A Cochrane-based photographer’s work has cracked the top 10 in an international competition.
Jacquie Matechuk’s photo of the Telus Sky building in downtown Calgary is a finalist in the 2021 World Photographic Cup (WPC) – a photography competition that is modeled after the Olympics. According to WPC’s website, the competition includes six categories that countries’ teams each submit three images for – commercial, digital, nature, portrait, photojournalism and wedding.
“Basically, what they do is, each country carries a team,” said Matechuk, a professional sport, tourism and lifestyle photographer. "I believe there are about 40 countries involved.”
Matechuk’s submission for the competition’s commercial category is called Zip It. The photo depicts a mirrored reflection of the Telus Sky building, edited to make it appear like a zipper is running down the building.
She said she took the photo in April 2020, while walking through downtown Calgary. She said when she looked up at the skyscraper from a certain angle, it depicted a “cog-like machinery” that reminded her of a zipper.
“It was a lot of fun to do,” she said.
Matechuk took the photo early into the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the midst of widespread economic lockdowns. She said it was “eerie” to see downtown Calgary so deserted in the middle of the day.
“I think I walked 12 city blocks that day and ran into two people,” she said. “It was late afternoon…and it was just bizarre. Stephen Avenue Mall, there was one person and then I saw another person over by the library.”
Matechuk's photo depicts a mirrored and edited image of the Telus Sky building in downtown Calgary.After her image was selected as one of the Canadian team’s entries for WPC, Matechuk said she learned Jan. 18 that her image was a top-10 finalist, when she was watching the reveal via a live YouTube stream.
She said it was an honour to be named a finalist, considering the calibre of photographers she was up against.
“If you go on to their website…the calibre of imagery from across the world – it’s just so next-level,” she said. “It was very humbling to even be on the team. I was incredibly excited about that.”
Now that the finalists have been revealed, Matechuk said the competition winners and final top-10 placements will be announced on April 19. Typically, she said, the WPC awards ceremony is held in Rome, Italy. The 2021 iteration will likely have to be held virtually, she added, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Matechuk is one of four members of the Canadian team who were announced as finalists. One is from northern Alberta, while two hail from Quebec.
The higher the four Canadian finalists place in the finals this April, according to Matechuk, the more points Canada will earn, which will determine the team’s final placement in the overall competition. Like the Olympics, the top three photographers in each category are awarded gold, silver and bronze medals.
“There are some individual accolades, for sure, but ultimately, we’re kind of in this together, which is very unusual,” she said. “Typically, in this industry, if you’re an artist, it’s every man for himself. It’s a very spirited motivational scenario to be in, when it comes to this type of work, and not typical.”
She said her photography career began more than 20 years ago, when she shot motorcycle racing for Suzuki. She did that for several years, in addition to shooting motocross and other racing events.
After putting the camera down for six or seven years, she said she got back into photography when her son Cody started competing in snow bike-cross and needed photos to help promote himself. Now, her son is an accomplished X Games athlete, with three gold medals and a bronze in the snow bike-cross competition.
“[My son's career] ended up dragging me back into the world of photography, which was fantastic,” Matechuk said. “Now, I actually travel down to X Games to shoot some of the extreme athletes doing motorized events, so things like freestyle snowmobiling, big air competitions, snow-bikes and snow-cross… It’s so exciting and these guys are so much fun.”
Matechuk, who was also a finalist for the 2020 Canadian Commercial Photographer of the Year Award, said she wants to thank everyone who has supported her photography over the years, and encourages anyone interested in the field to stick with it and not limit themselves to one type.
“Do things that keep you inspired, excited and passionate about shooting,” she said. “Don’t make it all about work.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
