Banner Photograph: “Halloween Moon” by Anke Weber.
Here are the VCC club workshops that we can look forward to in October 2025. Registration opens a month ahead of the workshop for VCC members. Interested in becoming a member? You can join us on the Victoria Camera Club website.
October 4, 2025 — Basics of Photography with Pam Irvine
The event will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
Note: This is an In-Person Workshop at Camosun College. There is a class size limit of 20 people.
About This Workshop
This in-person workshop is designed to help the novice photographer to improve their photography even when using automatic settings by taking advantage of the features on their camera, and feel more confident to move off the automatic settings.
In this session, Pam will cover:
- Basic concepts and the relationship between ISO / Aperture / Shutter speed
- Histograms
- How a light meter works, how can the auto exposure light meter settings be changed?
- Auto focus versus manual focus – different auto focus settings
- Drive modes on the camera. HDR
About Pam Irvine
Pam 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 is involved in our Novice Image Review. She enjoys black and white, macro and abstract photography. Pam has taken the CAPA judging course a few times and is working toward getting CAPA judging certification.
Workshop Time and Location
Remember that the time for this workshop is 10 AM to 12:30 PM.
Camosun College Lansdowne Campus
Room 200, Fisher Building
3100 Foul Bay Road, Victoria BC.
Click this link for a pdf location map.
Registration is Open
October 6, 2025 — Understanding and Using Composition with Jim Fowler (Part 2)
This event will be held on October 6, 2025 from 7 pm to 9 pm via Zoom.
Note: This is the second part of a 2 part workshop. Registration in Part 1 will automatically enrol you in both sessions. Minimum 4, Maximum 20 participants.
Registration is Open
October 20, 2025 — Novice Image Review with Guest Reviewer Lorna Zaback
The event will be held on October 20, 2025 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM via Zoom.
Note: Lorna Zaback will be filling in for Pam Irvine for the October Review.
Workshop Overview
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 to is 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 Your Images
Please email 1 – 3 images to Lorna Zaback 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 Lorna at .
Registration opens on September 20, 2025 at 9:00 AM
October 21 — Creative Lighting for Studio Portraiture with Stephen Ban
The event will be held on October 21, 2025 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Note: This is an in-person workshop. There is a class size limit of 20 people for this workshop.
About This Workshop
This two-hour workshop will cover the use of off-camera flash for lighting portraiture. After a brief session on lighting theory, we’ll go over one-light setups including Rembrandt, split, butterfly, and loop, and introduce some simple two-light setups such as clamshell and the use of key with fill, rim, and hair lights. An experienced model will be on hand, and we will have a live tethered setup so you can see the results of adjustments in realtime. All lighting equipment will be provided, but if you have a Godox-compatible flash trigger for your camera, please bring one. You should be comfortable using your camera in full manual mode – we will not be using TTL flash mode in this workshop.
About Stephen Ban
Stephen has been interested in photography since childhood, but only recently has he turned his hobby into a business. Since founding the Blackfish Collective in 2020, he has been working with other Victoria creatives to build a collaborative studio space and provide portfolio development and modelling workshops. Originally focused on wildlife and landscape photography, the bulk of his portfolio work now consists of creative portraiture using off-camera flash, with a style that leans towards film noir and vintage Hollywood.
Workshop Location
Camosun College Lansdowne Campus
Room 200, Fisher Building
3100 Foul Bay Road, Victoria BC.
Click this link for a pdf location map.
Registration opens on September 20, 2025 at 9:00 AM
October 27, 2025 – Beyond the Portrait: Capturing Wildlife in Its Element with Matt Shannon
This event will be held on October 27, 2025 from 7 PM to 9 PM via Zoom.
About This Workshop
Join award-winning photographer Matt Shannon as he focuses on capturing compelling images of wildlife in their natural surroundings. The workshop will explore:
- Blending Landscape & Wildlife Photography – How Matt’s background as an award-winning landscape photographer influences his approach to wildlife photography, creating compelling environmental wildlife images.
- Beyond the Close-Up – Why environmental shots offer a deeper story compared to traditional wildlife portraits, and how they provide context to an animal’s life and challenges.
- Storytelling Through the Environment – Using landscape elements to highlight an animal’s hardships, challenges, and behaviors.
- Composition & Perspective – Techniques to frame wildlife within its habitat for a more impactful image.
- Using Filters for Wildlife Landscapes – How tools like polarizers and ND filters enhance environmental shots without compromising the subject.
- Positioning, Light & Ethical Wildlife Photography – The importance of scouting locations, understanding light, being in the right place at the right time, and respecting the animal’s space while capturing powerful moments.
About Matt Shannon
Matt Shannon is an inspired nature and landscape photographer living in Victoria BC, Canada. His work boasts fine detail, bold colours and advanced technical skill. Matt’s photography is the product of his adventuresome heart — it’s his artistic representation of the nature surrounding him. He is an accredited and published photographer, selling prints and running workshops that have captured an international audience.
Registration opens on September 27, 2025 at 9:00:00 AM.
October 28 – VCC Website Orientation: Techniques, Tips, and Tabs with Greg Blaney
This event will be held on October 28 from 7pm to 9pm via Zoom.
Workshop Overview
In this approximately one hour Zoom presentation you will learn about the intricacies of Victoria Camera Club’s extensive website. This workshop will allow you to see first-hand and to learn more about the navigational tools and shortcuts, as well as hidden gems of information. There are approximately 130 pages on the website in total. Come and learn which are the most valuable to you. This workshop is open to all VCC members, including those new to the Club and to those more experienced, who would enjoy a refresher. Questions are welcome throughout the demonstration. We’re looking forward to seeing you on October 28.
Presenter
This workshop is presented by VCC Website Administrator Greg Blaney.
Registration opens on September 27, 2025 at 9:00 AM.
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 Club’s 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