Who we are:
Canberra PhotoConnect welcomes photographers and those interested in photography and other visual arts. We support members wherever they are on their artistic journey, whether you are looking to take photos of family with a smartphone camera or a professional looking for somewhere to find inspiration and support. We are Canberra-based but host presentations from artists from all over Australia and sometimes overseas. We hold face-to-face meetings and also ZOOM get-togethers so you can join us from anywhere (time zones permitting, of course).
Canberra PhotoConnect aims to foster connections between photographers and artists in other genres and between related organisations. Membership is open to photographers and non-photographers.
We host discussion groups and workshops, support member-based projects and encourage community involvement.
Objectives of Canberra PhotoConnect:
(a) to promote, support and enrich the practice of photography and its links to the arts and society;
(b) to assist, encourage and inspire members, whatever their existing skills and interests, in the development and expression of their artistic vision through shared learning and collaboration;
(c) to encourage the use of photography, together with other visual and expressive arts as appropriate, to create social value and meaning for members and the wider community.
Information for Members
For upload links to galleries and other member information, please click here. Please note: this page is password protected. Join our email list to be sent the password.
Image Showcases
Click the links below to see galleries of images that were shared on the Images and Ideas Platform in 2022
February22 March22 April22 May22 June22
July22 August22 September22 October22 November22
To see current galleries for 2023 as the year progresses, click these links
What we do:
FOR DATES PLEASE SEE CALENDAR BELOW
Please CLICK HERE to join our mailing list to receive reminders and links to our events.
Newsletters with current announcements are sent monthly.
Reminders and information aabout links are sent out the day before each event.
Images and Ideas: Share via ZOOM,
1st Sat of each month 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm.
This is an informal sharing of images and feedback. A good way to learn is to practice talking about your images and also commenting on other's images in a supportive way.
Print Group: In person Room 9 Griffin Centre, Genge St.
2nd Fri of each month 10.30 am - 12.30pm.
This group is primarily for the sharing of prints. Members bring along examples of their work (prints or books or whatever they are working on) and we sit around and talk about them in a supportive environment. All levels of expertise are welcome. Prints don't need to be exhibition quality - we are just about sharing and learning and exchanging ideas and expertise. We ask regular participants of this group to make a $50 contribution to the cost of venue hire. This is covers room hire up to June 2023.
If you would like to share screen-based (digital) images, please join our Images and Ideas sharing sessions (see above).
Creative Workshop with Chris Holly: Via Zoom
2nd Sat of each month 2.30 - 4.00 pm
This workshop will reboot in 2023 so if you would like to join, the program will be running from scratch and will cover several topics over the year.
Click here for more information about the current workshop.
Hedda Discussion Group for women photographers:
In person Room 9 Griffin Centre, Genge St., Civic.
3rd Friday of each month 10.30am - 12.30 pm
Please click here to sign up for links for Hedda Group meetings only (this is a separate mailing list). You don't need to be a member of any photographic group to participate in the Hedda group (although of course we would like it if you did join CPC). We ask regular participants of this group to make a $50 contribution to the cost of venue hire. This is covers room hire up to June 2023.
Presentation by invited creative artist: via ZOOM
3rd Saturday of August and September 2.30 - 4.00 pm
We will be pausing our presentations until August. We endeavour to have an interesting and varied quality program so hope you will join us again in Spring.
On 19th August we are fortunate to have Joshua Holko talking to us. Joshua is a multi-award winning photographer who has been devoted to nature and wildlife photography. He specialises in photgraphy in polar regions. His work is superb and his talks are always worth listening to as Joshua is generous with his time and sharing of information.
To see some of Joshua's beautiful work visit
On 16th September we have another award-winning photographer lined up to present to us. Robert Coppa specialises in Portrait, Fashion and Commercial photography and also shoots Fine Art work. Robert is also a generous speaker who has extensive experience teaching beginner and advanced studio lighting workshops, concentrating on understanding how light behaves and how to direct and shape light to get a variety of distinct looks. To see some great portraits visit his website.
Please join our mailing list to receive zoom links. Details on how to access the Zoom links are sent regularly to those on the mailing list.
Presentation Program for 2023
18 February: Ian Marshall and Alan Charlton: From Cyclone Tracy to Now - contemporary Australian photographs
18 March: Heide Smith - A Retrospective: A wonderful collection of Celebrities and Canberra scenes by one of Canberra's best-known photographers.
15 April: Tom Putt - Spectacular Australian Landscape Photography
May, June, July NO PRESENTATIONS
19 August: Joshua Holko - Stunning landscape and wildlife photography from the coldest regions of the planet.
16 September: Robert Coppa - Award-winning Portrait Photography
Dinner Conversations: Last Tuesday of each month. 6.30pm
Face-to-face discussion of a topic of photographic interest. Topics suggested by participants.
Hellenic Club or outside venue if weather permits.
Email us to be placed on the mailing list for venue and topic info.
Portrait Group
This new group has now convened and its program of Workshops has been decided for the first semester of 2023. See below for a list of dates. Workshops will be held on the last Sunday of the month and discussions the seond Monday evening of each month.
If you are interested in joining the group, please email canberraphotoconnect@gmail.com or contact Steven Shaw or Matt James before the first workshop. If you have already signed up please don't forget to pay your contribution towards venue hire. Account details on the membership page.
The meeting dates and times through till the end of the financial year are as follows:
Sun26 Feb 9:00am-1:00pm - Workshop at the Ainslie Arts Centre Function Room
Mon 13 Mar 7:30pm-9:30pm - Zoom meeting
Sun 26 Mar 9:00am - 1:00pm - Workshop at the Ainslie Arts Centre Room 01
Mon 10 Apr 7:30pm-9:30pm - Zoom meeting
Sun 30 Apr - 9:00am-1:00pm - Workshop – Outdoor Autumn Colours, venue TBA
Mon 13 May 7:30pm-9:30pm - Zoom meeting
Sun 28 May 9:00am-1:00pm - Workshop at the Ainslie Arts Centre Room 01
Mon 12 Jun 7:30pm-9:30pm - Zoom meeting
Sun 25 Jun 9:00am-1:00pm - Workshop at the Ainslie Arts Centre Room 01
Committee Meetings
The dates for committee meetings for 2023 are 20 April, 22 June, 31 August and 28 September. The AGM will be held on 7 October.
A Selection of Member Achievements
The Hedda Group held its first exhibition at M16 Artspace in September 2022. Below is a slide show of works from the show. Click on this link to go to the gallery of work.
A Feminine Perspective
Congratulations to Lyndall Gerlach and Susan Henderson who had images selected as finalists in the Mullins Contemporary Photography Competition 2022
Night City-ness #1 by Lyndall Gerlach
Everywhere in the Sydney area there are deep water views. The movement of the water often reflects in splashes of light and drifts of fast moving patterns on the buildings. The early evening lights and small boat lights are reflected in deep water, taking on a magic velvet quality. The city's windows reflect the passing people and cares, flashing images or colour, undetermined shapes and chaotic patterns. So busy. In the city everywhere, the city structure predominates. Night city-ness #1 LYNDALL GERLACH
Contemporary lifestyle by LYNDALL GERLACH
We are accepting there will be more Covid deaths, as our society tries to find "normal". Life for some vulnerable "high risk" people is their contemporary lifestyle choice. Time and relationships irrelevant, days merge, contained, among written memories of other times, a far-seeing telescope, a couch to sleep on. Curtains shade reminders of life, alcohol dulls the pain and encourages sleep. Time passes. Painful aloneness, living it, is a contemporary lifestyle for some.
Rain 2 by SUSAN HENDERSON
Photography is mostly about capturing the real and the now, often spontaneously, sometimes more consciously. I am fascinated by the conjuncture of the two, the transient opportunity to record the light rather than the subject, to take advantage of nature and the built environment to photograph. Only in the last year have I been able to add the fine scale distortion brought to us by gentle rain which creates a unique moment.
Congratulations to Judy Parker - Mullins 2021 Finalist: click on image to go to gallery of Judy's Conceptual Photography
Our inaugural exhibition "CONNECTIONS" was held at M16 ArtSpace
An exhibition of photographs by members of Canberra PhotoConnect was held at
M16 ArtSpace, 21 Blaxland Cres, Griffith, from Friday 21 May to Sun 6 June.
Gallery hours: Weds to Sunday 12 - 5 pm.
Reviews
Read a review of the exhibition and listen to Barbie Robinson of Living Arts Canberra talking to Helen McFadden about the "Connections" exhibition
https://www.livingartscanberra.com.au/canberra-photoconnect-connections/
Brian Rope of the Canberra Critics Circle has also written a review of the exhibition that may be read here.
"Connections" Exhibition. Click image to see gallery of exhibited work
Photobooks and Storytelling (Click Image)
A slide show of Member's recent work
Member Highlights
APS Photobook of the Year, 2020 (Sponsored by the APS Print Group and MomentoPro)
Two Canberra PhotoConnect members have been recognised in the 2020 APS Photobook of the Year Award. Brian Rope won second place in the portfolio category with "Liked"
Watch a video of the book https://youtu.be/cnU2bqeRyQ4
Helen McFadden won second place in the storytelling category with "If I had my life over I'd pick more daisies."
Watch a video of the book https://youtu.be/z4K0xCqoxkc
Click here to see the official announcement and details of all the winners.
Click here to see these and other wonderful photobooks by Canberra PhotoConnect members or click on the images below to see the winning books in full.
Liked by Brian Rope
If I had my life over I'd pick more daisies by Helen McFadden
Mullins Australian Conceptual Photography Competition 2020
Warmest congratulations to CPC member Judy Parker who has just won the Mullins Australian Conceptual Photography 2020 Competition. For more information about this competition and to see the finalist's work and a virtual exhibition, go to the Australian Photographic Society website.
To see more conceptual photography click on Judy's winning image below.
Dumpster Sketchbook: Waterside by Judy Parker
