Feature Photography (under 25,000 circulation)

Winner: John Lappa, Sudbury Star

A simple but effective shot that deftly captures a too-rare bright moment in the public reconciliation process, with the smiles on the faces of both the little girl and the elder offering poignant hope for the future.

Elder Julie Ozawagosh addresses a crowd as Eleanore Richardson, 3, gets up close at a ceremony marking National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day at the N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre in Sudbury on Sept. 30, 2021. John Lappa/Sudbury Star

Runner-up: Elliot Ferguson, Kingston Whig-Standard

A striking, nicely composed shot that skilfully spotlights – literally and figuratively – the moment of affection at its centre amid its unsettled surroundings.

A couple kisses as someone launches a firework over the crowd in Kingston’s Victoria Park early Oct. 17, 2021, as thousands of students gather at an unsanctioned Queen’s University homecoming party in violation of COVID-19 restrictions. Elliot Ferguson/Kingston Whig-Standard

Runner-up: Clifford Skarstedt, Peterborough Examiner

A shot that nicely captures this unlikely faceoff between (little) man and beast. From this shot, it’s easy to imagine the smile/awe under the little boy’s mask.

Connor Murduff, 5, takes a closer look at an otter flashing a smile as the Riverview Park and Zoo reopened to the public on Nov. 26, 2021, in Peterborough. Clifford Skarstedt/Peterborough Examiner

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2021 ONAs: Feature Photography (under 25,000 circulation)