'I just couldn't believe it': Sask. woman’s photo cracks top 10 at World Photographic Cup
A Saskatchewan woman is making her mark on a global stage after one of her nature photographs made the the top 10 at the World Photographic Cup (WPC).
Deborah MacEwen, who lives in Warman, is one of three Canadians to have her work featured in the competition. Her photo in the nature category was taken in September 2019 and features a whale tail popping out of the ocean in front of blue Alaskan mountains.
“I just felt instantly that it was gonna be a nice one, everything just kinda came together. The name of it is ‘Coalescent’ and that’s actually the meaning of it. When everything comes together to make something good,” MacEwen told CTV News.
This is the first time Saskatchewan has made it to the top 10 and MacEwen’s first time entering the competition, saying the overall experience was exciting.
“I just couldn’t believe it and not just so much that the image was picked, but to be representing Canada is pretty amazing,” MacEwen said.
MacEwen was adopted at four years old and didn’t have photos of her early years, which led to her passion for photography and documenting life and capturing happy moments.
(Courtesy Deborah MacEwen)
At the start of her career, MacEwen photographed weddings, babies and engagements to make a living but eventually took a chance to focus on her true passion, wildlife and nature photography.
“I don’t think people in Saskatchewan realize the wildlife and the birds we have here. It is just mind-boggling and actually, until I started doing this, I didn’t realize it myself,” she said.
Jillian Chateauneuf is the co-captain of WPC Team Canada and says nature is a hard category as it includes nature, wildlife and landscape. She said the fact MacEwen’s photo combines those elements helped it make it past the initial curation process.
“It’s almost like she’s captured that category perfectly for the World Photographic Cup because it’s wildlife and landscape and she’s put the two of them together in one image which is amazing,” Chateauneuf said.
MacEwen now has a chance to stand on top of the podium with a gold, silver or bronze medal at the final WPC ceremony in Rome in March.
The other two Canadian photographers include Louis-Phillipe Provost from Quebec in the commercial category and Michelle Valberg from Ontario who is also in the nature category.
“It’s like the Olympics of photography is really what it feels like, so to represent your country … nothing makes me more proud, it’s just so exciting.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.