The Grande Prairie Photography Club Pilot Mentorship program

is looking to connect photographers and give them a meaningful photography experience. The mentorship program is an opportunity for photographers of all levels to share their photography skills and knowledge.

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We ask mentors to give mentees about three hours a month for three months to help another club photographer either learn a new skill or gain new photographic experiences. 

 

The Club will find a group of photographers who are looking to gain new or additional photographic experience, including, but not limited to, camera basics, portraiture, landscapes, photo editing, composition, etc. 

 

The Club will pair a mentor and mentee as the best match for similar styles or what someone wants to learn. 

 

Mentors: This is a volunteer position. This is a way to share your accumulated knowledge of your photographic talent with another person. 

Mentorship is open to anyone willing to share their knowledge. You don’t need to be a “pro-photographer.” 

Even a beginner can help another beginner learn the basics of their camera. 

 

Three hours can sound like a lot of time, but that time can include many things, such as taking your mentee on a shoot with you, showing them your workflow, and just talking about photography. 

Shadowing an experienced photographer can help some people realize how to interact with subjects in certain shooting situations, giving insight into how to pose or speak to the subjects in front of their lens. 

This time can be split into a couple of shoots or one day, depending on what works best between you and your mentee. It could also just be meeting at a coffee shop or on Zoom to go over recent shots and help troubleshoot problems. 

 

Mentors, remember to listen to your mentee and be available during the time you set up. 

Set goals in your first meeting and revisit them in your next meetings while offering solutions and actionable tasks. 

Give honest feedback and encourage mentees throughout the process. 

 

Mentees: Please respect your mentor's time, as they are volunteering to help you. 

The club's mentors are photographers from many different backgrounds who volunteer their time to help other photographers gain skills. 

Be patient in figuring out times to go out and talk or shoot together.

Come prepared with what you want to learn over the next three months. Show your recent work and ask for advice; that's what this program is all about. 

Be receptive to constructive feedback and open to challenges. 

As a mentee, be proactive, make calendar invites, and send items for discussion to your mentee. 

 

If a mentor or mentee feels it's not working out at any point, let the Club know—either a board member or Jesse Boily, the facilitator of the mentorship program (jesseboily@gmail.com).

These communications will be kept strictly confidential.

 

This is a pilot project! We would really appreciate any feedback you may have on how this can be improved in the future. After the first three months, we may have a survey, and I hope mentors and mentees participate in it so the board knows if the program should be continued or modified. 

 

The number of mentees accepted is dependent on the response of mentors not all applicants may receive a mentor.

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact a board member or email us at gppc.website@gmail.com.

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PLEASE NOTE This is only open to GPPC members and you can join the club by emailing gppc.website@gmail.com.