Mead wins Banff Mountain Photography Competition

Mead Norton wins 2005 Banff Mountain Photography Competition Grand Prize for his photo Prayer Offerings on the Shore of Namtso Lake, Tibet.

PlanetMountain.com

September 2005

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A stark yet luminous image of Tibetan prayer flags on the shore of the world’s highest saltwater lake has taken first prize in the 2005 Banff Mountain Photography Competition. Mead Norton of Auckland, New Zealand was awarded Grand Prize for his photo Prayer Offerings on the Shore of Namtso Lake, Tibet.

“Each year, thousands of pilgrims from Tibet, China and other countries make the long journey to [Namtso Lake] in order to pray to Buddha and leave offerings of katas — white silk scarves — and strings of prayer flags along its shore. They believe that as the wind unravels their offerings their prayers are released into the heavens,” says Norton. “I spent four days camped on the shore of the lake and captured this image one day as the sun was setting. I could feel a mystical aura surrounding the lake and could imagine what it must have been like when Heinrich Harrer and Peter Aufschnaiter first explored the area.” Mead Norton is a photography teacher and freelance photographer whose photographic travels have also included trips to Southeast Asia, Cuba, the Caribbean, and North America.

Norton’s image topped a collection of more than 2,600 photographs from 24 countries submitted to the 10th annual competition. The competition is presented by National Geographic and Dunham Bootmakers, with assistance from the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative.

The 2005 Banff Mountain Photography Competition jury included award-winning photographer Alec Pytlowany, curator Lisa Christensen, and Photo Life editor-in-chief Anita Dammer. In addition to the Grand Prize, the jury chose winners in five subject categories and one regional category. Another 10 photographs received special mention. Winners include:

Grand Prize
Mead Norton of Auckland, New Zealand, was awarded the Grand Prize for his photo Prayer Offerings on the Shore of Namtso Lake, Tibet. Mead wins $1000 CDN plus prizes from competition sponsors.

Category Prizes
The following photographers won category prizes and will each receive $500 CDN plus prizes from competition sponsors:

Best Photo – Mountain Adventure: Mitch Toelderer on Cliff Drop, Arlberg Area, Austria, Peter Mathis, Hohenems, Austria
Best Photo – Mountain Culture: Balti Girl, Bobby Model, Nairobi, Kenya
Best Photo – Mountain Environment: The Red Queen’s Forest, Patrick Stoll, Boise, ID, USA
Best Photo – Mountain Flora and Fauna: Fearless, Dusty Demerson, Crested Butte, CO, USA
Best Photo – Mountain Landscape: Crystal Hills, Hohenems, Austria, Peter Mathis, Hohenems, Austria

Yellowstone to Yukon Region Prize
Rob Buchanan of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, was awarded $500 CDN for the best overall photograph from the Yellowstone to Yukon Region (Y2Y) for his photo Sir Donald Range, Rogers Pass, Selkirk Mountains, B.C. This prize was sponsored by the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative.

Special Mentions
In addition, each of the following photographers received Special Mentions:

Chris Atkinson of Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, for Morning Light, Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet
John Beatty of Sheffield, United Kingdom, for Sula — The Seabird Hunters of Lewis, Scotland
Menno Boermans of Breukelen, Netherlands, for Glacier de Moiry, Valais, Switzerland
Andrew Burr of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, for Barry Moore — Upset Rapid (6), Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Julie Castonguay of Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, for Golden Revelation, Purcell Mountains, British Columbia
Dusty Demerson of Crested Butte, Colorado, USA, for McClure Aspens
Pam Doyle of Canmore, Alberta, Canada, for Curious Sled Dog, Canmore, Alberta
Andrew Querner of Canmore, Alberta, Canada, for The Existence
Stanley F. Rose of Arcata, California, USA, for South Fork Mountain, Northern California
Ryan Salm of Tahoe City, California, USA, for Meileshueshan

The winning images will be exhibited at The Banff Centre from October 2005 to September 2006 and will also be exhibited at select locations in North America and abroad.

The Banff Mountain Photography Competition is presented by Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre, which promotes understanding and appreciation of the world’s mountain places by creating opportunities for people to share — and find inspiration in — mountain experiences, ideas, and visions.