2024 PPOC-BC Image Salon

2024 was a fantastic year of photography events and growth for me. I entered 2024 PPOC-BC Regional Image Competition and the judges liked my work! Yay! So my four images were accepted and I became one of fourteen finalists for Photographer of the Year! Making the list with such talented photographers was an honour in itself.

When judging, the scores can be Not Accepted, Accepted, Merit and Excellence. I received scores of two Accepted and two Merit. Read on to discover my thoughts while photographing these events.

"PEEK-A-BOO"

This image scored Merit in the Animals class in the 2024 PPOC-BC Regional Image Salon and also received a First Place in the Monochrome category at Lightchasers Nature and Landscape Photography Conference in 2024. 

This little owlet got me out of the house from January to April in all kinds of weather as I watched its parents nesting, and eventually this little one emerged. So cute and fluffy! A Great-Horned owlet! 

The image was originally in colour, of course, but when the brightness of the sun shining on the bare wood competed with the face of the bird, I decided to make it black and white. With a bit of dodging and burning, I was able to make the subject pop while toning down the surrounding tree areas. Then the title hit me! It was as if we had been playing this game for at least a month before it fledged. Sometimes I captured a few images and other times I just had to continue on my walk in the park. Of the hundreds of images I did capture this spring, this one was my favourite.

"RETRACING THE STEPS OF OUR FOREFATHERS"

This image titled "Retracing the Steps of Our Forefathers" is a deeply emotional and reflective composite that centers around the historical significance of "The Last Steps" monument in Halifax. The scene captures a young boy standing on the wharf, gazing down at a set of footprints imprinted on the wharf. These footprints are symbolic, representing the soldiers who once stood there before departing for war, many of whom would never return.

The boy's pose—still and contemplative—invites viewers to reflect on the past and the immense sacrifices made by those soldiers. Behind him, the expanse of the Halifax harbour stretches out, further evoking the sense of departure and the unknown fate that awaited the young soldiers who once walked the same path.

The colour palette is subdued with tones to evoke a somber mood, while the details of the footprints anchor the image to history. The composition creates a strong visual link between the present and the past, as the boy, representing a future generation, looks at the traces left behind by those who fought for freedom.

This blend of historical significance and personal reflection, combined with the emotional depth I felt while creating the piece, allows the image to resonate with the viewer on multiple levels. It stands as both a tribute to the soldiers and a reminder of the enduring impact their sacrifices have on the generations that followed. This poignant narrative earned the image a Merit score at the 2024 PPOC-BC Regional Image Salon, cementing it as a powerful visual tribute to remembrance and legacy.

"SMOKY DAY, STAY AWAY"

This image scored Accepted. 

It was a smoky day on the water in Campbell River, mid September 2020. The air was thick with the haze from wildfires, making it hard to see far beyond the boat. The usual crispness of the ocean was muted by the smoke, the horizon blending into a blur of grays. We couldn’t see much ahead, not even a faint outline of the shoreline or the water stretching into the foggy distance.

But then, out of the quiet came the unmistakable sound — the powerful exhale of a humpback whale. The low, deep sound echoed through the stillness, followed by another. Despite the limited visibility, we knew they were close. The massive creatures surfaced again, just a few boat lengths away, their dark bodies breaking the water in slow, graceful arcs. Even though we couldn’t see far, the presence of the whales felt all-encompassing, as if the smoke had somehow made the encounter more intimate, more profound.

We stood there, in awe, watching as the humpbacks moved through the water, disappearing into the smoky veil before resurfacing again. The world felt quiet, the smoky air wrapping around us, with only the whales’ breaths breaking the silence. It was a surreal, almost dreamlike experience — one I’ll never forget.

"RAINBOW EXPLOSION"

Over the weekend of May 10–12, 2024, I stood on the bridge overlooking Crooked River, under the base of Teapot Mountain, just fifty kilometers north of my home in Prince George, BC. The sky above me exploded with colour as the second most extreme geomagnetic solar storm of the century hit Earth. It felt like the collective voice of humanity was ringing out, as millions of people around the world were able to scratch off a bucket list wish — witnessing the Aurora Borealis in all its glory.

The storm was unlike anything I had ever seen. That night the sky was on fire and she was showing up even in the southern sky! Pinks and reds, colours rarely visible in my location, danced across the sky, shimmering and pulsating in the late hours. Even faint yellows and glowing greens pulsed through the night. I could feel the hum of the storm’s energy as the auroras rippled above, stretching farther than anyone could have imagined — all the way to Florida in the north and mirrored by the Aurora Australis down south.

As I stood there, taking it all in, I felt deeply connected not just to the landscape around me, but to the millions of others across the globe, all looking up at the same phenomenon. The sky was alive, and for a brief moment, it felt like the world had stopped just to watch. That night, under the brilliant lights, I knew I was witnessing something truly extraordinary.

This image scored Merit and is available on my website.

Terrill Bodner, MPA, SPA, F/PPOC-BC is an Accredited member of Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) and nationally qualified judge, and is one of a very few professional photographers living in Prince George who have achieved the designation of Master of Photographic Arts from Professional Photographers of Canada.

Terrill specializes in Family Portraiture and Headshots (in studio and on location), and Fine Art photography.

Her Accreditations include Portraiture, Environmental Portrait, Fine Art/Photo Decor, Image Manipulation, Animals, Wildlife, Nature, Ornithology/Bird, Botanical, Pictorial/Scenic, Travel Illustration, Stock, and Night Photography.