Winners in seven categories portray Canada’s natural beauty with captivating images
CALGARY, Alta. – A dramatic photograph of a climber scaling a wall of ice in Waterton Lakes National Park has captured the grand prize in the CPAWS Capture the Canadian Wild Canada 150 national photo contest.
The photo was submitted by Vince Varga, a student at the University of Lethbridge, Alta. It was selected from hundreds of submissions from across the country in seven categories. The grand prize is a Panasonic DLSR camera valued at $1,300, gift cards from The Camera Store and Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC), and a year’s subscription to Outdoor Photography Canada magazine.
“This image . . . has all the elements,” wrote photographer Ted Rhodes, who judged the Wild Spaces category, from which the grand prize winner was chosen. “A scenic and wild backdrop. Great light.”
The contest marks Canada’s 150 birthday. Professional photographers from across Canada judged entries in the following categories: Canada 150 (Your Canada), Wild Faces, Wild Places, Outdoor Adventure, Nature Up-close, Selfies in Nature, Wild Skies. The grand prize winner was selected from the category winners.
Éric Hébert-Daly, CPAWS National Executive Director, said the photo contest provides a glimpse into the many natural places in Canada that the organization has worked to protect for more than 50 years.
“These stunning images give a sense of the emotional power of Canada’s wilds,” he said. “They show how varied and diverse our wild spaces are.”
Winners of the seven categories are:
- Grand Prize and Outdoor Adventure category winner, Vince Varga
- Canada 150, Debra Garside
- Wild Faces, Debra Garside
- Nature Up Close, Olivier Mognard
- Selfies in Nature, Olivier Mognard
- Wild Skies, Craig Boehm
- Wild Places, Ron Beugin