Shortly after 12:30 p.m., the winners of the 2025 Photo Expo in the Municipality of Russell were announced and their photographs unveiled. Two of the photographers, Ashique Azmal Rusdi and Hannah Mitchell, are shown alongside all four of the winning photographs. Thompson Goddard Photo
RUSSELL – The announcement of the winners in the 2025 Photo Expo competition was held in the early afternoon of Sept. 13 in an open- air setting in the Russell Fairgrounds. The theme for this year’s competition was “Up Close and Personal”, with 75 local photographers submitting 220 photographs in the contest.
The four categories of the competition were: Portrait; Landscape; Best Overall and Best Youth. In the Portrait category the winner was “Joy” by Allie Liko, Ashique Azmal Rusdi’s photo “Reflections of Home” took top spot in the Landscape category and the winner of the Best Overall category was “Growing More Than Food” by Hannah Mitchell. The Best Youth Category was won by Elizabeth Bahl- Séguin with her photograph entitled “Defying Winter’s Grip”. Honourable mentions were provided to Job Koller Kwikiriza, Julie Brisson, Tim Bolton-Gowling, Emma Pineo and Paisley Souligny.
On the same day as the announcement at the fairgrounds, a press release from the municipality provided the names of the members of the jury who made the final selection. The release explained how “after lengthy discussions on the theme, how the images will be experienced once installed, and the way in which the images reignite viewers’ imagination, wonder and joy decisions were made by Lexine Ménard-Mallity, Christine Fitzgerald and the editor of PhotoEd Magazine Rita Godlevskis.
Winners and those receiving an honourable mention will receive a subscription to PhotoEd Magazine, with the four winners receiving “a $400 CARFAC (Canadian Artists’ Representation / Le Front des artistes canadiens) fees in recognition of their artistic contributions. Their photos will be added to the outdoor photo expo along the recreational trail located at the start of the trail at 901 Notre-Dame Street in Embrun.”
A barn on the Russell Fairgrounds behind the arena was a stop on the Autumn in the Country art tour. It was also the location where 127 of the photos entered in the competition were on display. People were able to vote on their choice for the “Crowd Favourite” prize. The winner of this category was announced in the press release as “Hunting at the Weir” taken by Tim Bolton-Gowling for which he will receive a $50 gift card to Euphie d’ici in Embrun.
“Thanks to a subsidy from the Ontario Arts Council, and a partnership between the Russell Agricultural Society and Russell Township, this year’s expo saw continued success in participation. We are thrilled to witness the growing presence of the arts in our Township and eagerly anticipate the 2026 edition. Keep capturing those hidden gems with your cameras throughout the year and stay tuned for the theme to be revealed in early 2026!” concluded the press release.
The submissions in this year’s Photo Expo are available in the online gallery located at www.russell.ca/PhotoClub.
Carolyn Thompson Goddard, grew up in Chesterville and attended North Dundas District High School. After completing her BA in Political Science at Carleton University she has worked as a medical secretary and library technician. In 2020 she graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Journalism and has been a reporter and column writer for The Chesterville Record for over 10 years.
