The Image Maker

A gentle reminder to all Clubs to begin 2026 by checking the accuracy of their contact information in OLIS as well as making an effort to keep it up-to-date throughout the year. Correct contact information ensures we can effectively communicate with current Club Executive members. Note that your Club O3C Rep or Club President will have the OLIS login information.

To assist you in your updating efforts, the attached document guides you through the steps to access and update OLIS. This document is also available on the OLIS website under the DOCUMENTS tab.

• 21 Feb 2026 - Judges Roundtable Meeting
• 07 Mar 2026 - Program and Education Directors Meeting
• 11 Apr 2026 - One-Day Photography Event with a Street Photography theme - details to come
• 23 May 2026. - O3C Rep Meeting and AGM
• Fall 2026 - Introduction of New Judges Course

The meeting began with introductions and updates on competition categories and rule changes, including new categories and a revised trophy system. A ten year historical review of O3C's judge training system led to a discussion on judge training programs and expectations followed by Randy Nickerson outlining his priorities as Director of Judges. The conversation ended with the demonstration of a new AI tool for evaluating and providing feedback on images. The group discussed its potential use in photography competitions and addressed concerns about privacy and intellectual property.

The main points not to miss are:

• There is a new category for Nature General.

• There is a new category of Scapes; previous categories of Landscapes and Expansive Views have been combined.

• The Freedman Trophy has been retired, and in its place are three O3C Showcase trophies, recognizing the excellence in photography from small, medium, and large clubs.

Feedback from the meeting was used to refine the Rules and Guidelines for the 2026 Open Challenge that can be found at: https://o3c.ca/competitions/open-challenge/ .

The Judge in Training program was also discussed. Randy Nickerson discussed the need for new judges, and reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining the integrity and quality of the O3C Judge Training Program. Norm Ullock reviewed the history of the Judges Training Program and explained the process for accreditation of new judges. For clarity, the O3C Judge Training Program remains relatively unchanged, requiring a course, shadow judging, and mentorship. What has changed is our recognition of the urgency to train new judges.

Also, Norman Cruse of the Don Mills Camera Club, along with Randy Nickerson, presented a new tool in development that utilizes AI to help photographers improve their skills. The new tool is being developed utilizing the O3C judging model, to give feedback that may prove helpful for those who wish to improve their work within that framework. For more information on the tool and its use of Gemini Pro for AI review, please contact Randy Nickerson at judges@o3c.ca. More to come at a later date.

Lastly, an appeal was made for anyone wishing to join O3C as Competition Manager of the Open Challenge as Gray Graffam has taken on the Vice President role. Anyone wishing to discuss their interest in the Competition Manager position should please email either Leif Petersen at president@o3c.ca or Gray Graffam at vicepresident@o3c.ca.

A detailed review of the meeting is available online at https://docs.zoom.us/doc/82nUjZBiQlyj2I_da84ghA .

A very successful O3C Rep meeting was held on 07 Feb 2026 with 35 people in attendance.

Information was presented and fruitful discussion held with respect to O3C activities for 2026:

• Maintain O3C's solid financial position,
• Open Challenge update including introduction of O3C showcase trophies based on club size,
• Priorities for the O3C judging program and how to recognize judges,
• Web hosting initiative white two clubs taking advantage of O3C hosting their club websites,
• Creation of a web technology pool,
• Membership in O3C is now at 40 clubs,
• Re-establishing education day on 11 Apr 2026, supporting the street photography theme of the 2026 Open Challenge, and
• Hosting an Education Weekend

O3C Reps are encouraged to provide their clubs with more details on each of these items.

A Judges Roundtable meeting will be held on Saturday, February 21 at 9:00 a.m., bringing together judges for an open, constructive discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing the judging community.

Hosted by Randy Nickerson, O3C's Judges Director, the session will focus on practical issues such as burnout, managing excessive demand and time constraints, and the growing impact of AI on photography and judging. We will also explore the need for clearer education around AI, concerns about consistency in judging, and how to approach images that lack a natural aesthetic or do not align well with the category in which they are entered.

The roundtable will also address broader program and community needs, including strengthening communication, fostering a greater sense of connection and appreciation among judges, and supporting social interaction. Time will be devoted to ongoing education and support, the role of Judges in Training, assessment and accreditation pathways, refreshed training and re-assessment models, and clearly defined steps in the training process.

Finally, the group will discuss how these initiatives align with O3C’s continuing mission and how judges can play a meaningful role in shaping the future of the program.

The Ontario Council of Camera Clubs (O3C) has launched a new service to help small and medium‑sized clubs host and maintain their websites. Many clubs don’t have the technical resources or in‑house expertise to manage a site on their own, and this initiative aims to make things easier for everyone.

To support this effort, we’re looking for a few volunteers from our member clubs who enjoy working with websites and are willing to lend a hand from time to time. You don’t need to be an expert in everything — just comfortable with the basics and happy to help others.

This is NOT for a FULL-TIME volunteer to take on the tasks - only on a As-Needed Basis as things come up with the new clubs. Clubs will be maintaining their own content. The Web Team will serve as Tech Help.

Depending on your experience and interests, you may be asked to assist with things like:

• Registering domains or updating DNS settings

• Helping a club move their website to the O3C hosting environment

• Setting up hosting, SSL, or a new WordPress site

• Installing themes or plugins and doing light customization

• Keeping plugins updated and ensuring things stay secure

• Setting up or checking backups and restores

• Offering general guidance or troubleshooting when clubs have questions

Support will be coordinated through the O3C, and we’ll match volunteers with clubs based on availability and comfort level.

If you’ve managed a WordPress site, helped your club with its website, or simply enjoy tinkering with web tools, you’re already a great fit. Helpful qualities include:

• Hands‑on experience with WordPress

• Familiarity with domain registrars or hosting dashboards

• A basic understanding of website security and updates

• Patience and clear communication with users of all skill levels

• A collaborative, community‑minded approach

• Train Club Admins with general maintenance tasks

You don’t need to know everything — just be willing to learn and support others.

Member clubs are encouraged to nominate anyone who has website experience or an interest in helping. Volunteers will play an important role in strengthening the digital side of our community and making sure every club can maintain a reliable online presence.

If you’d like to learn more or think this might be a good fit, please reach out with your name, experience, and areas of interest. There’s no commitment just by asking — we’re happy to chat and answer questions.

Please contact Doug Sluys or Bharat Mistry at web@o3c.ca.

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The club members gather via Zoom and/ or meet at Raymond Hall in Utterson, Ontario, on the third Wednesday of every month to share their photography, discuss techniques, and learn from each other.

The Kawartha Camera Club is a very active group formed in 2012 to bring together photographers, new and experienced, and provide a venue to learn basic and advanced skills required to create more compelling photographs.

Club Goals
• Community involvement
• Photographic education
• Forums for members to present their photos
• Promote an enjoyable, social environment
• Monthly themes to challenge members to get the most out of their camera

Most photographers never set out to become videographers, yet today’s smartphones make it easier than ever to blend motion and sound into your creative work. Whether you’re building an AV show, teaching, documenting an experience, or simply exploring a new medium, video can add depth, emotion, and energy to your storytelling.

The attached guide distills the essentials of smartphone videography into a practical, photographer‑friendly approach—helping you shoot better video, understand the settings that matter, and unlock the cinematic potential of your phone.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is an annual international wildlife photography competition staged by the Natural History Museum in London, England. The winning and commended images from this exhibition are toured around the world with the Royal Ontario Museum being one of the stops on the world tour.

On display from Nov 8, 2025 to Mar 29, 2026, the ROM is again graciously offering O3C members a discount when purchasing tickets online for this amazing exhibition. To receive your discount, use code O3C when purchasing tickets at https://www.rom.on.ca/visit .

For more information: https://www.rom.on.ca/whats-on/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-year-2025

Club Competition Results Night

The Mississauga Camera Club invites everyone to Club Competition Results Night featuring a presentation of their talented members’ entries and the awarding of prizes for our 2nd Club competition of the season on Thursday. February 19, 2026, at 7:30 PM.

Location: Mississauga Seniors Centre, 1389 Cawthra Rd., east side, between Lakeshore and the QEW, just south of the QEW.

Entry Fee for Non-members: $10

Registration: at least 48 hours in advance by emailing MeetingGuest@MississaugaCameraClub.ca

Further Information on our guest policy:

https://mcc.mississaugacameraclub.ca/club.../guest_policy/

Using AI for Audio Visual Story Telling

Learn how to exploit the power of AI for your AV storytelling by joining the Mississauga Camera Club for a Zoom workshop on Using AI for AV storytelling presented by MCC member Aneta Zimnicki, to be held on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

Entry fee: For members: Free For non-members: $10

Registration: For members: Login at Member Portal to register:

https://mccmp.mississaugacameraclub.ca/wp-login.php...

For non-members: Please send an email at least 48 hours in advance to:

WorkShopGuest@mississaugacameraclub.ca

Once your registration request has been received, a link will be sent to you enabling you to pay online. Once payment has been received, an email will be sent confirming your registration.

Kas Stone – Making Meaningful Photographs

This online presentation will take place Tuesday, February 17, 2026 from 7:30 PM–9:00 PM EST.

Guests are welcome and can purchase a $10 ticket at https://tdpc.ca/events/speaker-kas-stone-making-meaningful-photographs/

In this presentation, Kas, a professional photographer and author based in Nova Scotia, will explore a number of questions to get you thinking about your image-making process and to inspire you to make more meaningful photographs. Visit Kas and learn more at www.kasstone.ca.

The 2026 Annual Spring Exhibition will be held from 19 Feb 2026 to 17 Mar 2026 at Edinburgh Square Heritage and Cultural Centre, 60 Caithness St. East, Caledonia. Reception to be held 21 Feb 2026. For more information contact rlcarter653@gmail.com.

Hosted by the Trillium Photographic Club, in conjunction with the Hamilton Camera Club and Latow Photographers Guild, the 2026 Three Club Photo Exhibition will be held 28 Mar 2026 at 7:00 pm. This is an evening of prints and audio-visual shows.

All event information will be announced closer to the event date.

Gregg Thurlbeck, member of The Life Institute Photo Club and a member of the Haliburton Arts Council, has eight works appearing in the Art In Focus Exhibition currently being held at The Link, 5152 County Road 2, Haliburton, Ontario.

While the exhibition opening and social networking event has already occurred, the exhibition, co-sponsored by The Arts Council Haliburton Highlands, The Link and ACM Designs, runs through until 13 Mar 2026.

Don Mills Camera Club Awards and Recognition Night will be held 30 Apr 2026. Stay tuned for more details as the date approaches.

The annual highlight of the year for the Oshawa Camera Club is PhotoEx with an amazing competition photo show and video of the great photography the club has done throughout the year. The show takes place from 7:00 - 9:00 pm on 12 May 2026 at Hope Fellowship Church, 1685 Bloor Street, Courtice. An opportunity for friends and family to view great images in a social setting.

Capture Oakville is an annual juried photography competition open to all residents in Ontario that culminates in a printed exhibition that runs from 21 May 2026 to June 2027. The exhibition opens with an in-person awards gala beginning at 7:00 pm on 22 May 2026 at 2302 Bridge Road, Oakville.

For more information: capture@oakvillecameraclub.com

It's time to start thinking about preparing your submissions for the 2026 O3C Open Challenge. There was a phenomenal number of images submitted last year - 3,517 to be exact - and it is hoped there will be even more this year. Date for submission of images is 03 May 2026.

Challenge competition rules and guideline packages have been sent to the O3C Reps of member clubs and are also available on the O3C website at https://o3c.ca/competitions/open-challenge/.

Read the 2026 rules and guidelines carefully as there have been some changes for the upcoming competition. Some highlights include:

• Challenge theme - Street Photography
• 11 updated categories, including Scapes and Nature General
• New submission vetting process to ensure images are not declared out of category
• Launch of O3C Showcase trophies awarded on the basis of club size

Susan Visser , member of the Don Mills Camera Club, shares some thoughts about her first experience entering images into an Open Challenge Competition, which might help encourage more club members to overcome their reluctance to enter the Challenge.

"A year ago, I first became aware of the O3C Open Challenge when our club, DMCC, announced the winners for 2024. The images were stunning, the talent inspiring, and I was immediately curious. I’ve always known what makes a good photograph, but seeing these winning images up close taught me so much about composition, editing, and the many styles and approaches in photography.

Encouraged by fellow club members, I decided to enter the competition for the first time. The advice I received was to submit photos that had already earned an AM or HM at one of our club competitions. While these weren’t the only photos eligible for submission, they were likely the most competitive against entries from other clubs.

I carefully selected a few images, applied feedback from the O3C judges, and made some edits to improve them. I quickly realized that O3C’s categories don’t exactly match those we use at DMCC, so I reached out to other members for guidance on where my images might fit. The support and feedback I received along the way were invaluable.

While my images weren’t of the calibre to win, participating fully was my goal. I wanted to experience the process, learn firsthand, and grow as a photographer.

One of the most rewarding parts was seeing my image included in the show. O3C emphasizes inclusivity, and it was fun to see my work alongside incredible photos from other photographers. I also learned that some categories, like Diversity, tend to be dominated by master photographers. For novices like me, focusing on a single category might be the best strategy next time."

The O3C Photo Tour Program for 2026 continues in earnest. This program is offered exclusively to O3C members and, with the help of Photo Tour Trekkers' long time travel industry partners, we are able to pass on deeper discounts to you.

A SPECIAL NOTE: In order to receive these discounts, it is imperative that you register through the O3C website. The link on the Photo Tours page will take you to the O3C portal in the Photo Tour Trekkers website for complete details on the upcoming photography trips.

Sign up NOW for the trip of a lifetime!

Members of the O3C Executive have been highlighted thus far. Now it is time to turn our attention to members of the O3C staff. In this edition, we take a moment to meet Doug Sluys, O3C's Webmaster.

1. Position - Webmaster

2. Role as Webmaster - I manage the O3C website and hosting environment, oversee server configuration and maintenance, support authentication systems, and ensure the technical infrastructure runs smoothly for our member clubs. I also handle troubleshooting, updates, and ongoing improvements to keep the site reliable and user‑friendly.

3. Photography Club Affiliation - Oshawa Camera Club

4. Favourite Genre of Photography - Waterfalls, wildlife, landscapes, and astrophotography, including deep‑sky objects.

5. Personal Photography Philosophy - Photography gives me a chance to slow down and really observe the world. Whether I’m standing at the base of a waterfall or under a dark sky, I’m always trying to capture a moment that feels both peaceful and full of energy. I enjoy the balance of technical challenge and creative expression.

6. Photography Wishlist - More time under truly dark skies, a trip to Iceland for its waterfalls and night landscapes, and the chance to photograph the northern lights in a place with pristine, light‑pollution‑free conditions. I’ve captured them many times in Southern Ontario, but seeing them under a truly dark sky would be a whole new experience.

7. Photography Hero(es) - There are so many talented photographers out there that I don’t really have a single “hero,” but if I had to choose one, I’d pick Alyn Wallace. His astrophotography blends technical mastery with creativity, and he has a real gift for making complex night‑sky techniques accessible. I admire how generously he shares his knowledge and how he captures the night sky with a sense of wonder that inspires others to head out and explore.

There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.

- Ernst Haas

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