After sorting through thousands of submissions to our annual photo contest, our judges have selected the seven winning photos of 2025. We had three categories to choose from: Landscape, Wildlife, and Life at the Cottage. It was one of our most competitive years ever, and as always, the decisions were hard to make. But from mischievous squirrels to rare ice formations, these stunning photos won’t disappoint.
Want to see last year’s winners? Check them out here.
Second Place, Wildlife
Jordyn Faiczak, Miller Lake, Ont.
How they got the shot
“This little critter was doing laps around the property for a good 30 minutes,” says Jordyn, about the red squirrel. “I wanted my family to watch with me, but I decided to take photos instead.” She had to crouch down in the grass to get the proper focus on her Canon R10, opting to capture her subject through the reeds to make the portrait more interesting. Jordyn wanted to achieve a depth of field that blended the foreground with the background while keeping the squirrel in the centre. “It was so determined to collect as much as it could—I have an affinity for squirrels and chipmunks.”
What makes it a winner
“Charming!” was our judges’ first reaction to this pic, even if red squirrels can be not-so-charming animals. That’s part of the power of wildlife photography: the ability to give personality to the subject. You have to wonder where it’s going and what it’s doing with all those seeds and twigs tucked under its chin. But it’s more than an unusual likability of the subject that makes this photo shine—the brown and red in the squirrel’s fur contrasts nicely with the green grass, and the critter is framed perfectly by the tall reeds.
First Place, Wildlife
Michelle Ainslie, Ruth Lake, Ont.
How they got the shot
“You never know when you’ll get the perfect photo, or what little critter may cross your path,” says Michelle, who was out testing the new macro lens on her Canon R7 when she spotted a group of dragonflies. Drawn to this one for its bright colour, Michelle had to stay very still as she waited for the insect to land. She increased the shutter speed on her camera to highlight the details without blurring the image too much. The resulting photo was a combination of patience and good timing. “Dragonflies fly around so fast, but I had to be faster to get this shot.”
What makes it a winner
Good action shots are hard to do in photography, and even harder in wildlife photography, as the subjects are difficult to control. But Michelle effortlessly captures this dragonfly in motion; it almost appears to be dancing on the head of the flower. There’s a strong contrast between the shapes of the bent stem and the dragonfly’s body that’s bent in the opposite direction, suggesting something chaotic about its landing. The colour palette is also key: where some photographers oversaturate their images, these colours appear more natural.
"Ray of Light," by Joan Mostad
Second Place, Landscape
"Pancakes of Ice," by Hoan Dang
First Place, Landscape
Second Place, Landscape
Joan Mostad, Kitsumkalum Lake, B.C.
How they got the shot
“When I bring out my big camera, I’m on a mission to take photos,” says Joan, of the day she snapped this stunning forest pic. She and her husband were camping in their RV at the time, and they were enjoying their morning coffee with neighbours on an unusually foggy day. As the fog was lifting, Joan looked up, saw this ray of light coming through the trees, and reached for her Nikon D7000. “It was a perfect shot the first time I got it,” she says. “I wouldn’t change anything about it.”
What makes it a winner
We see a lot of forest photos in the contest each year, but none quite as striking as this. Typically, the light through the trees is dappled on the forest floor, but here it’s concentrated into a single column of sunlight beaming to the ground. The light is clearly the main character, but the contrast with the dark trees and deep shadows demonstrates extraordinary composition. Our judges loved this shot for how quiet and solemn it feels, like stumbling upon a secret moment.
First Place, Landscape
Hoan Dang, Lake Huron, Ont.
How they got the shot
Hoan and his wife, Jenny, woke up at their cottage on a sunny winter morning to a surprise on the lake: pancake ice. The two ex-physicists were enthralled by the phenomenon and immediately went to take photos. Hoan owns a drone that he often uses to photograph their cottage, which is nicknamed “Casolena Lakehouse.” “A silly question popped into my head,” says Hoan, as he was preparing the shot. “Could we kayak through the ice?” With Jenny on shore piloting the drone and Hoan paddling, they took numerous photos but liked this one best. “I only made it 10 feet from shore, but it was the most magical morning ever.”
What makes it a winner
This was an instant win in the eyes of our judges: the texture of the ice, the jagged edge of the shoreline, and the various shades of blue and white combine to create a dazzling winter scene. But it’s the intrepid kayaker that made this photo stand out, as they add a sense of perspective and proportion; without them, it would be less clear where we are and what we’re looking at. We seldom see winter photos with such a rare ice phenomenon, so this shot ranked high for originality.
"Floating Away," by Dorene Hookey
Second Place, Life at the Cottage
"New Kids on the Dock," by Chris Cottick
First Place, Life at the Cottage
Second Place, Life at the Cottage
Dorene Hookey, Buck Lake, Ont.
How they got the shot
Dorene is a three-peat winner of the photo contest, with her stellar work appearing in both 2023 and 2024. This year, she enlisted the help of her husband, Lawrence, to get this drone photo of her floating on the lake. “I’m nervous flying the drone,” says Dorene. “I’ve crashed it into a tree before.” She told her husband how to get the angles, distance, and height just right, and she increased the exposure on her camera to capture the different shades of blue. A collaborative effort, they had to wait for the right conditions—calm water, no breeze, full sun— to achieve the moment she was after. “I like taking pictures of myself in environments that I enjoy,” says Dorene. “And I like the floatie because I don’t have to touch any weeds or fish.”
What makes it a winner
Our judges were initially puzzled by this photo: was it taken in cottage country, or could this be anywhere? But that ambiguity was part of the appeal—this shot represents the joys of cottage life in the absence of the cottage. The emotion here is almost palpable; the feeling of total escape as you blissfully drift across the water, not a care in the world. This pic stood out because Dorene was able to capture an impressive gradient of blue in a single photo and make the water look as smooth as glass.
First Place, Life at the Cottage
Chris Cottick, Twelve Mile Bay, Ont.
How they got the shot
Every August long weekend, Chris’s family and friends get together at his in-law’s cottage on Georgian Bay. “There are 16 of us in total, and it’s the only time when all the kids get to see each other,” he says. Chris is always out with his camera snapping candids or flying his Mavic Mini drone, as he compiles an album of the weekend’s events. Each year, they do a group photo on the dock, one silly and one serious, but their poses here weren’t totally planned. “The kids were just hanging out, and I had my drone beside me, so I decided to try something different.” Chris had to get the framing right to make the shot centred and balanced—a tricky manoeuvre for a drone, but one done with precision.
What makes it a winner
This feels like witnessing a treasured moment between friends. You know those kids are loving every second at the lake, lying on the dock relaxed and reposed, still damp from a swim, smiles beaming below their sunnies. The photo stood out for its bright colours and lighting that mimics a pro’s studio. The lines on the dock draw your eye in, and the framing is strong, but not perfect—the ropes and bumpers help to vary the symmetry.
"In the Eye of the Frog," by James McGrath
Grand Prize Winner
Grand Prize
James McGrath, Mississippi Lake, Ont.
How they got the shot
“This frog was being patient with me,” says James, who took this image while testing out his new camera, an OM-1 Mark II. A fan of macro photography, James takes photos at close range to make his subjects appear larger-than-life. The frog had just emerged from the water to rest on the beach when he took a rapid sequence of photos, capturing this jaw-dropping shot that showcases the amphibian’s finer features. “My sister loves frogs, so I took this photo for her.”
What makes it a winner
The meticulous attention to detail is this photo’s strongest feature. Our judges were stunned at its composition and razor-sharp focus: the grains of sand appear with so much clarity on the frog’s head, and the leaf stuck to its nostril adds a touch of humour. The frog’s bulging eyeball is so striking; it would have been hard even for a professional to capture. Let your eye travel around this photo and you’ll notice even more detail, texture, and points of intrigue—not too shabby for a test shot!
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