Tag Archives: speakers

“Vimy and beyond: Visiting war-related sites in northern France” – November 5

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with special guest presenter, Libby Gunn

With Remembrance Day approaching, we are very pleased to welcome Libby Gunn as our next guest speaker, for a presentation that promises to be as moving as it is appropriate to the occasion.

In November 2022 Libby visited war-related areas of northern France, including Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach and other less well-known sites. She’ll share her photos and describe her experience of visiting these sites at our club meeting on Wed. November 5.

Close-up of a war memorial at Vimy Ridge with statue of a seated, grieving woman
At Vimy Ridge © Libby Gunn

Libby is a writer and photographer who moved to Gabriola Island ten years ago and has since volunteered in various capacities with Gabriola Land & Trails Trust. Previously she spent most most of her adult life in the NWT, working with Parks Canada for much of her career. As a writer, she has been longlisted three times for the CBC Nonfiction contest, has had her articles published in several magazines. and has self-published an illustrated natural history guide to the landscape near Fort Smith, NWT. She now splits her time between Gabriola and Lake of the Woods in northern Ontario. 

Libby describes her fascination with photography:

“I loved photography as a kid. As a teen I set up a black-and-white darkroom in the basement laundry/furnace room of our house in Vancouver. I spent many late-night hours under that red light trying just one more print to get it right… Art history captured my attention when I was at university. I loved learning more formally what I already worked with intuitively: line, shadow, composition. Later I played a lot with video. With the advent of digital pictures I have done less photography as I loved the rigour of film and  the mystery of the darkroom, but I am still composing  photos in my mind as I look out at the world, and a compelling photo still moves me.”

The meeting will be held via Zoom, on Wed. November 5, 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 info.

A note to non-members of our Club: you’re welcome to attend this event as a guest; contact us by November 3 to sign up.

Re-Scheduled Again: new date January 7, 2026 – “Dream – Believe – Create”

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With special guest presenter, John Barclay

(Originally planned for Nov. 2024, but postponed due to a storm and internet outage.)

We are pleased to welcome John Barclay as a guest speaker. John is an award-winning freelance photographer based in Bucks County, PA.  A passionate photographer, workshop leader and inspirational speaker, he has been presenting his programs to audiences around the world and his work has been published in a number of books and magazines. John has received an excellence award from B&W Magazine and was chosen by Dewitt Jones to participate in Dewitt’s www.healingimages.org program. You can see a few of John’s images below (click to enlarge).

Four photos by John Barclay, including black & white, color, landscape and abstract images.

John explains the background and purpose of the presentation he’ll be making:

“Why Dream – Believe – Create? There was a time when I felt I could not create. My self-talk was, I am not a creative person, I’m not smart enough, I can’t do this. After seeing images projected at the first workshop I took, I dreamed of becoming a good photographer. Primarily with the help of well known accomplished photographers Tony Sweet, Nancy Rotenberg and later Dan Sniffin, I was able to chip away at the negative self talk and believe that I could create worthwhile images. Thus Dream – Believe – Create has become the centerpiece of what I teach in my workshops. I believe that everyone has dreams and can achieve their dreams. I also believe that when you truly believe, you will be liberated to be able to create.

The process and journey required to create images feeds my soul and brings me great joy. My goal in this presentation is to inspire you to capture the essence of the subjects you are drawn to, using the creative medium of photography. This might entail capturing a small intimate portion of a scene. It might involve more creative techniques such as multiple exposures or the “slide sandwich” or camera movement for a more expressive interpretation.

I will also touch on the digital darkroom including the popular HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology and how having a keen understanding of these can help you achieve your artistic vision. Numerous examples will be shown which include traditional nature scenes as well as more abstract and urban compositions. We will explore the beauty in both the grand scale as well as more intimate details. The ideas presented in this program have application to any genre of photography.

I believe, like Ansel Adams, photographers bring to their images their own journeys, their sense of the world, their experiences and their passions. For me photography is simply another medium of artistic expression, visual poetry if you will.“

You can learn more about John and his work at www.barclayphoto.com.

The meeting will be held via Zoom, on Wed. November 19, 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 info.

A note to non-members of our Club: you’re welcome to attend this event as a guest; contact us by November 17 to sign up.

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.

“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.