Trumpeter Swan photo contest winners.

By Staff

March 4th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

Burlington is blessed with some of the best geography in the world; on family day hundreds of people showed up to walk amongst the Trumpeter Swans and watch these beautiful creatures strut about.

It was our pleasure to sponsor a photo contest and a delight to report on the event. We got this idea off the ground in less than three days – working with the Trumpeter Swan Coalition was a pleasure” said Gazette Publisher Pepper Parr.

The Trumpeter Swan Coalition did the judging and is pleased to announce the winners of the Family Day photography contest. The photos were taken on February 18th during the annual Meet the Trumpeters event at LaSalle Park in Burlington hosted this year by the Ontariogreen and BurlingtonGreen, in conjunction with The Coalition and the Trumpeter Swan Restoration Group.

First place prize went to Amanda Kerr for “Beauty and Grace”.

“There were so many beautiful photos submitted it was almost impossible to select just three,” said Liz Benneian. In the end, the Coalition chose photos that were very different from each other and that highlighted varying aspects of the Trumpeters and their winter habitat. Altogether 65 photos were submitted by 24 photographers.

The 1st place winner was a photo by Amanda Kerr called “Beauty and Grace”. Captured in the moment as two Trumpeters display, this photo expresses the beauty and grace of the swans at home within both the natural and man-made environment of Hamilton Harbour. Kerr’s winning photograph will be framed and presented to the City of Burlington.

Amanda is an animal nutritionist at the University of Guelph where she earned both a Bachelors and a Master degree. She is currently employed at the university. Amanda has been a serious photographer for just over a year. She used Cannon body with Sigma telephoto lens. She opened her lens at 55.6 and used a shutter speed of 1/4000th’

Prior to getting some heavy duty equipment Amanda was a point and shoot photographer. Her weekends are out hiking and looking for that just right photo opportunity.

Cathy Rowcliffe – Iceberg Harbour

The 2nd place winner is a photo by Cathy Rowcliffe called “Safe Harbour”. It is a beautiful wide shot, with great depth of field that illustrates what a wonderful winter habitat the harbour at Lasalle Park is, not only for Trumpeter Swans, but for ducks, geese and all manner of water birds.
Cathy is a Burlington resident who has been taking pictures for a number of years. She loves getting out with her grandson and her camera.

Mary Lyn Hopper – Swans over Hamilton

The 3rd place winner is a photo by Mary Lyn Hopper called “Despite everything, they persevere”. This photo demonstrates the resilience of nature, and of the Trumpeter Swans in particular, who have fought their way back from the brink of extinction and have managed to survive despite human’s continuing assaults on the environment.

The Coalition also gave special recognition to photographer Jennifer Howard’s stunningly beautiful photo of two swans at the snow-covered lake’s edge called “Snow Birds”.

Jennifer Howard – Snow Birds

A sampling of the many other photos submitted will be showcased on the Trumpeter Swan Coalition’s Facebook page and in the Gazette in the weeks ahead.

The Gazette intends to sponsor the Family Day Trumpeter Swan Photo Contest for the next five years. Gazette Publisher Parr said: “Community is what people do where they live. Watching hundreds of people mingling with the swans and hearing the story about how this close to extinct species of birds was saved is what gives the city a large part of its character.“

“The Coalition thanks our partners and sponsors and especially all those who came out to enjoy LaSalle Park and learn more about this important over-wintering habitat for Trumpeter Swans and many other kinds of wildlife,” said Benneian. “LaSalle Park is a very special place and critical to the survival of the Trumpeter Swans that have made a comeback from near extinction. Having such a wonderful place in its own backyard is a real bonus for Burlington.”