The North Shore Photographic Society has been around for more than 30 years and as photography has changed the club has kept pace.
In the past, members submitted slides of their photos (made from original film prints) to be presented at meetings. Now, however, photo samples are submitted digitally through the club's website. There are also more members now, which is probably due to the accessibility of digital photography.
Jason Duncan, the club's president, notes that cameras in general are now more functional and more powerful than they have been in the past. An 80-year-old or a two-year-old can pick up a camera and take a photograph, he says.
Despite the format changes, photography remains a popular hobby, and the club now has more than 100 members.
"I think it's the power of the moment," says Duncan of why photography has remained popular. "What I like best about it is, I think, the adventure of it," he adds, noting photography has pushed him to travel to places he might not otherwise have gone.
Duncan says taking a good photo can be attributed 80 per cent to the photographer and 20 per cent to the camera, and depends on three key elements: technical execution, timing and luck. He describes the North Shore Photographic Society as an advanced hobbyist crowd with many highly skilled members, but says beginners are always welcome.
"I think there's a great opportunity to get mentored within our club and learn from the more experienced photographers."
The group meets three times a month at St. Anthony's Church in West Vancouver, and each meeting features something different.
The first meeting of the month is projection night. Digital images submitted to the website by members are projected on a screen and three judges score and critique them. Members can move up levels in the club based on points they earn from the critiques.
The second meeting of the month is print night for which members bring in monochrome and colour prints and one judge scores and critiques them. The third meeting night is a workshop night and features visits from various professionals and others who do presentations on different aspects of photography, like Photoshop or macro photography, etc. The club also has a field trip each month to different locations where members participate in a photo exercise together.
Even those who don't own a camera are welcome to join and learn about photography. Throughout the year, members also compete in various national competitions and Duncan says the club consistently finishes in the top ranks.
The club will once again participate in the annual North Shore Photographic Challenge in March, and this year there is a new element: this year there is a club and an individual competition, so anyone can enter their pictures.
For more information, visit the website at nsps.ca.
