The winners of the 2023 International Landscape Photographer of the Year have been announced — the 10th iteration of the competition.

Tony Hewitt took home the top spot for his abstract portfolio showing tidal areas in his native Australia.

Meanwhile, Blake Randall received the Landscape Photograph of the Year accolade for his “Fire and Water” photo of blossom in Abraham Lake, Canada.

There was a dead heat between the two portfolios battling it out to take the International Landscape Photographer of the Year title.

Tony Hewitt and Andrew Mielzynski both received the same amount of first place votes and the same preference votes from the judges.

The stalemate had to be resolved by asking the fifth judge (the only judge who hadn’t scored one of the portfolios in first place) to cast the deciding vote.

For more information on the competition, head to the International Landscape Photographer of the Year’s website.

Chris Malandrini, left, performs bluegrass music during the Fourth Avenue Spring Street Fair in Tucson, Ariz. on March 24, 2023. Malandrini accompanied his wife from Oregon and decided to perform his original songs as she sells leather handbags. The fair, in its 54th year, is produced by the North Fourth Avenue Merchants Association, Inc., a local nonprofit. Hundreds of artists sell their work and is a bi-annual event. The fair continues today from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

If you’re on the slopes with your significant other this season, and you spot someone dressed like a traffic cone, your life might be about to change.

“I basically just hide in plain sight,” Gabrielle Stowe says. “I’m in all orange. And then I’m just taking photos of random people passing by, and they’ll just assume that I’m doing some kind of marketing thing [for the mountain].”

But Stowe doesn’t work for the resorts, and she’s not interested in the snowboarding bros buttering their boards in front of her lens in the hopes of being the next poster child for A-Basin. She’s waiting for her client to drop to one knee.

The 30-year-old Summit County photographer has found her niche in the Colorado powder, where she captures engagements, elopements, and weddings—slopeside. Better known as Ski the Day on Instagram, Stowe’s often hilarious (and always sentimental) shots have earned her an impressive following since she launched her business in 2019. We sat down with the creative to find out how she went from working at an architectural firm to booking ski weddings all over the globe (she accepted a gig in the Italian Dolomites in January).

Editor’s note: The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

5280: Tell me about your upbringing. Were skiing and photography always parts of your life?
Gabrielle Stowe: I grew up in the Northeast, and I grew up ski racing. So I raced for about 10 years, and that was my life. I also had always loved photography. I never really saw it as a career, though. I never thought it was practical. So I actually went to school for architecture because I was just obsessed with buildings and I always wanted to design homes. I moved to Colorado about eight years ago to work at an architecture firm and realized it wasn’t really for me and started exploring photography more as a profession.

How did you end up merging skiing and photography?
About five years ago, I went full time with wedding photography [because I fell in love with shooting them], and not too long after that, in 2019, I was asked to shoot a wedding [on the slopes] because somebody was looking for a wedding photographer who knew how to ski. That was in Jackson Hole [Wyoming], and it was the most fun day. It was so cool. And after talking to that couple about their experience with planning their wedding day and how it was difficult to find a photographer, I was inspired because there are so many other people that have to have this same dream. They want to have their day documented, but it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s the most unexpected career that I never thought I would have—but I absolutely love it.

What goes into planning a ski wedding?
Some people have a traditional wedding, and they just do one ski run for photos. Some people have a ceremony off-site, and then they spend an afternoon skiing. I’ve [been hired for] elopements—it’s just the two of them or maybe just a few friends—and they’re on the mountain the whole day.

Ceremonies on the mountain tend to have a small guest list because obviously you can’t roll up with 100 people; that’s not cool. So there’s a quick ceremony on the mountain. Colorado is awesome because you can self-solemnize, so you don’t need an officiant. I mean, sometimes I’m the only witness, and they just marry themselves.

What does it feel like to be a part of such an intimate, unique ceremony?
It feels very special. It feels like such an honor that I get to be there for the start of their marriage. And I have the honor of capturing it—but also being trusted enough to witness that. It’s very special. I take it very seriously.

Are you skiing and shooting at the same time?
Yes, safety is my priority though, so I’m never like on a black diamond actively shooting as I’m skiing down. Typically, I’’ll ski down a little bit, and I’ll have them ski toward me, and we leapfrog. Depending on how fast they are or what run we’re on, I just catch up with them, ski on the side, and shoot them as they’re going down.

What’s your ski set-up?
I don’t ski with poles since I need to easily grab my cameras. As for my skis, I just have an all-mountain ski: Nordica Santa Ana 93. Admittedly, I am not much of a gearhead. The only gear I get really into is camera gear. When I bought these skis, I told the person at the shop what I do, and he showed me them. He also suggested bindings that were easy to get in and out of since I do that more than a regular person skiing.

What kind of camera gear do you carry on the slopes?
I ski with two mirorrless Nikon cameras that are attached to a harness so I don’t have to worry about dropping them. I like prime lenses for this kind of thing because zooming in and out is one less decision I have to make while skiing (and typically I just zoom in by skiing closer).

I carry a 28-liter trail pack, and it varies in weight depending on the location and type of shoot. Typically I carry a CamelBak bladder, snacks, extra batteries, memory cards, and walkie-talkies, which isn’t too heavy. For weddings I carry more, like an “emergency wedding kit,” a flash if we are going inside, and a longer lens depending on the type of ceremony. The biggest reason why I have to ski with a pack is because most times I’m carrying things for the couple in my bag, like their phones, extra layers, touch-up kit, with their helmets clipped to my bag. A few times I’ve worn their backpack over my backpack, which I’ve gotten some weird looks for.

Have you had any shoots go…awry?
Oh, I did have one that was kind of funny. Weddings, they always run late, which is totally fine. But I did have one where we did it in the afternoon, and things ran a little late, and they were closing the backside of the mountain. The couple put their snowboards in the snow to have some framing, and one of the snowboards fell and slid all the way down the mountain. And that side of the mountain had closed, so there was no lift spinning. They couldn’t ski down to get it, so the bride’s daughter had to walk all the way down and bring it back up. It was way deep in the woods and the poor girl was in a dress and she had to dig through the powder to get the board. Finally, when we spotted her coming up the mountain, everyone just started screaming and cheering.

Your action shots are incredible, but you also capture endearing behind-the-scenes photos. Do you plan those out?
Obviously, there’s a planned time of like, OK, we’re getting ready from this time to that time. But I think something that is important to being a wedding photographer in general is just anticipating moments. Yes, you’re going to be putting on the dress, but anticipating like, OK, he’s looking at her, and he said this, and now they’re gonna laugh and have a moment or The flower girl just walked into the room and something cute is going to happen. Just being able to anticipate those moments.

We know it’s probably like picking a favorite child, but do you have a preference for photographing ski proposals or weddings?
Oh, gosh, it’s hard because they’re both so different. Proposals are fun because I feel like a super spy, you know? There’s a secret plan, and I’m hiding in plain sight, and they don’t know who I am. Sometimes there’s a little bit of acting involved. I did one yesterday at Aspen where they were on vacation with his family, and her family secretly flew in two days prior, and she did not know. We made diagrams of where the family should stand, and we walked around the corner and the whole family was there. So proposals are fun because I get to be in spy mode. And then weddings are fun because there is just so much going on, so much excitement, so many fun moments, and so much love and joy. It’s just fun to see that unfold.

Follow Gabrielle Stowe on Instagram at @skitheday. To inquire about her photography services, visit skitheday.com.

A drone is a remarkable piece of equipment, enabling you to capture film and photographs from perspectives that were once believed impossible. Using a drone for photography differs significantly from filming with a drone. Let’s share some ideas.

When I purchased my first drone, I initially saw it as an extension of my regular photography. However, as time passed, my interest in the drone’s filming capabilities grew. It provided an exceptional bird’s-eye view of landscapes, enhancing my photography trips to France, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Norway.

While the drone enabled the capture of excellent footage in diverse locations, filming presented challenges distinct from those of capturing stills. It involved more than simply managing moving and non-moving images; it required a completely different approach to flying with a drone. I found it difficult, if not impossible, to fly a drone and capture both video and photos simultaneously.

Using a drone for photography isn’t vastly different from using any other camera. You must meter the available light and set the exposure accordingly, just as you would with your regular camera. Occasionally, there may be restrictions based on the type of drone you’re using, such as limitations on using high ISO settings without introducing noise.

It’s possible that the aperture is fixed, leaving you with only shutter speed and ISO to achieve the proper exposure. In contrast to capturing video, these restrictions for photography are easily overcome.

Composition with a drone is similar to that of any other camera. You need to find a suitable subject and, perhaps, some supporting elements in the landscape, incorporating lines to connect different elements within the frame. One advantage of using a drone over a regular camera is the unique bird’s-eye view it offers, enabling you to effectively capture the flow of a river or the winding of a road.

Despite the common tendency among drone photographers to fly at great heights, this approach may not always yield the most interesting images. In fact, it can often make capturing compelling shots more challenging. This is somewhat akin to using an extremely wide-angle lens, where there’s a risk of including too much clutter in the frame.

The Difference Between Photography and Filming

It’s tempting to take your drone out for a flight just for the thrill, as I did in the first few weeks after purchasing my first drone. Yet, flying without a purpose proved to be a dull experience. The only thing I accomplished was depleting the battery.

But I learned to operate the drone, of course, which is imperative. If flying is your primary goal, consider using a first person view (FPV) drone, which I consider to be designed for the joy of flying. However, if the goal is photography or filming, flying is only the means to achieve your images.

For video footage, planning is crucial. You need to determine the clips you need and design a flight path that achieves the desired look. It requires a precise control over the drone’s movements while filming. Even a small steering mistake can ruin a shot.

My video from an Iceland trip. You will notice some steering mistakes in the video, if you watch it carefully. It’s fun to do, but difficult.

Using a drone for photography is completely different. While maintaining control is also essential, it’s much easier to fly for photography compared to filming. Instead of designing a flight path, you can just fly to the desired location, adjust the position and height, and capture the photo. This approach conserves a lot of battery life, extending the drone’s usability throughout the day.

Fly With Purpose

While flying can be enjoyable, it should serve a purpose. Avoid wasting battery on aimless flights. For photography, it’s straightforward: decide where you want the camera to be, fly there, fine-tune the position and height, and capture the image.

If there’s no unexpected second composition, return the drone. Flying in circles with no purpose is less engaging and may just be a nuisance for bystanders.

If filming is your purpose, it’s also necessary to fly specifically for the desired film footage. If you’re not sure what to film, the result can be disappointing or even not useable.

Don’t Go Too High Up in the Sky

Many drone images exhibit a true bird’s-eye perspective. These are captured by flying up to the maximum allowed altitude. However, unless there’s a good reason for that altitude, it often results in dull images without a clear subject.

Use the drone not at a high altitude, but at the right altitude. This way, you are able to maintain a viewer’s connection with the landscape. Sometimes, this results in an altitude of only two meters. In other situations, this can be 10 or even 50 meters.

The same small river, from a great altitude, and from only 3 meters high. It doesn’t have to be obvious when it’s a drone shot. 

Reaching Impossible Vantage Points

A drone’s benefit lies in capturing images from otherwise unreachable vantage points. Elevated by two or three meters, it enables you to capture leading lines more easily. A drone can also be used to avoiding obstructive foregrounds. Fly to the other side of the obstruction to get a clear view.

Drones also enable shooting from inaccessible or hazardous locations, overcoming potential dangers. After all, you don’t want to risk your life for just a photo. However, a drone can offer you a safe way to get the shot.

Use a Drone Wisely

While drones expand a photographer’s toolkit, providing opportunities for otherwise impossible or dangerous shots, they also pose risks. Strict rules govern where and when not to fly. Respecting these rules is essential, as they exist for a reason.

Do you have experience with drone photography? Please share your insights and any additional advice in the comments below. I look forward to your response.

Vivienne Swanston, 16, receives the Imposition of Ashes from the Rev. Deborah Underwood during Ashes to Go at Trinity Episcopal Church on Feb. 22, 2023. Swanston is recovering from a brain injury and her mother, Jacque Slick, says that getting ashes in a drive-thru setting makes it considerably easier.