Award-winning Cochrane-based photographer Jacquie Matechuk, a member of the Route 22 Artist Collective who just last year won gold at the World Photographic Cup for a stunning artistically captured portrait of a great grey owl, has added a pair of honours to her bustling trophy case.
Last week, it was announced that Matechuk had won two golds at the 2025 reFocus Awards Honours in the Black and White category, one for architecture and another for wildlife photography.
“Symphony of Strings” is the photo that captured Matechuk a gold in the architecture category, and in it a collection of cable wires cross-cross to make a shape hourglass figure through the middle of the frame.
In the wildlife category, Matechuk’s “The Watchman” won gold. In the picture, a gorilla–camouflaged in a bramble of leaves so well that it takes the eye a second to recognize what it is seeing–peers off into the distance.
“This year's contest received an exciting, inspiring, and diverse pool of entries from 80 countries, each a testament to the enduring, timeless power of black and white photography,” reFocus Awards said in a press release congratulating Matechuk. “It is with great pleasure that we celebrate Jacquie Matechuk as an honouree, having risen to the top of an incredible group of talented, global photographers.”
The judging panel that selected Matechuk consisted of titans of the photography world, including representatives from BBC World Service, ABC News, Conde Nast Publications-- which prints magazines like The New Yorker and Vanity Fair–the National Geographic Society, The Robb Report, and Rizzoli.
According to its press release, reFocus celebrates the lasting power and indomitable spirit of the photographic image and its unique ability to communicate ideas, captivate viewers, and express artistic intention. “Our goal is to elevate, honor, and promote incredible talent at all levels by offering a platform for discovery and advancement in the photography world,” the statement reads.
