'It is a huge honour': Windsor-born photographer named Canadian Photographer of the Year

Brandon Broderick, 37, of Tumbler Ridge, B.C., has been named Canadian Photographer of the Year for 2023 by Canadian Geographic Magazine.

The Windsor-born photographer, formerly of LaSalle, Ont., said he nearly passed out upon learning he won the prestigious title.

“It's still sinking in. It's still weird,” Broderick said.

Broderick explained he knew about a week beforehand that he was named a finalist, and was encouraged after claiming the runner up spot in the “epic landscape” category last year.

“Just being a finalist is already an accomplishment,” Broderick said. “I really wanted to win this year so I just put the time in to try and create a more diverse portfolio to submit and I’m thankful it paid off.”

Along with the top title, Broderick also claimed a $5,000 grand prize.

A photo of a bear by Brandon Broderick. (Source: Brandon Broderick Photography)

He said he spent the year gathering as many shots as he could, with a focus on ethical wildlife photography, ensuring the animals he documents are not disturbed by his presence.

“You just try not to have any effect on the animal's behavior at all. So if I'm out doing photos and [the animal] starts to change behavior, then I back away,” he continued. “I'm like, ‘Alright, sorry I’m out of here. Thanks for your time.’ And that's how it is.”

Broderick told CTV News, “Some encounters last 30 seconds, some last two hours, so you never really know what you're going to get.”

Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Geographic Alexandra Pope said the winning images are a testament to the patience, dedication, and skill that are required to produce an unforgettable photo.

“It takes planning, it takes forethought, you have to really know your equipment,” she said. “You have to plan for the conditions in which you're shooting. And just finding some of these animals, like one of the images that we really love that Brandon took was of a Canada lynx near his home in in Tumbler Ridge B.C., but just finding one of those animals is incredibly difficult and requires so much patience and planning and kind of knowing where they are. Knowing the time of day that you should go out and look for them and also making sure that you are practicing photography ethically, and not disturbing that animal in pursuit of an awesome shot.”

A photo of a Canada lynx by Brandon Broderick. (Source: Brandon Broderick Photography)

According to Pope, over 8,000 submissions were received for the annual competition.

“It is a huge honour,” Pope exclaimed. “We have a huge community of photographers who love to contribute to the magazine, and this competition is our way of recognizing that community and also highlighting photographers whose work really captures our attention and makes us say, ‘Wow.’”

She added, “If you have a passion for photography. If you love getting out in nature and trying to photograph wildlife, it's an amazing pastime. It will keep you active, it will keep your mind creative. And I would just say though, that don't feel like you need to take an incredible shot of a rare animal like a Canada lynx to be noticed in this competition. We've seen amazing photos of everyday animals like raccoons and squirrels and frogs and things that can be found in the average Canadians backyard or their local park. And so I would just challenge any amateur photographer to think creatively about how you can capture an amazing shot of those everyday animals, because we'll publish those too.”

Broderick encouraged anyone with an interest in photography to give it a try, suggesting places like Ojibway Park, Lakeview Marina, or even county backroads as prime locations for Windsor-Essex shutterbugs to hone their skills.

“I had forest all behind my house growing up and I used to just walk trails and just wander around, look at stuff like oh, here's some cool fur here. Here's an animal track. There, I just took it all in and that led to me studying fish and wildlife in college,” said Broderick.

The winning images will be published in the next issue of Canadian Geographic, which hits news stands on Feb. 19, 2024.