It’s that time of year again! After sorting through thousands of submissions to our annual photo contest, our judges have selected the top seven winning photos of 2024. We had three categories to choose from: Landscape, Wildlife, and Life at the Cottage. Some of these photos made us laugh, some made us swoon, and some left us in awe of their composition and beauty. Without further ado, here are the winners of the 2024 Photo Contest.
Want to see last year’s winners? Check them out here.
Second Place, Landscape
Cindy Bartoli, Gold Lake, Ont.
How they got the shot
Cindy is a previous contest winner, clinching the grand prize in 2022. She snapped this second place-winning shot while out hiking. Her favourite spot at the cottage is a nearby beaver pond where she often explores with her camera, encountering something different each time. “This looked like an art installation,” says Cindy. “Mother Nature did the work. All I did was point my camera.”
What makes it a winner
This photo puzzled our judges when they first saw it—are those tree stumps, or an old fence? This kind of shot demands more involvement from the viewer, forcing us to look for clues to decode its content. The composition is so simple that it’s deceptive: a bouquet of marsh grasses and logs stick up from the snowy banks of the pond. It looks both random and carefully curated, a true work of art.
First Place, Landscape
Amanda Brosseau, Lang Lake, Ont.
How they got the shot
“Chasing sunsets is ingrained in our family’s DNA,” says Amanda. This photo was taken after winter’s first snowfall, when the weather was still slightly warm and before the lake had frozen over. Amanda trekked through the snow to capture this image on her iPhone 8, and she upped the exposure to get all the sunlight in. “I nearly stumbled back in awe,” she says. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime shot.”
What makes it a winner
Who knew winter could feel warm? It’s incredible that Amanda was able to take a clear photo on a relatively outdated device. The shot is well-composed, getting the fullness of the sun reflecting off the water and clouds. Somehow, Amanda didn’t lose the texture of the trees or the snow clinging to their branches. You can picture yourself in this scene and feel the snow crunching beneath your boots.
Second Place, Wildlife
Dorene Hookey captured this stunning moth pic by using a macro lens on her camera to capture all the fine details. The moth appears so vivid against the background of red begonias.
First Place, Widlife
Warren Lowe somehow managed to make this heron look both chaotic and majestic as it took flight from a nearby tree. We see a lot of heron photos in the contest every year, but none quite so unique.
Second Place, Wildlife
Dorene Hookey, Buck Lake, Ont.
How they got the shot
Dorene planted red begonias in window boxes around her cottage and has been enjoying all the pollinators they attract. She encountered this Virginia creeper sphinx moth while watering and used a macro lens on her Nikon mirrorless camera to capture all the detail. “The moth was sitting there like it was on display,” says Dorene. She jokes that she’s actually scared of these airborne insects. “I think they’re beautiful, but I wouldn’t want one to land on me!”
What makes it a winner
The judges noted the juxtaposition of the pale insect with the bright red flowers as the photo’s strongest feature; the contrast makes the moth appear so striking. But Dorene’s true skill lies in her ability to capture texture in the image, such as the detail of fine hair on the moth’s wings and body. That’s the power of photography—to showcase the ordinary in extraordinary ways. We’ve never seen a moth so up close and personal.
First Place, Wildlife
Warren Lowe, Green Lake, B.C.
How they got the shot
Warren is an avid bird photographer. Last spring, a heron landed in a tree near his cottage, and he jumped to grab his Sony A9 camera. He took a high-speed sequence of photos and captured this heron just as it took flight. Sorting through the shots, Warren loved the framing of this one. “It was a lucky coincidence that the heron took off when it did,” he says. “I try to capture my love for the subject and share that as a story with others.”
What makes it a winner
Our judges see a lot of herons in the photo contest, but never like this. Usually the bird is stoic and poised, standing on the edge of a lake waiting for unsuspecting fish below. There’s something captivating about the chaotic way it’s flying, something graceful and elegant even though the bird looks awkward. This photo resembles a painting: the heron’s feathers look like brush strokes, and you can almost feel the sharp point of that beak.
Photo by Danielle Cameron
Second Place, Life at the Cottage
Danielle Cameron captured her son, Jack, at just the right moment while he was indulging in a s'more before bed. This is a true cottage moment that captures the joys of life at the cottage.
First Place, Life at the Cottage
This lovey-dovey dog pic just pulls on your heartstrings, doesn't it? Myles Ashall showcases some true technical skill in this shot, from the contrasting colours to the leading lines.
Second Place, Life at the Cottage
Danielle Cameron, Talon Lake, Ont.
How they got the shot
Danielle took this candid shot of her six-year-old son, Jack, as he indulged in a gooey treat before bed. “This was special for him, as we don’t have s’mores every night,” she says. Jack’s cheeky smile and Canadian-themed pajamas made Danielle snap this photo, using portrait mode on her iPhone. “The cottage is the only dedicated family time we get,” she says. “This was the perfect moment.”
What makes it a winner
Who wouldn’t want to be a kid at the cottage eating s’mores? This feels like a real moment: you’re at a distinct place doing a distinct activity. The smoke and the yellow chair in the background create a familiar scene, making the photo feel relatable and authentic, not to mention cute. But it’s the details that really elevate this shot: the melted chocolate sticking to Jack’s fingers, his doe-eyed gaze into the camera, and his cross-legged squat all add points of interest.
First Place, Life at the Cottage
Myles Ashall, Mississagua Lake, Ont.
How they got the shot
You may recognize Fletcher, the Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, from a winning photo in our 2020 contest. Nowadays, he loves to cuddle with his big sis, Callie. “My fiancée got the two in position while I took the shot,” says owner Myles. He had to crouch down low on the dock and use an auto-detection feature for pets to keep them in focus. “They love to lay like that; they’re truly best friends.”
What makes it a winner
“Aw!” was our judges’ first reaction to this lovey-dovey shot. But it’s not just the cute factor: this photo showcases technical talent. The leading vertical lines of the dock draw the viewer in, and the cool tones of the sky and background contrast with the warm colours of the dogs’ fur. Myles effortlessly captures the emotion in Fletcher’s eyes and Callie’s face, tugging on our heartstrings.
Grand Prize
This photo is so well-composed it has the look and feel of a painting. Larry Kilian expertly showcases the moody colours of a cottage-country sky as a storm rolls in. The contrasting colours and meticulous composition makes this truly worthy of the top spot.
Grand Prize
Larry Kilian, Manitouwabing Lake, Ont.
How they got the shot
“When I saw the storm coming, I ran to the dock to take a photo,” says Larry of the day he snapped this winning shot. “In my 17 years on the lake, I can’t remember ever seeing a sky like that.” Larry loves taking photos at his cottage, where he can sit at the end of the dock and admire the view. “It was the colour of the sky that made me want to capture this moment,” he says. “At the cottage, you’re always face-to-face with nature.”
What makes it a winner
The palette in this photo is meticulously composed—it feels like a painting. There’s a lot of colour, but it isn’t too bright or overwhelming. The dark and moody qualities of the shot are nicely balanced with the deep orange of the sun and the blue sky, and the mist rising from the water adds a transcendent touch. Although a storm is coming, it’s only suggested in the photo, and the break in the clouds on the right suggests brighter days ahead.
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