Please note that programs are subject to change without notice.

All meetings this season will be using the ZOOM online platform unless noted.

Click here to download the Program pdf file for your records. It covers the FULL season.

******************September 2021******************

Theme, "OPEN"

September 7

Opening Members Night Meet and Greet

- New Executive and Board Introductions

- Competitions-themes-guidelines

- Programming

- Members introductions/discussions on photography interests/skills/knowledge

**************************

Field Trip

Sept. 12th - Sunday am - Assiniboine Park - English Garden, Leo Mol, the Leaf

Click here for Assiniboine Park Map

Click here for Details and Instructions for the Field Trip

**************************

September 14

Speaker: Alex DeVries - "Seasons of Churchill"

https://www.alexdevriesphotography.com/

Bio: Alex de Vries was born and raised in The Netherlands. At the age of 13, he moved to Winnipeg where he attended high school and university. Alex became a professional photographer after moving to Churchill, MB in 2010 when he fell in love with the natural beauty and wildlife of his surroundings.

While working as a sled dog musher, he continued to study the work of local photographers as well as the many professionals who travel to Churchill during the polar bear, northern lights, and beluga whale seasons.

Aside from being an avid adventurer and world traveller, Alex is currently a tour guide for Sea North Tours, a company specializing in Beluga whale watching in the Churchill River mouth to the Hudson Bay in the summer, and he drives for Great White Bear Tours during the busy polar bear season in the fall.

September  21

Speaker: Rodney Braun - "TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY"

https://rodneysbraun.com/

Bio: Rodney Braun has been a photographer in Winnipeg since 2000. With five solo art shows and two books to his credit, Rodney is establishing himself as an artist in Manitoba and beyond. Rodney is known for his innovative use of light, movement and setting in depicting the human body with grace and dignity.

Rodney currently teaches at Red River College and has been on the Board of the Professional Photographers of Canada. He is a two-time winner of the title “Photographer of the Year” with the Professional Photographers of Canada-Manitoba, as well as winning numerous awards nationally.

Rodney also leads photography tours to places such as Arizona, Utah and California. He will give a quick overview of tours and then go into taking a photo from a snapshot to a decent finished image.

Image Competition entries are due for the Theme: “OPEN”

September 28

Critique Night for the theme "OPEN"

*****************October 2021******************

Theme, "NATURE" 

This includes any wild animal, bird or plant.  Domestic animals, pets and cultivated plants are not included. The "Hand of Man" should not be evident except where wild animals have adapted to man made objects (eg: owl on a fence post)

***************

FIELD TRIP

CHANGE OF DATE!! Now Saturday, Oct. 2rd - Pinawa Dam Provincial Heritage Park for Fall Colours

Click here for "Outbound Instructions"

Click here for Field Trip details

Click here for "Inbound Instructions"

**************

October 5

Speaker: Justin Anderson & Ryan Lucenkiw- "AURORA CHASING"

aurorajanderson.com/

facebook.com/AuroraJustinAnderson/

Bio: If you’ve ever taken your camera outside at night, you know that photographing the stars, northern lights and other astronomical objects can be quite difficult at first. Join Justin Anderson to learn the basics behind night photography. He will speak in depth about how to use your camera at night and come out with a crystal clear photo of the stars.

Justin Anderson is the creator of the active Facebook group Manitoba Aurora and Astronomy, which shares aurora alerts, astronomical events and night photography tips with more than 20,000 members. He specializes in taking photos of Manitoba's night sky, including the Aurora Borealis, Milky Way and much more.

The presentation will go over camera basics, objects you can photograph throughout the year, understanding the aurora borealis, and much more. There will be a Q&A at the end of the presentation.

October 12

Speaker: Darlene Perkin - STILL LIFE

perkind.myportfolio.com/

Bio: Darlene Perkin has been described as “photographically creative” by her peers. She loves learning new techniques and coming up with imaginative photo ideas.

Darlene taught evening Photography and Photoshop courses at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon for over 20 years. She also taught in the Photography Department of Crocus Plains High School. She belongs to the Brandon Camera Club and served as President for several years. She has presented workshops on iPhone Photography and DSLRs in Mazatlan, Mexico, at Wasagaming Art Gallery and for private organizations.

Darlene’s photographs have been published in numerous calendars and various magazines such as Popular Photography, Canadian General Accounting and the Ag Days cover this year. She was the Event Photographer for Brandon’s Keystone Centre covering acts such as The Tragically Hip, The Guess Who, Kenny Rogers and Nickelback.

Darlene loves to photograph wildlife and landscapes, primarily in Riding Mountain National Park and SW Manitoba. She is currently concentrating on creative still life projects.

This presentation will walk you through some still life tips and basic techniques to give you a good starting point to create your own still life pictures. From flatlay setups to set design plus lighting and some everyday magic, she will give you ideas to elevate your still life images.

***************

FIELD TRIP

Oct. 17th, Sunday - Exchange District - "1-2-3, CLICK"

Meet at "The Cube" in Old Market Square at 11:00.  We will split into groups and meet back there at 12:30.  Those who want to can then go for  lunch (not included) afterwards at the nearby King's Head Pub.

For details click here

***************

October 19

Speaker: Bryan Peterson - Understanding Colour

Maryland Photography Alliance- MPA Artist Spotlight

www.bpsop.com https://www.bryanfpeterson.com/

Bio: Bryan Peterson was a successful commercial photographer from 1983 through 2003, shooting both corporate annual reports and advertising campaigns. His clients included American Express, Kodak, UPS, Phillips and Citibank.

In addition, his work has been selected seven different times by Communication Arts Photography Annual and four times by

Print Magazine and was also awarded the prestigious New York Art Directors Gold Award.

Since 2003, he has written 12 photography books, which have been translated into nine different languages. He is best known in the photographic community as the photographer/writer of “Understanding Exposure”, which has sold more than one-million copies world-wide. As well, he is the author of the best-selling titles, “Learning to See Creatively” and “Understanding Color.”

His latest book, “Photographing People”, was published in August of 2020. In addition to leading photography workshops around the world, Bryan is also the founder of the on-line photography school, www.bpsop.com.

This webinar is comprised of more than 300 before and after, good/better/best examples. At the end of Bryan’s one-hour talk, you will be inspired and motivated to go out and shoot the wonderful world of COLOR, now that you’ll know where to look!

Competition entries are due for the theme: "NATURE"

October 26

Presentation and critiquing of competition entries for the theme: "NATURE”.

***************November 2021**************

Theme - "STILL LIFE"

The subject(s) in the image must consist of inanimate objects

November 2

Speaker: Alex Morrison - "ARTIFY YOUR IMAGES"

https://alexandra-morrison.com/

“Artify” your Images, develop your own unique style. Today we live in a world of infinite possibilities, where artists create life-like hyper-realistic paintings that look like photographs; where artists with cameras transform photographs into works that appear to be paintings.

Photography has become so accessible, and the Internet floods millions of people daily with stellar images that the viewer becomes “inoculated” and numbed. Follow @insta_repeat on IG, for some examples.

Like Cezanne, Picasso, The Group of Seven, Virginia O’Keefe and other masters, photographers can, and should, develop a personal style and a body of work that is almost instantly recognizable as being yours.

With the wide variety of tools, apps and free instruction on-line, there has never been a better time for photogs to jump into the deep-end of fine art to create their own personal style and stand out from the rest.

This presentation will give you several jumping-off points for artifying your work in a painterly way as one path to developing your own style. List of resources will be provided.

November  9

Speaker: Steve Ricketts - Photographing the Prairies

https://www.imagesalberta.ca/steve-ricketts-gallery.html

https://www.stevericketts.ca/

BIO: Steve Ricketts describes himself as mostly self-taught, drawn to photography in retirement. He was a scientist by education and work and takes a scientific approach to photography.

While the Alberta Rockies are the home of a lot of spectacular scenery, he finds himself drawn increasingly to shooting landscape in central and eastern Alberta, particularly in the Vegreville and Two Hills area. That is, rather than take the viewer on a journey to marvel at the grandeur of the Rockies, he prefers to show them the subtle beauty of the Prairies.

His presentation will cover:

• Pre-planning possible photoshoot locations

• Proven spots to go

• Available photographic subjects (landscape, prairie animals)

• Timing for such photoshoots (time of year, time of day)

• What should be in your kit bag

• Things to be cautious of (legal aspects about going onto private property, rattlesnakes, insects, driving at dusk and large mammals)

• Tips for landscape photography

November 16

Speaker: Kelly Vanderbeek - "GO BEYOND - SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY"

https://www.kellyvanderbeek.com/

https://www.beginningsbykelly.com/gallery

At 16 years of age, Kelly VanderBeek photographed her first wedding and developed her images in her darkroom. Since then, Kelly's passion for this craft has only grown. Now running a boutique business, "Beginnings By Kelly" in Canmore, AB, Kelly’s photographic work portfolio has expanded beyond wedding, couple and family photography into action sports. She is a SONY brand ambassador and has photographed Prince Harry & Prince William, countless sports & athletes, families, infants, and couples so deeply in love she is inspired to honour those connections. Winner of an Epson award, she has been highlighted in PhotoNews magazine and her work is regularly showcased on national platforms like CBC and the National Post.

As an Olympian and World Cup medallist, Kelly’s athletic past has taken her into her other career as a broadcaster & speaker. This provides her with access to a broad range of sporting events and worldwide travel, expanding her range of photographic subjects. The best way to summarize Kelly’s work portfolio is to say she is a storyteller, both behind and in front of a camera.

Her presentation will cover:

• How to effectively transition from photographing people/landscapes to photographing action sports

• Identifying transferable skills & tools (and knowing what to leave at home)

• Knowing your 'blind spots' when it comes to photographing sport (ex. safety, weather, editing trends)

November 23

Members Night -

1st Half - will be MCC Business and Constitution Amendments

2nd Half - "Field Trip Results"

- Assiniboine Park, Pinawa Dam, Exchange District

Competition entries are due for the Competition-Theme "STILL LIFE"

November 30

Presentation and critiquing of Competition Images for "STILL LIFE"

******************December 2021:****************

NO THEME or COMPETITION

December 7

Speaker:  Cole Thompson - Why Black and White?

Maryland Photography Alliance- MPA Artist Spotlight

https://colethompsonphotography.com/

Bio: Cole Thompson is uniquely unqualified to speak on photography:

• I don’t have a degree in art or photography, I’ve never taken a class or workshop,

I’ve

• never worked as a photographer, I have no gallery representation and I’m not a Canon Explorer of Light.

• Do I have any qualifications?

Yes, my images...nothing else matters! In 75 minutes Cole will attempt to convert the most diehard color photographers to black and white. He will be showing images from each of his portfolios, interspersed with his photographic philosophies, including:

• Why you shouldn’t listen to other’s advice.

• Photographic Celibacy.

• Capture Vs Creating

• Ansel’s Already done Ansel

• Simplify

• Equipment is not nearly as important as you think

• Don’t compare your work to others

• What photographic rules you should follow

• To create great images you must go to great locations...

• Cole’s Rule of Thirds And most importantly (even more important than black and white), he will be discussing what he believes is the most essential ingredient to a great image: your Vision.

December 14: TBA, MAYBE A HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA?? IDEAS??

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

****************January 2022*****************

Happy New Year

January 4

Speaker: Carey Lauder: Photoshop Actions and Table Top Light Painting

https://www.facebook.com/jamescarey.lauder

January 11

Speaker: Kevin McIntyre - "Candid, Natural and Low Light Portraiture"

Kevin was born and raised in Winnipeg Manitoba, and originally got into photography in grade 9 at John Pritchard school when he started developing pictures in the downstairs darkroom. He went to Kildonan East Collegiate where he learned more about photography and commercial art, and started to fall in love with shooting pictures.

He moved to Toronto in 1991 and stared a career in Theatre performing in musicals such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. During this time, he spent most of his money on cameras and lighting equipment and started photographing actors in Toronto for their headshots and promotional material.

Kevin moved to Los Angeles with his wife in 1996 and opened up his studio. He photographed actors and celebrities for 23 years, and did commercial work for Estee Lauder and many magazines.

He moved back to Canada in 2019, but continues to shoot in Los Angeles every 6 weeks or so, as well as running a small photo studio in Winnipeg. He will be discussing how he got into portrait photography, and how he uses mostly natural light. He will help you “find the light” to make dynamic portraits. Also the discussion of how portraits moved from black and white film to colour digital.

January 18

Speaker: Jordan Carruthers - "Storm Chasing "

https://highwaysandhailstones.com/chasers/jordan-carruthers/

https://www.facebook.com/StormChaserJC/

Raised in Portage la Prairie, MB I became interested in severe weather when I was a kid, and it gradually became a full-time Passion, I started my Facebook page “Manitoba Storm Chasers” in 2015 as a place for me to share my photos and videos, and it quickly blew up into a page with over 50,000 followers, I then expanded into Youtube, Twitter, and other social media, and also began running Storm Chasing Tours, both locally and abroad Which now run under the name “Vorticity Storm Tours” and can be found at www.vorticitystormtours.com.

The Covid-19 Pandemic forced me to leave my full-time job in 2020, And that was when I made the decision to put my heart and soul into my storm chasing and my weather forecasting full time, and turn it from a passion into a career, I am currently starring in a storm chasing TV series called “Under The Meso” on WCGtv out of Western Manitoba, Episode 1 premiered in early July of 2021, It has been a tough season to shoot a storm chasing show, But future episodes are in the works and will be airing soon!

I hope you enjoy following along on my Chases here on Highways and Hailstones!

Competition entries are due for the Competition Theme "OPEN"

January 25

Presentation and critique night for Theme "OPEN"

******************February 2022*****************

Theme - "PORTRAITS" - Candid or Formal

February 1

Speaker: Becky Fleury - "PORTRAITURE"

https://www.beckyfleuryphotography.com/

Bio: Becky Fleury is a national award-winning photographer based out of Oakbank Manitoba. She specializes in Maternity, Newborn, Children, Family and Sport Portraits and is committed to perfecting her craft to offer clients exceptional keepsakes that stand out and last a lifetime.

Becky states that she has always been a creative person and loves all things that help her express her colourful ideas and bring life to her creativity. She entered into the photography business over ten years ago due to her obsession with capturing life’s precious moments.

In April 2021, Becky received the awards of both Child Portrait and Group Portrait of the Year for Canada (Professional Photographers of Canada). She has been nominated for Canada’s 2021, 2020 & 2019 Portrait Photographer of the Year!

Becky’s education includes over 20 years of Photoshop and graphic design experience which helps transform her imagery into flawless and unique pieces of art. She is a trained facilitator and has been sharing her experience and techniques at the provincial and national level.

February 8

Speaker: Peter Baumgarten - "By Path or Paddle", Photographing the Natural World

www.creativeislandphoto.com

Peter is a professional photographer and educator living on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario. He regularly leads photography courses and workshops for novice and enthusiast photographers and travels across North America as an Olympus Visionary providing lectures and seminars on landscape, wildlife, and astrophotography.

His work has been published in a number of magazines in both Canada and the U.S. and has been recognized for excellence on a number of photography websites. Peter is an avid outdoor enthusiast with a passion for wilderness camping, canoeing and kayaking.

Whether you travel the world, or just explore your own backyard there are countless photo opportunities that exist in the natural world.

In this presentation, Peter discusses the challenges and joys of outdoor photography and the compositional strategies he employs “to get the shot”.  Numerous tips and techniques will be discussed in the area of landscape and wildlife photography.

February 15

Speaker: Christian Sasse - "Eagle Photography" https://hancockwildlife.org/team/christian-sasse/

Dr. Christian Sasse’s passion encompasses both eagle photography and astronomy. He has been a close friend of David Hancock since 2011 and they have embarked on trips and talks together. His academic background as an electrical engineer and physicist, particularly his knowledge of optics and the physical properties of light, has shaped his photography. His photography uniquely captures colors and patterns due to his keen sense of how his objects reflect, refract, diffract and transmit light. Dr. Sasse runs a popular YouTube channel where he uses innovative techniques to bring wildlife to his subscribers – an experience which immerses his viewers into an active dialogue during his live events. In 2017 and 2018 Christian’s eagle photography was featured in National Geographic articles.

Entries due for competition Theme "PORTRAITS"

February 22

Judging and critique night of "PORTRAITS"

*******************March 2022******************

Theme: "SCENICS" - Includes landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes

March 1

Members Night - Don Berthman & Gerry Legere, "Tips and Tricks"

MCC members, Don and Gerry present their tricks of the trade on Software.

March 8

March 15

March 22

Speaker: Nancy Arnold - TBA

Entries due for the competition theme, "SCENICS"

March 29

Judging and critique of March competition, 

SCENICS"

********************April 2022***********************

April 5

Speaker:  Jim Cline - "Principles of Successful Travel Photography"

https://jimclinephototours.com/

Travel photography, from the elements that make up a successful photograph, pre-planning shots, and how best to use the camera. Jim will also demonstrate how to engage with local people to create compelling images that portray not just what a place looks like, but how it feels. He will finish with images of families he has met and established relationships with over many years in countries in Latin America.

Jim Cline, is an award-winning cultural documentary and travel photographer. Jim is known for his willingness to shoot all around the edges of light, creating images with tremendous impact that capture the essence of a place or culture. He always strives to transcend ordinary travel pictures, and to convey a strong sense of place, and the spirit of the people in his photographs. Jim’s wanderlust and search for compelling images has brought him to many less-travelled areas around the world. He takes particular interest in the indigenous peoples and traditional cultures of developing nations, and in documenting these disappearing cultures. Jim founded Jim Cline Photo Tours in 2002 and has been leading small-group photo tours to various locations around Latin America ever since. He has returned to some areas for decades, and he has established many multi-generational friendships with families still living their ancient traditional lifestyles. As well as winning numerous awards, Jim’s work has been displayed in the San Diego Natural History Museum and the Museum of Photographic Arts, and in many galleries, both in the U.S. and abroad. Jim and his photographs have been featured in several books. His images have also been published in numerous magazines, newspapers, annual reports, tourist brochures, calendars, websites, and CD covers. Jim has also worked many photo assignments for humanitarian organizations. His images have graced the covers of annual reports and have appeared on websites, brochures, postcards and other mediums promoting their efforts around the globe.

**** Images are due for our Year end competition "OPEN" theme (monochrome print(?), colour print (?), and digital projected ) as well as the following themed competitions:

"ARCHITECTURE" for the Henry Kalen Trophy

"ANIMALS" for the Arko Trophy

"LIFE IMAGES" for the MCC Life Images Trophy

"CONTEMPORARY" (Altered Reality) for the Delannoy Trophy

See the competition rules on for the Trophy competitions (eg. maximum 4 images per theme) 

April 12

Speaker: KJ Rocan - "Photoshop-Compositing"

rocan.photography@gmail.com

I'm a local Manitoba photographer and photo editor. I specialize in creative fine art photographs and photo restoration.

 Compositing, the art of blending several images together has become the new must have skill for photographers in every field. We will explore sourcing the different images that will work together to create your composite. Taking a look at how perspective, scale and lighting play a key role in making your composites realistic. We will then be making complex selections which is the base of every single composite piece. We will also look at several techniques to remove the pesky left over halos from our selections and playing with blend modes.

April 19

Annual Business Meeting and election of officers, 

Second half of night is a Members Night. Topic to be Announced later

April 26

Year End Wind-Up: DRESS UP IN YOUR FINEST AND JOIN US ON THE RED CARPET FOR THE "MCC AWARDS NIGHT". 

THERE WILL BE RED CARPET INTERVIEWS AND SPEECHES (very short ones) AND OF COURSE THE AWARDS!!!  

Spouses and significant others are welcome. Due to the Pandemic, we may not be able to have our normal Banquet but we will get together for a ZOOM windup to get a look at the photos from the Annual Year End Competition.

Come out and see all the YEAR END COMPETITION photos and results, as well as all the trophy and awards presentations.