2023 Photo Contest - Our Judges

Matt Bender
Matt is an amateur photographer based in Chelsea, Quebec. He’s a former Arctic whitewater and hiking guide, and a trained ecologist and land use planner who has had the privilege of working in the Canadian and circumpolar North for over 20 years. While this has afforded him access to many beautiful places, he doesn’t believe you need to go far to find striking beauty. Photos have an unbelievable power to awe and make us think, and Matt is drawn to images that show familiar subjects in surprising and engaging new ways.
Matt appreciates how accessible photography has become in recent years, and loves seeing what can be produced – often with minimal equipment and good planning. Matt was a winner in the landscape category last year, and is pleased to join the panel for this year’s contest. ​

Gord Carter 
Outdoor education and photography are Gord’s favourite pastimes.  Over the past 40 plus years, he has managed to make dual careers out of both.  Photography has taken him from national museum studios (Bank of Canada Museum, National Gallery and War Museum) to travel adventures (Canada C3 expedition) to photojournalism (Freelance for the Ottawa Sun and Citizen and several magazines) and many events in between.  More recently, he has had more time to pursue the love of nature and wildlife photography.  His work has been widely published in books, magazines, newspapers and, of course, on multiple websites.  
If he doesn’t have a camera in his hand, he is often seen teaching outdoor education across Ontario most recently at MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre near Ottawa.  
If he doesn’t have a camera in his hand, he is often seen teaching outdoor education across Ontario most recently at MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre near Ottawa.  ​

Scott Haldane 
Scott’s dad, Gib, was an avid birdwatcher and canoe camper who had an      astounding knowledge of the natural world. Gib’s influence made a lasting impression on his eldest son.  Scott’s interest in photography began with backpacking trips across Europe in the mid-1970s and has continued through nearly five decades. As the former CEO of YMCA Canada and the Rideau Hall Foundation, as well as a travel enthusiast, Scott has travelled around the world and has made a point to explore new places and photograph his experiences to learn more about diverse communities and cultures.  When the pandemic hit Canada in March 2020 and travel plans were put on hold, Scott refocused his camera on the incredible variety of wildlife in and around the forests, ponds, and rivers of the Ottawa/Gatineau region. As his son, Trevor, discovered the same passion, father and son built on their close relationship through a shared passion for nature and the trails that give them access to the wild world.   Scott’s images have been featured in several publications and have won a number of awards including the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s 2022 Photo Contest as well as being selected as a finalist in Nature Canada’s 2020 and 2022 Photo Contests. ​