Snap It! The Great Saskatchewan Photo Contest Wants Your Pictures

Mac the Moose, a fiberglass moose in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Photo by Sue Frause.

I've been to Saskatchewan twice: My debut was in 2004 while on a press trip to Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and the second was five years later on Closet Canuck's Great Big Canadian Train Adventure -- my ten-day VIA Rail Canada trip from Halifax to Vancouver. But I want to get back to the province, having spent only a few days in central Saskatchewan (including Regina and Moose Jaw) and passing through briefly on my train trip. It was only a 25-minute stop in Saskatoon on that dark November night, and I didn't get off. So the city named after the Saskatoon Berry still remains at the top of my Canadian cities bucket list.

As a promotion for the province, Tourism Saskatchewan and the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport is sponsoring Snap It! The Great Saskatchewan Photo Contest. Entries are being received in seven categories through September 30, 2013. They include:

• Saskatchewan People | Photos that reflect the character and spirit of Saskatchewan people (no studio photography).
• Nature in Saskatchewan | Photos of flora and fauna in natural habitat.
• Prairie Scenic | Scenic photos from prairie regions of Saskatchewan, including traditional scenes, as well as hidden treasures such as the Qu'Appelle Valley, hills and badlands, and features not typically categorized as "prairie"
• Woods and Water | Scenic photos reflecting parkland, boreal forest and lake settings
• My Saskatchewan Vacation | Photos of people having fun during their Saskatchewan vacation. Images may capture adventure, recreation, relaxation or celebration at a favourite attraction, event or destination in Saskatchewan.
• Urban Life | Images that portray the excitement, sophistication and spirit of our Saskatchewan cities and towns. Photos can also feature events and attractions you experience while visiting our "urban playgrounds." 
• Provincial Parks | Photos of your most treasured memories that took place in a Saskatchewan provincial park.

Seven category winners will be awarded, each receiving a $250 gift certificate from Don's Photo. A Grand Prize winner will be selected from the seven, and will receive an additional $250 gift certificate. Five honorable mention winners in each category will also receive a prize.

To Enter: Only digital (.jpg or tiff format) submissions will be accepted. Email to snapit@sasktourism.com and include your full name, address, and phone number. Specify the locale of each photograph and indicate which category it falls under. The contest is open to residents of Canada (except Quebec) and the United States.

'A Postcard from Victoria' and 'Wish You Were Here' | Two Celebrations of the Picture Postcard

The Empress Hotel pictured on a popular postcard prior to its opening
 Courtesy Empress Hotel Archives

A number of years ago I picked up Peter Grant's Wish You Were Here: Life on Vancouver Island in Historical Postcards. The 2002 TouchWood Editions book includes images that Grant collected, most of them previously unpublished. They trace the social history of Vancouver Island from 1904-1918, capturing the life and times on the island. Many of the photographs were created by artistic photographers, often amateurs, who wandered the streets or the backcountry looking for business. Chapter Two of the book, Postcard Pioneers, includes profiles of 19 Vancouver Island photographers who made real-photo postcards. 

Opening on May 2 at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria's LAB gallery is A Postcard from Victoria, running through July 7, 2013. The exhibit is based on a 16-minute docudrama of the same name produced in 1983 by Quebec artists Robert Morin and Lorraine Dufour. A Western Front Media Residency production, the video is the "eerie" story of an English visitor interviewed for a job as a tour guide at Anne Hathaway's Cottage, a now-closed tourist attraction in nearby Esquimalt. As with most of their video work, the narrative is loosely constructed and straddles the line between reality and fiction. But at the core of the work are questions of place, class, authenticity and belonging.

In addition to the video, the exhibition includes a table, chair and place setting from The Fairmont Empress Hotel's Tea Room, where the tour guide in the video enjoyed high tea after a day's work. There are also numerous historic postcards of the Empress Hotel from the 1900's -1940's, collected by Philip Francis. Specially commissioned postcards inspired by the video were created by three BC artists for the exhibition: Raymond Boisjoly of Langley; Geoffrey Farmer of Vancouver; and Julia Feyrer of Victoria. They are available for purchase in the AGGV Gallery shop. 

The exhibition also examines technology, travel and the practice of sending postcards in the 21st century. Guest Curator Michael Turner, a Vancouver-based musician and writer, gives this explanation: "Today, the speed and relative affordability of travel is matched by technologies that allow us to take a picture with our phone, add a text message and send it in an instant -- making the postcard less a redundancy than something twee and endearing, like the city of Victoria is said to be by those who visit." Turner will speak about the exhibition at the opening reception on May 16 at 7:30 PM.

Spring Workshops at BC's Painter's Lodge, April Point Resort & Spa

Painter's Lodge in Campbell River, BC. Photo by Sue Frause.

Although I've never stayed at Painter's Lodge in Campbell River, I did take a quick boat ride there and enjoyed lunch at the Tyee Pub while staying at nearby April Point Resort & Spa on Quadra Island. 

Coming up in May is the 8th Annual Photographer's at Painter's, a weekend getaway I'd truly enjoy -- too bad I'll be off to New York City at that time. Here's the official description: 

Picture yourself spending the weekend with some of Western Canada's premier professional photographers, May 3-5, 2013. This weekend will broaden your horizons, polish your skills and inspire your creativity -- whether photography is your passion or just your pastime. 

During the three-day workshop, participants will learn techniques from professional photographers in small-group workshops and panel discussion. The weekend includes: 

• Two nights accommodation at Painter's Lodge 
• Two full days of workshops, demonstrations and panel discussions plus entrance to the photograph gallery
• Two brunches
• Wine and cheese reception with workshop photographers

Cost is $329 per person, based on double occupancy, in a Gardenview Room. To book, call 800.663.7090. 

Taking the boat to Painter's Lodge. Photo by Sue Frause.

Additional workshops are offered this spring at both Painter's Lodge and April Point Resort & Spa. Located in British Columbia's Discovery Passage, they're ideal settings where you can learn, relax and immerse yourself in the area's natural surroundings. Packages start at $229 (double occupancy) and include all instruction and two nights' accommodation. Click on for more details.

• Introduction to Fly-Fishing
• Fun with Watercolours
• Acrylic Painting
• Travel Sketching
• Phonetography

Win a Weekend Getaway: Submit your photos and enter Painter's Lodge Facebook Contest. 

Sunset at April Point Resort & Spa. Photo by Sue Frause.

NEWS! explores 100+ years of news photographs in The Province and Vancouver Sun

242-lb. mackeral shark caught by North Vancouver fisher James Hargrove off Point Grey, September 1944. Province Newspaper photo.

If you're in Vancouver during the month of March, stop by the Satellite Gallery on Seymour Street for NEWS! The photo exhibition by Presentation House Gallery takes an in-depth look at the news photo archives of both the Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers. 

The entire collection totals hundreds of thousands of photographs from the 1880s - 1990s. The exhibition includes selected photos and ephemeral material that trace the history of Vancouver during that time period, revealing how news photography has evolved over the past 120 years. 

NEWS! also explores the development of photography as a medium. The broad range of photos in the exhibition reveals the many subjects and styles of photographs: comic photo-ops, famous visitors, civic events, prominent politicians, anonymous citizens, disasters, scandals and sports. The exhibition runs through March 30, 2013.

Panel Discussion with Newspaper Staff Photographers: Saturday, March 16, 3 PM | 560 Seymour Street | Satellite Gallery Second Floor | Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 12-6 PM

Satellite Gallery is an experimental exhibition space shared by the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery (UBC), Museum of Anthropology (UBC) and Presentation House Gallery. It is a project of the Michael O'Brian Family Foundation, which envisions creating a leading experimental project space in downtown Vancouver providing education and experience in the arts, along with opportunities for student mentorship. NEWS! was made possible with assistance from the Vancouver Sun and The Province, and is curated by Helga Pakasaar of Presentation House Gallery.