Sooke woman captures Photographer of the Year title in international competition

Sooke woman captures Photographer of the Year title in international competition

Pascale Isabelle Navarro has captured the 2026 Photographer of the Year title at the Exposure One Awards, an international competition focused exclusively on black and white photography. Her gold medal image, taken at a night market in Ho Chi Minh City, shows a woman looking at her phone while a cat sits in a striking position on the table. Navarro also won bronze in the Film/Analog category for a 1996 photo of two men on a bench in Quebec City and received an honourable mention in Fine Art for an image from a former prison camp on Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam. The Vietnam trip marked her 50th birthday and fulfilled a travel photography dream she had held since photography school. Navarro, who teaches through her business Foto Rando, only began entering competitions about a year ago and says the recognition will support her continued focus on her career. The awards place a local Vancouver Island instructor among top international black and white photographers, raising her profile for students and clients seeking professional photography training.