RANKIN INLET
A photography course sponsored by the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet attracted 12 shutterbugs this past week.
Instructor Dave Brosha of Yellowknife discusses setting options with Tom Sammurtok during a photography course in Rankin Inlet this past week. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
The five-day course was delivered by Dave Brosha of Yellowknife at the local fire hall and featured lectures, talks and hands-on training.
Community economic development officer Evan Morrison said the course was aimed primarily at people with an interest in honing their skills and, possibly, opening a photographybased business.
He said a number of people had come forward to ask for the course.
"It's nice to see people come together and want to have a positive project in the community," said Morrison.
"And it's great to get that kind of feedback, so the hamlet secured extra funding to hold the course.
"I wish this would happen more often."
Morrison heard about Brosha's success with a similar workshop in Arctic Bay and got him to come to Rankin. He said everything went well during the course, which he hopes to hold again sometime in the future.
"When I saw the interest, I set up an application process for people to tell me why they wanted to take it.
"I wanted to keep the number of participants reasonably low so I didn't overburden the instructor.
"The applicants had to express an interest as to why they wanted the course, and I included a question asking if they had a photography business or if they'd be interested in starting one.
"A lot of people simply have nice cameras they want to learn to operate better, but a few did show an interest in starting a business."
Morrison said there is room in Rankin for a photography businesses. He said many of the participants already had substantial camera skills before taking the course.
"There is opportunity here.
"You see companies coming from the south to go across the Kivalliq taking school pictures, people are always looking for quality pictures from the North, and you also have weddings and baby pictures, for example.
"The instructor spent the last day on starting your own business and marketing it, and I try to help by teaching them how to access funding.
"There's a chance one or two may decide to give it a shot."
