2026 Island Mountain Ramblers Photography Contest

2026 Island Mountain Ramblers Photo Competition

Entry form here

We’re excited to announce the 2026 Island Mountain Ramblers Photo Contest!

We invite you to share your favourite photos from the past two years. Be they capture a memorable summit, a beautiful trail, an unexpected adventure, or simply a great day in the mountains with fellow Ramblers, we’d love to see what you have to share. Images do not need to be captured on club trips, but they should all be on Vancouver Island.

Winning entries will be featured on the IMR website, and selected photos may also be used in club communications and promotions. All submitted photos may be included in a slideshow at our annual Christmas Party, giving us a chance to celebrate the adventures and amazing places our members have experienced together

Prizes

    • Each winner will be featured on the club website banner for the year
    • The winner for each category will win a $50 gift card for Vallhala Pure Outfitters or MEC

Photo Categories

The categories are listed below and are straightforward, except that Long Exposure involves using a long exposure to reveal details that the naked eye cannot see, such as in astro photography. Blurring water motion doesn’t qualify.

    • ABOVE BUSHLINE(With no Human Element) [ABN]
    • ABOVE BUSHLINE (With a Human Element) [ABW]
    • BELOW BUSHLINE(With no Human Element) [BBN]
    • BELOW BUSHLINE (With a Human Element) [BBW]
    • WILDLIFE – nonhuman (WLF)
    • NATIVE FLORA [NFF]
    • LONG EXPOSURE [LE]
    • FUNNY [FUN]

How to Enter

    • Complete the entry form before the end of the day on November 20th
    • Photographs must be at least 1 MB; the form will reject smaller images
    • Once you submit your form, you will receive a response email shortly after

Notes on uploading images

If you are struggling with the form, you can email Matthew imrvicepresident@gmail.com. He will help you through the entry process, but only if you contact us with enough time before the deadline.

Entries

    • You may upload up a maximum of one photo per category, and you can enter as many categories as you’d like
    • We accept JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIF, or HEIC image formats
    • Images must be at least 1 MB in size. The form will reject images that are too small.
    • Entries close on November 20, 2026
    • We will present all the entries at the club Christmas Party
    • The winners will be announced in mid-December 2026

Rules

All photos must be taken on Vancouver Island or outlying minor islands (Gulf Islands, Nootka, Meares, etc). Exceptions apply to images captured on club trips that occur off the island.

Pictures must be taken in 2024 – 2026.

  1. You must be a member of the Island Mountain Ramblers hiking club.
  2. Definition of a “human element”: The definition of a “human element” is flexible, but the general intention is: If a photo contains anything other than a very minor feature, such as people, a hut, a track sign/marker, a bridge, an ice axe, or anything else that has been introduced by humans into the environment, then we would define that as having “a Human element”. However, if a photo has what could be called a Human Element but that element is very small, inconsequential, and not a feature in the photo, then you could count it as “No Human Element”. The club will have the final decision.
  3. Definition of “Long Exposure”: The intention of the long exposure category is for photography of scenes that the naked eye cannot normally comprehend. These shots would require a very long exposure and the use of a tripod. The category is intended for highly technical images of shots taken at night (including star trails), or in extremely low-light situations such as caves or canyons. The category is not intended for normal dusk/dawn photography, or images where a long exposure is used to ‘blur’ the image (such as flowing water, or movement of the subject).
  4. Rules on post-processing:
    • Adjustments for exposure, white balance, contrast & levels are allowed
      Cropping is allowed
    • Stitching for panoramic shots is allowed
    • Removal or insertion of features not in the original image is not allowed
    • AI-altered images are not accepted
  5. Drone images are welcome in the competition, but they must comply with all local and federal regulations. If you submit a drone photo, please indicate approximately where the image was captured. Drones may not be flown in restricted areas (such as BC Provincial Parks or National Parks) without the required permit. If your image was taken in such an area, please include a copy of your permit with your submission. Entries that do not meet these requirements may be disqualified.
  6. IMR acknowledges the work of volunteer judges. These volunteers may not enter images in the club competition they are judging. The judges reserve the right to amend the category of a photo which in their opinion, is entered in the incorrect category. IMR will not accept any entries which contradict IMR values, policies, or any relevant laws. Where any entry is controversial, IMR may request that the photographer demonstrate how they adhered to any relevant rules. The photo competition organisers decision on accepting such an entry will be final.