Photographer Captures a Majestic Setting

The cover photo for the 2019 Whidbey Camano Land Trust calendar shot by Julie Boyd.

More than 300 photos submitted in Land Trust contest

Photographers call it the golden hour – the hour before sunset or after sunrise when the sun is low in the sky and the soft natural light often leads to warmer, more magical images.

Julie Boyd recognized the sort of effect these conditions were having on a south Whidbey Island landscape when she looked across Useless Bay on a cold late afternoon last January. She raised her camera and took pictures of Sunlight Beach with Double Bluff and the snow-capped Olympic Mountains in the background.

“The color tones were rich and the setting breathtaking,” Boyd recalled. “It is always my goal to capture the moment and try and create an emotional response of being at the location.”

Julie Boyd of South Whidbey

The beautiful image was one of more than 300 photos submitted by 75 photographers who participated in the Whidbey Camano Land Trust’s fifth annual outdoor photo contest. Boyd’s shot was chosen for the cover of the Land Trust’s 2019 Calendar.

Boyd, who lives on South Whidbey with her husband, has been involved with photography for two decades. She’s studied the craft more seriously during the past three years, learning from some internationally acclaimed photographers. She recently went on a two-week photo tour in Scotland.

“I shoot photography all the time,” Boyd said. “I think in colors, shapes, and textures. Everywhere I look, I see beauty and lighting on subjects. Photography brings me to a place of peace in a busy life.”

The photo contest is intended to engage photographers to help celebrate the beauty and nature of our scenic islands and to raise awareness of the Land Trust’s mission. Twenty-five images were selected for the Land Trust’s 2019 calendar, ranging from Bruiser the elk to a scenic lavender field. Each photographer whose work is selected receives a complimentary calendar.

Calendars are being sold at participating retail outlets in Island County. That list may be viewed on the Land Trust’s Calendar Sales and Sponsors page.