Small club, big talent: Vernon photographers thrilled over gold medal win

VERNON – They may not be the biggest club around, and indeed some members may have nothing more than a cellphone to work with, but that didn’t stop the Vernon Photography Club from bringing home gold in a B.C.-wide competition.

The club, which is made up of about 60 members ranging from total beginners to accomplished photogs, entered the North Shore Photographic 2018 Challenge and earned first place.

Club spokesperson Ian Bull says they’ve entered before, but never won (neither have any of the clubs in the Okanagan).

“The people that usually win it are mostly larger clubs in the Lower Mainland, they have a lot more members,” Bull says. “We’re a relatively small club.”

More members are an advantage because the clubs submit their entries as a team. Six photos from the club’s membership are selected and then evaluated by a panel of three judges. Each image is ranked, and the total score determines the winner.

“We thought we had a pretty good selection but it was a very big surprise to win. It’s very exciting for the club,” Bull says.

Anyone can join the club, which offers workshops, photography outings and even annual road trips. This year they’ll be travelling to Chilliwack for the Tulip Festival.

“Everybody that’s interested in photography is welcome. We have complete beginners all the way up to experts. They use all sorts of cameras, even cell phones, right up to digital SLRS. We welcome everybody.”

Click here to see the silver and bronze winners, and the honourable mentions.

THE PHOTOS

To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston or call 250-309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.