Welcome to the ACE Archive
Watch a short introduction to our 2026 project for the Albany Bicentenary.
CLUB ACTIVITIES
Tuesdays- Under review for 2026.
Thursdays- Outings begin from GenU.
Saturday- studio workshops and darkroom activities, 10am. to 12pm @ Vancouver Arts Center (subject to change).
Sunday photowalks to commence soon.
EXTENDED HOURS AND ACTIVITIES
The club is currently in the process of bringing back regular workshops and later, photowalks as part of our new look for 2026.
This will provide members with opportunities to learn learn the finer points of photography then put that knowledge to the test in a practical situation.
Members will have access to the clubs extensive range of photographic equipment to try out something new and even challenging.
AUSTRALIA DAY/BINALUP FESTIVAL 2026
Our club was pleased to once again run our very popular photobooth at this event which was held at Middleton Beach. This is a great opportunity for visitors to the festival to dress up and have a bit of fun to celebrate Australia Day.
As well as the locals and regulars we had people from all around Australia and overseas drop by for a momento of their visit to Albany.
Thanks to the City of Albany who sponsor this free event which this year hit a record number of 108 portraits taken.
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Thanks also to our amazing photobooth team who work tirelessly throughout the event with setting up, helping people with their costumes, taking email details, organising the posing and snapping the photos.
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Photobooths have been really popular at local events and ACE is always glad to support family-friendly activities in our city.
AI - Where is it taking us?
In the early 90's many of us experienced the film-to-digital revolution. Those who were there might be getting a sense of history repeating itself now that we're in the early stages of the next major change. Photographers back then were divided with some regarding it as a passing phase that had no chance of replacing film, right though to the early-adopters and enthusiasts who recognised the potential and wholeheartedly embraced it. The rest is history.
Today, we're all rightly suspicious about AI deep fakes and whole raft of privacy concerns that make the headlines but along side that we now have access to some truly outstanding tools that make life easier and far more creative.
Our club now has unlimited access to some of the most powerful AI resources that are currently available.
Photo restoration is one that immediately comes to mind. This used to be a tedious, time consuming process that often failed to produce the outcomes that were hoped for. High-end image processing software made it a lot better, especially when AI assistants were integrated into the workflow.
AI models now have stand-alone power to take out a lot of the drudgery and time required to process images as in the shot below where the focus selection was on the background rather than on the person.
Other areas where AI can be a real help....
Digesting a huge, complex and reader unfriendly operating manuals and breaking them down into easy to understand steps.
Creating workshop tutorials custom designed for a particular subject.
Searching for information right down to the local level.
Putting together photo challenges for clubs to
Designing graphics, signs and other multimedia almost instantly.
Engaging in real-time dialogue.
Giving an expert critique on images and providing hints and tips on how to improve operator skills.
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Is AI a threat or saviour? Probably both but if we make the right choices the world of photography will change for ever.​​
2026 UPDATE
The direction camera clubs take in 2026 will depend on how well they adapt to the influence of AI and the way they can best meet the needs of their members.
It's a good time to return photography to the heart and the head.
"The goal isn’t perfect pictures. It’s helping people see their world—and themselves—with more wonder".
We're taking off again this week- Here's some of what's coming up.....
We'll shortly be running a number of coffee meetups with our volunteers and new members to familiarise them with club activities.
The Remarkable Everyday Project is getting under way soon.
The club will be focussing more on traditional camera club activities such as workshops, weekend outings and photo challenges.
Due to an increased level of interest we'll look at photographic activities for home schoolers.
Our Binalup Festival is photobooth is happening on Australia Day.
Bus tours have been extended into 2026.
We'll be trying to set a new record for the number of entries into the World Pinhole Photography event.
More darkroom activities due to the success of the just completed workshops.
Improving our web and Facebook presence and looking at weekly email updates for members who are not on social media platforms.
Returning photography to the heart and the head for genuine human creativity.
Using AI where it has outstanding benefits in education, admin assistance, research, skill enhancement and removing drudgery.
All this depends on having sufficient volunteers to keep it all running. So far this is looking promising.
THE VANCOUVER ARTS CENTRE YOUTH PROGRAMS
We've just completed the two youth Summer School photography workshops and we've all been amazed at the talents and potential we've enjoyed seeing develop so to speak.
There's definitely a move by parents to get young people away from the negative aspects of social media and get them into something a hobby or take part in some healthy outdoor activities.
Photography is a great way to learn some important skills while enjoying a more face-to-face experience.
The magic of the darkroom and all the creative opportunities photography can provide could make a real difference.
We enjoy the enthusiasm and creativity that young people show and the results reflect that in the work they produce.
Here's some examples from the workshops.
A PREVIEW OF THE REMARKABLE EVERDAY PROJECT FOR 2026
Thanks to Rio Tinto for providing funds for the production of our bicentenary series of photo stories in collaboration with professional photographer Astrid Volzke.
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Here's a taste of what we have planned..... CLICK TO VIEW
The Then and Now Photography Exhibition at the Museum
ACE is delighted to support the Museum of the Great Southern's exhibition that will be showcasing historic images of early Albany on a huge 180-degree screen.
We will be supporting the exhibition by providing a range of cameras from the era.
The opening of this exhibition will take place on the 11th of December 2025 and be open to the public for six months.​​
