Wind from the northeast chills the air this morning, and the first snow of the season has dusted the Canadian side of the River, a reminder that it is time once again for our annual TI Life Photo Contest. As autumn transitions to winter, this is an excellent opportunity for you to share your three best images for the rest of the River community to enjoy. Once again, I will have the pleasure of judging alongside Lyne Roberge, Ian Coristine’s widow. Ian’s exceptional imagery of the River continues to inspire all those who endeavor to capture the beauty and magic of the Thousand Islands through photography.
The closing date for submissions is December 6th. Please send up to three high-resolution JPEG’s with captions to: info@ThousandIslandsLife.com.
Susie will forward Lyne and me all the images blind (please be sure to remove ALL watermarks or other identifiers from your images). We will then have the task of selecting three medal winners. As well as potentially gaining some minor fame from having your images featured in December’s issue, certificates ready for framing will be awarded for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners. In addition to the certificates, the medal winners will also receive a copy of Volume VII; Ian Coristine’s 1000 Islands, as well as Susie’s book, The First Summer People; The Thousand Islands 1650 – 1910.
It is always tough picking just three as typically many others are also worthy, so we will enjoy honoring them as "Honorable Mentions,” to be published in December or January’s issues.
While good technique, such as proper exposure and sharp focus is important (watch for those crooked horizons!), emphasis will be placed on creativity and a unique way of seeing. Technical perfection is a learned skill. The real challenge in photography lies in expressing our unique vision. I look for photos that are thoughtfully and carefully composed such that what is important to the photographer is evident to the viewer. Show us through your vision what makes the River special to you.
It is also important not to underestimate the role of editing in photography. No photo is truly “ready” coming out of the camera. Adjustments to exposure, as well as cropping and other interpretive decisions, can have a major impact on your photograph. Remember, photography is not about an objective reality, but your perception of reality as filtered through your eyes and imagination. To quote Anais Nin, “We see things not as they are, we see things as we are.”
Whether you're shooting with a DSLR, compact camera, smartphone, or drone, please share with us your favorites. Remember, it’s not about the camera, but rather the person behind the camera that matters. Photographs that were previously published in TI Life articles, or on our Facebook page are all welcome.
Please take a few minutes to return to the River, as you sift through images, and send your picks to now.
Email to Susan W. Smith, Editor, (info@thousandislandslife.com), before this slips from your mind. Lyne and I look forward to seeing your work!
By Chris Murray
2023 Judges: Chris Murray and Lyne Roberge
Chris Murray is a photographic artist, instructor, and writer working primarily in the landscape of his home, the woods, lakes, mountains, and streams of New York State. His work has appeared in several magazines including Popular Photography, Shutterbug, Adirondack Life, Life in the Finger Lakes, New York State Conservationist, and On Landscape, among others. His landscape stock imagery is represented by Aurora Photos and Danita Delimont Stock Photography. He is a staff instructor with the Adirondack Photography Institute. He has also written more than a dozen TI Life photography articles titled Depth of Field. You can see all of Chris' TI Life here and for more of Chris’ work visit https://chrismurrayphotography.com/.
Lyne Roberge studied marketing and advertising in Montreal, and has worked for advertising and communication firms in Montreal and Toronto. She was also the owner of Henderson Printing in Brockville, ON for 20 years. She began managing the business side of www.1000islandsphotoart.com in 2014 and is now running the company which provides Ian Coristine’s stunning 1000 Islands imagery, prints and publications. Lyne was married to Ian Coristine until his death in 2020. It was Ian who created the TI Life Photo contest in 2012.
Illustrator for 2023 will be Sarah Ditterline This will be the 12th year that Sarah has provided our medal illustrations and certificates for us.
Posted in: Volume 18, Issue 11, November 2023, Photography, News article
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