Image Challenge 2020 and the New Normal

By: Kathy Schrader 

On March 17, 2020 Lambton College, in an effort to protect its student body and staff, closed its doors and ceased classroom learning. Students and faculty acted quickly to adapt to the changes dictated by the novel coronavirus, Covid-19.  The photography program saw its assignment requirements reduced to only those tasks that could be completed at a social distance. That meant no more studio time, no access to lighting equipment, no immediate contact with classmates or teachers.  It also meant reconciling diminished program highlights such as the student gallery exhibitions and the long-held competition called Image Challenge which included a really fun year-end dinner to send off the graduating class.  

Welcome to Image challenge 8.0, brought to you by Microsoft Teams and the dedication of students, faculty, and judges.  Speaking of judges here they are: 

Bisa Alawode is an award-winning photographer celebrated for his unique approach to wedding photography.  He is a graduate of the Lambton College Photography Program and a appreciated addition to this year’s judging panel.

Lisa Cattran is also a graduate of the Lambton College Photography Program with the practice in the Sarnia. Her specialties include sports, landscape/travel and portraiture photography as well as her current community-based project aimed at benefitting a non-profit social agency.

 
Sophie Sheldrick of Raw Footage Photography is a self-taught success story with an active lifestyle photography practice based in London Ontario.  

Peter Power is a veteran photographer based in Ontario and abroad.  His award-winning editorial images and corporate portraits are known for their story-telling features. Among his list of clientele you will find Canadian Geographic Magazine, The Canadian Press, the CBC, CAMH Foundation, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, AFP Services, Reuters, PostMedia, National Post, Our Kids Media, Communitech, Clothesline Media, Appleby College, and NOMA Event Design. 

This year saw another interesting cross-section of proficient images with year one students competing in the following categories: Portrait, Still Life, Nature and Unclassified.

First year winners include:

    Portrait

  Nature

Still Life

Unclassified

The first year overall winners are: 

Third Place - Britney O’Brien 

Second Place - Mike McCormack

First Place - Iris Kippert

The second-year classifications, though fewer, allowed for greater input within a given category.  They are: People, Places and Commercial.

Second year winners are:

People

Places

Commercial

The second-year overall winners are:  

Second Place - Abbey Browning 

First Place - Kathy Schrader

In 2018 it was decided that a joint category would be introduced.  The Challenge is a mandatory classification open to students in each year.  This year’s Image Challenge Challenge winner is Iris Kippert.

Congratulations to each competing student.  Winner or not you hung in there and came away with some vital real-world experience.  It has been a year of extremes with f/45 highs and t/60 lows.  Put your hands together out there in TEAMS-land and make some 3276800 ISO noise.

Many thanks to our sponsors: Nikon, Camera Canada, Think Tank and Lens On Lambton. 

Many thanks to our faculty, Richard Nikon Beland, Erica English Kelly, Geoff Darth Robins, Niki Wedding Patel and Chris Below Parr and last but not least Emily Go-To Nutson.  You have played a significant role in forming us.  We will not be the same.