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- OPHELIA CHAUVIN: A different way of seeing
Montreal photographer OPHELIA CHAUVIN documented the daily lives of people with living with partial or total blindness. This work tells their stories and prompts reflection on the notion of "vision." How to perceive the world differently. This documentary project, whether featuring people who were born blind or those who lost their sight later in life, bears witness to the daily lives and resilience of individuals with partial or total blindness. "This first chapter of my documentary led me to understand the realities and challenges faced by people with visual impairments in Quebec. I focused on various issues related to mobility and cultural, sports, and intellectual accessibility. I aimed to meet and tell the stories of individuals with different life paths and from various generations. It was also important for me to understand how these people cope with their disabilities and perceive their relationship with our modern and visual society. This project aims to bring them out of invisibility and to raise awareness of their resilience, with the goal of challenging some preconceived ideas." Marc-André (50) lost his sight at the age of 46 due to what is believed to have been poisoning from chemical aerosol products while living in Thailand. For him, it wasn't just about "losing his sight but also his entire way of life." A true man of letters and avid traveler, Marc-André spent over 20 years living throughout Asia — from Japan to Thailand, with stops in Burma. Following his disability, he returned a few years ago to his native Montreal, where a new chapter of his life is now unfolding. Today, Marc-André works as a development officer for the organization Le Bon Pilote and he is actively involved with numerous associations that promote accessibility and social connections for people with disabilities. “What do you want? I'm not going to stay at home staring at the walls. Besides, I can't see them anyway,” he replies with his usual sense of humour when I comment on his busy schedule. For Marc-André, having a trusting relationship with his guide is essential. Every Sunday, they go together to do their weekly grocery shopping. Marc-André selects his products by touch. Through habit, he recognizes the layout of the displays in the stores he frequents. Other blind individuals do their shopping online or ask for help from store clerks. For the past two years, Marie has been assisted by her guide dog, Djenga. To obtain her care and support, she spent 6 months at a specialized school in the USA. Since she switched from her white cane to Djenga, Marie feels much freer, more autonomous, and safer. Additionally, she has noticed that people are much more willing to approach her and socialize. Marie will always remember the first time she walked the streets of New York with Djenga: she cried tears of joy! In the face of her disability, Marie is constantly seeking autonomy and freedom. She prefers to use public transport or Uber, even though she is eligible for adapted transport services. Equine riding, dancing, swimming, music, and even DIY projects—Marie is a jack-of-all-trades, with great curiosity, sociability, and a critical mind. She truly feels "disabled" when society imposes accessibility limitations. In Quebec, there are nearly 100,000 people who are blind or visually impaired, with the vast majority living below the poverty line. Many local organizations, such as the Foundation for the Blind of Quebec (FAQ), work daily to combat the poverty and isolation experienced by individuals with visual impairments, and to enhance social and community integration. Each year, the FAQ pushes the boundaries of accessibility by offering a wide range of sports and recreational activities for ages 6-25 (including alpine skiing, tourism, tandem biking, hang gliding, cooking classes, music lessons, etc.). Given that over 80% of the information we receive is visual, these activities are crucial for helping young people develop their social and cognitive skills. See OPHELIA CHAUVIN's full project - HERE. Did you enjoy this read? For as little as $2./ month we'd love your support to continue producing qualitative content for you to enjoy! • JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS Follow us on Instagram, Patreon , Facebook , and Instagram , and sign up for our e-newsletter to keep up with all our adventures!
- Photography Manipulating Time
Capturing a moment, whether a split-second action or an encapsulation of the slow passage of time, is one of the most beautiful and impactful ideas a single image can convey. The artists featured in photoED magazine’s TIME edition have produced time-bending works that, politely, gently, and kindly invite viewers to take an extra moment of consideration from our fast-paced image heavy world. The payoff is not only a visual reward, but also the gift of new ideas when considering one’s own future recordings. The artists in this issue work with time as the basis of their photography, taking their explorations to new levels. “Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” — Dorothea Lange Sylvia Galbraith records room-size camera obscura images with such clarity; her work is a time-blending puzzle. Bret Culp uses the same tool, a pinhole camera, to create a single image recording: the passage of time over days, weeks, and months. Zinnia Naqvi’s art practice embraces 1980s images from her family albums to question colonial influence and (re)present her experience to new audiences — perhaps relating to viewers’ own experiences and influencing recollections of whatever a “Canadian experience” means to them. I’m especially excited to present an interview by Craig D’Arville featuring June Clark and Christina Leslie. These artists’ works are thoughtfully crafted and loaded with immeasurable layers of history, family, love, struggle, and contemplation in every visual they thoughtfully present. I hope you can afford to make the time for these works, ideas, and more. This issue features: June Clark and Christina Leslie , in conversation with Craig D’Arville Zinnia Naqvi , Time after Time, by Darren Pottie Sylvia Galbraith , What Time Is This Place? Camera Obsura rooms Wade Comer , Layering time in a single frame, by Cece M. Scott Arianne Clement , Aging, beautifully. Documenting centenarians, by Alan Bulley Scarborough Made : Celebrating five years of community storytelling by Sid Naidu This edition also features, our Books + Resource recommendations for further explorations, and our PORTFOLIO featured artists: Daphne Faye Boxill Elsa Hashemi Lucy Lu Farah Al Amin Julianna D’Intino Elizabeth Siegfried Catherine Page Coming soon... our next edition will focus on the theme of COLOUR. If you, or someone you know has great work to SHARE with us - Our CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS is - HERE. Follow us on Instagram, Patreon , Facebook , and Instagram , and sign up for our e-newsletter to keep up with all our adventures! Consider supporting us! For as little as $2./ month we'd love your support to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! • JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS
- Yvens B: 1% better every day
An interview with photoED Magazine Yvens B. is a Montreal-based commercial photographer specializing in portraiture and sports and fitness photography. With a background as a CPA in the technology industry and a passion for long-distance running and weightlifting, he’s a passionate entrepreneur who fell into photography after assisting a friend with music video production. He says, “I fell in love with the craft of light and cameras. In 2015, in an effort to become better at photography, I bought a couple of lights…. Countless head shots and photo shoots later, with over 36K+ social media followers, here I am!” photoED: Online, you teach thousands of people about the technical aspects of portrait photography. Tell us about the social media community you have created. How did you get started there, and what keeps you sharing? YVENS : I believe it is important to share what we know. I always like to refer to a Will Smith quote about books. He points out that reading is important because "There are gazillions of people that have lived before all of us. There's no new problem you could have….” While I am testing new ideas and encountering challenges in my everyday work, I believe that sharing how I overcame those challenges is beneficial to the community and me. While I haven’t written a book yet, approaching a problem publicly allows you to acid test your equipment, technique, and approach in an accelerated manner. This acid test pushes forward my creativity and depth of knowledge while helping others. Everyone wins. photoED: What do you love most about creating stories for yourself or your clients through photography? YVENS : There is something magical that happens when you receive an assignment from a client. While I love telling stories that come from my own mind, whenever I revisit some client work, I can’t help but feel proud of the fact that I was chosen to tell those stories through my vision. That vision matters. To further demonstrate the impact of the visual creator on your client’s work, I like to refer to books that get turned into movies. You can give the same book to two directors and get widely different results. Although the story was given to you by your client, how you frame it, light it, and give it life is mostly up to you. You are now an intricate part of that story. Even in your own personal projects, that marriage of ideas — from the subject, to the makeup artist, to your lens of choice, in my case, the Tamron 28-75mm f/ 2.8 G2 — gives birth to a creation that has a mix of different DNAs attached to it. Regardless of how many collaborators added their essence into a project, the pride of creation remains, and that is what I feel I can use as a trampoline for my next project. photoED: Whose work has influenced yours? YVENS : My portrait work has been influenced by many giants who share the path of sharing what they know. Not all are photographers. In no particular order, if I have to name names and how they changed the way I approach portraiture: Joey L. , a fellow Canadian, showed me that personal projects are the key to growth and getting more out of every aspect of photography. Tim Tadder for his stellar approach to high-production sports photography. Recently, I started loving the work of Justin Bettman , who has an immaculate choice of colours. I have to add another fellow Canadian director, Denis Villeneuve, who taught me lessons through his films that shattered the way I think about creating and remaining a hardworking dreamer. One of the last remaining great directors, David Fincher, taught me that demanding more out of your production is not a selfish act but shows respect to your final product. Finally, I love looking at paintings and seeing how artists who had more time on their hands crafted images that lasted through hundreds of years. To this day, we are fighting to preserve their art. Their work gives lessons that all of us can take to our own work. photoED: What makes a good photograph? YVENS : I believe a good photograph is like avoiding a plane crash at an airport. It’s a series of decisions that lead to a great final result. For portraits, I think I can grossly summarize it into three categories. If we start from the outer layers to the core, the technical elements have to be sound. A well-lit scene will capture attention, which is key in this day and age. Then, a great camera combined with a great set of lenses really helps smooth the way, as your equipment should not drag you down. For example, these portraits were all taken with the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 and the Sony a7R V in the studio since they gave me the speed I needed to capture these quick moments. From the smooth zoom and ultra-fast autofocus, to the wide constant aperture, using the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 removes a worry I don’t have to carry, allowing me to dedicate myself to the next important layer: the subject. With the previous two elements in place, having a great subject who you can direct to achieve your end goals — whether it is a client or a hired subject — will give you the best tool to shape the most important pillar. I emphasize that the photographer is the director, as you are responsible for the end result. By taking this approach, you create good pressure to avoid excuses and plan the three elements so every shoot goes smoothly. photoED: How has working in photography influenced you personally? YVENS : My background as a CPA helped me understand a few things about business, but working as a commercial and portrait photographer has ingrained those lessons into my day-to-day life. The principle of relationships first helped me understand business growth. The entrepreneurial nature of photography has deepened my need to self-start. I call it my R&D department. Whether it is working on new personal projects or developing a more hybrid style of serving my clients by incorporating motion into my offerings, being a full-time creator and photographer is similar to being filmed every day. You can see where you failed and what you need to work on. I take feedback very seriously and work hard to improve—1% better every day is the goal. photoED: What has been your favourite or most personally impactful project or adventure? YVENS : While I never had a breakthrough project, I think my coverage of the Speed Project taught me numerous lessons that I will feed on for a very long time. The Speed Project is a non-sanctioned 500 km (over 310 miles) running race from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. In collaboration with a good friend of mine who attempted the solo version of that race, I documented the athlete’s progress and the event over the course of a few months. My love for photography, sports, and especially long-distance running made this a dream project. With that said, the race didn’t end up where we wanted it to, as my friend got injured in the process. But from this trip, I managed to convert it into an even bigger project where, to sum it up, I didn’t sleep for 48 hours, crossed LA to Vegas over three times in four days, but never had more fun documenting an event. To this day, I look back at these portraits and can’t help but smile and relive those experiences. photoED: Tell us about your hardest or most challenging day as a commercial photographer. What keeps you going on a hard day? YVENS : While I cannot name names or point to any specific project to protect the integrity of my clients, the most challenging days are usually the ones where there is a communication breakdown. These often happen due to a lack of preparation and because some goals or roles were not clearly communicated. They occur more frequently when there are multiple layers between the client and the photographer. When these situations arise, I usually have two goals: “be the hero your client needs” and “fill the leadership void.” While the first goal is self-explanatory, the second helps achieve the first. In a nutshell, the leadership void is a principle that I learned from Jocko Willink, a Navy SEAL. He mentions that, in some structures, people will often back away as a problem arises. To be the hero, for example, you have to take on a new role as producer, coordinator, or anyone else on set who has the skillset to fix a problem. Sometimes, it’s just taking 10 minutes to sit everyone down, listing a few fixes, and choosing the best option. Sometimes, it’s calling a few people who have more experience and asking them for advice. Regardless of what happens, remembering those lessons, putting my ego aside, and taking a different look at the issue solves most problems. Always remember that you are the director on set. photoED: What does your dream project entail? Where do you hope photography will take you in the future? YVENS : Other than meeting some lofty business goals, I work to set up my work to tell stories that will live beyond me. In that bag of dreams, I want to document once-in-a-lifetime athletic achievements or journeys, adding perhaps a couple of movies to my resume, a book, and perhaps an art gallery exhibition of my work. I also hope that I can travel a lot more so that I can share my love for everything photography with equally passionate people around the world. That and working in collaboration with Denis Villeneuve (I’ll also accept David Fincher)! photoED: What advice do you have for photographers just getting started? YVENS : Anyone starting in commercial photography should think about relationship building. Don’t pitch. Don’t sell. Build relationships. These will be solid assets to further your career. Following that, create the work you want to sell. Shoot often and share the good stuff you’ve created. GEAR UP What camera and equipment do you most use? What’s your favourite lens? Tell us about your experience using Tamron lenses. YVENS : My current rig is a Sony a7R V with, of course, all Tamron lenses. I still have an older Sony A7R III as a backup. I am usually debating between two particular lenses: the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 and the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2. In this rotation, I also use the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 for more still portraiture. Since I do a lot of press conferences and media coverage for the City of Montreal, I need something with a lot of range to capture those special moments with public officials. The 35-150mm f/2-2.8 helps me carry only one camera. But when I have to be really fast on my feet, like when I covered Montreal’s Hyrox competition or the Montreal Pride Parade, something ultra-lightweight and fast like the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 is a godsend. I have enough range to be wide or look for moments by zooming in at 75mm. With all the Tamron lenses I own, I have the advantage of a constant aperture of f/2.8, allowing me to work in low light and get as much bokeh as I desire while having incredibly fast autofocus . Whenever I do more planned work, like on commercial sets, the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 and the 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 are my lenses of choice. They are precise and work exactly up to my demands. I can close down to f/10 comfortably and keep the pristine 61MP of the Sony a7R V sharp and full of details. While I love the convenience of the 35-150mm f/2-2.8, I often go back to the 28-75mm f/2.8 simply because of the beautiful detail and resolution the lens offers while being light. See more of Yvens work - HERE. Check out Yvens B.'s favourite Tamron lens - HERE! www.tamron-americas.com
- Yvens B: 1% mieux chaque jour
Yvens B. est un photographe commercial basé à Montréal, spécialisé dans la photographie de portrait ainsi que dans le sport et le conditionnement physique. Avec une formation de CPA dans l'industrie technologique et une passion pour la course de longue distance et l'haltérophilie, il est un entrepreneur passionné qui s'est tourné vers la photographie après avoir aidé un ami dans la production de clips musicaux. Il explique: «Je suis tombé amoureux de l'art de la lumière et des caméras. En 2015, pour m'améliorer en photographie, j'ai acheté quelques lumières… Après d'innombrables séances photo et portraits, avec plus de 36 000 abonnés sur les réseaux sociaux, me voici !» Nous avons parlé à Yvens B. de son travail. photoED: En ligne, vous enseignez les aspects techniques de la photographie de portrait à des milliers de personnes. Parlez-nous de la communauté que vous avez créée sur les réseaux sociaux. Comment avez-vous commencé et qu'est-ce qui vous motive à continuer de partager vos savoir? YVENS : Je crois qu'il est important de partager ce que nous savons. J'aime toujours faire référence à une citation de Will Smith sur les livres. Il souligne que la lecture est importante parce qu' «Il y a des milliards de personnes qui ont vécu avant nous. Il n'y a pas de nouveau problème que vous pourriez confronter…». Alors que je teste de nouvelles idées et rencontre des défis dans mon travail quotidien, je crois que partager la façon dont j'ai surmonté ces défis est bénéfique pour la communauté et pour moi. Bien que je n'aie pas encore écrit de livre, aborder un problème publiquement permet de tester de manière accélérée votre équipement, votre technique et votre approche. Ce test de résistance fait avancer ma créativité et la profondeur de mes connaissances tout en aidant les autres. Tout le monde y gagne. photoED: Á travers la photographie qu'est-ce que vous aimez le plus dans la création d'histoires tant en ce qui concerne votre pratique personnelle ou pour les projets de vos clients? YVENS : Il se passe quelque chose de magique lorsque vous recevez une mission d'un client. Bien que j'adore raconter des histoires qui viennent de mon propre esprit, chaque fois que je reviens sur un projet exécuté pour un client, je ne peux m'empêcher de me sentir fier du fait que j'ai été choisi pour raconter ces histoires à travers ma vision. Cette vision est importante. Pour démontrer davantage l'impact du créateur visuel sur le projet d’un client, j'aime faire référence aux livres qui sont adaptés en films. Vous pouvez donner le même livre à deux réalisateurs et obtenir des résultats largement différents. Bien que l'histoire ait été donnée par votre client, comment vous la cadrez, l'éclairez et lui donnez vie dépend principalement de vous. Vous êtes maintenant une partie intégrante de cette histoire. Même dans vos projets personnels, ce mariage d'idées — du sujet, au maquilleur, en passant par votre objectif de choix, dans mon cas le Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 — donne naissance à une création qui a un mélange de différents ADN. Peu importe combien de collaborateurs ont ajouté leur essence dans un projet, la fierté de la création demeure, et c'est ce que je considère comme un tremplin pour mon prochain projet. photoED: Quel travail a influencé le vôtre? YVENS : Mon travail de portrait a été influencé par de nombreux grands noms qui partagent ce qu'ils savent. Tous ne sont pas photographes. Sans ordre particulier, si je dois nommer des noms et expliquer comment ils ont changé ma manière d’aborder le portrait: Joey L. , un autre Canadien, m'a montré que les projets personnels sont la clé de la croissance et de l'optimisation de chaque aspect de la photographie. Tim Tadder pour son approche exceptionnelle de la photographie sportive à haute production. Récemment, j'ai commencé à aimer le travail de Justin Bettman, qui a un choix de couleurs impeccable. Je dois ajouter un autre réalisateur canadien, Denis Villeneuve, qui m'a enseigné des leçons à travers ses films qui ont bouleversé ma façon de penser á la création et de rester un rêveur travailleur. L'un des derniers grands réalisateurs restants, David Fincher, m'a appris que demander plus de votre production n'est pas un acte égoïste mais montre du respect pour votre produit final. Enfin, j'aime regarder les peintures et voir comment les artistes qui avaient plus de temps ont créé des images qui ont traversé les siècles. À ce jour, nous nous battons pour préserver leur art. Leur travail donne des leçons que nous pouvons tous appliquer à notre propre travail. photoED: Qu'est-ce qui rend une photographie réussie? YVENS : Je pense qu'une bonne photo est comme éviter un accident d'avion à un aéroport. C'est une série de décisions qui mènent à un excellent résultat final. Pour les portraits, je pense pouvoir résumer grossièrement en trois catégories. Si nous commençons par les couches extérieures jusqu'au cœur, les éléments techniques doivent être solides. Une scène bien éclairée captera l'attention, ce qui est crucial de nos jours. Ensuite, une bonne caméra associée à un bon ensemble d'objectifs aide vraiment à rendre les choses plus fluide, car votre équipement ne doit pas vous ralentir. Par exemple, ces portraits ont tous été réalisés avec le Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 et le Sony a7R V en studio car ils m'ont donné la vitesse dont j'avais besoin pour capturer ces moments rapides. De la mise au point fluide et ultra-rapide, à l'ouverture constamment large, l'utilisation du 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 supprime une préoccupation que je n'ai pas à porter, me permettant de me concentrer sur la prochaine couche importante : le sujet. Avec les deux premiers éléments en place, avoir un excellent sujet que vous pouvez diriger pour atteindre vos objectifs finaux — qu'il s'agisse d'un client ou d'un mannequin — vous donnera le meilleur outil pour façonner le pilier le plus important. Je souligne que le photographe est le réalisateur, car vous êtes responsable du résultat final. En adoptant cette approche, vous créez une bonne pression qui vous aidera à éviter les excuses et à planifier les trois éléments nécessaires afin que chaque séance se déroule bien. photoED: Comment le travail en photographie vous a-t-il influencé personnellement? YVENS : Mon passé en tant que CPA m'a aidé à comprendre certains aspects des affaires, mais travailler en tant que photographe commercial et de portrait a ancré ces leçons dans ma vie quotidienne. Le principe des relations d'abord m'a aidé à comprendre la croissance des affaires. La nature entrepreneuriale de la photographie a approfondi mon besoin de prendre des initiatives. Je l'appelle mon département R&D. Que ce soit en travaillant sur de nouveaux projets personnels ou en développant un style plus hybride pour servir mes clients, être un créateur et photographe à plein temps est similaire à être filmé tous les jours. Vous pouvez voir où vous avez échoué et ce sur quoi vous devez travailler. Je prends la critique très au sérieux et travaille avec ardeur afin de m'améliorer — 1% mieux chaque jour est l'objectif. photoED: Quel a été votre projet ou aventure préféré ou celui qui vous a le plus marqué personnellement? YVENS : Bien que je n'aie jamais eu de projet révolutionnaire, je pense que ma couverture du Speed Project m'a appris de nombreuses leçons que je vais chérir pendant longtemps. Le Speed Project est une course de 500 km (plus de 310 miles) non sanctionnée de Los Angeles à Las Vegas. En collaboration avec un bon ami qui a tenté la version solo de cette course, j'ai documenté les progrès de l'athlète et l'événement pendant quelques mois. Mon amour pour la photographie, le sport, et surtout la course de longue distance a fait de ce projet un rêve. Cela dit, la course ne s'est pas terminée comme nous le voulions, car mon ami s'est blessé en cours de route. Mais de ce voyage, j'ai réussi à le transformer en un projet encore plus grand où, pour résumer, je n'ai pas dormi pendant 48 heures, j'ai traversé LA à Vegas plus de trois fois en quatre jours, mais je ne me suis jamais autant amusé à documenter un événement. Aujourd'hui encore, je regarde ces portraits et je ne peux m'empêcher de sourire et de revivre ces expériences. photoED: Parlez-nous de votre jour le plus difficile ou le plus exigeant en tant que photographe commercial. Qu'est-ce qui vous motive lors d'une journée difficile? YVENS : Bien que je ne puisse pas nommer de noms ou pointer des projets spécifiques pour protéger l'intégrité de mes clients, les journées les plus difficiles sont généralement celles où il y a une défaillance de communication. Cela se produit souvent en raison d'un manque de préparation et parce que certains objectifs ou rôles n'ont pas été clairement communiqués. Elles surviennent plus fréquemment lorsqu'il y a plusieurs couches entre le client et le photographe. Lorsque ces situations se présentent, j'ai généralement deux objectifs : «être le héros dont mon client a besoin » et « combler le vide de leadership». Bien que le premier objectif soit explicite, le second aide à atteindre le premier. En résumé, le vide de leadership est un principe que j'ai appris de Jocko Willink, un Navy SEAL. Il mentionne que, dans certaines structures, les gens se reculent souvent lorsqu'un problème survient. Pour être le héros, par exemple, vous devez assumer un nouveau rôle de producteur, coordinateur, ou toute autre personne sur le plateau ayant les compétences pour résoudre un problème. Parfois, il suffit de prendre 10 minutes pour rassembler tout le monde, énumérer quelques solutions et choisir la meilleure option. Parfois, il s'agit d'appeler quelques personnes ayant plus d'expérience et de leur demander des conseils. Peu importe ce qui se passe, se souvenir de ces leçons, mettre mon ego de côté et examiner le problème sous un autre angle résout la plupart des problèmes. Souvenez-vous toujours que vous êtes le réalisateur sur le plateau. photoED: Quel est votre projet de rêve? Où espérez-vous que la photographie vous mène à l'avenir? YVENS : En dehors de la réalisation de certains objectifs commerciaux ambitieux, je travaille à mettre en place mon travail pour raconter des histoires qui vivront au-delà de moi. Dans cette collection de rêves, je veux documenter des réalisations ou des voyages athlétiques uniques dans une vie, ajouter peut-être quelques films à mon CV, un livre, et peut-être une exposition en galerie de mon travail. J'espère également pouvoir voyager beaucoup plus afin de partager mon amour pour la photographie avec des personnes également passionnées à travers le monde. Cela et collaborer avec Denis Villeneuve (je suis aussi ouvert à David Fincher)! photoED: Quels conseils donneriez-vous aux photographes qui débutent? YVENS : Quiconque commence dans la photographie commerciale devrait penser à construire des relations. Ne faites pas de pitch. Ne vendez pas. Construisez des relations. Ce seront des atouts solides pour faire avancer votre carrière. Ensuite, créez le travail que vous souhaitez vendre. Photographiez souvent et partagez les bonnes choses que vous avez créées. GEAR UP Quelle est la caméra et l'équipement que vous utilisez le plus actuellement? Quel est votre objectif préféré? Parlez-nous de votre expérience avec les objectifs Tamron. YVENS : Mon équipement actuel est un Sony a7R V avec, bien sûr, tous les objectifs Tamron. J'ai encore un Sony A7R III plus ancien comme équipement de secours. Je suis généralement en train de débattre entre deux objectifs particuliers : le Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 et le 28-75mm f/2.8 G2. Dans cette rotation, j'utilise également le Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 pour la photographie de portrait plus statique. Comme je fais beaucoup de conférences de presse et de couverture médiatique pour la Ville de Montréal, j'ai besoin de quelque chose avec une grande portée pour capturer ces moments spéciaux avec les fonctionnaires publics. Le 35-150mm f/2-2.8 m'aide à n'emporter qu'un seul appareil. Mais lorsque je dois être vraiment rapide, comme lorsque j'ai couvert la compétition Hyrox de Montréal ou la Parade de la Fierté de Montréal, quelque chose d' ultra-léger et rapide comme le 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 est une bénédiction. J'ai assez de portée pour être large ou chercher des moments en zoomant à 75mm. Avec tous les objectifs Tamron que je possède, j'ai l'avantage d'une ouverture constante de f/2.8, ce qui me permet de travailler dans des conditions de faible luminosité et d'obtenir autant de bokeh que je le souhaite tout en ayant un autofocus incroyablement rapide. Chaque fois que je fais un travail plus planifié, comme sur des plateaux commerciaux, le 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 et le 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 sont mes objectifs de choix. Ils sont précis et répondent exactement à mes exigences. Je peux fermer à f/10 confortablement et garder les 61 MP du Sony a7R V nets et détaillés. Bien que j'apprécie la commodité du 35-150mm f/2-2.8, je reviens souvent au 28-75mm f/2.8 simplement en raison des détails et de la résolution magnifiques que l'objectif offre tout en étant léger. Voir plus du travail de Yvens B. - ICI. + Découvrez l'objectif préféré de Yvens - ICI! www.tamron-americas.com
- GuruShots: Beach Bliss
Billed as the world’s greatest photo game, GuruShots is an international competition platform for photographers . Players get feedback from more than three billion monthly voters and try to work their way up through rankings, from Newbie to the ultimate status (and bragging rights) of Guru. GuruShots’ challenges are voted on by the platform’s Gurus and the wider community, with a fresh challenge every day. Winners can receive prizes from GuruShots’ sponsors such as Adorama, Kodak, Lowepro, and Lensbaby. The Beach Bliss Challenge showcases a wave of wonderful interpretations on this theme from around the world. To find out more, and take part in the next challenge, visit www.gurushots.com Also, check out GuruShots’ newest app AI Art Master.
- Behind the scenes at Canada's photography magazine
If you've ever wondered what it takes to produce and distribute a print publication in Canada in 2024, here's the list of who we work with and how it gets done. GREAT PEOPLE. A passionate team of collaborators supported by incredible supporters and contributors has been our number one super power since 2001. Info about our gorgeous team of volunteer Curatorial Advisory Board Members that we work with from across Canada, can be found - HERE. COFFEE. We are fuelled by SPARKPLUG COFFEE. It's delicious AND we love supporting a local women-owned and led business. It gets delivered to our team members across Canada, custom roasted and ground to suit our individual coffee makers, so we never have to think twice about the quality fuel we need to do our best work. Computers + the internet + software... Of course. Once we have a story written by our talented writers and images selected for publication we move the info along to our expert copy editor and art director. Both these women have over 20 years of professional editorial experience - each. They know what they are doing, and take the time we need to craft beautiful, accurate representations of our artists very special works. Plus , all contributors we work with approve the images and text we propose well before we hit the press. It's crucial to us that everyone is pleased with how they are being presented. With around 50+ contributors per issue, this takes us time to get right which is why we work six months to a year in advance on our print editions. Contributors selected for publication in our print editions come from a range of sources, referrals, research, pitches, and artists selected from our Calls for Submissions. We're always looking for unique work from diverse contributors that challenge us to see photography in a brand new light! We LOVE Affinity Photo + Affinity Publisher. Yes, we run an ad about them in our print edition, but it's because we love what they do and what they stand for for the international creative community. Non-subscription + great software + a creative community forward mindset. Once we have a file that is ready to roll to the printer, we hit 'send,' and wait for our proof sheets. We work with a large commercial press (Mi5) in Ontario. Once proofs are approved and the printing process is in progress, we focus on fine tuning our DIGITAL EXTRA companion edition. These free to access editions feature an additional 50 artists works that we could just not accommodate in print (as much as we REALLY want to). Again, we work with artists individually to ensure they are pleased with how their work is presented on our platform, in their own words. We also share our print edition replicas on a few digital platforms so folks around the world can read our incredible content on PRESS READER + FLIPSTER . We get a small kick-backs from Press Reader whenever our magazine is selected by a reader, and library folks can find our mag on Flipster to share with their readers. Also, while we're waiting for printing stuff to happen we're in admin mode to the max. Mailing lists, labels, accounting stuff, contributors payments, and gearing up to share announcements on what we have coming out. Funding from our PATREON PARONS , subscription sales, ad sales, and some small grants helps us cover the cost of printing and postage, a few hours of admin assistance, as well as fees from QuickBooks, MailChimp, Later, Zealous, issuu.com , Google , Apple iCloud, WIX, Virgin Mobile, Meta, RBC, Square, Stripe, courier costs, and probably more that we're forgetting right now. It's a long list... Most people in Canada don't realise that the majority of Art + Literature publications here are actually registered charities. This status provides them with access to a lot of public grant programs, as well as corporate donations from people like big banks. photoED magazine does not hold this status, but is eligible and applies for Ontario Arts Council, and some federal Department of Culture and Heritage Periodical Funding. We love that we are promotional partners with some incredible brands that we LOVE working with. Check them out HERE. We have no issue and fully recommend these products and services. Postage + circulation. Where does the magazine go? To mailboxes and to better retailers across the country! You can pick up copies at cool places like the ones on THIS LIST. We work with retailers directly, as well as the folks at Magazines Canada to get our mag on shelves nationally. For their service, Magazines Canada charges us a membership fee + takes 55% of cover sales. (That's the cost of doin' business.) Once off the press, our single copies that go out to individual subscribers are packaged in a poly-bag, m ade with 100% pre-consumer recycled content . THIS IS THE PRODUCT we use. It's not printed on the bags, but yes, we actually spend a little more $$$ for eco friendly polybags to come from the US to make sure Canada Post gets you a decently undamaged copy of our fine, fine publication. We use K2 international as our mail sorting service. For our larger bulk deliveries to cool customers like Gladstone House , we ship with Freightcom a broker for courier companies, which we're not affiliates of officially, but if you ship a bunch like we do, they can help and we're happy to recommend them via this link. From Holland College in P.E.I to Langara College in Vancouver, and everyone in between we love that our legacy in print is being shared by students, educators, community leaders, independent artists, and general fine art photography lovers far and wide. Special Stuff As our PATRONS can attest, we love making our magazine experience a little extra. When we can partner with like minded companies to fit something special into our mail outs we do that for our VIPs. Here are a few examples... We have worked with lovely people at MOAB paper to get our readers art paper samples, The Camera Store provided some cute lens cleaning cloths, the divine GORGEOUS SPICE Co. shared some delicious spice blends delivered with the FOOD issue, and one of our faves was a collab we did with United Contemporary + Ryan Van Der Hout + Akasha Art Projects to share a limited edition print with the delivery of our Beautiful Botanical edition that was curated by Peppa Martin. Other special stuff Friends of our mag also know we LOVE photo books and giveaways! These are always announced to the folks on our EMAIL newsletter list. Here are a few more past examples... When possible, we love an IRL event. If you've joined us in the past or are new to finding us, we've got our event content posted to our collection of videos - HERE . And that's how we find our original editorial content on personal screens, coffee tables, and on the bookshelves of fine art photography lovers wherever they are, who share our vision of championing lens-based art in a qualitative, accessible, legacy format! Ta da! Like what you see here? Consider supporting us! As an independent editorial publication we'd love your support to continue producing great content featuring lens based artists for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS •
- RITA LEISTNER + Don McKellar: Searching for light in dark times
IN CONVERSATION WITH CRAIG D’ARVILLE CAST YOUR MIND BACK TO 2020 and, if you dare, recollect how you spent your time during the lockdown days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some artists chose to focus on studio-based practices, while more rebellious types, such as Rita Leistner, went out into the world, masked and under the cover of darkness, with camera in hand. Renowned for her work in photojournalism and projects such as Forest for the Trees, Toronto-based photographer Rita Leistner, succumbed to the restlessness of lockdown along with her friend and collaborator, filmmaker Don McKellar. Together they created an astonishing series of photographs that are in turns playful, poignant, nearly feral, and experimental. The result is Infinite Distance - Nocturnal Pandemic Urban Dreams. Curious to know more, I invited Rita to talk about these collaborative compositions. CRAIG: What was the genesis of Infinite Distance - Nocturnal Pandemic Urban Dreams that brought you and Don McKellar, a film director, screenwriter, and actor, together? RITA: We’d been friends for decades and we were neighbours at the time. It began with me bemoaning my purposelessness as a portrait artist in a world under lockdown where I wasn’t allowed to go near anyone with my camera. I was paying close attention to the photography being made in the early days of the pandemic. There were a lot of haunting photographs of abandoned public spaces around the world. But Don knew I wasn’t interested in wandering the city alone and (wanting to get in on the adventure) he volunteered to be my photographic subject. I thought over his proposition and called him the next day: “Sure, let’s do it, but guess what Don? I’m going to give you a camera too!” CRAIG: There are expressionistic, cinematic elements and a ritualistic playfulness happening in these compositions, all complemented by long exposures and an experimental use of light. How did the conceptual approach you and Don came up with come about? RITA: At first, we went out at night to encounter fewer people, because we were afraid of contracting COVID-19. Later, it was for artistic reasons too. We could create a surreal, edgier, more apocalyptic world where we were the only two people left. Darkness was a condition for our lighting with flash and long exposures and the mysterious dream-like effects we sought to create for our fantastical worlds — magical spaces, underworlds, and mythological allusions (Orpheus and Eurydice), etc. — and painterly qualities — especially those associated with German Romanticism (“After Friedrich”) and depictions of saints and martyrs (“After Sebastianus Patron Saint Of Plagues”). It was also more fun and rebellious to be out at night: our private defiance against the virus. We shot in black and white because I couldn’t bring myself to think in colour, which I associated with my photography in the “before times.” Incidentally, I have not shot in colour since, despite being a “colour photographer” for most of my career. Lately, I’ve been sketching portraits in charcoal. CRAIG: How did you settle on the sites where you chose to make these photos? RITA: We made a list of locations that were iconic Toronto, but also where green intersected with concrete, the way nature was encroaching on built-up urban spaces. Among them were the Bloor Street Viaduct, St. James’ Cemetery and Crematorium, the Don River (not by accident, the principal settings of Michael Ondaatje’s In the Skin of a Lion), the railway tracks on Dupont, Ontario Place, and Toronto Island, which we especially loved because we were able to incorporate fires and canoeing in the canals into our narratives. CRAIG: In these photos, the two of you sometimes seem like a couple of naughty kids. Was it intentional to convey a sense of urgency and adventure through these compositions? RITA: This project would never have happened if Don and I didn’t really like hanging out and having fun together. We were trapped in the city, but at night we experienced this extraordinary freedom and feeling of lawlessness in the empty spaces we explored. We were seizing the day! We did feel a real sense of urgency as artmakers too, because it was important to us to make something of this historic time. As time went on, we got naughtier and darker. We took to calling our alter egos “He” and “She,” and “They.” Theirs is a complicated relationship and, yeah, They were definitely up to no good. CRAIG: Is this the first time you’ve collaborated with another artist? Moving forward, how do you think collaborative work will influence your practice? RITA: This was a unique situation created by the circumstances of the pandemic. Co-directing often doesn’t work, but with Don and me, we both enjoyed directing and being directed by each other. I think the success of Infinite Distance would be hard to repeat. Don was a fantastically cooperative muse and artistic partner in a sparse, depressing time. But in general, I’m not really drawn to collaboration. The lines of creation become too blurred. CRAIG: What’s next for you? RITA: Recently, my dad fell and hit his head on the sidewalk. He spent a month in the hospital, and I was there almost every night as part of his care team. He’s doing better today, but has a long, uncertain road of recovery ahead. My father’s accident changed my priorities, and it’s hard to think beyond the moment. But trauma is a catalyst for art. We never could have imagined Infinite Distance outside the pandemic. Likely, what’s next for me will be related to what I’m experiencing now. Craig D’Arville is co-owner, along with Stephen Bulger, of FFOTO.com, an online platform that offers photo-based works by established artists, and is an incubator for emerging talent. Rita Leistner is represented by Stephen Bulger Gallery, with select works available via FFOTO.com. Don McKellar is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Enjoyed this free read?! Consider supporting us! As the ONLY independent editorial photography publication in Canada we'd love your support to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS
- Photographic Excellence at TOAF
Photography highlights at TOAF63 The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF) is back at Nathan Phillips Square from July 12th to 14th offering a weekend of art and fun. The event has been a beloved summer tradition for 63 years and continues to grow and diversify—including artists from all around the country and online participating. This year, the Fair will feature close to 300 independent artists providing visitors with a dynamic showcase to explore including painting, craft & design, 3D works, and photography. Additionally, 62 more artists have been selected to exclusively show their work online at TOAF.ca. TOAF features a range of talented, award-winning photographers that push the boundaries of the medium. photoED excited to participate in this year’s Art Fair with a selection of our friends from other art magazines in Canada! (Find us at Booth 276-277) To celebrate photoED magazine's partnership with TOAF, here are a few photographers who will be at the fair that we have our eye on as potential TOAF63 photography award winners! Margaret Gdyczynski Margaret's passion for photographing architecture began with the interiors of Florence's basilicas. She now explores historical and modern structures, focusing on layering light's transient nature in familiar spaces. Laura Kay Keeling Laura is a self-taught visual artist based in Hamilton, whose practice explores connections with the natural world. Using archival investigations, they incorporate elements from plants and flowers they have grown or foraged, scanning, photographing, and pressing them to create a digital catalog. Their archive includes over 150 natural elements, capturing the ephemeral beauty of nature and examining our relationship with it. Eric Chabot Eric presents a Montreal urban landscape series where structures, water, and light, dance offering subtle beauty to the casual passerby. By shifting the perspective towards close-ups and detailed investigations, he creates abstractions out of everyday life. Ana Kapodistria Ana is a Greek-Canadian visual artist who holds an M.F.A. from the University of Edinburgh. She explores the limitations and nature of the human condition; revering the relationship to both natural and constructed realities. States of connection and transformation are celebrated and explored. Maureen O’Connor Maureen is a Toronto-based fine art photographer who collaborates with local sanctuaries to photograph rescued and non-releasable animals in abandoned Toronto homes. Her work explores the intersection of nature and urban environments, highlighting the beauty and fragility of both. Carolyn Cheng Carolyn is an award winning Toronto-based photographer. Her series "Meltwater" illustrates the impact of climate change on Alaskan glaciers. Using color solarization, she transforms natural glacier scenes into vivid, surreal images, highlighting the potential dystopian future. The series invites reflection on rising ocean levels and global weather disruptions. Nika Belianina Nika is a Toronto-based award-winning writer, director, camerawoman, and photographer, who has exhibited her work in over 25 venues across Belgium, Canada, Peru, and the USA. Her work explores themes of escapism and longing. Her poetic photographs, inspired by nature, blend magical realism and movement, evoking unique emotions. Nika's work captures feminine sensibilities in avant-garde settings, always driven by a sense of wonder and a quest for new forms of self-expression. Enjoyed this free read?! Consider supporting us! As the ONLY independent editorial photography publication in Canada we'd love your support to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS
- Plant based printing
An excerpt from: Anthotypes – Explore the darkroom in your garden and make photographs using plants. What is an anthotype? Utilizing nature’s own colouring pigments from flower petals, berries or other plant parts, images are produced by crushing and mixing them with alcohol or water to make a light-sensitive emulsion. Ordinary watercolour paper is coated with the emulsion and a photogram can be created by placing objects on top of the paper. An image can also be printed using a positive transparency (not a negative) in a contact frame. The print is then exposed under the sun. No further developing or fixing of the print is needed. The focus of this book is to show the many different types of emulsions that can be created from an infinite number of plants and pigments. The benefits of anthotyping An environmentally friendly and sustainable process—very little impact on the environment. A great way to spend time in nature. Wonderful smells when picking petals—most of the time. A fun way to experiment with photography. A great way to get children involved without hazardous chemicals—though take extra care to avoid poisonous plants! No darkroom is needed; can be done at home. You can grow your own plants for creating the emulsion. A de-stressing process of “slow photography”. Some things that may be less perfect The image can be somewhat faint or have low contrast. The exposure times are very long—it can take days or even weeks. The prints are monochrome and thus limited to one colour. It is hard to know the final colour of the print; for example, blue petals do not necessarily yield a blue print. Some plants are VERY poisonous; be sure to look this up before using them! Some pigments cause stains on clothes and surfaces. The result can be unexpected—that is not necessarily a bad thing. The image is not permanent. It will fade over time. A brief history Using plants to colour cloth or paint is ancient—with evidence of the use of plants ranging from Neanderthals to Egyptian Pharaohs and Japanese tattoo masters. The discovery and use of plants in photography is more carefully mapped. Like many other discoveries, it required a whole ensemble of people to make it happen, starting with Henri August Vogel who, in 1816, discovered that plant juices are sensitive to light. A number of people did extensive research, such as Theodor Freiherr von Grotthuss, and Sir John Herschel who published his discovery in 1842. Rather unfairly, Mrs Mary Somerville was a main player but was not able to publish her research on ‘the action of rays on vegetable juices’, since she was a woman(!!!). There are more names, such as Robert Hunt and Michel Eugene Chèvreul, who extended the research on their own accord. “Anthotypes show us just how much early photography is a kind of natural magic. Malin Fabbri’s book is a real gift – a much-needed manual on this beautiful and almost-forgotten process.” - Dan Estabrook, Artist and educator. Enjoyed this free read?! Consider supporting us! As the ONLY independent editorial photography publication in Canada we'd love your support to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS •
- STEPHEN BROOKBANK: The making of a place
“The grey warm evening of August had descended upon the city and a mild, warm air, a memory of summer circulated in the streets. like illuminated pearls the lamps shone from the summits of their tall poles upon the living texture below which, changing shape and hue unceasingly, sent up into the warm grey evening air an unchanging unceasing murmur.” —excerpt from“Two Gallants “ by James Joyce Inspired by Irish novelist James Joyce’s short story “Two Gallants,” Stephen Brookbank explores after-dark and before-dawn urban, suburban, and industrial environments. Using a large format camera, he uses long exposures and available light to create images that aim to illustrate the “truth” of a scene. Stephen’s environmental portraits in home, work, and play settings look to document the resilience of people in the midst of a challenging period in human history. “North America is in a phase of deindustrialization,” he says. “I’m interested in creating work that supposes allegories representing flexibility and adaptive strength.” One of Stephen’s key influences is the New Topographic movement of the 1970s, in which photographers worked to identify a critical view of the state of America. “I am interested in looking at the everyday urban and suburban landscape with a sense of awe and respect, coloured with the mixed-up night-time lighting situations from available light sources,” says Stephen. “This work is intended as a document of our time.” An inherent analog aficionado, for this project Stephen used Toyo View G, a 4×5 large format studio camera, with Rodenstock Apo-Sironar lenses and Kodak Portra 400 film. “My reasons for shooting analog are purely personal,” he says. “It works for me and what I’m trying to achieve. Shooting with such a large camera forces me to work slowly.” Rather than taking lots of photographs of a scene, Stephen takes time to decide on an ideal composition and takes one shot. “I may only make two negatives. A successful night of shooting may only yield a couple of photographs. The process and ritual of making a picture on a large format camera appeals to me. The richness of a well-made negative contains such beautiful, smooth clarity and detail,” says Stephen. Stephen follows a few self-imposed rules when photographing. One of these rules includes not adding any light to a scene, including after dark. “I rely on street lights, window light, and low clouds to light scenes for me. One of the challenges this creates is that when I am photographing people in their work, home, or recreational environments, my exposures have to be quite long. It’s not unusual to have people posing for up to a minute.” “I’ve figured out a trick,” he says. “During a long exposure, one of the things that makes a person jittery is an effort to keep from blinking during the exposure time. I’ve found that if a person blinks comfortably they are more relaxed and able to keep still — even little kids. In the photograph their eyes are still clear and sharp.” He does very little in terms of posing people, as they are to look relaxed, comfortable, and like themselves. “Another challenge is the skepticism I encounter,” says Stephen. “People are typically proud of their neighbourhood, so after a short conversation I try to demonstrate that I am there out of respect. Then their guard goes down. Of course, the curiosity of my big, old fashioned—looking camera also seems to help diffuse any tension.” Stephen’s laborious process influences not only how his images appear, but also his audiences. When people slow down to understand the technical factors involved in his work, they gain further insight into the narratives he creates and presents as documents. This story originally appeared on the RESILIENCE OF ANALOG #FilmIsNotDead edition. We share this incredible work now as tribute to our late friend STEPHEN BOOKBANK . Thank you for sharing your work and your stories with us. As per his wishes, please make a donation to QEII Health Sciences Foundation or the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute. Enjoyed this free read?! Consider supporting us! As the ONLY independent editorial photography publication in Canada we'd love your support to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS