20
YEARS IN PRINT!
WINTER 2020/21
Beautiful BLACK& WHITE
photo ED 1
N A I Y D H A P CAN TOGRA NEW PHO BRAND IN A T. H H S G E R LI F . E A V GET SPECTI PER
2 photo ED
IN INT PR W! NO
E N I L N N UE O RIBE O S S I ST E BSC T U A S L A R E C O H . T S ED GET SSTAND O T NEW .PHO 3 photo ED
W W W
C A P T U R E W I N T E R W I T H T H E N I KO N Z 5 0
HENRYS.COM
JUDY H. MCPHEE Salt Spring Island, BC “ Capturing Form in Black and White”
In this issue: 13 PHOTOGRAPHY AS A GIFT By Ruth Bergen Braun 14 16
RESOURCES WE LOVE OSALIE FAVELL R FACING THE CAMERA
22 MATT WILLIAMS’ TWO RIVERS 24 KAMELIA PEZESHKI ATTENTION TO DETAIL 26 FRANCIS A. WILLEY’S “BLINDNESS” By Kerry Manders 32 JESSICA DEEKS GIRLS+ ROCK OTTAWA
39 CHRISTINE FITZGERALD A FIERCE AND ORDINARY REALITY By Brandy Ryan 46 KAROLINA KURAS ROMANCE, FLIGHT, & FLUIDITY By Mark Walton 52 ALLY GONZALO BAKLA! By Michelle Joseph 56 KATE ROY AFFINITY 58 READERS GALLERY Submissions by our readers
ISSUE #
DIAM
OND
60
EDITIO
N
20 YE AR PUBLIS S OF HING !
TRY IT ALL. DO IT ALL.
CAPTURE TOMORROW
Creator’s Kit The Z 50 Creator's Kit provides you with everything you need to step up your video game in one amazingly convenient bundle. The Z 50 Creator's Kit is built around the small but mighty Nikon Z 50 and compact NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens. You'll love creating your next show stopper! For more information, visit www.nikon.ca WHAT’S INSIDE Z 50 Camera with NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR Lens
RØDE VideoMicro Mic/ WS9 Deluxe Wind Shield
SmallRig LCN2525 Vlogger Bracket
Joby® GorillaPod 3K Tripod
Travel Kit Bag - Charcoal
photo ED 6
In this digital issue
TYRESHA BAILEY-DAVIS Brampton, ON
THE READERS GALLERY FEATURES A`RNO THE ARTIST AFZAL HUDA AIDEN JAMES ANGEL PAN ANGELA ZHENG ASHLEY HIRD ASHLEY M. BOUTIN AVA MARGUERITTE BELINDA MULLER BOB ST-CYR BRADLEY JOSEPH BRENDA LAKEMAN BRIAN LAVERY BRIAN WHITESTONE CALEB BUTLER
CHRISTIAN LEE CHRISTINA SHIVCHARAN DAVID VAN POPPEL DYLAN GREENHOUGH E. ROSS BRADLEY ELSIE NISONEN GUN ROZE HANNAH TKATCH HENRY VANDERSPEK IVAN RUPES JEFF SORIANO JOHN FARAGHER JORDAN MURRAY JOSEPH BOLTRUKIEWICZ JUDY H. MCPHEE
JUNYAN LUO KATIE ROULIER KEVIN E. PROULX KRISTI NICKERSON KYLE UMBACH LAURIE MINOR LORETTA STEPHENS MADDISON OUCHI MARIE-LOUISE MOUTAFCHIEVA MATHEW SHAWN TURNER MEGAN FORSYTH MELINDA STANLEY MELISSA RICHARD MIRNA CHACÍN
OLIVIA GALATI OSCAR BUSTOS RAINER OKTOVIANUS RAMONA MUNTEANU RUBY CAYAGO SANDRA ST. CLAIR SLADE SARA GRAWBARGER-KUEFLER SEAN FETAZ SIMAL GORMUS SJ KIM SONIA BLAYDE TAIMOOR KHAN TANYA MURCHIE TARA NEWHOOK TASH DAMJANOVIC
TWINKLE BANERJEE TYLOR KEY-CARR TYRESHA BAILEY-DAVIS VICTORIA DOUDOUMIS WES MAKOWSKI
PHOTOED MAGAZINE CELEBRATES
ISSU
E#
60 DIA
MO
20YEARS IN PRINT!
“ I love looking at photography that I wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to.” - Christine Goodyear, PhotoED reader
“ PhotoED Magazine is a beacon for Canadian photographers, lighting a path to learning, and inspiring photography and exciting new work by talented artists from all corners of the country.” - Peppa Martin, Founder + Director of The Commotion
ND
EDI
TIO
N
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUBSCRIBERS, CONTRIBUTORS AND SUPPORTERS!
“Whenever I pick up a copy of PhotoED Magazine I know that I will learn something new and be inspired.” - Shira Gold, Artist + photographer
“Such a great diversity of voices.” - Margit Koivisto, PhotoED reader
“ PhotoED Magazine has always proven to be a great inspirational tool for our students and a great supporter of our students work!” - Barbara Astman , Artist + Professor OCAD University
“ I am so grateful for the print and digital editions that feature people getting professionally published for the first time.” - Karen Ruet, Photographer + Educator, New Brunswick College of Craft and Design
Photo by ADAM BORMAN / adamborman.com
EDITOR’S NOTE
BACK TO BASICS THE WORLD IS NOT A BLACK AND WHITE PLACE, BUT SOMEHOW MONOCHROME IMAGES HELP US SEE MORE CLEARLY. Photo by Ryan Parker
I think it is in that extra second the eye needs to fully read what is happening in a black and white photo, that moment of pause, that compels us to take in and interpret details and ideas brought to us by the photographer we might otherwise gloss over in our busy lives.
“Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.” — Elliott Erwitt
The first-ever edition of PhotoED Magazine in 2001!
PHOTOED MAGAZINE IS 100% MADE IN CANADA! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
In this special issue — issue #60 and a celebration of 20 YEARS of publishing in print! — we’re featuring contemporary images and stories best told in black and white. I encourage photographers at any level to take a moment with our story “Photography as a Gift” by Ruth Bergen Braun. Contemplation and clarity are so often what draw us to photography. Ruth beautifully articulates how we can all think of the medium as a gift. Monochrome can also unite a visual idea. We love Rosalie Favell’s Facing the Camera work. Her project, over the course of 10 years, and across international geographies, is now an impressive collection of over 500 portraits of Indigenous change-makers. Such a diverse collection of subjects, when presented in a beautifully crafted collection, truly comes together as a visual force.
Greyscale can change the way we connect with music and movement, as in Jessica Deeks’ Girls+ Rock story and Karolina Kuras’ stunning images of dancers. It can even have us take a second look at commonplace subjects, as in Christine Fitzgerald’s work, or open our hearts to new visual poetry, as in the case of Francis A. Willey’s image “Blindness.” I don’t think it’s a misstep to declare “We’re so over it,” with regard to the challenges we have collectively faced in 2020. Our next issue, Spring/Summer 2021, will focus on sharing fun, silly, wacky photography experiments. Let’s do something fun! Shake off 2020! If you’ve got a joyful photography story to share, drop us a line. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and sign up for our e-newsletter to keep up!
Your Editor, Rita Godlevskis rita@photoed.ca
MAGAZINE
WWW.PHOTOED.CA @photoedmagazine @PhotoEdCANADA @photoedmagazine
WINTER 2020/ 2021 ISSUE #60 ISSN 1708-282X
EDITOR/PUBLISHER
Rita Godlevskis /rita@photoed.ca
Ruth Alves Ruth Bergen Braun Michelle Joseph Kerry Manders Brandy Ryan Mark Walton ART DIRECTOR
PhotoED Magazine is published 3x/year, SPRING, FALL, & WINTER See www.photoed.ca for subscription and advertising information. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40634032 PhotoED Magazine 2100 Bloor St. West, Suite 6218 Toronto, ON M6S 5A5
This issue was made possible with the assistance of the Ontario Arts Council.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
COPY EDITOR COVER IMAGE :
Deborah Cooper Kathryn Hosier by Karolina Kuras
+ FIND OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS ON
SHIPPING IN CANADA IS
FREE!
BEAU PHOTO
Shares an image by Vancouver photographer:
© Kathy - Beau Photo “ Winter is a magical time to take a film camera out into the snow. The crisp, almost monochrome world translates into powdery tones on black & white film.” Ilford HP5 film from a Nikon FM2 camera.
1401 W 8th Ave #110 Vancouver, BC V6H 1C9
GET THE GUIDE
The PhotoEd GUIDE to Photography is a 128-page magazine-format learning and teaching resource. The GUIDE provides a quick start to basic tools & techniques, and ideas for new explorations. ORDER ONLINE:
Phone: 604.734.7771 / Toll free: 1.800.994.2328
PHOTOED.CA/THE-GUIDE
www.beauphoto.com
EDUCATIONAL PRICING HOME TO ALL YOUR ANALOGUE NEEDS
89 QUEEN STREET EAST TORONTO, ONTARIO M5C 1S1
Come and Visit our NEW HOME
T: 416.363.1749 TF: 1.866.223.1618 email: info@downtowncamera.com web: downtowncamera.com
PHOTO | VIDEO | FILM | PHOTOLAB | USED | SERVICE
PHOTOGRAPHY AS A GIFT BY RUTH BERGEN BRAUN PHOTOGRAPH BY RYAN JAMES HERMANSON
LANGUAGE SHAPES OUR WORLD, our craft, and our experience. Photographers often describe their process by using surprisingly predatory and aggressive terms. We shoot. We go on shoots. We take shots. We hunt for subjects. We review our images to see what we captured.
Contemplative photography, particularly as described by Howard Zehr in The Little Book of Contemplative Photography, uses different language. The author approaches photography as a collaborative experience. An image is received and we, the photographers, are the beneficiaries. A contemplative photographer invites and receives. Relationships may be similar. My relationship with Ryan was not pursued but given. Ryan has Down Syndrome. I had supported people with disabilities before and was open to doing so again. Then we met and, through a series of conversations, I became his photography coach/mentor. Our relationship is a gift. To some, Ryan has a disability. To me, he has different abilities. He approaches life with his eyes wide open. He sees details that I miss. Our time together takes us to different places to explore various genres of photography. Portraits, street photography, landscapes, cityscapes, buildings, action, events, and more. We experiment with settings and perspectives. Our focus is not to capture but to enjoy our experience together and invite images to materialize, as gifts. In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer explores the concept of the gift economy. The essence of a gift is reciprocity. A gift gives back, gives forward. A gift creates a set of relationships. As Ryan and I share the images given to us, we create relationships with those who view them. Now, after a few months, others are giving us gifts: ideas of who and where to photograph. Ryan doesn’t read and thus did not initially understand
the impact of this image until it was interpreted for him later. Our exploration that day was simply street photography in downtown Calgary. What is this particular image’s gift? Could this image be a gift to those in power in our city in that it illuminates what mere words cannot? What changes in us when we see our photographs not as something we have created out of our sheer skill and brilliance but as a random act of kindness from the world, from our space, to us? What changes in us when we approach our craft and our lives with open hands that receive rather than capture? What changes when we allow those with different abilities to give us their gifts? While there are no definitive answers, I’m contented to keep posing these questions to more photographers and photography appreciators as my own way of paying it forward. photo ED 13
GET INSPIRED:
GO MONOCHROME Check out our recommendations for more ways to see the world in glorious greyscale
FEATURED FLICKS
BE NATURAL: THE UNTOLD STORY OF ALICE GUY-BLACHÉ Filmmaker Pamela B. Green honours one of the world’s most talented and brilliant filmmaking pioneers who has been cheated, forgotten, and ignored for nearly a century. This documentary, narrated by Jodie Foster, shares the story and legacy of Alice Guy-Blaché, whose accomplishments of note include her experiments with sync’ed sound, colour-tinting, special effects, and interracial casting.
ROMA
THE ARTIST
True cinematic excellence. Every frame in this flick is a stunning composition. Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma (2018) engrosses the viewer in a beautifully crafted, deeply moving narrative following a year in the life of a middle-class family maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
This film is one of the most unique, fun, and entertaining black and white films since the talkies were invented. An homage to Old Hollywood, French director Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist (2011) was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. We love a timeless Hollywood fairytale.
Find it on Netflix
Find it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, or YouTube Movies
Catch it on www.tvo.org
VERY NICE, VERY NICE Online + FREE Arthur Lipsett’s seven-minute, 1961 avant-garde flick is a critically acclaimed classic that feels just as relevant now as it did when it was made. Very Nice, Very Nice is an animation of still images edited to be wickedly funny. This terrifying examination of modern life is bananas. www.nfb.ca/film/very_nice_very_nice
14 photo ED
Promoting Contemporary Visual Arts since 1988
PRAIRIE GOTHIC Photographs by George Webber, text by Aritha Van Herk Hardcover, 2013, 192 pages, $50
BADLANDS By Robert Kroetsch, photographs by George Webber Hardcover, 2015, 360 pages, $40 George Webber’s images transport us to the Prairies in a way that will visually haunt you. In Prairie Gothic, the viewer is confronted by the mysterious particulars of life, death, landscape and faith. Intimate portraits and hard facts of prairie life create a body of work that is inspiring, consoling, and sometimes achingly sad. Badlands is a unique take on the 1975 Kroetsch novel re-imagined. George Webber’s photographs accentuate a story that starts in 1916, when scientist William Dawe leads a paleontological expedition into the badlands of Alberta. Fifty years later, his daughter, Anna, enters these same badlands. In her visit to the expedition site, she exposes not only the absurdity of her father’s work but also the folly of his male ambition and attitudes. rmbooks.com
AN OPEN, VIEWER FRIENDLY FORUM FOR THE BEST IN CANADIAN + INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ARTS, ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN + ART EDUCATION 3rd floor, 10215 - 112 Street, Edmonton, AB, CA T5K 1M7 780 426 4180 harcourtinfo@shaw.ca harcourthouse.ab.ca
LEFT: “Amy Malbeuf, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2017” RIGHT: “Alex Janvier, Banff, Alberta, 2008”
ROSALIE FAVELL
FACING THE CAMERA Canada’s largest body of work documenting the collective catalyst of Indigenous change-makers
ROSALIE FAVELL CREATES photo-based art that draws inspiration from her family history and Métis (Cree and English) heritage. She uses family albums, popular culture, and other sources to present a complex self-portrait of her experiences as a contemporary Aboriginal woman.
Facing the Camera (2008–2018) was a project Rosalie started when she noticed a gap in historical records of Indigenous arts community members. This project now includes over 500 portraits of Indigenous people, paying homage to the courage, strength, and dedication of these creative professionals. We are excited to share this work and Rosalie’s statement on this incredible project.
photo ED 17
26 photo ED
FRANCIS A. WILLEY’S
BLINDNESS THE SURPRISING STORY OF A SINGLE FRAME OF FILM
BY KERRY MANDERS
photo ED 27
32 photo 32 photo ED ED
AP OR TRA IT P RO JEC T
GIR L S R OTT OC + AW K A JESSICA DEEKS:
photo ED 33
Remember this? With most experiencing the second wave of COVID-19, being social seems just this long ago. The Photographic Historical Society of Canada reminds everyone to distance as well as wear a mask; once the coronavirus is beaten, we’ll be back to hosting shows and fairs. Want easy event updates? Contact us for a subscription to our free newsletter at www.phsc.ca.
www.phsc.ca 38 photo ED
CHRISTINE FITZGERALD A FIERCE AND ORDINARY REALITY BY BRANDY RYAN
photo ED 39
KAROLINA KURAS
46 photo 46 photo ED ED
ROMANCE, FLIGHT, FLUIDITY BY MARK WALTON
photo photo ED 47 ED 47
BAKLA!
ALLY GONZALO FINDING PRIDE IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND THE LENS
BY MICHELLE JOSEPH
52 photo ED
YOU MIGHT THINK that a degree in history and political science would lead to a career in politics or teaching, but for Ally Gonzalo, it led to a career in photography.
While he was a student at the University of the Philippines, Ally attended a field trip with some of his friends. They lent him a camera to capture pictures for the day, and Ally took full advantage and snapped images of everything they saw. At the end of the day, his friends noticed that he had a unique flare for taking pictures and asked if he’d like to be a part of a photography group that they were organizing. He accepted. When he graduated from the university, he asked his grandmother for a camera as a graduation gift. She obliged, and he continued with his new favourite hobby.
In June 2016, Ally and his family left the Philippines and immigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since he was starting from scratch in a new place, he felt he needed to figure out what he wanted to do. He could have sought work in radio or social media, as he had some previous experience in both fields, but he chose to pursue photography, as it made him happy and was an outlet for his creativity. Without hesitation, he enrolled at the PrairieView School of Photography. For a self-directed assignment, Ally chose to challenge himself and take portraits of people. At the time, he was comfortable shooting street photography and landscapes, but he felt intimidated by taking pictures of people. He chose to take portraits so that he could confront his anxiety head on. He initially had a goal of photographing five people but ended up doubling his number of subjects, and graduating at the top of his class. photo ED 53
56 photo ED
KATE ROY AFFINITY I AM REALLY only at the beginning of discovering who I am. After years of trauma, mental and physical abuse, and hiding within myself, I have now come to a point in my life that it is necessary to face the truths of my experiences and finally heal. I’m excited to face this world. I am at a beautiful point of strength and voice and can feel myself shifting spiritually, emotionally, and physically for the better. I look at art and research as one and the same, and I see my creative practice as the same as a field scientist: exploring and investigating, aiming to understand what it is I am observing.
TOP: “Ylvie.” LEFT: “AJ.” RIGHT: “Henri.”
Affinity is a project that was originally developed to help slow down my photography process and connect with my subjects, and possibly myself, on a deeper level. Using an 8x10 view camera, I spent an hour or more speaking to my subjects and delving into some of the most difficult moments in their personal lives. When I felt they had truly opened up, I would snap the shutter with the aim of capturing a part of what I believed to be who they really are. Shooting with paper negatives gave me the opportunity to bring my subjects into the darkroom with me after taking their portraits to experience the process of my practice. It was exciting to experience the magic of the chemistry, as it would reveal an image, whilst developing a bond between subject and artist.
Kate Roy is an emerging Ottawa-based visual artist who primarily works with historical film processes and experiments with cyanotypes, chemistry, various film formats, painting, sculpture, and woodwork. kateroyphoto.com
photo ED 57
THE
GALLERY SUBMISSIONS BY OUR READERS
TASH DAMJANOVIC Toronto, ON
“ I long for a world that is idyllic, one in which grace, vulnerability and strength can coexist. The year I turned fifty, I was introduced to Nataly - a sensual, lifelike, seemingly fragile but virtually indestructible mannequin. “She” made me question my personal definition of beauty, femininity, and how it continues to change. I also became fascinated by the idea of exploring how I too could become unbreakable.” IG: @tashd.art w w w.tashd.ar t
MELISSA RICHARD Fort McMurray, AB
“I use portraiture in visual storytelling to express an emotion, situation, or a story that the viewer can relate to almost immediately.” @melissarichard4
AVA MARGUERITTE Ottawa, ON
ROMANTICS “ There are moments we promised we would never forget; Inevitably we do.” IG: @ avamargueritte
AIDEN JAMES Calgary, AB
ASHLEY M. BOUTIN Nelson House, MB “ Kaylee Linklater is a member of the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation in northern Manitoba.”
AFZAL HUDA Toronto, ON
Selections from the series, Love Wins: Palestinian Perseverance Behind Walls. “ In the summer of 2011 Afzal Huda was given a map depicting areas in Palestine most affected by the Apartheid Wall. He spent three weeks capturing life in what has now become an “open-air prison,” and how Palestinians survive and resist such an existence.” Love Wins: Palestinian Perseverance Behind Walls is a book published by Olive Branch Press. (Available in English, Spanish, French and Chinese editions) theunapologetictraveler.co IG: @the.afzal.huda
TANYA MURCHIE Calgary, AB “ 2020 was my first year experimenting with abstract.” IG: @ tanyamurchiephotography tanyamurchiephotography.com
TYLOR KEY-CARR Mississauga, ON
“ The series of images puts a spotlight on people coming together to show support for each other (primarily Black and Indigenous people, whose voices get silenced on a consistent basis). Although this protest took place in June 2019 during the pandemic, I felt it was crucial that I participate. As a black man myself, I aim to use my voice and images to describe my experiences and feelings regarding the way I have been treated. This event allowed our voices to be amplified. It was a very important time for my development and confidence personally.” IG: @tylorkc
BRADLEY JOSEPH Charlottetown, PEI IG: @br0lls
CHRISTIAN LEE Chilliwack, BC
“ When I shoot B&W it comes from a place of adventure, and a desire for the image to be stripped to a minimum. I always think of Ansel Adams and I’m always excited when I see something and know it will be a great black and white shot. This photo is from an ongoing series called Blank Spaces which explores negative space that often comes when shooting without colour.” IG: @christian.cole.lee christiancolelee.com
Dear Grandpop, I’m writing to you from a world that you’ve left, and somehow I know you will hear it. I want to show you a photograph I made – it’s in a book I’m dedicating to you. I coloured it in so there’s warm, buttery light pooling in your lap. On the day you died, I toasted you with some friends. We imagined you with a rucksack, free of creaking body, on another adventure. I’m not exactly sure how it works where you are, but I’d like you to visit me once in a while. Blessings – I’ll meet you at the end of the loop.
A`RNO THE ARTIST
Shared territories of the Sts’ailes, Cheam, and Seabird Island (Agassiz, BC) “ I n Sunny Days, vibrant rubs of colour spill into black and white images during intercourse between the material and spirit worlds. Pictures converse in a playfully profound, veil-less colouring book of ‘thin places’; a nonsensical knot. They sneak in-between worlds, tickle reason, delight in being rogue and unlocatable. Sunny Days asks what happens when matter and spirit knit together into one form; loosen / tighten / fray. Here, nonsense is treated with reverence ~ ‘childlike’ ways of looking are deep, sacred, and profound. Ghosts are real.” IG: @aflaflafl_
OSCAR BUSTOS North Vancouver, BC
IG: @obustosphotography @geigermx15
ASHLEY HIRD Ottawa, ON
“ A physical representation of what depression feels like.” IG: @stillsnthrills
MARIE-LOUISE MOUTAFCHIEVA Toronto, ON
“ Rhythmic gymnastics, is a difficult and intricate sport. Few make it to reach the international stage. You have to be tough and strong minded. It involves emotional performances, expression of the soul, connection to music and pushing the capabilities of the human body. This sport teaches you persistence, dedication, to take risks, and to lead with your head held high. The only way to achieve something is through hard work. It may not come easy but in the end it is rewarding. Featured here are some of the Canadian National level athletes in training.” IG: @marielouphotography
TARA NEWHOOK St. John’s, NL “The woman in these photos is one of my friends from high school, her name is Kellie. I’ve known her for years, she is always ready to help me express whatever thought or ideas I may have floating around in my mind. Unexpectedly, this shoot turned out to be extremely sentimental for the both of us because we both take each other to different lengths when it comes to being creative. She is truly a beautiful being and I think you can see why.” IG: @taranewhook
HENRY VANDERSPEK Toronto, ON
IG: @culturesnap Twitter: @culture_snap FB: CultureSnapPhotography
TYRESHA BAILEY-DAVIS Brampton, ON “ The story behind this image is about supporting Black lives. This image was taken in downtown Toronto at Graffiti Alley near Black created art.” IG: @capturedlooks @justtyty
VICTORIA DOUDOUMIS Mississauga, ON “ There are two stories behind this photo which makes me love it that much more. The first has to do with heart break, the second has to do with power. The first one explains itself - a boy almost broke my heart. The thought of him, or anyone really, being able to do that made me think “wow, this is not okay.” Not in the sense that people can’t have their hearts broken because that’s life, but why was I letting him made me sad. That’s where the second story comes in. I wanted this photo to show that there is power in self-reflecting. The splattered spots across the image symbolize blood. Any person who tries to break me can think for as long as they want that they succeeded, but I will never give anyone the power to see me bleed.” IG: @victoriadoudoumis
DAVID VAN POPPEL Toronto, ON
“ A missing frame. The wall shows the clear outline of an artwork, or some sort of piece that used to hang there. What was it, and why was it removed?”
TAIMOOR KHAN Mississauga, ON
IG: @tamethelame
RAMO/HCKYGRLPHOTO Toronto, ON
“ I am not a photographer stuck on a certain style rather I try to illustrate the mood/environment I am in or how I feel at the moment I shoot.” IG: @hckyramo
JORDAN MURRAY
MA
Courtice, ON
Vern
“ Some of my first explorations in black and white photography.”
“ I wa
IG: @jordanxmurray
IG: @
ADDISON OUCHI
non, BC
anted to capture raw timeless moments.”
@bbandmphotography
BRIAN WHITESTONE Perth, ON ICON SERIES “ An icon can be seen as a representative symbol and in more existential terms, as something worthy of veneration. My intent was to add an element of respect or awe to the often overlooked. We have become overly entranced by the technological marvels of this world. As an antidote, changing context allows the mundane to be seen in a new light. Wonder can then re-enter our dialogue.”
CALEB BUTLER Toronto, ON “ My image refers to a past agrarian existence, superseded by an industrialized world now in the digital age. The image suggests structures are claimed by the earth they were once designed to help cultivate. Despite the passage of time, while the structural integrity of some may be challenged, the physical presence of the construction remains. The simplicity of the image offers a stillness, a sense of remoteness, and a quiet that is perhaps even more relevant given the global pandemic that requires us to reconsider physical separation from one another, while forcing some to comprehend what it means to be alone.” IG: @calebbutlerphotography
IVA
Toron
“ A sn sens wha as in larg view our o also circu
IG: @
AN RUPES
nto, ON
napshot of an ephemeral microstory. We can se there must be a beginning and an end to at the image has captured—a story, but just n a single frozen frame of a movie, it remains gely obscured to us. Which liberates us to w each of these scenes through the prism of own associations and experience. Which is o something that evolves depending on our umstances, both individual and collective.”
@ivanrupes
JUNYAN LUO Montreal, QC LE TEMPS PASSE
“ This day I visited a museum in Quebec City. When I visited, I noticed that a kind old lady has been sitting by the window as if waiting for something. Maybe just like a cultural relic placed in a museum, serene waiting for time to pass.”
JOHN FARAGHER Toronto, ON A white pine on the shore of Georgian Bay at Killbear Provincial Park.
LORETTA STEPHENS Montreal, QC “ In 2017, my aunt and I were visiting friends in Melbourne, Florida. We waited out an impending storm. That was Hurricane Irma. Before she arrived we managed a quick trip to the beach. The water seemed fairly calm, but in the distance you could see the clouds pushing slowly ominously towards us. This close to the storm’s arrival, it was as if the danger was more a vague thought than an upcoming nightmare.”
LAURIE MINOR Ridgeville, ON Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis)
MELINDA STANLEY Halifax, NS “An urban portrait of Nova Scotia” Shot with a Mamiya RB67 on Ilford HP5 medium format film.
JOSEPH BOLTRUKIEWICZ Vancouver, BC
KATIE ROULIER Barrie , ON
Downtown Barrie historic building.
MIRNA CHACÍN Etobicoke, ON
“ SOULS ON HOLD, is an elegy to loss and grief in the times of COVID-19. Regardless of culture or religion, the ancient rituals that honour the departed and comfort the bereaved have been postponed or abandoned during this global pandemic, to avoid further spreading the virus. Nevertheless, funeral rites are needed to provide mourners with a time to grieve with closure. This last contact allows us to realize the real loss and its irreversible and definitive nature. In these pandemic times, death leaves nowhere to grieve. It recalled my grieving crisis due to closer family losses back in my home country and triggered a craving to create this photo series. My work seeks to lend evocative spaces to grieve, remember and celebrate the lives of our departed loved ones. It also invites to reflect on the natural cycle of life.” IG: @mirloy
TWINKLE BANERJEE Calgary, AB “ Looking at how the context around nature has evolved in urban settings, how plants that had purposes and meaningful benefits in the past are only looked at from an ornamental perspective now. I hope with time slowing down, due to the pandemic, people will look at nature around them differently.” IG: @ twinklefilmandothers
SIMAL GÖRMÜSŞ Toronto, ON
“ I tried to discover and capture in film what the word “Roots” mean to me. Being an international student, living with no family for the past 3 years, understanding how my cultural roots are changing and evolving is astonishing to me. With a handful of personal stuff, my father’s childhood photo, passport stamps, my Russian grandma’s old camera, prayers a family friend wrote for me, and my friend’s poem about “Roots.””
GUN ROZE Toronto, ON
“ I have been photographing and collaborating with Toronto-based dancer Bryony since 2016. We decided to create our own art at the AGO. B&W seemed like the ideal choice considering the dramatic lighting and graphic environment there.” shot-by-gun.com IG: @gunroze gunroze.tumblr.com
photo ED 105
WES MAKOWSKI
Oakville, ON “ Three strangers at a party in 2017. This image was inspired by flipping through my older brother’s highschool yearbooks. Growing up 9 years apart, I never experienced life with people signing or doodling in your yearbook, instead my generation has cataloged their photos on social media platforms for others to react or comment on.”
SJ KIM
Toronto, ON “ I wanted to change the atmosphere of my mind. The pandemic has been a difficult time for me.I wanted to illustrate both loneliness and happiness.”
ELSIE NISONEN Toronto, ON
“ I am drawn to saturated states of being. I like to hint at stories and meaning and things just out of reach, as though through fog.” IG: @elsienisonen @DarkroomRedLight
RUBY CAYAGO
TOTS & BELLIES PHOTOGRAPHY Edmonton, AB “ Motherhood, capturing the essence of a woman.”
BRENDA LAKEMAN St. Albert, AB “ In the early weeks of the COVID 19 pandemic lockdown we saw Mother Nature start to rejuvenate herself. Without the usual throngs of people, cars, airplanes, and the subsequent pollution the air and water became clearer, plants and trees grew freely and in abundance. It was a special and magical time to witness the earth healing herself. To see that Mother Nature was capable of this cleansing and to imagine what we could achieve if we worked with her instead of against her. If we were partners with Mother Nature what could we achieve? The plants in the image have a feeling of being connected to my body like a limb. Mother Nature is a part of me not apart from me. We are attached and act together. Perhaps even my sword.” IG: @brendalakemanphotography brendalakemanphotography.com
RAINER OKTOVIANUS Toronto, ON “ A different side of Jakarta, one of the biggest cities in Southeast Asia. The faces of everyday people living in traditional market and slum areas of Indonesia.” www.raineroktovianus.com IG: @ RainImages
RAINER OKTOVIANUS Toronto, ON “ A different side of Jakarta, one of the biggest cities in Southeast Asia. The faces of everyday people living in traditional market and slum areas of Indonesia.”
www.raineroktovianus.com IG: @RainImages
SARA GRAWBARGER-KUEFLER GREY HILLS STUDIO Calgary, AB “ This image was taken at night, my most stimulating time creatively and emotionally, on the Calgary C-train. In 2017, I put out a call for models comfortable with the topic of depression. At the time, I was riding the train on a regular basis and I became interested in how the reflections of people’s faces were distorted by the double paned windows. As someone that deals with high levels of social anxiety I always found it difficult to quite get comfortable. I would not know what to do with my hands, whether to make eye contact with strangers, which could have unpredictable results considering the variety of folks who use public transit. For many years I wore a “mask” – one that allowed me to blend in, often so well, that I disappeared entirely. This may sound dramatic or absurd but I would often have experiences where I was introduced to someone who I had met multiple times, or even worked with, and they did not recall me at all.
It was only recently, by meeting another person who described similar mental health symptoms, that I was able to bring the term “disassociation” to my therapist. I discovered that I suffer from this in a much broader sense than some. To me, this image communicates the loneliness I experience in life. The image focuses on the subject, and eliminates any other people. This feels like my reality - what I experience internally - where I feel other or disconnected from the body of people going about their day.”
greyhillstudio@gmail.com IG: @greyhillsstudio Model: Kristen IG: @knockout.queen
BOB ST-CYR Abbotsford, BC “ Pinhole photography is not constrained by a typical camera viewfinder, batteries or tied to a specific light meter. It is a much more open and fluid form that relies on a photographer’s intuitive understanding of framing and the interplay of light upon given subjects. I ’ve often referred to photography as my mental health therapy and I still stand by that assertion. I find film photography especially satisfying for its varying components from lighting and composition to film processing and darkroom print making. It is through photographs that I hope to convey an emotional expression to bring the panoply of life to a form that enriches our lives and nourishes our minds amidst a challenging world.” stcyrphoto.blogspot.com
ANGEL PAN Richmond Hill, ON IG: @angelpan_studio
MEGAN FORSY Toronto, ON
“ A portrait of my friend hour, the summer befo IG: @megan.forsyth
CHRISTINA SHIVCHARAN Toronto, ON “ With just some scrap materials, photographic paper, a light source and chemicals, one-of-akind images came to life.” www.8x10.photography
YTH in my bedroom during golden re I left town for school.”
MATHEW SHAWN TURNER Montreal, QC “ A view on life found within the close quartered corridors of a city. Living in a place with high skyscraper walls and dense apartment building street corners, exposes you to the diverse lives led on shared spaces. This photograph bares witness to the characters living within the city.” mathewshawnturner.com
KYLE UMBACH Edmonton, AB
SANDRA ST. CLAIR PHOTOGRAPHY (SANDRA ST. CLAIR SLADE) St. John’s, Newfoundland “ A gentleman playing his guitar for change on Water Street in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I felt this picture deserved black and white to tell the story. There is no distracting when using black and white. It can be a very powerful tool to a photographer.”
“ People pass by you every day. Do you ever wonder what their story is and where they came from to be present in that very moment? The mystery of the unknown fuelled this project. I spent some time wandering Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton. Photographing people passing through and listening to their stories.” IG: @kruphoto kru-photo.com
KRISTI NICKERSON Saint John, NB
A MOMENT IN TIME. www.kristinickersonphotography.com
SONIA BLAYDE Toronto, ON
“ Dear everyday people, Are you living your best life? I’m sure some days are good, some days are bad and sometimes we just simply exist. I say, life is short, live in the moment and just be.” IG: @soniablaydeproductions
E ROSS BRADLEY Edmonton, AB
“ Working with models we explored the interaction of bodies and the expression of emotions through body language.” www.eross. ca
HANNAH TKATCH Calgary, AB
“ This past summer I was invited on a zoo trip with my best friend and her family. We went to the buttery gardens and I heard a whisper from behind me saying, “Hannah turn around so slowly...” I turned around (not sure what to expect) and saw this beautiful creature perched on the tip of her sister’s finger. ”
DYLAN GREENHOUGH Edmonton, AB
“ STAGES OF GRIEF is a series of self-portraits that explores the volatile feelings experienced during periods of change. Shot while self-isolating, each photograph exhibits an expression that represents one of grief’s five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It is a reflection on the societal grief our world shares as we endure the COVID-19 pandemic.”
ANGELA ZHENG Hamilton, ON
“ The downtown core of my city noticeably emptied during the pandemic. This portfolio documents the forgotten residences, storefronts, and factories in my city.” IG: @insta_angela5 angelazh25.wixsite.com/photos
BELINDA MULLER Halifax, Nova Scotia “ An homage to the diverse ruggedness and beauty of the Nova Scotian winter landscape.” @belindamullerfineart
OLIVIA GALATI Toronto, ON
“Getting outside has been a major source of happiness for me during COVID. I was interested to see how shots of nature and natural light would look in black and white film.”
SEAN FETAZ Calgary, AB
“ O ver the past year I have been working on a photo project that asks the question, how do people stay inspired? What do people do to overcome this and light that creative fire if it goes out? Earlier this summer I helped my parents move out to the town of Sooke, which is about a 45 minute drive west from Victoria. Jenna who I have not seen since high school, was available for a photo shoot/catch up. While I was there I reached out to her to see if she wanted to walk the beach and fill me in on what’s happening in her life. She is currently working in the field of tech in the marketing department; and while that’s an incredibly intriguing job to have, it’s not what peaked my interest the most. She told me that she was struggling to find ways to keep her life a surprise, and what to do when you don’t have the answers. As a creative individual, I was humbled to hear that finding inspiration is not an obstacle that only people in creative fields face. The global pandemic has given us all pause, and forced us to re-evaluate how we keep our lives interesting and meaningful. Staying inspired is one of the hardest things to do during this time. For me, seeking change is always a way to keep my creative fire burning, and curiosity to keep me moving forward. One portrait at a time.” IG: @sean.fetaz www.seanfetazphoto.com
KEVIN E. PROULX Toronto, ON
McAdam Railway Station, McAdam, New Brunswick. IG: @kevin.proulx
JEFF SORIANO Vancouver, BC
“ Crows are amazingly social animals but are, more often than not, spotted individually. This image is an attempt at conveying the feelings of loneliness.” IG: @sorianojeff_
BRIAN LAVERY Port Alberni, BC
“ A while back I printed a black and white photograph on sketching paper. When I added watercolour paint, the image dissolved. My thoughts turned to gum bichromate and COVID-19 gave me some time to give it a go. With my ink jet printer I made black and white negatives, about eight inches by ten inches. I prepared the paper in the garage, exposed it outside and washed it in the laundry room sink. Most prints have a coloured layer that has to be exposed, washed and dried, followed the next day by a black layer. It is a difficult process. A discouraging amount of paper landed in the recycle bin. But I got a few keepers. The water colour paper and the water colour paints make the texture and tones quite different from conventional photographs. Each handmade print is unique. Even following my notes carefully, it is impossible to create the exact same image twice.”
133 photo ED