One of our staff can now claim to be the best agricultural photographer in North America. Michael Raine is also the first Canadian to win the American Agricultural Editors’ Association photo contest.
The AAEA is made up of publishers, editors and journalists from magazines, daily and weekly newspapers and other communications professionals from across North America, mainly the U.S.
The annual contest had a record number of photo entries, with 58 people entering 700 images.
The main categories Raine won included first place for pictorial; first and a third for feature (news photography); and the overall 1997 Photographer of the Year honor. He also received several honorable mentions in other categories.
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A large portfolio of his work was entered. A minimum of 20 images were needed, and Raine entered 40. The two pictures which won in the feature category were related to flood coverage.
The top feature photo was of Raymond Grobowski and his son Phillip. Convinced by the RCMP to leave their Brunkild, Man., home as the flood approached, the Grobowskis were sneaking back on a submerged road.
The third-place photo in the same category was of Gary Gader and his son Garet using a canoe to carry feed to their cattle near Vanguard, Sask. The flooded Notukeu Creek had stranded their herd during calving time.
Another award winner also appears occasionally in our paper.
Freelance U.S. columnist Alan Guebert was awarded AAEA’s highest individual honor, Writer of the Year. Guebert was also chosen this fall as an Award of Merit winner in the newspaper division of the 1997 Oscar in Agriculture, a nationwide ag journalism competition administered by the University of Illinois.
Congratulations to Michael and Alan.
