Tag Archives: speakers

“The Nature of Impact” – April 1

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With special guest presenter, Martin Ross

We’re excited to welcome guest speaker Martin Ross, to present “The Nature of Impact: Demystifying the Wow Factor in Nature Photography”.

A gannet in flight against a dark blue sky, hovering with wings outstretched and legs extended.
© Martin Ross

Martin is a wildlife and sports photographer based in Cranbrook, BC who delivers nature photography presentations widely in BC, Alberta and beyond. A long-time individual member of CAPA, he is a national award-winning photographer, a very active remote member of the Lion’s Gate Camera Club in Vancouver, and lead photographer with the Cranbrook Bucks (part of the BC Hockey League). He has honed his upbeat presentation skills through many seasons of work as a park naturalist with Parks Canada and BC Parks, through studies leading to a Master of Education degree, and through a career in international education. His presentations are relevant for photographers at all skill levels.

Close up of two sea otters in the water, likely a mom and pup.

Martin describes impact as an elusive quality that separates eye-catching images from ordinary ones. Yet, as obvious as impact can be, he says it often defies explanation and simply slips through our fingers as we attempt to analyze an image. “This presentation looks beyond the smoke and mirrors of impact and reveals the very practical, underlying elements that work together to create the wow factor of great nature photographs – with applicability to photography in general.”

–Photo © Martin Ross 

You can see more of Martin’s work on his website.

The meeting will be held via Zoom, on Wed. April 1 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 March 29 to sign up.

“13 Days in Ecuador” – February 4

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Last fall, Gabriola Photography Club member Ron Rivers journeyed to South America, spending almost two weeks in Ecuador, including close to a week on the remote Galapagos Islands.

Blue-footed booby (bird with blue webbed feet and long dark bill)

He’ll be showcasing that adventure in a presentation to our club at our meeting on Wed., Feb. 4.

Ron will share his photos of Quito, the ancient capital of the Incan Empire, and of the equator – both the “French Equator” and the real equator.

He’ll also take us to the unique and precious Galápagos Islands, the volcanic archipelago located 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador – home to iconic wildlife including several species of boobies, giant tortoises and marine iguanas.

Blue-footed booby ©️ Ron Rivers

The meeting will be held via Zoom, on Wed. February 4, 2026, 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 February 2 to sign up.

“Dream – Believe – Create” – January 7, 2026

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With special guest presenter, John Barclay

After having to re-schedule several times, we are delighted to finally be able to welcome John Barclay as our first guest speaker of 2026.

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. January 7 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 January 5 to sign up.

“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.