The HOT Shots

Winners of the 2004 nature photo contest

Best in show - White Tailed Buck Posing. Photo by Glenn T. Johnston.

Nature photographers are a patient breed. They will stand (or, more painful still, crouch) motionless for hours on end to capture the moment a bird lands nearby, the moment it turns its head just so - take a look at Singing in the Swamp by Theodore Smith. Or they will follow wild animals through the forest for an hour or more - see White-Tailed Buck Posing by Glenn T. Johnston. The impressive entries (more than 300) we received for our 39^th annual photo contest demonstrated that photographers' patience pays off. As always, the judges - Ron Erwin, Robert McCaw and Scott Fairbairn - had a tough time reaching a unanimous decision in any of the categories. Thanks go to the companies that donated prizes: Quest Nature Tours, Boots Adventure Tours, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Kindermann Canada, Bushnell Optics, EfstonScience and Natural Heritage Books. Thanks also go to our trio of judges for their careful consideration of each entry. And many thanks are given to Denine Snowden, who oversaw this year's contest and, with great tact and diplomacy, kept track of hundreds of images, assuaged anxious participants and capably managed the countless tasks thrown her way. Finally, thanks and congratulations to all the photographers who submitted their favourite images for our consideration.

Best in show

White-Tailed Buck Posing
Glenn T. Johnston

Camera in hand, Johnston followed three does and a buck through Windsor's Ojibway Park for almost an hour last November, The does bolted the moment he set up his camera but the buck continued to graze calmly. "Fortunately," says Johnston, "the sun popped through the trees just as he looked up inquisitively to see where I was, and I was able to make this image."

Equipment used: Canon 10D with 500 millimetre lens and Sandisk Extreme 1.0G CF card, 800 ISO.

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First place Shapes and Colours - Leaf Pattern. Photo by Don Beauprie.

Shapes and Colours

Leaf Pattern
Don Beauprie

Walking beside the Oxtongue River in Algonquin Provincial Park on a cloudy day last fall, Beauprie noticed the unusual pattern on this hobblebush leaf. Says Beauprie, "This picture has no up or down - you can place it anyway you want to." Beauprie's philosophy when it comes to taking photographs is simple. " I take a lood of pictures and I discard a lot of them. I used to take a roll of 24 and then be dissappointed when all 24 didn't turn out. I don't think that way anymore."

Equipment used: Nikon FM3A with 200 millimetre lens, Kodak Elite Chrome EC film.

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First place In Accord with Nature - Algonquin Canuck. Photo by Theodore Smith.

In Accord with Nature

Algonquin Canuck
Theodore Smith

While paddling down Hailstorm Creek in Algonquin Provincial Park, Smith did something you should never do in a conoe containing $10,000 worth of camera equipment and a good friend: he stood up. "As my friend Tim cursed me," recounts Smith, "I told him to keep paddling while I snapped these photos. Weeks later when I got the film back, I couldn't believe how well they turned out."

Equipment used: Canon EOS3 with 17-35 millimetre lens, Fuji 100 Provia F film.

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Best Newcomer - Algoma Autumn. Photo by Terry Wurdemann.

Best newcomer

Algoma Autumn
Terry Wurdemann

As a regular visitor to Sault Ste, Marie's Hiawatha Highlands Conservation Area, Wurdemann knows there is only a brief time in late September when the foliage is at its peak. Waiting until noon to minimize shadow, Wurdemann saw his opportunity "when the combination of morning dew burning off and the lighting was just right for me to capture how I visualized the scene."

Equipment used: Nikon F100 with 300 millimetre lens and polarizer, Fuji Provia 100 film.

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First place Flora - Mycena Lealana (a gilled mushroom). Photo by Thelma Beaubien.

Flora

Mycena Leaiana (a gilled mushroom)
Thelma Beaubien

Beaubien has been an avid nature photographer for several years. A contest winner in years past, Beaubien snapped this image while walking at daybreak through a wooded area near Woodstock. "I spent considerable time framing different images," says Beaubien, "as there were so many mushrooms to choose from."

Equipment used: Minolta Maxxum 7 with Tamaron 90 millimetre macro lens, Fuji Velvia 50 film.

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First place Fauna - Singing By The Swamp. Photo by Theodore Smith.

Fauna

Singing By The Swamp
Theodore Smith

Smith stood for hours in the brisk Muskoka waters beneath a homemade blind in order to capture this swamp sparrow on film. "The water temperature was just above zero," says Smith, "so it got a tad chilly after three or four hours." The secret to Smith's success was the Stokes' Field Guide to Bird Songs CD. The moment Smith played it, the sparrow landed on the reeds near the blind and "called at the top of his lungs."

Equipment used: Canon EOS 3 with a 400 millimetre lens and 1.4 teleconverter, Fuji Provia F film.

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First place Ontario Wilderness - Costello Creek Reflections. Photo by Don Beauprie.

Ontario Wilderness

Costello Creek Reflections
Don Beauprie

Beauprie was actually on the lookout for grey jays near Opeongo Lake in Algonquin Provincial Park when he snapped this winning shot. He never did find the jays that October afternoon but noticed instead this attractive scene. Words of wisdom: "The single most important piece of equipment for a nature photographer is a tripod with a quick release."

Equipment used: Nikon FM#A with 70-210 millimetre lens, Kodak Elite Chrome film.