Tag Archives: Gabriola Photography Club

Exploring Borneo & Singapore

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with Vicky Scott

Orangutan mother and baby, © Vicky Scott

In January and February of this year, Vicky Scott and her sister, Pat, embarked on a month-long trip of a lifetime – spending three and a half weeks in northern Borneo, followed by a few days in Singapore.

The Bornean highlights included:

  • the incredible caves of the Mulu World Heritage Park
  • the orangutans and proboscis monkeys of Sepilok
  • eight amazing days with expert local guides on the Kilabatangan River and in the Tabin and Danum Forests

Vicky says that the abundance and diversity of the wildlife was outstanding. “Our last four days in Borneo were spent on Mabul Island in what seemed like a snorkelling boot camp, with two to four dives a day among stunningly beautiful fish and coral, along with the occasional shark and large turtle.”

And then, Singapore – a stark contrast with its clean streets, massive high-rises and cultured gardens.

Vicky will give a presentation about the trip at our Club’s zoom meeting on Wed. June 4, 2025, at 10 am PDT. The link will be emailed to all Gabriola Photography Club members on the weekend before the meeting.

Non-members: you’re welcome to attend as a guest; be sure to contact us by June 2 to receive the link.

A Single Element – on now, until June 5

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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.

Western screech owl © John Konovsky

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.

“Embrace the Night: Introduction to Night Photography” – May 7

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With special guest presenter, Jürgen Lobert

At our club meeting on May 7, New England-based fine art photographer Jürgen Lobert will present an instructional introduction to night photography.

Night light transforms the familiar and creates serene and colorful views of our surroundings, revealing beauty even in the mundane. Night images relay a profound peace through smoothness, deepened colors and captured time – clouds and cars become streaks, water ripples smooth over, and stars form trails in the sky. Otherworldly, hauntingly beautiful and serene lightscapes can be the result.

The presentation teaches participants best practices to successfully create unique, very intriguing imagery at night, along with many examples for inspiration.

Jürgen Lobert is a photographer and educator, born and raised in Germany, who received a Ph.D in atmospheric chemistry from Gutenberg University in Mainz before moving to the US in 1991.

Jürgen specializes in night photography, daytime long exposures, urban exploration and infrared imagery. He has curated photography exhibits and his artwork is in the permanent collection of the Art Complex Museum, Duxbury MA and private collections.

He also organizes photo excursions, workshops and tours, serves as an international lecturer, instructor and competition judge, and teaches photography at the Griffin Museum of Photography. He is a Master Member of the New England Camera Club Council (MNEC) and the founder and organizer of the Greater Boston Night Photographers Meetup group.

You can find more info about Jürgen online at: https://linktr.ee/jmlobert/

The meeting will be held via Zoom, on Wed. May 7, 2025, at 10 am PDT. The link will be sent by email to all Gabriola Photography Club members on the weekend before the meeting. Make sure your membership is up to date so that you receive this.

A note to non-members of our Club: you’re welcome to attend this event as a guest; be sure to contact us by May 5 to sign up.

Adventures in Antarctica – April 16 & 22

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with Corinne Flaws

In late January of this year, Gabriola Photography Club member Corinne Flaws embarked on an adventure to the southernmost part of our planet, Antarctica, with a group of 19 other photographers. Departing from the town of Ushuaia, also known as ‘fin del mundo’ at the southern tip of Argentina, in Tierra del Fuego, they boarded the MS Seaventure with Polar Latitudes for an epic 12 day journey that began on January 27.

After a couple of rough days crossing Drake Passage, the group sailed for eight days among the islands along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, then through the Antarctic Circle – further south than even the ship’s captain had ever ventured – and on to continentaal Antarctica.

Each day was a new adventure, cruising on Zodiacs among icebergs, rugged mountains and glaciers. The group was able to land at penguin colonies and walk on sea ice. They had many opportunities to photograph seals, penguins, whales and seabirds, and witnessed first hand the impact of climate change on the environment, including calving glaciers and melting icebergs.

Two separate events this month, one virtual and the other in-person, will provide opportunities to see and hear more about Corinne’s journey. She’ll share stories of her adventures and photos including marine wildlife as well as rugged landscapes, beautiful reflections and incredible icebergs and glaciers.

Icebergs along the shore with sharp, snow-covered peaks in the background.

First, Corinne will give a virtual presentation at our Club meeting on Wed. April 16, 2025, at 10 am PDT. The Zoom link will be emailed to all Gabriola Photography Club members on the weekend before the meeting; make sure your membership is up to date so that you receive this. Non-members: you’re welcome to attend this event as a guest; be sure to contact us by April 14 to receive the link.

Then on Tues. April 22 (Earth Day), Corinne will give an in-person presentation at 6 pm at the Gabriola Arts Council (Blue Building) at 476 South Rd. on Gabriola Island. Donations at the door will be welcomed, to support GROWLS and Gabriola Arts Council.

If you’d like to learn more about Corinne’s work, check out her website.

“Contemplative Landscape Photography” – April 2

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With special guest presenter, David Johnston

Landscape photography is full of amazing overlooks and epic scenes. However, David wants to introduce us to a new way of seeing landscape photography – the contemplative way. In this presentation, He’ll teach us the steps we can take to slow down, see landscapes more intimately and capture creative photos. He hopes his presentation will help us to have a deeper appreciation for smaller scenes, see landscapes more creatively, and take more high quality images while we’re out.

David has been a professional landscape photographer and has over a decade of experience in teaching and helping people improve their nature photography, especially through podcasting and online video content and tutorials. In 2022 he founded Landscape Photography University, with workshop-style courses that aim to cover the range of needs to improve people’s photography skills while fitting within most people’s budgets.

You can see some of David’s beautiful nature photos on his website.

The meeting will be held via Zoom, on Wed. April 2, 2025, at 10 am PDT. The link will be sent by email to all Gabriola Photography Club members on the weekend before the meeting. Make sure your membership is up to date so that you receive this.

A note to non-members of our Club: you’re welcome to attend this event as a guest; be sure to contact us by March 31 to sign up.