Members of the Northern Image Photographers have some of their best recent work on display at the Prince Albert Arts Centre as their annual show draws to a close on Saturday.
Club president Roman Orynik said it’s always exciting to see what images club members have captured over the past year. He’s always impressed by the level of talent in the area.
“There are a lot of talented photographers in Saskatchewan, Prince Albert included,” he said. “We’ve seen works from other people, and there’s a lot of talent.”
A total of 14 club members contributed photos to this year’s exhibit. Their work ranges from nature photography, to pictures of people and events, to more artistic and abstract photographs.
“What we’re trying to do is show people the skills and abilities and the work that the club has done over the past year,” Orynik explained. “(It’s) some of the fine work that they’ve done. With that, we’ll hopefully gain some people who have an interest in joining our club.”
The 2023 show features images from club members who are new to photography, and others who have been honing their skills for decades.
Ellie Desgranges is a longtime photographer who has shown off her work in numerous venues, but this year’s show is her first with the Northern Image Photographers. She said the work on display has been through-provoking, as have the meetings with other enthusiasts and hearing how they approach their craft.
“We have a very interesting group of very dedicated and very knowledgeable photographers,” she said.
“We have a broad range of knowledge and it’s been really interesting to talk to them…. It’s just been really interesting to talk to a lot of the people and see what others are doing.”
Desgranges work focuses on nature photography. She said creating respect for animals is a big theme in her work.
“They have their own lives. They go through mental anxiety. They go through a lot of stress. They go through famine. They get hungry. They get excited about things,” she explained.
“I’m just trying to get people accustomed to the idea that those are individuals deserving respect just as much as anybody in the human population.”
Desgranges said her interest in animals goes back to her feelings about the purpose we all have in life. She said the goal is to treat everyone with kindness and respect. That can be difficult to do with humans, she admits, but it’s even harder with nature.
“For me, the only thing that really matters out of this whole thing is that we are respectful to each other and that we love each other, to not harm others, and when we say that, it’s generally looked at from a very human perspective,” she explained.
“I try to make people think bigger than that, because it’s not just about humans.”
The Northern Image Photographers 2023 Show is on display until Saturday, Sept 23. at the Prince Albert Arts Centre.
The club meets the second Tuesday of every month at the PA Arts Centre.
