I was pretty excited to open an email this morning from Aquapac and Sigma telling me that I was the grand prize winner for their annual photo contest.

Here were the judge’s comments:

Wilderness to me is about wide open spaces and our sense of scale in relation to that space. This image captures that wonderfully, you feel in awe of what the rower is doing and also slightly afraid for him as he looks so small against the menacing water.

This photo is of my kayaking buddy, Erik Ogaard on Lake Ontario on a cold December day a couple of years ago. I remember it being a pretty cold day that day with the temperature just above the freezing mark. The conditions that day were great for paddling with rolling south east swells and really good surfing closer to shore.

For the camera nerds out there, the photo was taken with my trusty Canon Rebel Xti and shot using the Aquapac SLR submersible bag. For me, the waterproof bag one of the key pieces of gear for shooting on the water and it’s always with me. The original purchase was the deal I made with my wife so I could take it paddling!

Here is the full list of winners on Facebook.