There’s a Canadian Pacific Calendar photo contest? Shut up and take my photos!!

I’m still hoping and praying that there will be news regarding the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train, and whether it will return to the rails in 2021. I had so much fun chasing the train for pictures and photos in 2017, 2018 and 2019 … and was bummed beyond belief when COVID-19 forced the train to become a “virtual” fundraiser instead.

Then I received this bit of news. Apparently Canadian Pacific is hosting a photo calendar contest, here’s a link to the prospectus.

Sweet.

Mind you, there are specific rules. Entrants must have taken the photo within the past five years, and must be a legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). Any photos that received awards or recognition in ANY OTHER PHOTO COMPETITION are ineligible for this calendar competition. The photos must not have been captured by use of dangerous tactics, including standing on the rails, or shooting from any CP-designated private property. The photos are to show the trains in action, not showing trains in disrepair or in distress. And no artistic shots of boxcar graffiti. Yecch.

13 winning photos will be selected for the 2022 calendar, with the winners each receiving a $150 VISA gift card and photo credit, along with promotion on social media.

I quickly scoured whatever photos that survived the Great Hard Drive Crash of 2020 – which meant that any photos I uploaded to my flickr account, or to this blog, were safe and usable. And thankfully, I found three images worth submitting to the event.

Here are my choices, one from 2017, one from 2018, and one from 2019.

Can I get any success from these images? I sure hope so.

But here’s the thing. Even if CP tells me that these photos aren’t what they’re looking for, it gives me at least some idea of what to attempt going forward. To get that incredible image that will really make people smile for at least a month when they check their calendars.

And even if I don’t find success with these submissions, I have at least an idea that, if I keep up with this, if I try hard and don’t give up, that one day I’ll get that extra-special, super-awesome Canadian Pacific Holiday Train shot that will absolutely make me grin from ear to ear every time I see it.

Oh, and if you’ve captured a CP train photo, either Holiday Train or regular rolling stock, you should certainly consider entering the contest. And if you do enter, I certainly hope your photo gets selected as well.

Okay. Now I gotta write a letter to some guy upstate. “Dear Santa… Please let the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train return to the rails for the 2021 Christmas season. You give me this, and I promise that for every successful image I take, I’ll make an in-kind donation to the Holiday Train’s U.S. charity, FeedingAmerica. Santa, I know I’ve asked for Lynda Carter for Christmas, but if I can’t have her, at least give me this. Thanks. – Chuck.”