Did you know…?
Workshops are one of the great benefits of VCC membership. Each year the VCC Workshop Committee develops a schedule of workshops based on input from our members via the annual Workshop Survey. These workshops cover a wide variety of themes and techniques and are free to all VCC members. So just how popular are our workshops?
A look back at 2022-23
In the 2022-23 VCC workshop season, an impressive total of 16 workshops and 13 image review sessions were offered to members, with a total registration for the year of 933. These events were presented by 9 external educators and 7 VCC volunteers. Most were conducted via Zoom, but we were pleased to be able to offer two of the sessions as in-person workshops at Camosun College.
2022-23 Workshop Summary
Format | Workshops | Image Reviews | Total |
Number Offered | 16 | 13 | 29 |
Number of Hours | 54 | 26 | 80 |
Number of Attendees | 635 | 216 | 851 |
Number of Registrants | 694 | 239 | 933 |
The results are in – 2023 Workshop Survey
As mentioned above, the VCC Workshop Committee relies on member input for developing the workshop schedule. The 2023 edition of the Workshop Survey was distributed in January. The survey requested input on both photography themes and photography techniques, as well as suggestions for professional photographers who could be invited as guest presenters. VCC members were invited to volunteer as workshop facilitators.
Many thanks to the 80 members who completed the survey. Your participation contributes to the development of this year’s selection of workshops and ensures that the offerings reflect member interests. Here are the most popular themes and techniques from the 2023 survey:
Top 5 Theme Workshop Suggestions
- Black & White
- Macro Photography
- Composition/Visual Design
- Landscape
- Fine Art
Top 5 Technique Workshop Suggestions
- Photo Editing – Photoshop/Lightroom
- Long Exposure
- Colour Theory
- Compositing
- Focus Stacking
These survey results are already being put to good use in planning for next year’s workshops.
What’s coming up in 2023-24
The VCC Workshop Committee has been meeting monthly to develop the new 2023-24 workshop schedule and it’s looking great! We have some outstanding guest presenters scheduled, including Liron Gertsman (Bird Photography 101), recent winner of the Grand Prize in the 2023 Audubon Photo Contest, and Rick Hulbert (Power and Benefits of a Creative Fine Art Image Series) who will offer a unique Fine Art Creative Challenge. Plus, talented VCC members including Kathryn Delany, Nick Delany, Jim Fowler, David Clow, Stephen Ban, Jill Turyk, Greg Blaney, Richard Letourneau, Rick Lawrence, and Donna Robertson will share their knowledge with us.
For an “at-a-glance” preview of the confirmed workshops for next year, visit the Upcoming Workshops webpage in the Members Only section of the VCC website. From there you can use the “View” link, if yet available, to access detailed workshop information. The schedule is still a work in progress, and we anticipate adding a few additional workshops to round out the 2023-24 offerings. So whether you’re a novice, intermediate, or advanced photographer, you’re likely to find a workshop that will improve your skills or inspire your creativity.
We’ve had very good luck this year in scheduling interesting workshops that target our members’ learning priorities for both themes and techniques. However, one ever-popular technique that’s been challenging to address is Photoshop. So far, it’s been difficult to find a practical and affordable approach that fits the VCC workshop format. For this reason, we plan to compile a list of resources for independent Photoshop learning. Watch for an update on this topic soon.
Your Workshop Committee
Your VCC Workshop Committee consists of Alec Lee (chair), Terri Kott, Mary Weir, Donna Robertson, Lori Moilanen, Ron Charles and Jeanne Kurz. Great thanks go to Kim Smith and Steve Lustig who left the committee in the spring. They both contributed so much to the committee and to the club.
Learn more
To learn more about VCC workshops, or to volunteer to facilitate a workshop, or to offer a workshop, contact VCC Workshop Committee Chair Alec Lee ()
