Winners

I wanted to capture the natural beauty of the Toad as it climbs a log in its wild habitat. I believe it represents the wonder and fascination with our world. The photo captures a unique moment in time that is visually appealing, as the Toad is captured mid-action with great clarity and detail. The balanced composition of the photo showcases the Toad taking center stage while the foliage and azure flora provide a natural background. It also presents a snapshot of a complex ecosystem where the Toad and the log are an important part of the biome. The scientific aspect of the photo lies in its ability to showcase the interconnectivity of the natural world, where every creature and element plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. The biome is a forested area. My photo could be improved by experimenting with different angles and lighting. I could try capturing the frog from a different angle or during a different time of the day to create a more dramatic effect. Additionally, adjusting the contrast and saturation levels could help bring out the colors and details of the toad and the log, creating a more vibrant and engaging photo.

This photo was taken on a sunny day which was around 18°C. I used my iphone Xr to take this photo, for my camera setting I used the auto setting. I took this photo at St.Jerome school Ottawa ontario. It is on the traditional land of the Anishinaabe Algonquin territory. My goal of this photo was to show that change is beautiful and to show how gorgeous and strong this tree looks. My emotional connection with this photo was to show that change can be hard but it can also be beautiful and nothing ever lasts forever. I don’t think that this photo could be improved because it’s unfiltered and it has natural beauty.

The goal of my photo was to get a stunning shot of a bee with it on a flower. The feeling that I got from the photo was a calm but cool feeling. The artistic elements I got from this piece was movement I also felt like there was organic shapes and cool coloured with ome light and dark values. The scientific aspect in this piece is in the mixed wood plains ecozone. What I would try to do better next time is try to get the bee more in the shot but otherwise it’s a fantastic picture.

Every spring and fall, over three hundred species of birds migrate thousands of kilometers north to nest in the summer months. This Yellow Warbler, one of many colorful migrating songbirds, is foraging around up in the treetops searching for food. This shot perfectly represents the environment and behavior of the Yellow Warbler with the blooming trees of a Carolinian Forest in the Mixed Wood Plains ecozone with a small insect being held in its beak. Every migration allows a chance for me to reconnect with nature and places me into a peaceful, stress free environment where I can escape from everyday life. This photo has an asymmetrical balance and a mostly analogous color scheme. By having mostly greens and yellows, this photo is easy on the eyes and the bird’s horizontal lines stand out in an otherwise vertical plane. The content of this photo is shifted to the left with the head of the bird in the center frame following the rule of thirds to make this photo more interesting. If I were to retake this photo, I would do it under warmer lighting with clear skies to change the color template.

The photograph that I’ve captured serves as a powerful symbol of the intricate relationship between human creations and the natural world. It narrates the intriguing tale of a tree’s life cycle which goes on a journey from being an integral part of a peaceful forest to being masterfully transformed into a piece of functional furniture by human craftsmanship, and eventually, being reintroduced into its original environment. This cycle, from raw, untamed material to a refined, human-made product, and then back to the heart of nature, offers a compelling highlight of the circle of life and its rhythm. The chairs in the scene, sitting unoccupied, show a profound sense of solitude. They seem to be engaged with their environment and almost blend in their surroundings. Their emptiness makes the viewer ponder upon the untold stories of the chairs and the surrounding trees. However, this image is far more than a mere moment frozen in time. It serves as a commentary on the remarkable interconnectedness of human innovation and nature’s unyielding resilience. It invites viewers to pause and reflect upon the cycle of life, transformation, and the often overlooked, yet deeply significant, aspects of our shared existence.

My photo, titled Looking Back features a deer located in my local conservation area Lemoine Point. I have been walking there since I was very little and used to see so much wildlife, but over the years I have seen less which made me realize how important places like Lemoine Point are in preserving wildlife habitat. When I had planned to take this walk, I was thinking how amazing it would be to get a picture of a deer or even to see one. To my surprise, about an hour into the walk, I was able to see three of them and took hundreds of photos. When looking at this photo you see the beautiful contrast of the cool coloured background and foreground with the warm color of the deer which makes the subject pop out and draws your eyes to the deer. When I took this photo, there was an unexpected snowfall that covered the whole trail in slippery snow. The only thing I would change about this photo is the lighting. If it was a sunny day, the deer would have stood out more.