Birds of a Feather – on until July 31

Posted on June 6, 2025 by gabephotoclub

As an ongoing project, Gabriola Photography Club curates the art display space downstairs at the Gabriola Medical Clinic on Church Street, Gabriola Island. Club members take turns having solo exhibitions or taking part in group exhibitions.

In our everyday life we all catch glimpses of birds as we go about our day – and when we’re lucky enough to have the time, many of us derive a deep satisfaction from watching birds more closely and learning about their lives.

Six Gabriola Photography Club members have been busy capturing and preserving some of the moments of wonder and inspiration offered by our feathered friends.

The photographs on display include birds from more about 30 species, from here on Gabriola to further afield, all the way to Borneo and Antarctica. Although they represent only a tiny slice of the amazing diversity within the avian world, we hope these images will add to your appreciation of the wonderful birds that continue to inspire our twin passions for nature and for photography.

Photos (clockwise from top left) by: Corinne Flaws, Laurence Lee, Linda Blokhuisen, Sher Falls, Vicky Scott, Laurie MacBride.

A Single Element – on now, until June 5

Posted on April 11, 2025 by gabephotoclub

We’re delighted to present a new exhibit by Gabriola Photography Club member, John Konovsky.

The fifteen photographs in John’s exhibit each focus on a single element, many of them birds. Some are simple portraits, some capture a moment. In John’s own words:

In an era of overload and clutter, my intent is to strip away distractions and celebrate the everyday beings around us. I myself, as an early bird, am drawn to the moody light of pre-dawn thru sunrise as represented in many of these images.

Each image ultimately expresses my sense of the beauty of solitary nature:

The Vaquero (Mexican cowboy) alone by the fire hints at introspection (Mexico)

The solitary rock chimney in the seascape centers a wondrous daybreak (NL)

The sheep grazing alone on a hilltop congers peacefulness (Ireland)

The flower and its reflection evokes what the Japanese call “sabi (寂び),” an appreciation of the aging/tarnishing/decaying process (Vancouver)

The empty mussel shell on a beach showcases the ebb and flow of living and dying (Mexico)

Each of the birds, young or old, is carrying on with life in some way

The foggy scene acknowledges the fading nature of our existence (Fraser Estuary)

Together, I hope all the images celebrate the delicate balance between humanity and the earth.

“Adventures in Photography” – Upstairs until Jan. 10/25

Posted on November 30, 2024 by gabephotoclub

Four gannets flying together, with wings outspread. — © Corinne Flaws

While our club continues to show our work downstairs at the Gabriola Medical Centre, this month you’ll find a new exhibit by one of our members upstairs as well.

“Adventures in Photography” is a new show by Corinne Flaws, a visual artist and photographer who specializes in landscape, wildlife and abstract imagery.

Corinne has always had a passion for nature and for capturing its beauty. It inspires her to share what she sees, through her photographs and her other art. As well as producing beautiful photographs, she enjoys capturing images with her camera to use as inspiration for her paintings.

Corinne moved from Winnipeg to Gabriola Island in 2020. This show includes a collection of her favourite images captured right here on Gabriola and on Vancouver Island, as well as from Manitoba and her travels in Utah and Oregon, and the Shetland Isles.

The exhibit will be on display upstairs at the Medical Centre until January 10, 2025.

Eyes on Nature – on now, until November 8, 2024

Posted on September 20, 2024 by gabephotoclub

Six members of Gabriola Photography Club have joined together to present our latest exhibition. Each of us is drawn by something a little bit different in our nature photography.

Linda has been pulled in by the splendour she sees in a bird’s outstretched wings and the details of its feather composition, with each feather adding to the overall effect of grandeur.

For Ian, photography is about having fun, and he’s been doing that recently from a bird blind in his garden. He’s also enjoyed using his macro lens to discover the uncommon beauty in some of our “common” backyard plants and fungi.

Corinne is fascinated by the variety of colour and forms in rocks, so she jumped at the chance early this year to explore the rock formations of Monument Valley, Utah, to try to capture the essence of this spiritually powerful place.

Nature never ceases to fill Sher with wonder and delight, no matter the season. She embraces the transition from fall to winter, when migrations bring beautiful new visitors to our region.

As a lifelong boater with her roots firmly planted on the west coast, Laurie is passionate about the natural environment of this place – both land and sea – and the amazing, complex web of life it supports.

John says his photographs record moments when his perception of the natural world is at its strongest, when he experiences a wonder based on a sense of the energy and processes that underpin our planet’s ecosphere.

We hope you’ll enjoy and appreciate the diversity of life and the beauty of the natural landscapes we have chosen to highlight in this exhibit.

Dark background image of woman behind camera

Spring is in the Air – February Field Trip

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Laurie MacBride, Eye on Environment

Barring another snow event or atmospheric river, Gabriola Photography Club’s first field trip opportunity of 2024 will be on Monday, February 12, when we’ll head to Sandwell Provincial Park on Gabriola Island.

We will meet at 1:00 pm, in the parking lot at the end of The Strand, and walk the trail to the salt marsh and beach, looking out for signs of spring life and bird activity.

The final hill to the beach and marsh is steep, so appropriate footwear is recommended. For those who wish to warm up after our excursion, we can gather for a post-field trip beverage and snack at the Surf Lodge.

Club members and other friends are welcome to participate. Please email ahead of time (“attn Sally”) if you are planning to join in, so that we can keep you apprised of any last-minute changes.

Click on any image below to expand and run the series as a slide show.