Half a dozen of Whistler’s most talented professional photographers were given 72 hours to shoot on Whistler Blackcomb and capture the essence of “Deep Winter” in a three-minute slideshow. The winner was named at an event Saturday (Jan. 19) at the Fairmont with 36-year-old Pemberton resident and first-time participant Russell Dalby taking home the top prize and $5,000.
His winning slidehow was shot entirely in black and white and features photos of riders on the mountain alongside local bands.
How did you find the Deep Winter Photo Challenge this year?
I thought it was pretty good. The weather was pretty cooperative, (the snow) wasn’t very deep anywhere, but it was pleasant. I’ve seen it before and it was really stormy and people’s cameras got broken, but this year wasn’t bad at all.
Were there any specific challenges you encountered while shooting?
The snow conditions kind of got in the way, but I managed to find some deep-ish snow and made it look like winter.
Describe your winning slideshow for us?
I kind of went for something different and a little more story-based than the other (slideshows).
Why did you take a more story-based approach for your slideshow?
I watched a bunch of slideshows that had won before … It just seems like the ones that won weren’t just mainly action, they were lifestyle shots and had a story. That’s what I wanted to do; focus on other stuff rather than just three straight minutes of action photos.
Why did you decide to go black and white?
Mostly so it would stand out a little bit more. I knew everyone would be taking advantage of the blue skies and sunsets, so I just figured I would make it as different as I could.
How does the 72-hour time limit affect your shooting process and the final outcome of your work?
Normally when I go out in the backcountry or something, we shoot one or two things per day. But with this, we had to shoot as many things as we could and I think it made us work a little harder and be more creative.
Will you be back next year to defend your title?
I guess if they invite me, I might.
What are you going to do with the $5,000?
It’s not very exciting, but I think I will put some of it towards my snowmobile.
