarah Dressler.

The juxtaposition of this tiny brew hut, perched on a rocky Whistler outcrop, against a mountain sunrise caught our attention in this image by Andrew Irwin.

And from the People category, we salute Isy Schumann for her whimsical photo, titled “Chores,” photographed in New Denver, BC. We love the balance of colours and sense of fun.

Finally, Natalie Ensz captures a quiet moment in “Father and Son Fishing Fun,” from the Cowichan Valley.

Thank you all our entrants in this year’s competition, and be sure to watch for more to come from The West Coast Traveller!

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