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2008 Cottage Life Photo Contest Winners   

Category: Landscapes

 

carved in stone

First prize

Carved in stone

Tatiana Mitchell snapped these unusual rocks on Labour Day weekend while canoeing with her dad near their outer Go Home Bay, Ont., cottage. “It was just one of those moments—the sunset was perfect.” She had recently replaced her old SLR camera with a digital version. “This picture was my first digital go. I can’t believe someone thinks it’s so good!”

Judges’ comments
The image looks ordinary at first, but it’s actually a three-part texture study: bark, rocks, and water. The light at that time of day makes the rock look like chunks of driftwood. And we like that the water isn’t calm. It brings another layer of texture into the photo.

 

 

Second prize

Renewal

“People drive by marshlands every day and think they’re gross. I think they’re beautiful, because there’s actually a lot of colour and life in them,” says Tim Donnelly. He had seen the wetland area many times from the highway on the way up to his family’s Mountain Lake cottage near Minden, Ont., and he went out on his ATV to take the photo. “The sky was really cool that day, and the reflection was perfect.”

Judges’ comments
This is a landscape scene familiar to many cottagers, but one not often used as a subject for photography. The obvious way to take the picture would have been as a horizontal, but Tim made it more interesting by shooting it as a vertical, which gives it an intriguing feeling, like a Rorschach ink blot in rich, sky-blue tones.

 

 

landscapes 3

Third prize

Bright lights, big sunset

Chelsey Olson was trying to get the rustic essence of his in-laws’ cabin on the French River while at the same time capturing a beautiful view. “I always take sunset pictures from outside, so I was trying to do something different.” The lit candles—and the items on the table—were left over from dinnertime.

Judges’ comments
Who thinks to take a landscape shot from inside? Sunsets can be a cliché. The unexpected way in which Chelsey framed the view within the interior setting, however, makes this a strong picture, especially since he balanced the light inside and outside very well, something difficult even for the pros to pull off.

 

 

 

 

Winter 2008 cover

All the winners are published in the Winter 2008 issue of Cottage Life, on newsstands November 3, 2008.