The Delta Photo Club is turning its lens on photographers throughout the region.
For the first time the club is hosting an open photo exhibition and all-day event at the end of March called Delta Photo Inspirations, complete with workshops, vendors and a prominent keynote speaker.
In previous years the club has held an invite-only photo competition, where they invited other clubs to encourage members to submit work.
This year, club president Francois Cleroux said they wanted to change the format to let anyone in Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley enter photos.
Photos will be judged in three categories: Birds in Nature, Colour and Monochrome, and the winners will be featured Friday, March 25 at a juried photo exhibition and free dessert reception.
The deadline for submitting photos has passed, but photographers of all levels can still attend the reception as well as sign up for day two.
On that day, registered participants will take part in a series of workshops, visit vendors, and listen to keynote speaker Wendell Phillips, an accomplished Vancouver-based photojournalist.
Phillips has travelled the world as a photographer, covering war zones, natural disasters, refugee camps, political events, professional sports, and aspects of human life from Vancouver's Eastside to AIDS patients in Thailand.
In 2009 he received the International Understanding through Photography Award from the Photographic Society of America for outstanding contributions to photography, lecturing and publications.
The event's workshop instructors include Greg Schurman on Painting with Light, Graham Osborne on Nature Techniques, Aura McKay on Beyond the Dark: Creative Uses for Flash, and Kathryn Langsford on Photographing Children.
Cleroux hopes the event will become an annual one.
"We're hoping to get it to be the largest event of its kind in the Lower Mainland," he said, as well as eventually open the photo competition to all of B.C.
The Delta Photo Club is seeing growth as well. The club, established more than 40 years ago, has more than 100 members (for more about the club visit deltaphotoclub.com).
Delta Photo Inspirations takes place March 25 and 26 at the Tsawwassen Alliance Church (4951 12 Ave.). Tickets to the all-day event Saturday, including lunch, are $55, or $20 just to see the keynote speaker. Visit deltaphotoinspirations.com or email dpi@DeltaPhotoClub.com.