A retired engineer turned hobbyist photographer has won a local photography competition with a black and white image captured on a whim during a rare midnight snowfall. Marcus Rodrigues, 67, took first place in the Northern Midlands Council photography competition with a striking photograph of a snow-covered road in Ross, Tasmania, that he shot purely for personal enjoyment.

Rodrigues, who is of Chinese-Portuguese heritage, was born in Hong Kong and moved to Australia with his family in 1970 when he was 11 years old. After a successful engineering career on the mainland, he retired to Ross, Tasmania, just over a decade ago, drawn by the weather, scenery, people, and lifestyle that culminated in what he describes as a calling to move to the island.

The 67-year-old photographer has been capturing images for nearly half a century, starting at age 10 when he photographed his family dog in the backyard with a disposable film camera. While he still occasionally enjoys the tactile experience of film photography today, his current passion focuses on astrophotography from the telescope in his backyard. "Whenever I have a chance, I take photos," Rodrigues explained, emphasizing his lifelong love for the craft.

The winning photograph was taken at midnight during an unexpected snowfall, with his camera settings perfectly calibrated to capture the snow mid-drift against the illuminated street lamp. What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that Rodrigues used a camera without a screen, relying entirely on instinct and decades of experience to dial in the settings. He had no way of knowing what he had captured until he returned to his computer to review the images.

"It went very quiet, and that I know means snow, when all the sound disappears," Rodrigues recalled of that magical moment. "So I looked outside and the first thing I saw was [the lamp and snow], and I wanted to capture it; not for the competition, for myself." The photographer emphasized that this was an ephemeral moment that could never be recreated, making the successful capture all the more special.

Rodrigues made a deliberate artistic choice to shoot in black and white, explaining that color would have been distracting. The bush in the foreground was red, which he felt would have drawn attention away from the light halo and the graceful movement of the falling snow. The monochrome treatment allows the snow-covered road to guide the viewer's eye naturally toward the illuminated lamp post, creating a compelling composition.

"I'm quite proud because the [competition] was quite extensive," Rodrigues said. "It's very hard to beat color, and very hard to beat people who take 100 shots and use software to modify it. That all the mistakes I've made in the past, I happen to get everything right." His victory was particularly satisfying given the technical and artistic challenges he overcame.

The photographer believes that being successful requires living in the moment and maintaining a creative mindset when composing shots. While astrophotography remains his primary passion, Rodrigues acknowledges that it differs from capturing fleeting moments like his winning snow scene. "The moon is always there," he noted, contrasting the predictable nature of celestial photography with the spontaneous opportunities that present themselves in everyday life.

Rodrigues emphasizes the creative and subjective nature of photography, explaining that no two people would see the same moment or subject in exactly the same way. This personal vision and unique perspective contributed to his competition success, demonstrating that technical skill combined with artistic intuition can produce powerful results.

The Northern Midlands Council organized the photography competition to showcase the municipality's scenic beauty, with the theme "choose the scenic route." More than 140 photographs were submitted, creating a challenging selection process for the judging panel. Three judges spent over four hours in October carefully evaluating each entry before crowning Rodrigues as the winner.

Judge Tracey Mallet explained the comprehensive evaluation process, noting that the panel examined every detail including composition and eyelines, lighting and color, sharpness, and how effectively each photograph captured the competition's theme. "Shortlisting was incredibly tough because the standard was so high," Mallet said. "The finalists have produced photographs that are both technically strong and emotionally resonant."

The council will host an exhibition featuring the finalists' works at the Campbell Town Recreation Ground from Saturday, January 10, to Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Visitors will have the opportunity to vote for the People's Choice Award, adding another layer of community engagement to the competition. Northern Midlands Mayor Mary Knowles praised the outstanding response to the competition, noting the "more than 140 entries that capture the spirit, beauty and character of our Northern Midlands." She encouraged everyone to visit the exhibition, participate in the People's Choice voting, and join the community on Australia Day to celebrate the talented local photographers.