Deaghan McLeod made her Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) debut this May — and came home with an impressive result.
Stonewall’s Deaghan McLeod celebrates her silver-medal finish in the photography competition at the Skills Canada National Competition in Toronto
The Stonewall photographer travelled to Toronto and captured a silver medal in the post-secondary photography division. As a recent graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s professional photography program, she said the achievement is life-changing.
“There is little that I didn’t feel like I gave it my all for. I feel the entire competition turned out the best it possibly could have,” she said. “It was absolute chaos, but the most fun ever.”
McLeod competed against representatives from every province and territory during a fast-paced, two-day competition that required contestants to complete and submit 14 on-the-spot photography assignments.
SCNC followed the Skills Manitoba Competition in April, where McLeod won gold in her category to qualify for nationals. Comparing the two events, she said the national competition was larger in scope and far more intense.
“It was everything you can possibly do in photography put into one competition over the course of two days,” she said. “It made me a little nervous for sure, but once the clock started, I began doing the things I wanted to do and was able to break through that anxiety.”
Supported by friends, family, classmates and instructor Jocelyne Hebert, McLeod said staying true to herself helped her remain calm and focused throughout the competition.
“At the end of the day, you need to go out there and do your best. Do things you are proud of and deliver the results you want to deliver,” she said. “I couldn’t have done this without the support I received. They kept me grounded and encouraged me to have fun, so I didn’t have time to stress about the competition.”
Contestants were tasked with a variety of challenges, including photographing four mystery objects, creating an HDR architectural image and producing a three-photo series based on the theme of balance.
McLeod said the balance assignment proved to be the most difficult because she initially struggled to decide whether to approach the theme literally or metaphorically. She ultimately chose to photograph male and female competitors in the trades, creating images that highlighted balance through representation.
Those photographs became some of the work she was most proud of because of the technical skill required to create them.
Her favourite image, however, featured one of the mystery objects: tin foil. Describing the assignment as a form of redemption, McLeod said she had struggled with a similar challenge during her studies and was eager for another opportunity.
“When I got tin foil at this competition, I was ready for it,” she said.
Her hard work paid off when she learned she had earned second place — a moment she recalls as emotional.
“I put so many years of hard work into building that moment,” she said. “It means absolutely everything to me.”
Looking ahead, McLeod plans to continue freelancing, focusing primarily on event and performing arts photography. She hopes to apply the lessons she learned at Skills Canada to her future work.
“I need to trust myself and have faith that I know what I am doing,” she said. “I am proud of the work I have done, and I will remain proud of the work I will do.”
