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Each year the Victoria Camera Club recognizes a member with the Club’s most prestigious award, the Frank Turner Award. This award recognizes the ongoing dedication and significant contributions of a member to the Club and their demonstrated excellence in the art of photography.
The Frank Turner Award was created in 1987 to honour Frank Turner, a long-time member of the Club. He was an accomplished photographer who won many awards for his art and was a vital member of the Club for many years.
This year the committee, composed of the last three winners (Bobbie Carey, Richard Webber and Jacqui James) is proud to announce that this year’s recipient of the Frank Turner Award is Richard Letourneau. Richard is an accomplished photographer as well as a dedicated volunteer. He willingly gives his time, energy and skills for the benefit of the entire Club and is always willing to help others.
Richard Letourneau was instrumental in keeping our Club alive and vibrant through COVID. He set up the Zoom Committee and he and Kim Smith trained committee coordinators as Zoom trainers and, in turn, these trainers trained other Club members. This facilitated the Club’s online presence at the beginning of the pandemic when we could no longer meet in person. Richard continues to host numerous Zoom meetings for the Club, including those with other BC and Alberta clubs and dependably coordinating with other photography clubs. Our increased online presence has allowed Club members to access presentations from a much wider pool of expertise from across the world.
His expertise as the Website Administrator for four years helped solve issues quickly and efficiently. He also made it a priority to enhance the website during his tenure as Administrator. He managed both of the Club’s Facebook pages. He served on the Internal Competitions and Workshops Committees. Richard has contributed several articles for Close-Up and his member profile may be found in the January 2019 issue.
Richard steps in where there is a void. There was a good chance that there would not be an Eastwood competition this year because no one volunteered to take on its management, but Richard stepped up and saved the day. The Eastwood competition successfully took place. He also initiated and coordinated the “My Image/Your Edits” project and created the celebratory video at the culmination of the “Distraction Project”, created by Lorna Shaw.
Richard’s photographic expertise has advanced rapidly. When he joined the Club in 2015 he entered Club competitions as a Novice and is now in the Advanced category. In 2018 he won the award for Intermediate Distinguished Photographer of the Year and in 2021 he won, along with several other members, the President’s 2021 special award for dedicated volunteers. Richard’s image, “Milky Way at Whiffen Spit” was on the cover of the December 2021 Close-Up. He asserts that creating images that convey emotion is the heart of fine art photography.
Richard has a great sense of humour that shows up sometimes in his attire. Many will recall his distinguished tuxedo, his shiny patent shoes, along with the jaunty Santa hat he wore as emcee for one of our Christmas parties, lending a definite upscale note to the affair. Who knew he could also play the piano?
Richard’s images often tell a complex story and demonstrate his self-deprecating humour, as in his self-portraits. He has fun with photography as can be seen in his take on life during the pandemic.
His latest camera, however, has inspired him to seek out different subjects and, many a morning, he can be found at Esquimalt Lagoon capturing its shorebirds.
Always willing to help advance the Club’s endeavours, Richard is a most vital and valuable member of the Victoria Camera Club and a deserving recipient of the Frank Turner Award for 2022.