Winter Games: See the winners of our February Editors' photo challenge
The theme for our February Editors' photo challenge was 'Winter Games', and we asked you to show us the coolest winter fun through your lens.
As usual, DPReview photographers iced it! We got snowed under with amazing entries, making judging an absolute blizzard of a task. Our top picks on the following pages are presented in random order.
Want to participate in some other photo challenges? Visit our Challenges page to see currently open or upcoming challenges or to vote in a recently closed challenge.
Photographer: jshepka
Description: With its 100th anniversary, Harris Hill in Brattleboro, Vermont, is one of the oldest ski jump hills in the US. It is a FIS-approved 90-meter hill that has been around since 1922. This image is a view of a jumper passing in front of the judge's tower on the way down!
Equipment: Canon EOS 70D + Canon EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM
Photographer: Lensmate
Description: Polar Bear Swims are a New Year's Day tradition. Hundreds of adults, teenagers and families with children attend the event to race and swim in the chilly winter waters. This freezing winter plunge activity takes place all over the world.
Equipment: DJI Mini 3 Pro
Photographer: BernhardK
Description: Not enough snow for skiing, but perfect for mountain biking. Provided you have heated socks. We climbed 700 m in deep winter conditions. We made our first tracks in the snow on the deeply snow-covered slopes of the Alps.
Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8
Photographer: Hooyat
Description: At the winter festival, there were activities and games for everyone. People watched an ice sculpting competition, tried out snowshoes, and children played in a gigantic snow playground. Snow or shine, people immersed themselves in the festival. On our way to the sledding and tubing hill, we met a family on an ice skating rink. They had much fun skating, oblivious to the heavy snowfall. I took this shot, and it was my favorite of the day. I am happy to report that my camera survived the snow, ice, cold, and rough weather; the camera still works and still makes great memories to this day.
Equipment: Nikon Z6 II + Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm F4 S
Photographer: owenleve
Description: Professional snowboarder Ryland Bell on location with Warren Miller Entertainment. This was shot in the Chugach Mountains with Points North Heli-Adventures, a heli-ski operation based out of Cordova, AK. This is a seldom-ridden line as conditions have to line up just perfectly.
Equipment: Nikon D800
Photographer: mmkarb
Description: Heliskiing was a bucket item I thought I'd never get a chance to experience, but I got an opportunity in 2019 and couldn't pass it up. It allowed the group to experience amazing skiing and breathtaking views. One of my favorite views came together with the helicopter dropping us off at the top of the mountain and being able to take in the entire view.
Equipment: GoPro Hero5 Black
Photographer: rshoub
Description: This is a view of Humber Bay Park, as seen from our Toronto apartment. A gentle snowfall had done some extra cake decorating overnight by powdering the trees with a delicate, sugary frosting. For me, the days of hip-shattering ice rinks and arduous ski and hiking trails are behind me. I'm 80. Nevertheless, I still participate in the winter games by enjoying an unhurried walk through this serene yet exhilarating landscape. After I took this shot, I switched the camera for Nordic walking poles and, with my wife of 55 years, followed the same trail as the couple you see in this picture. And, like the lamp they will soon pass under, ours still shines bright.
Equipment: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III
Photographer: mattalatta
Description: The genera of Adventure Photography can be quite challenging. One has to have the stamina to manage the trip while expending extra energy to carry camera gear and capture photographs. This often requires anticipating shots, running ahead and photographing as your partners move through your frame. In this photo, safety was a primary concern as we skied along a crevassed glacier with seracs hanging above us. I was in the back, waiting for my friends to create a leading line to the peak framed in the picture. Moving quickly through this section of the glacier was important, so I only had a moment to capture the frame.
Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS Pro
Photographer: ebaphoto
Description: I had the chance to photograph an organized hunt club where mounted riders follow a pack of hounds as they chase wild fox. The huntsman maintains control of the hounds, and no harm comes to the fox when these chases occur. The fox runs through the country cunningly evading the hounds until they eventually lose his scent, the fox 'goes to ground' in his den, or the fox goes onto public or private land where the club does not already have permission to be. I rode with a "car follower" who showed me the places where I would most likely get good images.
Equipment: Nikon D90 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR
Photographer: TheColdDark
Description: This is a local ice art competition in Fairbanks, Alaska. International teams arrive to carve the ice blocks. The blocks are transported from a local lake and brought to the site to be sculptured. This is the beginning of one team working on their multi-block piece. I'm not sure they even noticed I was grabbing the shot. Multi-block judging occurs four days after they begin.
Equipment: Canon EOS R6 Mark II + Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM
Photographer: JannisN
Description: We encountered this polar bear on a tour of the Ranua Wildlife Park in Finland. She was very friendly and took her sweet time posing for the cameras.
Equipment: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV
Photographer: swald
Description: One of the local golf courses also serves as a winter recreation area, with cross-country skiing, fat tire biking, disc golf, and sliding. The very steep tenth fairway hosts the sleds and snow tubes, and this family joined several tubes to enjoy a thrilling ride to the bottom.
Equipment: Nikon D300 + AF Nikkor 300mm F4 ED
Photographer: Hotel12
Description: This was my first photoshoot with remote controls, and it worked excellently. The sun was shining, and fresh snow had come in the night. The trail was covered with light snow, and it was like I was riding a motor-powered dirt bike, though it was a mountain bike. Taken with the OM System OM-1 II with 40-150mm f2.8, human subject tracking and AF-C using Hahnel remote controls.
Equipment: OM System OM-1 Mark II + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro
Photographer: summicron
Description: The Alaska Dog Mushers Association hosts the Open North American Championships, the world's premier sprint sled dog race, annually in and around Fairbanks, Alaska. Teams gather from around the world to compete in a series of fast sprint races. Shown is from the race in March 2013.
Equipment: Nikon D800E + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR
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