All photos © Robin and Arlene Karpan

We recently attended the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) Awards Gala, which recognized work published during 2025. The awards were part of the annual TMAC Conference, held this year in Richmond, BC. We were thrilled to come away with four awards, three of which were for photos appearing in Photo Journeys. Here is a brief rundown of the awards and what the judges had to say about the entries.

Best Sense of Place Photo – Second Place

Sponsored by Tourism Saskatchewan

This was our lead photo in the article Exploring Mexico’s Conception Bay. It shows the coastline of Conception Bay in Mexico’s Baja California Sur. We had stopped at a roadside pullout on the highway just above the bay before we rounded the corner to the main beach. What caught our eye was the rugged outcropping jutting into the sea, and how the shades of blue in the deeper water melded with the shallower turquoise tones near shore.

 

 

Best Magazine or Newspaper Article – Third Place

Sponsored by Greater Miami & Miami Beach

The article Canadian-American Disputed Island Where Puffins Rule was published in our travel column in the Western Producer newspaper and Western Producer Digital Edition. It describes Machias Seal Island in the Bay of Fundy where it meets the Gulf of Maine. The island is part of New Brunswick, although the US also claims it – a dispute that dates back to the War of 1812.

We visited Machias Seal Island on a day excursion with Sea Watch Tours that left from their base on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick. Only 15 Canadians per day and 15 Americans are allowed to visit the island during the nesting season to protect the integrity of the colony. It was among most incredible wildlife experiences we have ever had – spending an hour in a blind surrounded by the daily comings and goings of nesting puffins, razorbills, and terns.  

 

 

Best Photo Series – Honourable Mention

Sponsored by Parks Canada

 

 

For this award, we submitted four photos from our Photojourneys article A Gray Whale Adventure in Mexico’s Baja Sur. We chose the photos to show how a whale-watching excursion can bring people and gray whales together in a sustainable way. This ranked as our top wildlife adventure of the year – how often do you get to see one of nature’s largest creatures this close?

 

Best People Photo – Honourable Mention

Sponsored by Visit Baja California Sur

Our photo in this category was taken in the large active sand dunes in the Great Sand Hills of southern Saskatchewan. It is the lead photo for our article 9 Places to Help you Start your Saskatchewan Bucket List. Hand-in-hand, our two friends ran down the dune face, sinking deep into the fine sand with every step yet not losing their balance.