Jessica Klinkenberg
Northern News Services
Published Friday, November 30, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Maj. Scott Murphy with 440 (Transport) Squadron has won two third-place awards in a Department of National Defence photo contest.

Maj. Scott Murphy, a pilot with 440 (Transport) Squadron in Yellowknife, has taken two third-place prizes in the Department of National Defence's photography competition. Murphy is newly-stationed in Yellowknife but grew up in the North. - Jessica Klinkenberg/NNSL photo

The Yellowknife resident took third place in family life with the photograph "Snowshoe for Two" and third place in environment with "Harbour Watch." Both were in the professional category.

"Snowshoe for Two" is of his wife and infant daughter snowshoeing while they were visiting Washington.

"It was really magical, perfectly quiet," said Murphy of that day.

The other photo is of Vancouver seen through fog.

Several hundred photos were submitted in each category.

Murphy, who grew up in the Northwest Territories, said his love of photography came from his father, who was a game warden on Baffin Island.

His father had an archive of more than 1,000 photographs, and Murphy said the pictures inspired him.

"When I was 12 he gave me his old camera and it went from there," he said.

For the past four years he has been entering the photography competition with the Department of National Defence.

"I've had some success each and every year," he said.

Murphy said he hopes to submit more photographs of the North to the DND photography contest, and hopes that there is more interest from military personnel and their family members in the North.

"The DND photo contest is a great venue," he said.

The contest is a chance to showcase the "rugged and beautiful scenery of the North. This is one small way we can share it."

With the air force he has flown to Eureka and Alert, among other places.

Winning photographs are displayed in Ottawa.