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Canadian Geographic 2022 Photos and Photographer of the Year Competition

This week, Canadian Geographic magazine announced the winners of the 2022 Photo of the Year competition and the finalists and winners’ images are stunning. We suggest you have a look at the amazing photography. Congrats to the winners!

We understand the importance of recognizing accomplishment and mastery in the photographic arts, as host our own annual photo contest in the GTA, which is known as the Iconic Toronto Photo Contest.

While there were many winners we will focus on two that stand out for complimentary but opposing reasons: the nature and landscape photography of Alan Poelman aka @alftown and the urban street photography of David Paul aka @dp.ey.

Alan Poelman aka @alftown

We have admired the work of Poelman for quite some time. Capturing amazing wildlife scenes with excellent detail, the photographer works in Northern Ontario, based out of Atikokan, a small town with the motto “Canoeing Capital of Canada,” located in the Rainy River District in Northwestern Ontario.

Canadian Geographic describes the photographer’s winning image of the reclusive Lynx and relates that, “Although lynx are normally skittish, Poelman had a hunch the animal would be hiding in the brush at the side of the road, so he pulled over and laid on his stomach in the dirt. Sure enough, the lynx sat quietly for several minutes, giving Poelman the shot of a lifetime.” It is absolutely an incredible capture of a special moment.

The photographer told Can Geo that shooting the Lake Superior landscapes while studying at Algoma University inspired him to get serious about photography. We can only imagine how inspirational that area of the province is for a nature and wildlife photographer. 

On his website he writes: “Having grown up in the remote wilderness of northern Ontario, I have always had a passion for spending time outdoors. The majority of jobs I had in my youth required me to endure the elements in solitude, and develop skills to survive the wild. It wasn’t until many years later that my love for photography took hold, and my experiences collided with my passion for natural beauty. I spend the majority of my free time taking photos, not only to capture the wonders around me but also as a personal venue for mindfulness and reflection.”

Spending time in the wilds in solitude paid dividends for the artist who has cultivated a rich portfolio of incredible captures of animals and landscapes.

Congratulations Alan! Be sure to follow the creator on Instagram: @alftown.

David Paul aka @dp.ey

This year in the Can Geo contest, the winner of City Life category for urban photography, is Toronto-based photographer David Paul. Big congratulations!

We have collaborated with David multiple times on blog posts and Tdot Shots photo walk events so we were especially proud to hear that his work was recognized. the City Life winning shot is a special image as a construction worker trudges through falling snow on a mid-winter morning in Toronto. On Instagram, Paul captioned the image: “Union Mans: Back to the grind, snow storm or shine.”

We love David’s street photography, though Paul is also known for wonderful landscape, cityscape and astro photography.

Hailing from the borough of Toronto known as East York, Paul has roots in the skateboard community, perhaps that explains the ability to connect with subjects in the street.

There is a directness and intimate quality in the photographer’s street photography, as many of the shots are from a head-on facing the subject perspective and many have the subject making eye contact with the camera.

The photographer is well known throughout the Toronto photography scene and is very supportive of other photographers. David co-led one of our winter street photography photo walks and spoke to us in our YouTube event video about the ins and outs and techniques of shooting street.

Congratulations again to David Paul. Be sure to to follow the creator on Instagram: @dp.ey

Canada Photography from the Wilds to the City

We think that these two winners exemplify the wonderful variety of photography in this amazing country.

These two winning images really speak to us. The commonality that the images share, with directness and intimacy with their subjects is captivating. As the photographer Alan Poelman said, it is a once in a lifetime pov, looking into the eyes of the lynx through the tight space in the trees. In the city we often avert our gaze or spend time self-absorbed, so David Paul’s image is equally compelling. We are absolutely engaged with the construction worker making his way in the wintery storm.

Looking forward to seeing more of the photographer’s work and seeing the finalists and winners for the Canadian Geographic photo competition in 2023.

Iconic Toronto Photo Contest

As we mentioned we host an annual photo competition via our project iconictoronto.ca. Open to all, you can submit your Toronto photos during the contest period. Upcoming contest dates to be announced. Always follow us on Instagram (we are @tdot_shots) to stay in the loop.

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