CAPA Judging Program Overview

The CAPA Judging Program is made up of multiple components.

The three primary components are Judge Training, Monitoring and Support.

Judge Training, which is developed in coordination with the Education Committee, covers all subjects related to the judging process. It includes:

• Basic Training for New Judges Course (BTNJ)
This course (currently under development) will be open to anyone and is a pre-requisite for entering the Judge Certification Program. Participants will be given a certificate recognizing that they have competed the course.

• Judge Certification Program
This is for CAPA members who wish to continue their training to become a CAPA Certified Judge. After completing the BTNJ course, individuals may apply to participate in this program. During this phase of their training, participants will be referred to as CAPA Apprentice (CA) Judges.

• Refresher Training for CAPA Certified (CC) Judges
In order to maintain their certification, CAPA Certified judges are required to complete refresher training prior to the end of their certification period. This training is designed to confirm maintenance of judging skills and review trends and recent changes related to judging.

• Supplemental/Advanced Courses and Seminars
These offerings will be based on changing trends, expanding on the BTNJ course and other subjects relating to judging

In the next Newsletter, we’ll look at the Monitoring and Support components.

 

Course Development

Some of the Judge training will be via on-line, self-paced learning. We are looking for individuals with expertise in this type of training to assist the working group that is updating course content.

If this is an area in which you can help, please contact the Director of the Judging Program at judgingdirector@capacanada.ca.

Prairie Zone News for November 2024

This month we’ve had three Clubs join CAPA – Moose Jaw Camera Club, Cochrane Camera Club and St. Albert Photography Club. Welcome to all clubs and club members. It’s great to have you as part of our community! Bob Royer and I had the privilege of joining the St. Albert Photography Club meeting last week. Thanks for the hospitality! I visited with the Regina Camera Club last month as well. Thanks to Larry Easton (a very long time CAPA member) for his time and engaging conversation over coffee.

This month the Prairie Zone sent out a note to some members who are from places that most of us have never heard of. Places like Martensville, SK, Tiger LIly, AB and Oakbank, MB. Canada is a huge country and as part of CAPA, we’re all joined as a nation, by our love of photography. I asked for people’s stories and interests, and some responded. Here are two people’s responses (more submissions are welcome):

 

  • My name is Sherrianne Talon and I’m a PPOC accredited Fine Art photographer and instructor at Red River college where I teach professional photography. I live near Oakbank, Manitoba. I love Fine Art nature and landscapes. I’ve been a professional photographer for over 25 years. I lived in Australia for 16 years and ran a photography business where I did portraits, weddings, commercial, photo restorations, fine art, corporate, landscapes and everything in between. Teaching now allows me to concentrate on my first love, fine art landscapes. To be able to create photos of places that evoke feelings of peace and appreciation of nature, is something I am grateful for every day. Four of my favourite images are shown below.

 

  • Wanda Knoss from Rockglen, Saskatchewan. I live in the middle of Saskatchewan close to the Montana border. I ranch with my husband and family. We raise commercial cattle. Saskatchewan is full of inspiration and wonderful ‘scapes so it’s easy to be inspired.
    I’ve been at this for some time. I have many interests – landscapes, HDR, macro, flora, still life, abstracts, rusty goodness and lately ICM. I shoot with an older Canon 5D Mk111, Olympus OM-D, and my IPhone Pro Max 16. At one time, I belonged to the Group of Ten photography club out of Assiniboia, SK and the Regina Photography Club. Here are three of my images:

Holiday Greetings 2024 from the CAPA President

As we gather to celebrate the holiday season, I want to extend my warmest wishes to each of you. This year has been one of growth, innovation, and connection within our CAPA community, thanks to your passion and support.

Together, we’ve achieved significant milestones:

  • Enhanced Learning Opportunities: Our education team, led by Dan Sigouin, launched valuable new resources, including a dedicated YouTube channel and interactive Zoom critique nights.
  • Digital Salon Launch: We’re thrilled to announce that the CAPA Digital Salon will open on January 15th, 2025, providing another exciting platform to showcase our members’ talent.
  • New Judging Course: In 2025, we’ll launch an updated judging course led by Bill Hall and his team, enhancing our standards and fostering excellence in competition evaluation.
  • Supporting Our Clubs: We introduced a comprehensive liability insurance program, ensuring that CAPA clubs have the protection they need to thrive.
  • Upcoming Conference Announcement: We’re excited to announce that details about our 2026 conference location will be revealed in early January 2025.

Your commitment and creativity continue to inspire, and I’m excited to see what we’ll achieve together in the coming year.

May your holiday season be filled with joy, peace, and beautiful moments captured through your lens.

Warm wishes,

Stella d’Entremont
President, CAPA