Nadine Lamoureux
A young lady who came from Manitoba after a life changing journey of 13 years in Arviat, Nunavut. While growing up she was mesmerized by the photos in her parents’ wedding album. Still, she only dreamed of becoming a photographer. Instead she was involved in violin and guitar classes, 4 H Club activities and family camping trips.
It is only when residing in the Arctic that she started seriously dabbling into photography. When she first joined the Churchill-Hudson Bay pastoral team in Arviat she devoted her energy in the mission house and doing all kinds of odd jobs around the drop-in centre. In no time, she started to assist with the publishing of various religious educational materials. Always wanting to help, she was only to happy to volunteer to take the photos needed to enhance the publication. She discovered she had talent and her passion grew beyond the requirement of her job. She started to be recognized as ‘real good’ and eventually as ‘Arviat paparazzi.’ She took that as a compliment. Whatever the event, she was there to capture the moment: hockey games, snowmobile races, parades, birthday parties, weddings, conferences, etc. She also enjoyed walking the streets of the community, ventured on the surrounding trails to immortalize the local beauty.
In 2010, she took the difficult decision to move south and to return to school. She enrolled in the photography program at Algonquin College in Ottawa. Though her struggles to adjust to southern and school life, she managed to stay on top of things. She finished among the first in her class. Having already quite a bit of experience in the field under her belt, she was able to concentrate on refining her skills and getting the knowledge and expertise required to launch her own business.
Struggling with her own self-confidence, her love for photography has helped Nadine find peace. Since the beginning she puts her passion for photography at the service of others. She wants to demonstrate through her art how beauty is found in the most common places and in everyday occurrences. For her, photography is not just a matter of immortalizing the obvious, it is more about bringing out the hidden treasures. It is about finding the freedom to be oneself.
Some of her accomplishments-
New York Institute of Photography Correspondence Course; Rocky Mountain School of Photography- Victoria, B.C, Photography; CAPA Conference, Ottawa; Photography CAPA Conference, Regina; Photoshop NAPP Conference, Boston; Workshops, Cite Collegiale, Ottawa, Ontario; Member of Capa- 20; Calendars; World Youth Day, Inuit Traditional Values, Arviat Tales- 2007, Northern Blooms- 2008, Northern Gems-2009; Copiexpert Kanata Calendars; Photos published; 2011 Conservation Calendar, Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board, Yukon, Environment Canada Yellowknife postcards, teaching materials, Globe and Mail front page, July 2010, Above and Beyond Magazine-2010 sept,oct, Kivalliq News (regularly- 2007-2010); Volunteers Awards- Spring 2010 Arviat, Nunavut; Contributions to the Arts Award, Kivalliq Chambers of Commerce, Rankin, Nunavut, March 2010; 2011 Bridgestone Photo Contest- 3rd place; Algonquin College Graduate, Spring 2012
Lynne S. Rollin
Learned photography as part of a journalism course at Algonquin College in the early 1980. I used those skills to commemorate special moments while in Manitoba for 3 years. Then in 1984, I moved to Eskimo Point (now Arviat) Nunavut. When we started to use a computer rather than a typewriter to publish the diocesan newsletter, I started to insert photos instead of clip art.
When Nadine joined the team, I shared with her whatever photographic knowledge I had. Like a good student, in no time, she surpassed her teacher. She quickly became the photographer and I the assistant. Though I enjoyed this art greatly, I did not have the patience she did to carry around a tripod and set up for hours to do one macro photo. I’d rather in seconds take hundreds of shots of migrating birds, arctic animals or snowmobile and dog races. Yes I am trigger happy!!! I actually have killed a few shutters.
Up North, though an accomplished photographer in my field, often I relegated the task of shooting to Nadine while I drove the truck, snowmobile or the all-terrain vehicle. It was simple, I trusted her more on the camera, and me driving when face to face with a polar bear. Mind you, I got us stuck and in some delicate predicaments a few times!
Besides using our photography skills in the various publications and slide presentations for the diocese, we started to teach photography. Eventually in 2007, some friends convinced Nadine and I to publish a migratory bird calendar. While I was convinced that Nadine was the better photographer, I was happy to discover that most photos in that edition were actually mine. In the following two calendarss, Northern Blooms and Arctic Gems, as expected my contribution was more visible through my writing. Prior to our departure, we had decided to offer the community, that had been our home for so many years, a parting and lasting gift. Originally to be solely a collection of photos, Nadine insisted that I write accompanying stories. Eventually I agreed. It took us literally one year to write, choose photos, design and publish our book Follow the Trail. This was done while both of us still worked full time jobs, took photos like mad women, were cleaning and packing to move south on 1124 Brazeau Road, Clarence Creek.
Some of her accomplishments-
Mayor’s Award- Arviat, Nunavut; Literacy Award- Arviat, Nunavut; Volunteers Award- Arviat, Nunavut; 2011 Contribution to the Arts Award, Kivalliq Chambers of Commerce, Rankin, NunavutPhotos published- Calendars- World Youth Day, Inuit Traditional Values, Arviat Tales- 2007, Northern Blooms- 2008, Northern Gems-2009; Copiexpert Kanata Calendars; Kivalliq News.