A Rich Legacy
Established to celebrate and advance the art of photography, as well as engage the greater community, PHOTOGraphie Festival has become a significant cultural event in British Columbia. We’ve united photographers of all levels to share knowledge, showcase talent, and foster community spirit. By opening up the festival to the public, we aim to bridge the gap between image creators and those who appreciate beautiful photographic art. Take a look at some of our past keynote speakers.
PHOTOGraphie has been produced in partnership with Professional Photographers of Canada British Columbia from the very beginning, and we thank the PPOC for their continued support and involvement.
2019 – Dana Pugh and Don Komarechka
PHOTOGraphie 2019 was held at UBC Robson Square in Vancouver, and our keynote speakers were Dana Pugh and Don Kamarechka.
Dana is an internationally acclaimed family and children’s photographer based in Calgary, Alberta, and describes her work as “part documentary, part portraiture, and full of personality.” Dana’s other passion is mentoring fellow photographers on how to price their digital files in order to run a thriving photography business. Dana’s keynote address was about “Pricing Sustainability in the Digital Age.” She walked us through how much money it’s costing you to run your business and examined pricing structures so you can decide what’s right for you.
Don Komarechka is a Canadian nature and macro photographer now living in Bulgaria. From auroras to pollen, insects to infrared, much of Don’s photographic adventures reveal a deeper understanding of how the universe works. Exploring the world that we cannot see with our own eyes has been a common thread in Don’s career as a professional photographer. Don’s keynote on “How Obscure Niches Translate into a Successful Career” walked us through his own successful photography career shooting out-of-the-ordinary subjects. From extreme close-ups of snowflakes to ultraviolet fluorescence of mosquitos to water droplet refractions and everything in between, it was an inspiring presentation. Don also ran a hands-on macro workshop, which was detailed and fascinating.
2016 – Nino Rakichevich
PHOTOGraphie 2016 was held in November at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster, BC, and renowned photographer Nino Rakichevich was our keynote speaker. Nino is an advertising and fine art photographer based in Malibu, California. He has won over 40 national and international photography awards and is a proud member of the elite artist organization ULUPUDS in his native country of Serbia. He is the author of the book “People of Paris.” Sony has honored Nino by selecting him to be a member of the elite group, Sony Artisans of Imagery. Nino’s full-day program covered street and editorial photography, lighting people, marketing in today’s photographic environment, and finding your passion and inspiration. It included a live shooting demo in the street!
2015 – Ken Sklute
PHOTOGraphie 2015 was held in September at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster and featured keynote speaker Ken Sklute from Phoenix. Ken has been honored as one of Canon’s Explorers of Light, a designation shared by only 42 top photographers worldwide. Ken has enjoyed a diverse career photographing people, professional sports, architecture, weddings, and landscapes. His full-day program covered three topics: Compose Yourself and See the Light, Seeing the Unseen, and Creating Moving Images with Time Lapse.
2014 – Faye and Trevor Yerbury
At its inaugural event, PHOTOGraphie 2014 was held at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver, BC. We were proud to welcome Faye and Trevor Yerbury from Scotland for their first-ever presentation in Canada: “The Power of the Portrait & The Fine Art Nude.”
