Aspiring photographers – both seasoned professionals and enthusiastic amateurs – are invited to showcase their talent in the Tourism Saskatchewan ExploreSask photo contest as they strive to capture their own unique perspectives from across the province this summer.
From now until Sept. 15, ExploreSask is accepting entries from anyone with a love of photography to compete in six categories: people and places, prairies, wildlife, winter scenery, and woods and water. There’s also a category for anyone preferring to use video as their medium and can include any of the original five categories.
According to Tourism Saskatchewan’s CEO Jonathan Potts, the contest provides “a great opportunity for people when they travel around the province to get great pictures of their friends or family doing fun things,” and can include shots of nature or Saskatchewan’s urban spaces.
All submissions must be “real and authentic,” he said, and although limited enhancement is permissible, judges will be on the lookout for photos enhanced with AI (artificial intelligence) or highly altered submissions. Any photos proven to use these techniques will be disqualified.
Aside from that, everyone’s welcome to enter the contest and there are no real restrictions in place.
Last year’s contest received 4,300 entries and Potts said he hopes to see that number grow with a suggested target of 5,000 entries this year. All entrants can submit any number of photos they want, but Potts advised that “quality matters more than quantity” with each submission.
The people and places category involves people from all walks of life getting out and doing indoor or outdoor activities anywhere in the province. The prairie category can feature typical cropland or grasslands but can just as easily mix things up and explore coolies, badlands, or ravines.
The wildlife category can feature animals from around the province; the winter scenery category can include photos from previous winter shoots; and the woods and water category can feature lakes, camping excursions, canoeing trips, “and all those kinds of fun things.”
Each still-photo category carries a first-place award of a $500 Visa gift card, and the contest’s grand prize winner receives an additional $500 gift card.
Video submissions can entail thematic material from any of the five listed categories, but the length must be capped at 60 seconds with an ideal duration of 15 – 60 seconds. The entrant winning first place in this category will receive a $1,000 Visa gift card.
All submissions will be reviewed by an external panel of experienced judges who bring their mastery of photography to the evaluation process.
To capture that award-winning photo, Potts shared a few tips and said all entrants should seek something authentic.
“I would suggest people (get) creative to capture a great moment,” he said. “Just capture the real Saskatchewan; don’t try too hard to manufacture the shot.”
The winners of this year’s contest will receive province-wide promotion through Tourism Saskatchewan, including publicity on the organization’s social platforms that reach hundreds of thousands of viewers.
“(The contest) is a great way for an aspiring photographer to get their name out there,” Potts said. “Frankly, we’ve seen people who have built a bit of a reputation partly through getting their photos recognized through this contest.”
Each award-winning photo will also help Tourism Saskatchewan promote the province as a great place to live, work, and visit.
To submit your entry, visit TourismSaskatchewan.com/Photo-Contest. Only photographs submitted through this website will be eligible for judgment.
For a complete list of contest rules or to view last year's submissions, visit TourismSaskatchewan.com or call 1-877-237-2273.
The contest will close on Sunday, Sept. 15.
