Off the beaten path

A picture snapped by Stephenville photographer Aiden Mahoney has been chosen to represent this province in a Canada-wide photo contest.

The photograph, entitled Solitude, shows Kippens resident Jack Lamond snowshoeing over Pine Tree Mountain in Port au Port on Jan. 31, 2005, after a snowstorm the previous evening.

"We hiked up the mountain in the morning and everything was covered in snow, the wind must have been going around in circles up there - everything was surreal," said Mr. Mahoney.

"I had my camera around my neck, all ready to go, and the sun was coming out and going behind the clouds. ... Jack was ahead of me, walking through the pristine snow and all of a sudden, the sun came out and I just snapped one picture and I got it, but then the sun went in again."

Mr. Mahoney said he enters a lot of photography contests, and came across this particular competition, sponsored by the Canadian Tourism Commission, while browsing the Internet.

The contest, Locals Know Ultimate Upload, was looking for photographs depicting off the beaten path experiences in each province and territory.

"My photo was picked ninth out of 13, so eight people ahead of me had a choice of the 13 prizes," said Mr. Mahoney. "My choice came yesterday, and I chose a $9,000 five-star resort vacation in the mountains of Banff. ... I still can't believe it."

When he and his wife take the trip, Mr. Mahoney said he would certainly bring his camera along with him.

editor@thegeorgian.ca