Longtime Gabriola Photography Club member and extraordinary photographer John Poirier passed away in May of 2025. An exhibition and sale of his work will be held at the Gabriola Arts & Heritage Centre, on Gabriola Island, August 14-16, 2026. It will provide a welcome opportunity to celebrate John, his work, and his vision of northern Canada and the west coast.
Details are below. Please help spread the word. Hope to see you there!
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.
Our current exhibition features Sher Falls (AKA “dragonflydreams88”), who is back with another instalment of her wonderful animal portraits and works of “heart”.
Sher focuses her lens on the beauty she finds every day in nature and the outdoors, then experiments with new layers, textures and creative ideas, until she is satisfied with the artistic metamorphosis that her subjects have undergone.
Sher describes her passion for photography:
“Stalking shadows & stealing light at every possible opportunity with my camera, I’ve become keenly aware of the beauty that surrounds me…I love experimenting with different techniques, transforming those captures into a work of ‘heart’. The creative possibilities are endless…my passion, obsession, addiction…I look forward to the possibility of sharing my vision and interpretation of the world through my lens on Gabriola Island again this summer.”
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.
We are very pleased to present a fascinating new exhibition by John Konovsky, entitled “Between Desert & Sea: how it unfolds”.
John explains the theme and content of his show as follows:
“After a career working as a conservation biologist alongside Coast Salish peoples, the photography of my retirement has focused primarily on morning light.
“The images in this show come from many trips to the Sonoran Desert of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. It is neither pristine wilderness, nor fully inscribed by human intention. Geology, biology and ocean interact constantly, often altered by human hands.
“Many assume this desert along the Sea of Cortez (= Gulf of California) is desolate. On the contrary, there is a is rich ecological and cultural history that I want to capture.
“Examples:
“Dawn is the organizing element of much of this work. In that beautiful, early light, when the desert is briefly cool and the day has yet to unfold, the countryside feels simultaneously fragile and enduring. Illustrating that tension is my intention.”
Enjoy some local photo fun on Gabriola Island on Friday, May 8, when we head to Coats Marsh Regional Park for our next field trip.
We will meet at 10 am in the parking area at the end of Stanley Road. (Take South Road to Coats Drive and head uphill towards RavenSkill Orchards; turn left onto Stanley Road, which abuts the south end of the orchard.)
We’ll walk the trails around Coats Marsh, and for those who are inclined, follow up with social time/lunch at Gabriola Golf Club.
If we have rain prior to the walk, waterproof footwear would be advised; otherwise, it the weather remains mostly dry, running shoes should be fine.
Club members and other friends are welcome to participate. Please let us know ahead of time if you are planning to join in, so we can keep you apprised of any last-minute changes.
John was an inspirational photographer, skilled in film, digital, black & white and colour. His primary subjects ranged from the natural environment and human culture of northern Canada, where he lived and worked for many years, to the energy and beauty of Gabriola’s forests and sandstone shores.
John shared his photographic knowledge with generosity and humility. He took part in most of our shows and club meetings, right up until a week before his death a year ago. More often than not, we learned something valuable from the little gems of wisdom he quietly shared with us. We remember him with great fondness, and this show is our attempt to honour his memory. (Photo by Bill Pope.)
Our thanks to John’s wife MJ and daughter Anne for lending some of John’s wonderful work to this show and for keeping his website accessible. It’s definitely worth a visit.
John’s eye for subtlety and meaning were gifts which he freely and humbly shared with all of us. His insights were much appreciated.
–Laurence LeeJohn saw the world with amazing perception and expressed what he saw in the art of photography. Walking the trails of Gabriola, you could bump into him, his tripod and camera slung over his shoulder, and if you were lucky there would be a brief chat. Under the sometimes gruff exterior he was curious and kind, sharing his knowledge with thought and care. We are better for his discerning eye.
–Sally BullasJohn inspired me with his vast collection of work, and I appreciated how knowledgeable and happy to help he was. I loved to hear his comments, always kind and encouraging.
–Linda BlokhuizenJohn shared his knowledge with a gentle, humble approach. I learned a lot from him, both at club meetings and in our personal conversations. He was highly skilled, inspiring and encouraging the rest of us to love and practice photography in whatever way best suited us.
–Laurie MacBride
Gabriola Photography Club 