“I like looking hard at a scene and trying to capture the beauty in something that 99 out of a hundred will just walk by,” says student Ryan Harrington, on why he’s passionate about photography. He has just gotten involved with the Capilano Photography Club, a club whose mission is to “encourage members to engage the world around them, through the art of photography.”
Natahsha Prakash, a Capilano student and self employed professional photographer, started the club in Fall 2010. It has quickly become one of the most active clubs on campus this school year. For Prakash, photography is a method of interpreting – and changing – the world around her. “Challenge what you see. Maybe it’s not what you look at,” she says. “Maybe it’s not what you actually think it is.”
Prakash particularly emphasizes the group’s openness to people of various skill levels. “It’s a photography community, so we don’t discriminate. If you want to use Instagram on your iPhone, if you like to look at pictures on Tumblr, you’re welcome to come ... as long as you like to take photos, or you enjoy photography.” She adds, “I don’t want it to be an exclusive, elite group. This is a community I want to build on campus. Everyone, I find now, uses photography as a medium to express themselves. The whole point is sharing what we have.”
Harrington reiterates this notion of the importance of community, and particularly of having others to share his passion with. “If you’re doing photography commercially, you’re getting paid for it, then great. But if you’re doing it just for a hobby, an interest ... then it just becomes photos on a hard-drive.” The club members unanimously agreed that having a community of photographers gives each individual the stability and the motivation to stay inspired and active in their passion.
At any given club meeting, new members can expect passionate discussion on the many aspects of photography. One of the topics that gets club members fired up is the type of photography that each of them find most stimulating. Prakash says, in regards to why she prefers portrait photography over other kinds, “I feel like when I take a portrait of someone ... I get to know them on a new level. When people ask you to take a photo of them, they invite you into their world ... that’s such a unique and wonderful experience.”
Looking forward, the club has quite a few plans to hold events. The first one will be a photo scavenger hunt in the CSU lounge on Nov. 4, in which participants will be given a list of things to take photos of, within a time limit. The top prize for this event will be a brand new camera. They also have plans to hold a gallery exhibition at Capilano in the spring of 2012, which will showcase the club members’ photography .
Prakash’s passion for photography is plainly evident when she explains why you should get involved. “[In photography you see] the beauty in everything [and the] truth in everything too … a picture tells a thousand words.”
For further details on club events and meeting times, head directly to the club’s Facebook page, the ‘Capilano Photography Club,’ or drop in at one of the meetings which are held every Tuesday at 10:30 am in the CSU Lounge.
// Claire McGillivray, Writer
// Photograph by Natahsha Prakash
