The Island's best photographs will be on display at the Nanaimo Art Gallery at Malaspina until July 22.
The Harbour City Photography Club's Salon 2006 opened on June 16 and features a wide variety of different styles from artists of different ages and skill levels. Its primary objective is to promote the creative use of photography as an artistic medium, and to get away from the formula driven images that dominate many competitions.
There are about 60 photographers with about 255 images entered in the show, from all over the Island. Salon 2006 is based on an open concept with no restrictions on subject matter. There is also a theme category. There are mixed media, analog, digital, black and white and colour photographs.
One of the organizers Mitch Aniballi said the show is an interesting mix of styles and techniques.
"You can see digital technology has been used in a lot of prints," he said. "But if you go around you're not necessarily going to see just weird and wonderful things. There is a bit of discretion. People can be as creative as they like with digital, but the club certainly accommodates all different mediums.
"You can be a first year photographer or a 25 year professional. It doesn't make any difference."
The final phase of Salon 2006 was judged by Ellen McCluskey, a professor in the visual and applied arts department at Malaspina University College, artist and photographer Keith Newington and professional photographer Gary Peters. Winners in the open category Calcutta India by Wayne Buhr in first place and Sacred Mount Kailash by Nicholas Halpin in second place. In the theme category, first place went to Individual by Blake Ford and second place was Pillars of Support by Ann Stefanson. Awards of merit were given to Snowdrops by Lillian Sly, Leah by Nicholas Halpin, Church by Blake Ford, Swimming Bubbles by Yvonne Hedley, Expo 86 by Rick Marotz and Stiff Leg Derrick by Rob McMillan.
This is the seventh Salon, which started as a biannual show and was made annual in 2005, said Aniballi. Salon 2006 is the second of the club's major shows for the year, the first being the Joy of the Photography, a show of photo essays held in March.
"We're already planning Salon for 2007," he said, adding the support from the art gallery is very important to the club.
"They suggested to us to make it an annual show and have given us a lot of support and encouragement over the years."