OCC Presents an online presentation, at 07:00 pm.
MAY 11 – 7-9 PM ET Logistics of Planning and Booking a Trip to The Arctic
Registration by clicking here
JUNE 8 7-9 PM ET. Arctic Frontiers: Life at the edge of a changing world
Registration by clicking here
June 22 7-9 PM ET Travel Photography with Dee Potter
Registration by clicking here
The fee is 10$
More information by clicking here
The 2026–2027 competition cycle runs from October 1, 2026 to May 5, 2027. Full details and the competition schedule are available by clicking here
CAPA takes great pleasure in awarding Phil Dyer the Maple Leaf Honour Award and designation.
Phil joined CAPA in 2009 and has been a member of the Abbotsford Photo Arts Club since 1990. He has served as President and also as Treasurer for 5 to 6 years.
Along with his work for APAC, he has been successful in many competitions, with many awards under his belt, gold medals, best in show plus many merit awards and honourable mention awards in several different genres.
Phil has also presented “Creating the Magic” to several different camera clubs, from Vancouver Island to Manitoba.
We would like to thank Phil for his valuable contribution to APAC and his membership in CAPA over many years. We are pleased to present Phil with the Honour distinction of Maple Leaf – MCAPA.
Congratulations Phil!
Below: Carla Hamilton, 2nd Vice President of CAPA, presents Phil Dyer with his MCAPA Award
From the TDPC Programming Committee:
TDPC Newsletter – March 2026 FEATURING:
Read the latest club newsletter here.
Upcoming Online presentation:
Visual Design in Drone Photography with Edwin Martinez
Tuesday, March 17
7:30 PM–9:00 PM EST
Presentation Dynamics of Drone Photography: Seeing things in a different perspective.
Guests are welcome and can purchase a $10 ticket.
Register by clicking here.
More information on the presenter:
Speaker: 7-9 PM EST
March 12 7pm-9pm EDT
Artists’ Talk: Crafted Visions – Exploring the World of Staged Photography with Foteini Zaglara
April 2 7pm-9pm EDT
Speaker Night: Ron Benner – Crafting a Personal Photography Statement & Project (in-person and on zoom)
April 9 7pm-9pm EDT
Artists’ Talk: Landscapes of the Anthropocene – Documenting Human Impact on Nature Samuel J. Bland & Ron Benner
The fee is $12 CAD
You can have more info by clicking here.
Note: If no guest link, registration has not yet opened. Registration closes 24 hrs before the event.
Basic Training for New Judges
Reminder! Part 1 of Basic Training for New Judges — the Introduction to Judging Course — is open for registration through the CAPA Learning Centre.
The Introduction to Judging Course costs $185 — with a 35% discount for CAPA individual members! A good reason to join CAPA BEFORE registering for the course.
Part 2 of Basic Training for New Judges — the Judging Practice Workshop — We held the first workshop on February 28th and was well received. The March 21st workshop has sold out. Additional workshop are being planned for later this spring. Watch for dates in the April Newsletter or visit the CAPA Learning Centre. These workshops are only available to those who have competed the Introduction to Judging Course.
Basic Training for New Judges Calgary 2026
Don’t miss out—there are still seats available!
This Special In-Person Session is exclusively for attendees of the 2026 Canadian Photography Conference in Calgary.
Join us for a two-day, instructor-led edition of Basic Training for New Judges. Normally delivered online, this unique in-person opportunity allows you to complete both parts of the program in a single, immersive experience over two days.
Learn, engage, and connect face-to-face with instructors and fellow participants—right in the heart of the conference.
Price: $170
Further details and registration through the Conference Website.
National Judges List
The March issue of the National Judges List is available for CAPA Clubs to download from our website by logging in and going to Members > National Judges List. The next update will be in early June.
If you have questions or would like further information, please contact the Director of the Judging Program at judgingdirector@capacanada.ca. — we’re here to help!
Bob Royer has been a member of CAPA since 2010 and has also been an active member of the Images Alberta Camera Club since 2005. Bob was president of IACC twice, when once he stepped in mid-year when the president had to vacate the position.
Bob is currently the Northern Alberta District Rep for the CAPA Prairie Zone.
He actively participates in CAPA Competitions, both individually and with his club. He has received many Honor Awards and more recently both a Bronze Medal and a Gold Medal for his entries in the Intermediate/Advanced 2025 Prairie Zone Club Competition.
He has presented a workshop called “What the Hell do Judges Know”, which was an entertaining look at judging.
He is a certified CAPA judge and can be called upon to judge Club images and is a well-respected judge within the club and the Edmonton community.
He continues to co-lead a SIG group for Still Life Photography and has offered several courses to members on the use of flash and portrait lighting.
It is with great pleasure to award Bob with the Maple Leaf Honours Distinction. Congratulations and thank you for all your hard work for CAPA.
Below: Bob Royer (right) is presented with his MCAPA award by Allan Reich, Prairie Zone Director.
The Lethbridge Photography Club will be hosting the ‘Creative Captures Workshop’, on Saturday, April 11, 2026 with special guest speakers, Shane Turgeon, 2024 Canadian Geographic’s Canadian Photographer of the year, and Myrna Pearman.
The workshop which will be held in Lethbridge, is a full day event with an evening outdoor session as well.
Please head over to the club’s website for more information on the speakers, schedule for the day, and to register!
The fee is $45 CAD
You can have more info by clicking here.
Our AI Editing Criteria has been updated to include the following provisions:
For Camera Club entries: The photographer’s original image as submitted to the club, before any club modifications such as resizing, copyright additions, or other editing.
The following administrative modifications by the club are explicitly permitted, provided that the image’s camera and editing details remain unaltered:
*Retention of the photographer’s original submission is the responsibility of the individual photographer, not the club.
*This update has been added to all remaining 2026 and 2027 competitions.
CAPA’s authentication process relies on a structured, multi-stage forensic approach rather than any single detection tool or automated system. When a submission is flagged for review, the authentication process draws on multiple inputs, including metadata analysis, Content Credentials (C2PA) verification, visual forensic examination, the photographer’s editing narrative, and original working files. No image will be disqualified solely on the basis of a single flag indicator.
Detection flags initiate a review, not an automatic determination. When results raise concerns or remain ambiguous, the photographer will be contacted to provide clarification and specific image files. A final ruling will be rendered only after the photographer’s response and all submitted files have been reviewed.
CAPA guidelines require that photographs incorporating another artist’s copyrighted work must show meaningful creative transformation. Simply photographing or reproducing existing copyrighted artwork without adding significant original elements does not qualify as original work. Submissions that fail this standard risk disqualification from competition.
For more details, please check out the attached document, available in both English and French.
English presentation : May 20, 2026
Pacific 4:00 PM – Mountain 5:00 PM – Central 6:00 PM – Eastern 7:00 PM – Atlantic 8:00 PM (Canada)
Theme/topic of the presentation: Fun with macro and water drops – the art of capturing insects and refraction
Summary:
In this program, OM SYSTEM ambassador Emilie Talpin will immerse you in the world of insects but also water drop photography, known as refraction. If you are not familiar with this term, refraction is when the light passes from one medium and into another, affecting the direction of the light. In macro photography, the capture of a background subject into a foreground water drop is a good illustration of refraction. We will learn how to capture such images and go over the equipment needed as well as techniques and tips to make a successful macro photo.
Please login, go to Members > Education Links > Speakers Series, copy and save the YouTube link before the presentation.
Emilie Talpin grew up in Chalon sur Saône, France, the birthplace of Nicéphore Niépce and the first photograph. Despite this background, she got into photography very late and in 2018 joined a local camera club where she met a group of talented photographers and was inspired to dive deeper into the art of capturing moments in time. Now, she is an OM SYSTEM ambassador and everywhere she goes, it is with her trusted camera by her side.
Lately, she has been concentrating on wildlife and macro photography, in particular water drop refraction, but will occasionally stray with friends to an astro or landscape photoshoot.
Emilie Talpin has been published and featured in Petapixel magazine, the Phoblographers, Sciences et Vie Junior, The Weather Channel, B & H, Adorama, Hunt’s Photo and Video, OM SYSTEM, and 3 Legged Thing. She also has her own YouTube channel, where she publishes educational videos every Sunday.
CONTACT
English presentation : April 15, 2026
Pacific 4:00 PM – Mountain 5:00 PM – Central 6:00 PM – Eastern 7:00 PM – Atlantic 8:00 PM (Canada)
Theme/topic of the presentation: Heart of the Photograph
Summary:
More information to come
Please login, go to Members > Education Links > Speakers Series, copy and save the YouTube link before the presentation.
David duChemin is a Canadian photographer, author, educator, amputee and adventurer.
A former comedian turned humanitarian photographer, duChemin now spends his time behind the camera focused on wilder subjects. To his great delight and surprise, his books—among them Within The Frame, The Visual Toolbox, The Soul of the Camera, and The Heart of the Photograph—have been published in over a dozen languages and are celebrated for their focus on vision and creativity.
His work and teaching can be found at DavidduChemin.com, and his books—including his newest title, Light, Space & Time, Essays on Camera Craft and Creativity—can be found on Amazon or your local bookstore.
The purpose of this article is to share ideas that clubs can use to provide their members with opportunities to practice their craft. It can be through SIGs (Special Interest Groups), outings, challenges and even competitions. To do research for this article I solicited help from four photo clubs on the west coast — Harbour City Photography Club, Victoria Camera Club, New Westminster Camera Club and Langley Camera Club. These are all very active clubs and they sent me a lot of information to sort through.
SIGs
Special Interest Groups are usually groups of people who have a particular area of interest within the world of photography. These can range from a photographic technique to a specific subject matter, or from a particular editing program to a certain type of camera. They can meet in person or online.
The most popular type of SIG goes by various names but is essentially a group of people that get together to talk about how to improve each other’s photos and perhaps prepare them for competition. These are usually ongoing groups. There can also be short-term SIGs that focus on teaching a certain program or a certain technique, such as: Photoshop, Lightroom, Black & White Photography, Infrared, printing techniques, macro photography or videography.
CAPA, also, offers a couple of groups for individual members that can be found on the website under the Members tab, then Education Links, called “Image Critique Night” and “Image Editing Night”.
Another popular SIG is usually called “Basics of Photography” or “Photography for Beginners” and can range from a few sessions to get members familiar with their cameras (which, in a larger club, could be divided up by camera type) to a year or longer based on a program like Emma Davis’s program, “A year With My Camera”, which can be found on her website at https://ayearwithmycamera.com/ . It does not take an expert photographer to lead a SiG like this; it just takes an organizer to find a location with Internet or connect everyone by Zoom and then Emma does all the work.
Other SIGs might limit themselves to a certain topic like wildlife, flowers, urban settings, or landscape photography and others might focus on a time of day, like dawn, dusk or nighttime.
The types of Special Interest Groups are only limited by the imagination. If a person has a certain area or technique they would like to explore, they should reach out to the members of their club to see if other people would like to explore that area with them.
Field Trips or Outings
There is some crossover here because some SIGs could involve excursions, or a field trip could be a one time event that gives photographers a chance to try various types of photography (macro, landscapes, portraits or whatever catches the photographer’s eye at the chosen location). Of course, each club has unique opportunities in their area for places to visit on field trips. The New Westminster Photography Club has a monthly scheduled outing to places and events that are unique to their area from “Fall Colours at Buntzen Lake” (a beautiful recreational area northwest of Coquitlam, BC) to the “International Buddhist Temple in Richmond.” The Langley Camera Club aims for two to three outings per month to places in and around the Vancouver area like Stanley Park, The Vancouver Zoo, and the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.
Tourist attractions are popular for all kinds of visitors, those with cameras and those without: places like zoos, parks, public gardens, heritage sites, and historical villages. These also offer opportunities for whole families and there are exhibits and activities to interest everyone, not just the people with cameras. Nature photographers are attracted to parks and nature trails, beaches and mountain tops, and any place they can get images without people.
On a different note, a small group of photographers can often get permission to photograph in a place where a lone photographer might be viewed with suspicion. The Harbour City Photography Club in Nanaimo has had outings to an art supply store, a bike shop, and a music store.
Then, of course there is street photography, which could also include architecture. This can be done on any street, in any city, town or village. The Victoria Camera Club has several groups that participate in excursions to various parts of the city and surrounding area on a regular basis to photograph whatever theme they choose. These outings often include having lunch which is a great way to socialize with fellow photographers. As a side note, although it is usually legal to include anyone in your photos who is in a public place, we should also be respectful to the people we are including in our photos. It is not wise to photograph other people’s children without their permission, I will leave it up to the individual photographer to figure out how to show that respect.
Photo by Scott Simons
Games
Another category could be called games. Here are a couple of examples I have come across. One is a Mystery Shoot where an item is passed along from participant to participant to photograph in whatever way they want. The one rule is they are not to reveal what the item is to anyone. Then they submit one or two photos to the coordinator of the activity who presents them to the club at a meeting. The other is a scavenger hunt which can be done in teams or as individuals where the participants are given a list of items or concepts to photograph during a certain time period and the results are presented to the whole club at a meeting. Games, like any activity, can be tailored to fit the size and composition of the club — there are no rules, just ideas and fun.
Workshops
Workshops can be done in person where a hands-on approach is needed or as a Zoom meeting where someone demonstrates a particular tool or method.
A mini workshop could also be part of a club’s regular meeting.
Mentorship
The Victoria Camera Club offers a mentorship program which pairs up beginners with more experiences photographers. You don’t have to be an expert to be a mentor.
These are just a few ideas for clubs and photographers to practice their art and I would encourage any club who has additional ideas for SIGs, outings or any other activities for their members to participate in to contact me at bevannemoynham@yahoo.ca so that I can share them with the rest of the clubs in Canada.
*All images courtesy of Bev Anne Moynham
**With lots of help from:
Lorna Scott, Langley Camera Club
Kathryn Delany, Victoria Camera Club
Sue Nurmi, Harbour City Photography Club
Nancy Matheson, New Westminster Camera Club
From the TDPC Programming Committee:
TDPC Newsletter – February 2026 FEATURING:
Read the latest club newsletter here.
Upcoming Online presentation:
Kas Stone – Making Meaningful Photographs
Tuesday, February 17 7:30 PM–9:00 PM EST
Guests are welcome and can purchase a $10 ticket.
Register by clicking here.
In case you missed it, the January issue featured members’ reflections and images of the late Frank Gehry’s architecture. Download the PDF.
Speaker: 7-9 PM EST
February 12 (7 -9 pmEST) Speaker Night:
Julie Gayler : The Language of Light – Fine Art Photography Through Creative Lighting
Feb 26 7pm-9pm EST Speaker night (hybrid: zoom and in-person)
Andie Shabbar: Night: Staging the Frame – Creativity and Concept in Staged Photography (in-person/zoom)
March 5 7pm-9pm EST. Speaker night (hybrid: zoom & in-person)
The Language of Light – Fine Art Photography Through Creative Lighting Part 02 (in-person/zoom)
March 12 7pm-9pm EST Artists’ Talk (zoom) Foteini Zaglara and Amirhossein Esparham
Foteini Zaglara and Amirhossein Esparham: Visions – Exploring the World of Staged Photography with Two Contemporary Artists
The fee is $12 CAD
You can have more info by clicking here.
Note: If no guest link, registration has not yet opened. Registration closes 24 hrs before the event.
Basic Training for New Judges
Reminder! Part 1 of Basic Training for New Judges — the Introduction to Judging Course — is open for registration through the CAPA Learning Centre.
The Introduction to Judging Course costs $185 — with a 35% discount for CAPA individual members! A good reason to join CAPA BEFORE registering for the course.
Part 2 of Basic Training for New Judges — the Judging Practice Workshop —The first two workshops are open for registration. Visit the CAPA Learning Centre to learn more. These workshops are only available to those who have competed the Introduction to Judging Course.
Basic Training for New Judges Calgary – July 17th & 18th, 2026
Special In-Person Session for attendees of the 2026 Canadian Photography Conference, Calgary, Alberta.
Join us in Calgary for a two-day, instructor-led version of Basic Training for New Judges! Normally offered online, this exclusive in-person session lets you complete both parts of the program in one immersive in-person setting over two days.
Price: $170
Further details and registration through the Conference Website.
National Judges List
The current National Judges List was issued in early December; the next update will be in early March. CAPA Clubs can access the latest list of Certified and Apprentice Judges by logging in and going to Members > National Judges List.
If you have questions or would like further information, please contact the Director of the Judging Program at judgingdirector@capacanada.ca. — we’re here to help!
Avard Woolervar – “Exploring the Social Landscape”
February 23, 2026 – 7:00-9:00 PM EST
A photographer who lives in Nova Scotia, Avard will share how humans affect the landscape. He will talk about his photographic journey from street photography in 1980s Toronto to the more mindful photography he does today.
For more information go to https://avardwoolaver.com
Guests may go to the Guest Information Page to purchase tickets for this speaker.
Huibo Hou “Personal Expressive B&W Landscape Photography”
March 9, 2026 – 7:00-9:00 PM EST
Huibo is a B&W landscape photographer based in San Diego, California. Her work has been recognized internationally in recent years with multiple awards and publications. In the first half of her talk, Huibo will delve into the development of one’s personal vision, drawing from her own evolution in B&W landscape photography. In the second half, she will explore various compositional and tonal control techniques, including her postprocessing flow, with the aim of improving one’s vision of seeing and editing in black and white.
Please Note: Per presenter’s request, the recording will only be available for 60 days.
For more information go to https://www.huibohou.com
Guests may go to the Guest Information Page to purchase tickets for this speaker.
Leslie Bush – “Heart of the Arctic – Canadian and Greenland High Arctic Explorer”
April 20, 2026 – 7:00-9:00 PM EST
In 2022, Leslie went on 2 back-to-back Adventure Canada cruises exploring the Canadian arctic’s Baffin Island communities and wild landscapes of Nunavut as well as exploring the communities and wild landscapes of western Greenland. The cruises provided a marvellous opportunity to understand and compare life in both the Canadian and Greenland Arctic lands.
Guests may go to the Guest Information Page to purchase tickets for this speaker.
Mike Moats – “The Properly Equipped Macro Photographer”
April 27, 2026 – 7:00-9:00 PM EST
Mike will cover the most important equipment for macro photography, how to control depth of field, composition, and finding character in your subjects.
For more information go to https://www.mikemoats.com
Guests may go to the Guest Information Page to purchase tickets for this speaker.
You can register by clicking here
Nancy Matheson, Pacific Zone Director, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kim Yanick as District Representative, Mid-Island Region, CAPA Pacific Zone.
Based on our experience with the 2026 Fine Art Competition and feedback received, we will discontinue the metadata pre-screening of image prior to the judging process. All submitted images will advance to judging unless the Pre-screening Committee identifies issues requiring intervention.
Our updated image authentication process is now part of each competition’s Editing Criteria. Find the details under ‘Original Files and Metadata Protection’ and ‘Verification For Award Candidate.’ You can view these details here.
Inspirational Colour – closes February 28, 2026 – Check it out here
Atlantic Zone – closes March 15, 2026 – Check it out here
Prairie Zone – closes March 30, 2026 – Check it out here
Triptych – closes April 15, 2026 – Check it out here
English presentation : March 18, 2026
Pacific 4:00 PM – Mountain 5:00 PM – Central 6:00 PM – Eastern 7:00 PM – Atlantic 8:00 PM (Canada)
Theme/topic of the presentation: The Art of Seeing
Summary:
This talk draws on Benedict Brain’s long-running Art of Seeing column in Digital Camera World magazine. Over seven years, the column has explored how photography can help us look more closely at the world and find meaning in what we see. The talk highlights the power of storytelling, the value of creativity, and the importance of being a mindful and ethical traveller with a camera. Rather than focusing on technical how-tos, it asks deeper questions about why we make photographs and what they reveal about us.
Available to Individual CAPA members via the members only section of the website.
Please login, go to Members > Education Links > Speakers Series, copy and save the YouTube link before the presentation.
Benedict Brain is a UK-based photographer, writer, and author. An award-winning journalist, he writes the monthly column The Art of Seeing for Digital Camera World magazine. His first book, You Will Be Able to Take Great Photos By the End of This Book (2023), has been translated and published internationally (Spain, Germany and Bulgaria), with a US edition released by Prestel, and his second book, A Camera Bag Companion, followed in 2024.
Benedict judges major photography competitions, founded Potato Photographer of the Year in 2020, and lectures internationally on the art and craft of photography. His practice spans personal projects, editorial assignments, and teaching through workshops and enrichment programmes.
