Banner Photograph: Whistler Blackcomb in Fall by Anke Weber.
In September 2025, the Victoria Camera Club is offering three interesting and dynamic workshops: street photography with Monique Campbell, composition with Jim Fowler, and black & white photography with Cole Thompson. There are also two opportunities for image reviews: one for intermediate and advanced photographers with Jill Turyk, and one for novices with Pam Irvine. Here are all the details, along with some photographs by the organizers.
September 15, 2025 — Building Confidence to Shoot Street Photography with Monique Campbell
The event will be held on September 15, 2025 from 7:00 PM to 7:00 PM via Zoom.
About This Workshop
Monique Campbell has been doing presentations since 2017 to a variety of groups including the Art Gallery of Hamilton and camera clubs across Canada. Her workshop, “Building Confidence to Shoot Street Photography” has been popular with novice and experienced street photographers. It is 75 minutes in length followed by a Q & A session. She demonstrates through sharing her images and back stories behind them how to look for photos candidly. She will share her five page handout about street photography that covers the basics with participants. The purpose of this fun-oriented workshop is to encourage and inspire people to hit the streets to make their own images.
About Monique Campbell
Monique Campbell chooses to chase the light that shines through the cracks illuminating the world through her soulful images, which she captures mindfully. Her personal story lies within each image, but it is not hers alone, allowing others to identify with their own narratives. In part it is healing, a means of compensation for the shadows in her mind as she chases the light. Finding interest by observing the mundane, the ordinary, and the moments most people take for granted, she excels in producing captivating photographs that linger in the minds of viewers. She is a graduate of the Western Pacific Academy of Photography in Victoria, British Columbia.
Some highlights of her photographic career include:
- Monique’s image of a firefighter reviving a boy in Sudbury was awarded the runner up Picture of the Year for Canadian Press and the Picture of the Year for Thomson Newspaper chain in 1994.
- In 2018, her image, “Perspective” of Mennonites touring the Welland Canal, was juried in by the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts and exhibited at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, France.
- Monique was one of 52 finalists in the Salt Spring National Art Prize exhibition.
- Her image “Venetian Laundry Day” was chosen by SSNAP in 2021 and exhibited at Mahon Hall in Salt Spring.
- In 2024, Monique exhibited in 25 juried exhibitions in Ontario and Nova Scotia.
Click this link to register. Registration opens on August 16, 2025.
September 16, 20205 — Intermediate/Advanced Image Review with Jill Turyk
The event will be held on September 16, 2025 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM via Zoom.
About This Workshop
This image review session is an opportunity for intermediate and advanced members to receive valuable objective feedback about their work. Jill Turyk and guest reviewer Richard Letourneau will assess 12 images per session. The reviewers will place emphasis on where and how the photographers have been successful in meeting their goals and intent. Through discussions with the photographers, the reviewers hope to suggest ideas that might help the photographers to better convey their intent.
Although these reviews are not meant to be preparation for competition, and Jill is hesitant to score images, the scoring process may help members self-evaluate their images in the future. Therefore, we can discuss the scoring process if requested.
Jill hopes to provide ideas that will encourage members to review their own images. While it is important to become an effective critic of your own work, it is equally important to appreciate what you have accomplished.
Though the images up for review will be from intermediate and advanced members, all VCC members are welcome to attend and learn from each session. You must register to receive the Zoom invitation, which is sent to you on the day of the workshop.
How to Submit Images for Review
Intermediate and Advanced members should send one image to Jill when they receive the email request for submission, usually 2 weeks prior to the review session.
Please include the following information in your image submission email:
- Image title in the name of the JPG submitted
- Size of the image: maximum 1400 pixels wide x 1050 pixels tall, at 300 dpi, no watermarks
- Camera metadata: aperture, ISO, focal length, shutter speed
- A brief statement of what you expected to achieve with your image
- Submit to
About Jill Turyk
While she always owned a camera, Jill was interested in many creative pursuits. Photography did not become a true interest until she retired and had the time to delve in fully. She has enjoyed most mainstream genres but with varying gusto. It was during the Covid lockdown in 2020 that she began bird photography which has become a true passion – in particular, raptors in flight. The passion has not waned and Jill continues to stalk raptors regularly. She has a deep respect for nature and has recently developed a keen interest in whale photography. Black and white photography has surfaced as another photographic passion, with emphasis on prints.
Jill Turyk joined VCC in the fall of 2014. Jill served on the Workshops Committee for one season and has presented workshops for the club on a variety of topics over the years of her membership. She was on the Internal Competitions Committee for 7 years, including 2 years as the Chair of that committee. She is a member of CAPA and has completed the basic CAPA judging course. Jill judged Novice Digital and Print categories as well as the Intermediate Prints for 2 years. She has been a member of a private image review group that meets every 2 weeks since the end of 2020.
Jill is an avid competitor and enters images mainly into VCC’s internal and external competitions, CAPA competitions as an individual entrant, and the Toronto Salon. Competing is one of Jill’s favourite endeavours in photography. She finds it very challenging, educational, and motivational.
Click this link to register. Registration opens on August 16, 2025.
September 22, 2025 — Novice Image Review with Pam Irvine
The event will be held on September 22, 2025 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, via Zoom.
About this Workshop
This is an opportunity for Novice members to get a few of their images reviewed by some of the more experienced members of the club. This is NOT a competition. You can be anonymous if you wish, but our intention is to create a safe place to honestly discuss your images and help you to improve your photography.
Your images will be viewed and discussed by the reviewers and simple suggested edits will be performed live with Lightroom giving the participants a chance to see before and after recommendations and to learn some Lightroom techniques and tricks. You are welcome to attend to learn from the discussions even if you do not have an image being reviewed.
How to Submit Images for Review
Please email 1 – 3 images to Pam Irvine at at least one day before the scheduled session. Images sent at the last minute (less than an hour before) will not be able to be downloaded and reviewed. Images can be raw or jpgs.
Please send images in jpg format if possible. If your image is cropped out of a larger image, please send the original larger image as well as the cropped one as this will be useful/educational to see the original and the cropped versions.
If you have problems sending your images email or phone Pam at 250-479-8152.
Minimum 4, Maximum 20 participants
About Pam Irvine
Pam Irvine has been a member of the Victoria Camera Club since 2010 and over the years has served on the board of directors in various positions including president. Pam is currently working on the Internal Competitions committee and involved in workshops for novice members. She enjoys black & white, macro and abstract photography. Pam has taken the CAPA judging course a few times and is working towards getting CAPA judging certification.
Click this link to register. Registration opens on August 23, 2025.
September 29, 2025 — Understanding and Using Composition with Jim Fowler (Part 1)
NOTE: This is a two-part workshop (September 29 and October 6). Registration in Part 1 will automatically enroll you in both sessions.
The event will be held on September 29, 2025 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, via Zoom.
About This Workshop
Join Jim on an interesting and entertaining journey as he explores techniques and tools to improve composition. Good composition is an exercise in judgment. You can improve your composition skills by understanding some basics about how we see, how we look at pictures, and what tools are available. Learn how to forget what you first saw that captured your attention and think instead about the final image you want to produce.
In previous workshops, Jim concentrated on the tools of composition.
This time, Jim has altered his approach: it is all about what can actually be done in the field, before you take a picture, when you take a picture, and afterwards, how to find the picture you wanted. In this practical and fun workshop, Jim shows what we can do with composition to improve the visual impact of our photos. Drawing on information from both scientific and artistic sources, Jim uses his own photos, and some famous photos and paintings to illustrate every tool and technique he talks about. Participants will be invited to become engaged in the process of making decisions about composition. There is no mystery. It is just a matter of understanding how we see, how others will see your photos, and which tools to apply in the circumstances.
At the end of the first session, members will be invited to submit photos to Jim for discussion in session two. Maybe you have a photo that was not what you hoped it would be, or maybe you have a specific question about composition, or what tool might be used in your particular case.
All participants will receive Jim’s written notes and select references the day after the presentation.
This workshop is available and suited to anyone in the club. For many members, the workshop will provide a good survey of the whole field of composition. For others, it will be a refresher as well as an opportunity to see examples they may not have associated with a particular technique. In case you have participated in one of Jim’s excellent Composition workshops in prior years, he has completely revised his material and has added lots of new and informative illustrations.
While camera technique and software tools may be mentioned as a means of affecting composition, the workshop is not about using your camera or software. It IS all about looking for elements that will give a photo structure.
About Jim Fowler
A lifelong photographer, Jim joined VCC in 2016 and quickly became active in a wide array of roles in the club. From writing for the Close-Up club magazine to delivering workshops, Jim has demonstrated an ability to communicate what was new and exciting. This high level of activity continues to this day. Jim is a regular contributor at the Creative and Nature SIGs, Tuesday and field trip galleries, a guest commentator on the Advanced Image Review, chair of the External Competition Committee, member of both CAPA and PSA, and has three times attended the CAPA Image Judging workshop. Jim still gets excited when he talks about images.
Click this link to register. Registration opens on August 30, 2025.
September 30, 2025 — Why Black & White with Cole Thompson
The event will be held on September 30, 2025 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, via Zoom.
In a presentation of about one hour, Cole Thompson will make the case that black and white is the perfect medium for any subject…except for one. Cole will show work from his various portfolios including:
- The Ghosts of Auschwitz-Birkenau
- Harbinger
- Ceiling Lamps
- Moai, Sitting for Portrait
- The Lone Man
- Powerlines
- And others
Interspersed between the images Cole will share his photographic philosophies, such as:
- Never listen to others
- Photographic Celibacy
- Cole’s Rule of Thirds
- Equipment is overrated
- Vision is the most important tool in my toolbox
- And many others!
And while Cole does love talking about black and white, there is one thing he loves to talk about even more… but you’ll have to listen to his presentation to learn what that is.
About Cole Thompson
Cole Thompson is uniquely unqualified to speak on photography.
“I’ve never taken a photography class or a workshop. I don’t have a degree in art. I’ve never worked as a photographer. I don’t have gallery representation. I’m not a Canon Explorer of Light. I have only three lenses and none of them are primes. Do I have any qualifications? Just one…my images. Nothing else matters.”
Please visit his website at https://colethompsonphotography.com/
Click this link to register. Registration opens on August 30, 2025.
How to Register
These workshops are for VCC members. Interested in joining us? Find all the information on our VVC membership page.
- Login as a member.
- Click on the link provided in this email or click on the event on the VCC club calendar.
- At the bottom of the page, click on Registration Information. If it doesn’t show up yet, check out when registration opens.
- Click on Confirm Registration Request if available and that’s it.
- The Zoom link will be sent out the day of the event.
Mary Weir
Workshop Committee