2005 Banff Mountain Photography Competition
Special Mention
Chris Atkinson: “Morning Light, Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet”
“Just prior to my first trip to Tibet, I reread Heinrich Harrer’s book Seven Years in Tibet. With images fresh in my mind, I set out early one morning to find the medical clinic he helped establish. I found only ruins but was rewarded with a beautiful sight of the morning light striking the Potala Palace. The smell of burning juniper and incense and the chanting of the devoted filled the air and made for a most memorable morning.”
Born and raised on the beaches of White Rock, British Columbia, Chris Atkinson came to appreciate beautiful landscapes at a young age. His passion for these landscapes and the adventure they bring has taken him and his camera to many special places around the world, from Patagonia to Tibet. Now residing in Squamish, B.C., Atkinson, an IFMGA-certified Mountain Guide, has worked in a variety of positions including backcountry park ranger, mountain guide and stunt and special-effects rigger, as well as photographer and guidebook author. While landscape photography is his speciality, he enjoys shooting a wide variety of subject matter, from flora and fauna to mountain sports. The light and its magical influence on the landscape intrigue Atkinson the most, keeping him out there in search of the illusive perfect image.