Warren Gordon wins Best Pictorial Image

A scenic image of Cap Rouge, on the Cabot Trail, by Sydney photographer Warren Gordon was chosen as the Best Pictorial Photograph in Canada at the recent Professional Photographers of Canada National

Warren Gordon may be one of Cape Breton’s greatest ambassadors. For decades, the award-winning photographer has captured the tranquility and beauty of Cape Breton Island to create calendars that hang in kitchens around the globe. On the lengthy list of tourists smitten by the images is a professor in Osaka, Japan. “He orders a calendar every year,” says Gordon.

The enterprising photographer has also created 12 coffee table photo books, selling enough copies to be considered best sellers in Canada’s book industry. His passion for photography began when a few neighbourhood friends asked him to help out with a school yearbook. He borrowed a 35 mm camera from his dad, captured his first roll of pictures for the school project, and hasn’t looked back.

In 1974, he opened Gordon Photographic Limited, and it has been a mainstay on Charlotte Street in Sydney for nearly four decades. Starting out with a used camera and $500 in his pocket, Gordon quickly became recognized internationally for his portrait, group, industrial, aerial and landscape work. He has received many awards, including his most recent, the Pictorial Image of the Year 2012 from the Professional Photographers of Canada. The winning scene is on the cover of his 2013 calendar.