Home

Classifieds

Weather

Community Calendar

Spotlight: New Photography members welcome

Theresa Seraphim
for Spotlight

Whether it’s through still life, landscapes, or other types of photos, anyone looking to improve his or her picture-taking skills can join High Prairie’s photography club, which has been in existence since the spring of 2011.

More men and more young people would be especially welcome, but anyone from High Prairie and area who is interested can join, say club members Louise Liebenberg and Jodi Sware.

The number of people varies, but is at six members at present.

“We just got the idea together and decided it would be nice to have a photography club in town,” explains Liebenberg.

She stresses the group is “not a club where you’re taught something but (it’s) for discussing photos. It’s more like getting together to appreciate the photographs.”

While local professional photographer Sware is part of the group, which has no formal leader and no membership fee, members are urged to discover for themselves how their cameras operate and what f-stops, lighting and other elements work best.

At each monthly meeting, a theme is explored and a project assigned, and participants return the following meeting with their best shots, talking about what worked or didn’t work for them, says Sware.

“I think there’s nothing nicer than looking at a photo and being inspired by it,” Leibenberg states.

Projects have included topics such as colour, Christmas, landscape, postcard perfect, natural light, on the bench, still life and macro (close-ups of bugs, flowers, etc.).

“We try not to limit it,” says Sware and, says Leibenberg, a picture-taker can put his or her own interpretation on the project.

Some assignments can use more straightforward shooting while others, like the macro, involve making adjustments to the camera’s various elements, Leibenberg notes.

The projects mandate participants to “actually go out and take pictures,” says Liebenberg. This, says Sware, has the result of “getting you out of your comfort zone, of what you want to shoot all the time.”

Club members Cori Burgar and Yvonne Sanders, who joined in September, agree.

“(It’s) getting ourselves out there to take pictures,” notes Burgar.

“It makes one think outside the box (and) we can bring different perspectives into the club…We do a lot of constructive comment because we each have our own style.”

That style, says Burgar, ranges from “purists to people who like to do all sorts of artistic stuff,” and anyone joining the club should be comfortable with their abilities and styles.

Leibenberg says even when a picture doesn’t turn out well, “that’s OK,” as it is also a learning experience.

Sware says the meetings provide a night out and a chance to socialize, as well as the chance to improve photography skills.

Men would provide a viewpoint not necessarily seen by the women in the group, says Sware.

“They have such a good perspective and they’re more technical.”

Youth, she says, are “fearless” and ready to try anything when taking pictures, which can also result in a unique perspective.

Projects also encourage participants to open their eyes to the world around.

“If you have to go and look for that thing (you become more aware),” notes Leibenberg.

Sware says one doesn’t have to go great distances to find potential subjects.

“It’s beautiful wherever you are. You just have to see it.”

Indeed, she says, that became even easier when she started using a digital camera, as she can see the picture immediately and make necessary changes, which saves time and money.

“It’s exciting, when you figure it out,” she states.

For Stephanie Dube, who has been in the club since its inception, learning how the various elements of the camera work is a “totally new” experience, since she has been used to shooting in automatic mode.

“Sometimes you take 100 pictures before you get one good one,” Dube comments.

She said she found a food photography assignment the hardest, especially in making it look appetizing with proper lighting, but enjoyed the most recent task, which was Christmas photography.

“I’m used to taking pictures of non-real things and I’m not used to people.”

Sware and Leibenberg hope that, once the club is more established, an exhibit of members’ work will be held.

This would allow the public to see the best photos and would also provide motivation for members to do their best.

“If you have to publicly display your picture, you try a little harder,” says Leibenberg.

While the club is not a formal learning group, “we’d love to have guest speakers to come to our meetings,” says Sware.

The dates and locations of each meeting are set at the previous meeting, Liebenberg notes.

Anyone wanting more information can contact Sware at athousandwords@prairiewireless.ca or 780-523-3161, or Leibenberg at info@grazerie.com or 780-523-9911.