Thanks to his first-place finish at provincials, avid photographer and Grade 12 Chatelech student Sam Robinson will be heading to Nova Scotia at the end of May to compete in the 25th annual Skills Canada National Competition.
Robinson clinched first place in the photography category at the Skills Canada BC competition in Abbotsford on April 17.
“I was elated when I heard that he won gold,” said automotive teacher Brenda Masich, who sponsored Robinson.
Robinson competed against about a dozen students across the province. Competitors were given six hours to shoot and edit nine images. The photographs were taken on site and included a mixture of flash photography, portrait, a “mystery object,” and event photos.
“It’s kind of frantic,” said Robinson of the experience. He took approximately 1,000 photos in the six hours with his Canon 6D, a camera he purchased himself. He used a 17-40-millimetre lens and borrowed a 50-millimetre lens from his father, who taught him the basics of photography.
“I had a few ideas for some photos,” said Robinson, who used his environment and others around him to add shot details, such as a portrait involving a spectator gazing up at a string of lights.
One category he wasn’t prepared for was PhotoShop. He couldn’t submit a photo because he doesn’t use the software. “I must have got a zero,” said Robinson. But that didn’t stop the judges from giving him top honours.
“Despite being the only competitor to fail to complete one of the photography categories, scoring high in all of the other categories put him above the rest. Samuel has a true talent for photography and has demonstrated he has great potential for the future,” said Desy Cheng, one of the event judges and a professional photographer.
The other judge, Alisa Andrei, also praised his talent. “He has a good eye for details,” she said. “He showed us that he deserves a big push to keep going.”
More than 600 students competed in 58 categories such as aerospace, automotive, 3D Animation, baking, welding and robotics, while more than 5,000 people attended the annual skills competition focused on students interested in trades and technology.
Robinson, who graduates from Chatelech Secondary School this June, is considering training as a nurse and working in the developing world, where he intends to pursue his passion for photography.
The national competition will be held at the Halifax Exhibition Centre from May 28 to 29.
