2023 Photo Contest - Discover the Peace

The 2023 Photo Contest is now open! This year's theme is 'Discover the Peace'.

We are doing things a little differently this year...

We all know that the Peace Region is a beautiful place to call home, but we want to hear your thoughts! We ask that each applicant, along with their photographs, send a short note telling us what they love most about living in Saddle Hills County and the Peace Region. Notes will be posted along with submissions and on the County website.

Contest Rules

• There will be no categories, only Adult and Youth (under 18).
• Each participant may enter up to five images, taken within Saddle Hills County.
• Participants must be residents of Saddle Hills County, but anyone can participate in the public judging
• Submission deadline is August 31, 2023.
• Please include the names of anyone in group photos, for legal purposes (excluding large group shots)
• Photos must be high resolution jpegs (no larger than 2MB (~800 x 600 pixels))
• Photos and notes are available for Saddle Hills County to use for promotional purposes, as per the waiver in the application

Judging & Prizes

There will be prizes awarded in both Public and Judges' Choice (12 prizes total)

1st Place: $150 | 2nd Place: $100 | 3rd Place: $75 

There will also be a Grand Prize for the overall winner (top ranked in both Public and Judge's Choice), of a large, framed copy of the winning image. The overall winner will also be asked to participate as a judge in the 2024 Photo Contest.

A selection of winning images will also be featured in the 2024 Saddle Hills County Calendar.

All submissions will be posted on our dedicated social media pages, the Saddle Hills County Photo Contest page on Facebook and Saddle Hills County Photo Contest on Instagram.

Public judging will be determined by the number of 'likes' each image receives, by combining the numbers from both social media pages. The judging period will take place from September 18 - October 2, 2023.

The Judges

Our judges this year come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, but all have ties to the Peace Country and Saddle Hills County and a passion for art and photography.

Britney is a previous Saddle Hills County Photo Contest winner and will now be taking a step back from participating to help in the judging process.

"I have been a resident of Saddle Hills County since 2018, but am no stranger to rural, northern living, having grown up in the Teepee Creek area. I manage a homestead near Woking with my husband, Cole, and daughter, Stella, that we built from scratch. We raise pigs, horses, poultry, a small herd of cattle, and livestock guardian dogs. On top of busy farm life, I have always been passionate about art in many forms. Photography, traditional art museums, digital art, graphic design, and leatherwork, to name a few. My favourite thing is capturing the little, authentic details and special moments, that happen in daily life."

"I am a full time videographer and love spending every moment I can outdoors (x-country skiing, hiking, snowboarding, quadding, sledding etc.). Photography has always been a huge passion of mine, as there is so much incredible beauty around me, especially in the Peace Country. I look forward to seeing all the special moments captured by locals throughout the next couple of seasons! It is always a breath of fresh air to see all the different styles of photography, as everyone sees things slightly differently."

Dawson Creek

"I was born in Dawson Creek in '93, and have family ties to Spirit River and the surrounding area. I served a term on the Dawson Creek City Council from 2011-2014. After receiving a degree in economics/international studies from the University of Northern British Columbia, I returned to the Peace and am now the Executive Director of both the Dawson Creek Art Gallery and the Dawson Creek and District Chamber of Commerce. I love current affairs, Lego, helping people succeed, and volunteering in the community, and I look forward to seeing all the wonderful photography submissions from Saddle Hills County!"

Enter the Contest

Send your photographs to us by August 31, 2023.

Photographs can be submitted online using our Photo Contest Submission Form

If you have any problems using the online form please contact our Communications Coordinator at communications@saddlehills.ab.ca or (780) 864-3760. 

You may also bring your photographs into the County Office on a USB stick, with each photograph named, and a word document or PDF with your note about why you love living in the Peace Region. 

Photos may be accepted via email in special circumstances. 

We look forward to seeing all of your submissions! Happy photographing shutterbugs!