CAPA Welcomes New Club in Nova Scotia

By: Tom Gallant, DR, Eastern Nova Scotia

The Scotsburn-Northumberland Amateur Photography Society (SNAPS) has become the first club in Eastern Nova Scotia to join CAPA. SNAPS has been in existence since 2012. SNAPS was started by two newcomers to the area, Dave and Christine Hache, both photographers; Dave coming from New Brunswick and Christine from Truro, Nova Scotia. The club started in Scotsburn, the home of Scotsburn Milk and Ice Cream, with just over 10 members. There are presently 30 registered members and 750 listed as members of their Facebook page. The members come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, including: doctors, nurses, educators, business people and many others from the two-dozen communities in Pictou County. The majority of the membership of the club resides in New Glasgow and Pictou, with the population of Pictou County approximating 55,000 people.

SNAPS represents a group of photographers who are more than willing to give of their time to help all members regardless of their skill level. There is a very low cost for membership. The rate is $10.00 per year, and $2.00 per meeting, which happens the first Wednesday of each month, at the Northumberland Regional High School in Alma, a small community in Pictou County. The low membership fee was put in place to attract everybody who has a desire to learn or improve their photography.

At regular monthly meetings, members can showcase their work, through digital presentations, partake in workshops given by outside presenters and inside from skilled club photographers. As well, the club members have the opportunity to get together as a group on field-trips to photograph the beautiful scenery of Nova Scotia (see attached samples). These field trips happen on a monthly basis. At least once per year, the club has an exhibition in one of the County venues, where any member can showcase their work to the public. In addition, one of the senior club members, Dr. Gerry Farrell, has given up space at the Aberdeen Hospital’s “Art on the Wall,” where he has traditionally showcased his work, to SNAPS members where they can showcase and sell their own work. Part of the proceeds of sales goes to the hospital foundation. The remainder goes to the artists. As a gesture of community spirit, some members of the club volunteer, in order to enhance their photographic profile, and cover events of non-profit community organizations. Their photos are given to these organizations to be used for publicity. All of the activities that SNAPS undertakes is done in a relaxed fun way, with no pressure.

Becoming a CAPA member will allow club members to compete at a regional and national level, have their work adjudicated by professional and certified judges, and to become a certified judge themselves, if they choose to do so, and be involved in regional and national seminars, and workshops.

You can obtain more information about SNAPS on Facebook at: SNAPS (Scotsburn-Northumberland Amateur Photography Society).