19th Annual Amateur Photography Contest

The Photography Contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered!

Winners will be chosen by our panel of judges for each of the four categories and contacted by mid-November. 

A $50 gift card to a local photography shop will be awarded to the first-place winners in each category. The ‘Best in Show’ winner will receive a $250 gift certificate! Contest-winning photographs will be enlarged and put on exhibit at Central Library's Gallery Wall on Level 2 from December 9, 2025 until January 29, 2026.

The awards ceremony will take place in the Central Library Theatre onTuesday, December 9 at 7 p.m.

Adrienne Zoe

Category: Animals

Adrienne Zoe is an award-winning fine art and nature photographer based in Waterloo.  She finds meaning in her photography by promoting appreciation of nature, bringing awareness to and supporting conservation.  She’s committed to donating a percentage of nature sales proceeds to nature conservation charities. 

Adrienne Zoe photography

Shaquille DePeazer

Category: Architecture

Born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo, Shaquille regularly shoots street photography covering many other styles while doing so, including architecture, urban exploration, portraits, landscapes. He also owns a Photography Service called Pease.

Shaquille DePeazer photography

Mark Walton

Category: Landscape

Photographer Mark Walton is the founder of the foto:RE collective and the editor of foto:RE|VIEW magazine. He is the curator of The Stanley Rosenthall Collection of photography and the author of COMPLICITY, an autobiographical photographic exploration of the life of a reluctant colonialist. He has written for foto:RE|VIEW and PhotoED Magazine, and also sits on their editorial committee. Mark founded and is the director and editor of curated. by The COVERT Collective, a gathering of curators from across the country showcasing the work of fine artists of many disciplines.  

Mark Walton photography

Lawrence O. Fajardo

Category: People

Lawrence O. Fajardo is a freelance photographer based in Kitchener-Waterloo, specializing in portraits, headshots, and event photography. Whether exploring KW streets or discovering new places, his photos highlight how people move through light, shadow, and motion, exhibiting each person’s unseen, vibrant and complex life.

Lawrence Fajardo photography