Friday, October 24
6:00pm to 9:00pm – Celebrating 8 Decades of PPOC-BC Image Salon
PPOC-BC Image Salon turns 80! Come celebrate this long history with current members and alumni. Enjoy the Best of BC Gallery and reminisce about salons gone by.
Saturday, October 25
9:00am to 10:30am – From Inspiration to Publication with Dave and Kelly Hutchison
The Making of “Vancouver Island: The Art of the Landscape.” Exploring the creative process behind a 224-page coffee table book. Dave & Kelly Hutchison will guide you through their experience to create, publish, distribute, and sell your very own photography book.
10:45am to 12:15pm – The Power of Personal: Turning Niche Work into Commercial Success with Tilly Nelson
Tilly has established herself as an industry leader in creating joyful imagery as a vehicle to champion diversity and inclusion in commercial advertising. Her passion for amplifying voices of underrepresented communities through authentic representation has helped her carve out a niche expertise that has led to international awards and industry-wide recognition.
Tilly’s talk will take us on a journey through the ups and downs of finding your niche, embracing discomfort, and being intentional with your time and effort. She’ll talk through how her personal projects have not only shaped the photography she is now known for but have also led to jobs and opportunities she would never have thought possible.
1:30pm to 3:00pm – Through the Lens of Success: Capturing the journey from passion to profit with Aura McKay
Join Business of Creativity Coach, Aura McKay, as she moderates a candid conversation with four accomplished photographers who have built thriving careers in diverse niches. From first clients to six-figure incomes, creative pivots to retirement legacies, this panel pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to run a sustainable photography business. Whether you’re just starting out, building momentum, or reimagining your next chapter, you’ll walk away inspired and armed with practical insights to shape your own path to success.
3:15pm to 4:45pm – Using AI as a Creative Calculator with Eric Stewart
Langara Photography instructor Eric Stewart reveals how AI can become a powerful tool for sparking fresh photographic ideas. AI can help you quickly explore emotional depth and compositional choices in new ways. You’ll also see how AI can assist in critiquing images, offering fresh perspectives that challenge and refine your creative decisions. Discover how to craft effective prompts that make AI a sharp, responsive tool in your creative process.
7:00pm to 10:00pm – Awards Night
Come celebrate the Best in Class and other special awards from the PPOC-BC Image Competition. Get dressed up, cheer on your fellow photographers, and maybe bring home a trophy! Also returning this year will be our awards portrait studio.
Sunday, October 26
9:00am to 12:00pm – Real Faces, Smart Tools: A New Era in Headshot Photography with Rafal Wegiel
Explore the practical workflow of high-end headshot photography and discover how AI can streamline your process, elevate your visual impact, and transform the way you approach creativity. From lighting and posing to post-production and intelligent enhancements, this session bridges timeless technique with next-gen tools to help you stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.
2:00pm to 5:00pm – Imagination Realized: Mixing Photography, Collage, and AI with Emily Cooper
Join photographer and digital media artist Emily Cooper for a playful, hands-on workshop where photography leaps into the imagination. You’ll explore collage techniques, experiment with AI, learn compositing tricks, and walk away with a one-of-a-kind image that pushes your creativity beyond the frame. Come ready to play, explore, and reimagine what photography can be. Reality is just the starting point!
