Scotian Hiker - There's No Place Like Home To Roam: Photo Contest

Nova Scotia Canada

SCOTIAN HIKER PHOTO CONTEST Welcome to the very first Scotian Hiker Photo Contest! Scotian Hiker invites amateur and hobby photographers from anywhere in Nova Scotia to submit photos (only one per contestant) of outdoor scenes taken here in the province. This includes, but is not limited to: forests, seashore, sunsets and sunrises, mountains, valleys, rivers, ponds, flora and fauna (fauna consisting of wildlife and domestic animals), rainbows, fog, storms, lightning, winterscapes, fall colours, waterfalls, natural landmarks, and architecture (blended with natural surroundings - for example, church with fall foliage around it, or a farm nestled in some rolling hills). Shots of people doing outdoor activities are also fine. "Outdoors" is the keyword. If you have a photo to submit but aren't sure if it meets the contest criteria, send it in along with your concerns and you will receive a yay or nay response.
CONTEST WINNERS! June 6, 2009 - To begin with, I must say that I obviously didn't know what I was getting into by holding this photo contest, in that it was VERY DIFFICULT to select only a few photos to award prizes for when there were so many excellent submissions to choose from! As I stated on my Facebook profile, it was like trying to pick the shiniest gold coins out of a treasure chest filled with shiny gold coins. Fortunately, I wasn't alone in the selection process, having enlisted the expert eyes of two other photographers to help judge the contest. My deepest thanks to Tim Jordan and Ian Bruce for weighing in and making their selections. I would also like to thank EVERYONE who submitted photos for consideration - the main thing is, prize or not, you were all out there experiencing Nova Scotia in all its moods, capturing its flora, fauna, people, landscapes, and other scenes of great interest and beauty. My hat is off to you all, and I hope you all continue to explore and record the wonderful things and places and activities available to us in this province. :) The Selection Process - I received and compiled all submissions, renamed copies of them numerically so names were not attached to the images, and emailed them through to the other judges for them to review without knowing who took the photos (done to prevent bias). They made their selections, I made mine - based on composition, subject, lighting, technique, etc. - and managed to come up with the three prize winners, as well as two Honourable Mentions and a few other categories I felt compelled to add. So, without further delay, the winning photographs are as follows... FIRST PRIZE Lighthouse, Tall Ship & Fog, Pamela Murray, Bridgetown NS The judges say: "...doesn't get more Nova Scotian than this...great composition...the fog is very nice since it complements the run-down lighthouse...cropped at bottom nicely so you can see the one wave...all in all, a very nice capture." SECOND PRIZE Crystal Falls Leaves, Trina Poole The judges say: "Very crisp and sharp...love the edges around the leaf. The light is coming in from a nice angle that makes the leaf stand off the ground...nice reflections on the drops, too." THIRD PRIZE Mr. Squirrel, Andrea Drake, Halifax NS The judges say: "Great angle, very sharp...nice use of depth of field...good shine off of the eyes - really focuses you into them and the mouth...whiskers nice and sharp." HONOURABLE MENTION Wheat Field and Sky, Jeff Newbery, Port Williams NS The judges say: "...a nice vista...very clean and minimal...colours are great...like the trees [and shadows] off to one side that hold you into the photo" Smuggler's Cove, Bill Wilder, New Minas NS The judges say: "...moody, atmospheric and rugged...great example of Nova Scotian seashore...love the lighting" DEPTH OF FIELD KUDOS Bell Park Moth, Jennifer McRuer, Halifax NS Baby Robin, Lily Sampson, Mount Uniacke NS BEST "OUTDOOR ENJOYMENT" PHOTO Jaden Naps At Cape Split, John Christopher, Wolfville NS BEST "DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?" PHOTO Big Brown Dog & Lighthouse, Ian Harte, Louisbourg NS
PRIZES
First Prize The First Prize winner will receive a Kodak Easyshare C913 9.2 Megapixel digital camera with 3X optical zoom, a Lexar 2GB SD memory card, an Optek camera pouch, a Giottos tripod (extends to height of 40.5 inches), and Rayovac NiMH rechargeable AA batteries and recharger!! Everything a person needs to get started in an enjoyable hobby or career pursuit!
Second Prize The Second Prize winner will receive the Nova Scotia Atlas - Sixth Edition issued by The Province of Nova Scotia, Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia 8th Edition by Michael Haynes (these two books are indispensable when getting out there!), and a Fujifilm Quicksnap Waterproof disposable film camera (ideal for tidal bore rafting!).
Third Prize The Third Prize winner will receive a 2-year gift subscription to Outdoor Photography Canada, filled with valuable how-to articles, photos from pros and amateurs, and lots of other great info!

Thanks to everyone who participated!