Program 2023 - 2024

Sept. 7 – Liminal Images: Beneath the Patina of Corrosion By Michael Pietrocarlo

Beneath the patina of corrosion is the wonder of a forgotten past. My aim is to reveal—and revere—the liminal space between purpose and irrelevance. I’m drawn to the mystery of places that endure abandonment: forlorn constructs ravaged by nature, time, and the boundaries of ruin. My images hope to reveal the brutal beauty of decay, to revisit former grandeur, and to recall humanity’s ephemeral nature. Discovering and documenting these spaces is to illustrate artistry in dereliction, hope in obsolescence, and intimacy in emptiness.

Sept 21 – The Art of Drone Photography: A Beginner's Guide By Seeshan Bana

 In this session, we will introduce you to the world of drone photography. You'll learn the basics of using drones for photography, how to plan and execute a successful drone photography shoot, and tips for capturing stunning photos. We'll also cover post-processing techniques and showcase some amazing drone photography projects. Whether you're a photography enthusiast or a professional photographer, this session will provide you with valuable insights and inspiration.

Photo Challenge: Summer Scavenger Hunt Results

Oct 5 – Digital Photography with a vintage twist - using an alternative process to celebrate our tree friends By Nicola Woods

Nicola Woods is a fine art photographer who channels a love for trees and their flowers into shimmering images that resemble early forms of photography such as daguerreotypes. Inspired by the physical beauty and the symbolic meaning of trees she explores how they mark time and embody qualities of liberty, hope and grace.  When Nicola spends time in nature, she is captivated by the way light shimmers through the tree canopy and how sunshine glows through a leaf.  She brings these beautiful qualities of light into her work by layering her photographs over metal leaf. In her presentation Nicola will share examples of her work and the processes behind her unique technique.

Photo Challenge: Face Pareidolia

Oct. 19 – Members’ Night

Members will make presentations on their recent work

Nov 2 – Architectural Photography and the related urban landscape By Simon Holder

I am a Toronto based professional photographer who has been interested in architecture during my entire career. From a historical, design and aesthetic perspective and how it appears in the urban and rural landscape. I will be discussing how I look at structures not always as a whole but in a detailed perspective and how we can look at architecture in new ways through the camera.

Photo Challenge: Tactile Textures

Nov. 16 – Photo Contest 1 (Digital) – Results of Judging

Categories are: Nature Birds/Animals People in Action, The Beach - Hometown Pride, and Open

Dec. 7 – Red Works Photography by Nadya Kwandibens

Nadya Kwandibens presents an overview of her work spanning 17 years. Her photography focuses primarily on Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, known as Canada and the United States. In 2008 she founded Red Works Photography, a dynamic photography company empowering contemporary Indigenous lifestyles and cultures through photographic essays, features, and portraits. She is a Canon Ambassador and the current Photo Laureate for the City of Toronto.

Photo Challenge: Bokeh

Dec. 21 – Christmas Social

Tentatively at the Beacher Cafe.

Jan. 4 – Building Confidence to shoot street by Monique Campbell

"Building Confidence to Shoot Street" is for beginner and experienced street photographers. About 60 photos will be shown and Monique will share her experience as a photojournalist and fine art photographer. Several before and after photographs will be shown to demonstrate her photography process and discuss post production. Her work can be seen on her new website https://momentsbymonique.com and on instagram: @moments_by_monique and Facebook: MomentsbyMonique_street photography

Photo Challenge: The Passage of Time

Jan. 18 – Technical Members’ Night

Members will provide presentations on various technical topics.

Feb. 1 – Photographing the Unseen / Analog Dreams By Jonathan Stainton

Telling stories with still images has always interested Jonathan, especially when that story is a heightened, reality bending capture of our world. As a lifelong fan of other artists pushing the boundaries in different mediums he has always strived for something different from his photography, something to stand out - without relying on heavy post-production manipulation. His current work with full spectrum photography (primarily focussed on Infrared) is like witnessing a vibrant living dream. This in-camera methodology also stretches into his analog work with 135 and 120 film photography where he uses old and new tricks to enrich his surreal style. 

Photo Challenge:  Faces of Love

Feb. 15 – Photo Contest 2 (Digital) – Results of Judging

Categories are:  Expansive Views, Creative Vision, Architecture, and Open

Mar. 7 – Composite Images: A different way to tell a story By Liz Stanton   

It can take a while to find your photographic niche, or at least some direction, and having tried different types of photography over the years I finally realised that I was most at home with landscapes. With landscapes I feel I have a voice and a way to express myself as well as highlight the many intriguing aspects of our surroundings, whether rural or urban. And yet, there are times when I need to take images just that little bit further, and tell another story. In this presentation I’ll talk about my approach to landscapes and how and why some of them evolve into composite images.

Photo Challenge: Life's Little Joys

Mar. 21 – Walking in Circles by Cristian Ordonez

Cristian will give an overview of the process and work of the "Frequency" series, a project for which the  artist won the Burtynsky Grant in 2021, and his recent  series, "Valle" created in the Huasco Valley, Atacama, Chile in 2022, and exhibited at Rencontres de la photographie in Gaspésie in Quebec, 2023.

Apr. 4 – Portraits: People and Found Objects (Road Art) by David Johns

When I was 12, my family visited relatives in Baltimore via Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. That’s where I saw Union army recruitment photographs of soldiers not much older than myself. I could not avoid their stare. That’s when I felt the impact of a portrait. Using a camera is my way of retaining something that always changes. That’s reflected in my portraits and images of material I photographed on the roads of Toronto.

Photo Challenge: Shadows and Light

Apr. 18 –  Misunderstanding Memory By Caley Taylor

My photographs begin as film in my old Pentax ME Super camera. The negatives are then developed in my home darkroom and re-photographed in digital form. The exciting distortions, strange depth-of-field and window-framed images are memory suggestive. The “Misunderstanding Memory” project began as I unpacked my own memories and examined them for accuracy.

May. 2 – Capturing Magic By Nika Belianina

You don't necessarily need AI to add a magic touch to your photographs. Nika Belianina is an award-winning fine art photographer with an exhibition history spanning Belgium, Canada, Peru and the USA. Her poetic photographs have elements of magical realism and movement, creating unique emotions. She will share several of her go-to in-camera tricks and techniques she uses for her dynamic, moving and imaginative portraits.

Photo Challenge: Macro

May. 16 – Photo Contest 3 (Print) – Results of Judging

Categories are: Monochrome and colour

Jun. 6 – End of Season BBQ Social

Outings

TBD




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