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Stephen Brookbank, Roller Rink at the waterfront, Hamilton, Ontario “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 Brookbank, Greenhouse, Gage Park, Hamilton, Ontario 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.” Stephen Brookbank 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 Brookbank 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.” Stephen Brookbank “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 Brookbank, Families at Roosevelt avenue, Hamilton, Ontario 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 . 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! JOIN US AS A PATRON   • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY   • READ our digital edition S

An excerpt from: Anthotypes – Explore the darkroom in your garden and make photographs using plants . Anthotype made using Beach rose (Rosa Rugosa) • “Gather ye rosehips” by Alison Bell, St. Catharines, ON 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. Anthotype made using Lavender (Lavandula), Spinach (Spinacia oleracea), Blue butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea)and Basil (Ocimum basilicum) • “Lavande” by Émilie Léger, Montréal, QC 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”. Anthotype made using Sulphur Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) • “Summer Sunshine” by Janice Kamide, Richmond, BC 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. Anthotype made using Turmeric (Curcuma longa) • “Grandma’s House” by Kirsten Murphy, Yellowknife, NT 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! JOIN US AS A PATRON   • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY   • READ our digital editions  •

IN CONVERSATION WITH CRAIG D’ARVILLE “She Is Tangled In The Light" ©Rita Leistner andDon McKellar, courtesy of Stephen Bulger Gallery and FFOTO.com 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. “They Reach Across An Infinite Distance" ©Rita Leistner and Don McKellar, courtesy of Stephen Bulger Gallery and FFOTO.com 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!” “He And She Run Up The Hill" ©Rita Leistner and Don McKellar, courtesy of Stephen Bulger Gallery and FFOTO.com 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. “He Floats As An Apparition Above The Fire" ©Rita Leistner and Don McKellar, courtesy of Stephen Bulger Gallery and FFOTO.com 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. “She Floats In The Leaves” ©Rita Leistner and Don McKellar, courtesy of Stephen Bulger Gallery and FFOTO.com 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. “They Are Divided By A Glow On TheWater” ©Rita Leistner and DonMcKellar, courtesy of Stephen Bulger Gallery and FFOTO.com 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! JOIN US AS A PATRON   • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY   • READ our digital editions

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 in Quebec, Canada. 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, HeyZine, 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 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! photo by @liammackenziephoto 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   • READ our digital editions •

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 TIME issue IN PRINT • Cover image by Bret Culp • photo by Marie-Louise Moutafchieva #MadeWithAffinity 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. Sylvia Galbraith • What Time Is This Place? Solargraph by Bret Culp, “183 Day Solargraph #1 (2023.07.21 – 2023.12.21), Oakville, Ontario.” Zinnia Naqvi • “The Wanderers ‑ Niagara Falls, 1988,” from the series Yours to Discover, 2019. 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. Craig D’Arville/ FFOTO.com + June Clark and Christina Leslie 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 Find our playlist of TIME inspired tunes on SPOTIFY! 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! We'd love your support to continue producing great content for you to enjoy!   • JOIN US AS A PATRON   • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY   • READ our digital editions

Noémie was born blind. She suffers from Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a genetic disorder. At a party organized by the Foundation for the Blind of Quebec (FAQ), she dances with her friend Florence. Noémie wears glasses to protect her eyes, as she has no muscle reflex in her eyelids. 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 regularly attends a book club. This activity allows him and other participants to discover new authors through the voices of volunteer readers. 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. Marc-André can count on Hao Yu, his neighbor, friend, and guide, for daily assistance. 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. Marie (23) was born blind. Originally from Mascouche, she moved to Montreal on her own to pursue her studies. A Political Science student at the University of Montreal (UDEM), Marie aspires to work in diplomacy. 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. To study, Marie uses an electronic Braille reader connected directly to her computer. With this device, she can read her course materials, write, use Excel and PowerPoint, and navigate her computer. 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. Ali has optic nerve dystrophy. As a child, he participated in activities organized by the FAQ. Today, he works for the Foundation as an accountant and recreational activities instructor. 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   • READ our digital editions Follow us on Instagram, Patreon , Facebook , and Instagram , and sign up for our e-newsletter to keep up with all our adventures!

Jessica Thalmann's Philosophy is that a photograph is just a piece of paper to destroy, rip, tear, and cut. The taking of a photograph is only one component of Jessica Thalmann's artistic practice. Jessica is an interdisciplinary artist, curator, and writer who divides her time between Toronto and New York. With a Master of Fine Arts in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard College (New York) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University (Toronto), Jessica's knowledge of photography, film, and sculpture influence her work. Using her own images, and archival materials, she prints, cuts, assembles, and folds photographs into a variety of manipulated forms. The inspiration behind her work stems from her integral belief that a photograph does not depict reality, or the "true" story. "There is a romanticism around photography that we need to get over," she says. "We think photos are documents of reality but in fact the camera lies. There is a hand behind the camera that stages and frames. We have lofty goals for our photographs, but they do not depict the world as it really is." Destroying and reinventing images is a painstaking step-by-step process for Jessica, who believes that researching, analyzing, and planning are as much a part of being a photographer as taking a photograph. "Utopos (Henry Hall Building in 1969)", one of Jessica's current projects, stems from a personal family tragedy that happened when she was four years old. "In 1992, there was a shooting at Concordia University: a professor killed several of his colleagues. Mr uncle, Phoivos Ziogas, was one of the professors massacred. Also, in 1969, students took over the ninth floor of the same building where the 1992 shooting happened. They destroyed engineering equipment and threw thousands of IBM computer cards out of the window which littered the street like a blanket of snow It was one of the most violent riots in Canadian history . . . With the Utopos project, there is, for me, an emotional resonance and a desire to understand. This work focuses on returning to that building, to that site of trauma and, as I film and photograph it, on trying to understand what happened there. It is a delicate and cathartic process for me." For the Uptopos project, Jessica scoured the university archives until she found a black and white image that depicted the 1969 riot at the exact moment when the students were throwing IBM cards out of the window. Jessica overlaid colour onto the image and then printed the large 82" x 32" image into eight prints and eight sections. She cut and trimmed each print and folded them into equal lateral triangles. She says, " From these organic shapes, I was able to fold and shape the prints and then pin them directly onto the wall." Jessica manipulates most of her images manually in her studio, adding shadows and strange distortions, with the end goal of finding the hidden beauty in buildings others don't find. She goes through a series of emotions, including frustration, anger, reverence, and wonder, when trying to get at something that a photograph is not actualizing for her. "At a certain point in my practice I was steeped in other's photography, how beautiful and holy their images were. It was only when I gave myself permissions not to create something beautiful, to move from holding a photography as holy, that I could create something beautiful out of something I destroyed." Jessica says, "That is not going to work for everyone; it is a niche I have found for myself." Jessica's advice for aspiring photographers is to read Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes (1980) and On Photography by Susan Sontag (1973). Barthes explores the nature and essence of photography, and Sontag studies the force of photographic images that are inserted between experience and reality. She also photographers not to get into their own heads too much: to step away from their thoughts and start using their hands. "Not making work is not the solution to not making work. That is the best advice I can give to anyone," she says. "Money should not be your primary goal; just make the work you want to make." jessicathalmann.com Find this story and more in our ISSUE #52 - digital replica edition Enjoyed this free read?!  Consider supporting us! We need your support to continue producing great, original content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON   • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY   • READ our digital editions

EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP TO FOOD AND FOOD PRODUCTION. Image by Bob St Cyr This single frame by Bob St-Cyr opens volumes of questions we collectively should be asking. This image depicts a scene of an older man, bent over, picking fruit off the ground. In the background, a younger woman stands with her back to the man. She has what appears to be a phone in her hand, and she is taking a photo. The first thing that I saw was the man, immediately, it made me think about travel restrictions during the last few years, and migrant workers, unable to travel to Canada and pick our crops for us. There were many news stories on how entire crops were left to rot in the fields because no one was willing to pick them. Is this a statement on the work ethic of different generations? Another viewer may look at this scene and feel frustration with the woman with the phone. This is an all too familiar sight. People everywhere, walking around like zombies with phones in front of their faces, living life through phone screens and social media filters. Maybe she is an Internet influencer promoting her experience visiting an orchard or someone who has worked in this orchard and is making a video teaching people where apples come from. Are these two people related to each other or are they strangers? Is this scene real or staged? Are there other people just out of the frame or are these two alone? Who picked the full basket of apples in the foreground? How large is this farm? Where are these apples destined? Are they going to a local market or a supermarket on the other side of the world? Was this photo documenting apple-harvesting methods in a particular place in the world or is it a local vacation snapshot? It is very possible that the real story to this photograph has no special explanation and is a basic and banal scene. But does that really matter to us as viewers if we read into it? Why did the photographer choose to preserve and share this moment in time? What’s the message in the act of presenting images without context? Interpreting the meaning of an image is really just guessing. What makes one person feel passionately about any one piece of art, a song, a poem, or a photograph is personal and depends on individual life experiences and unique points of view. Photographs have the power to tell stories but, without context, interpretations will vary. What do you see in this image? What societal message can it press you to re-think for yourself? Like what you see here? Read more in the FOOD ISSUE + Consider supporting us! As an independent editorial publication we'd love your support to continue producing great, original content! JOIN US AS A PATRON   • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY   • READ our digital editions  •

Our recommendations for the perfect gift for photographers + photography lovers Under $100. PHOTO Books we LOVE... Finding American by Colin Boyd Shafer Stories of Immigration from All 50 States A captivating photographic portrait of the diverse experiences of immigrants in the United States, depicting the resilience and realities of building a home in a new place. Colin Boyd Shafer is an award-winning Canadian documentary photographer, social sciences educator, and the son of immigrants, with family roots in the United States. His past projects include INTERLOVE, which tells interfaith love stories in Ontario; Cosmopolis Toronto , featuring someone from every country of the world who now calls Toronto home ( as seen in photoED magazine! ) Barbara Davidson, Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist and Guggenheim Fellow, says: "Through Colin’s lens and the participants’ stories we see the realities of immigrant life in America: sometimes beautiful, sometimes harrowing, always human.” Hardcover // 11 × 9.5 inches // 304 pages $55 CDN Order your copy from our friends at Figure 1 publishing Anthotype Inspiration by Malin Fabbri Plant-based image making inspiration abounds in Malin Fabbri's books and journals. Homemade emulsions from Avocado and Beetroot, to Turmeric and Yerba mate come from contributors around the world and are beautifully presented for all to enjoy. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced anthotypist, these books are great resources that will save you time, and present you with fresh inspirations for finding the next plant or pigment to use for printing. Plant based photography printing Available for purchase via: AlternativePhotography.com $14. - $44. CDN. (+ shipping + taxes) Books are available as digital PDFs for download, soft cover , or hardcover . Calendar journals are available at $44. for a coil bound book, or $54. hardcover. Know a photo-newbie? Get the GUIDE - an easy intro to the basics of photography The photoEd GUIDE to Photography is a 128-page magazine-format learning resource. The GUIDE provides a quick-start to basic photography tools & techniques , from analog film photography to understanding digital image capture + ideas for new explorations. Check out the " Subscribe + Guide " special offer - the GUIDE as a starter + a subscription to keep the creativity flowing all year! More MAGAZINES! Join a Magazine club! The Toronto-based Issues Magazine Shop carries hard-to-find, independently-published magazines from around the world. Visit the shop in Toronto, or order online! Mag Club Quarterly Subscription Box Subscription boxes ship in September, December, March and June. Curated just for you! (or the person you're gifting for) $100.00 Check it out HERE. Add COFFEE to your magazine moment GIFT! www.sparkplug.coffee Pairing REALLY nice coffee with your analog read will spark a little extra warmth into your magazine moment. We love Sparkplug coffee because it's delicious , roasted fresh locally, and run by a cool female-led team. Choose your coffee style, select a grind specific to your maker, subscribe for AUTOPILOT delivery... SO many options. The Sparkplug crew delivers the goods to ensure you're drinking the BEST coffee you've ever made. In fact, they guarantee coffee happiness. + FREE SHIPPING + Friends of photoED - Save $3 on your next order with code: CAMERA + They have a ton of cool coffee gift ideas for any kinda coffee lover - Check them out - HERE . Cool stufF handmade mugs for photo nerds! As a photography explorer AND ceramic artist, Bunny Safari has combined her talents to create these gorgeous handmade, one-of-a-kind mugs with designs for folks who appreciate a "Rock n Rollei" and support "Women who rock film"! Quantities are limited and selections are always changing. Shop the website, here: www.bunnysafaripottery.com A little merch Our Jet Tag Safety Reflector key chains are a great bag tag identifier accessory or functional ket ring with a message every photographer can relate to! A statement piece! ART = WORK Get this tell-it-like-it-is T-shirt for only $20 — HERE. The ART=WORK campaign is run by VANL-CARFAC, Visual Artists of Newfoundland and Labrador + Canadian Artists Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens, in partnership with the Mary MacDonald Foundation . This joint fundraiser supports visual artists, curators, and art workers living in Newfoundland and Labrador through programs and awards distributed by their respective organizations. Handmade mugs also available! Check them out HERE. For the Film shooters... Reveni Labs Matt Bechberger is a maker, inventor, builder and a film camera nerd who also happens to be an electronics and product designer. Reveni Labs started because he wanted new technical solutions to old film problems for the modern film shooter community. Along with the explosion in interest in analog photography comes a renewed market for film shooters. However, many older analog cameras do not have the built-in tech needed to expose film as needed. Matt has some great solutions for your bespoke techy troubles. If you're not sure what kind of gadget your film lover will love, digital gift cards available for purchase, HERE . www.reveni-labs.com A unique calendar BC based photographer Ali Penko has quite a following around her annual calendar work. This year, she's levelled it up. Her newest12-month calendar (11 x 8.5 inches) showcases striking photos under the "Sounds" theme. In addition to the beautiful images in the printed calendar, very month Ali sends out an email newsletter, revealing the sound associated with the photo and its significance. Embark on a sensory journey that captures life’s essence, and elevate your space with a art that resonates with the rhythm of life! $25. Order your copy: HERE Gelaskins Gelaskins offers artist-designed skins for laptops, phones, tablets, wireless headphones, e-readers, and MUCH more... You can also upload your own photo , logo, or artwork and create a bespoke skin. And they're made in Toronto! Check out their full product line HERE. Hello GORGEOUS! SO many reasons to LOVE this! Aside from GORGEOUS SPICE Co. being an awesome Canadian product created by a rockstar female entrepreneur, these spice blends are guaranteed to spice up your life. These small batch premium spice blends - pack a punch. All killer, NO fillers. A great gift for foodies that goes easy on the postage $... $6. + up. Can't decide? JOIN THE SPICE CLUB for monthly deliveries of inspiration. Members get specially created recipes, The Gorgeous ‘Zine, playlists, recos to cool gear, and more … everything you need to make food fascinating! Our PATREON PATRONS may recall, our Spring/Summer 2023 edition was shipped with a little sample pack of GORGEOUS SPICES... Flav-O-matic. It's the 'everything bagel' of spice blends! YUM! Such a lovely treat for our PATREON crew! For the artists out there... We LOVE artist/photographer Danny C ustodio 's T's. If you know someone that can laugh in the face of rejection, or the realities of being a starving artist - this is the perfect gift! Available in black with white text, or white with black text, in a range of sizes to suite any size of artist! Check out these T's - HERE . Yes! It is the same Danny Custodio , we featured in our Beautiful Botanical edition. Not sure what your photography lover would like? Let them chose + SUPPORT An independent BUSINESS with GIFT CERTIFICATES... Vancouver - check out the awesomeness of BEAU photo. "Bottom line – we are here to assist you. It doesn’t matter if you are running your own photography business, are a photographic artist, a student getting into photography or someone who found an old film camera and wants to start using it. We are here to help you decide what is best for your needs. No hard sales tactics here." Toronto- we love a visit to Downtown Camera. At Downtown Camera, gift certificates can be used on anything in the store, from film developing and analog accessories, to the latest digital gear & gadgets. Your giftee will fee like a kid in a candy store! From anywhere... Toronto Image Works From printing to framing, to scanning and retouching TIW is for photographers who value excellence. As founder Edward Burtynsky's exclusive production facility, a gift certificate from TIW would be a welcome gift for any artist serious about how they present their work. To order a gift certificate, email customercare@torontoimageworks.com or call 416-703-1999 The ultimate photography lovers gift!? Of course we recommend our own selves as the BEST GIFT ever! New ways to think about photography GUARANTEED. Subscribers get 3 beautifully printed issues DELIVERED per year. Spring/Summer (delivered in March) + Fall (August) + Winter (November) We also have a neat catalog of BACK ISSUES - if there's a theme your gift-ee is into but missed out on previously - check it out. photoed.ca/shop + Feel the bonus karma points flow your way when you SHARE all these goodies through your social media channels! Behind all of these suggestions are REAL HUMANS working super hard to bring you their best - a 'Like' or a 'follow' on social media is a sweet little boost of the ego in hard times.

"Guided by the notion that North Koreans are residing in a "dream-state," where the truth is not lived but imposed by those in power, Nathalie Daoust's anonymous forms wander through the landscape." By Samantha Small Nathalie Daoust's photographs reflect a love for eclectic places and a wild, inexhaustible sense of curiosity. Exploring, experiencing, and documenting rarely visited landscapes and carefully hidden places, she has spent the last decade producing voyeuristic insights into otherwise veiled existences. Nathalie studied the technical aspects of photography at the Cégep du Vieux Montréal. Since, she has been travelling the globe seeking to translate her experiences into photography-based artworks. She spent two years experimenting and living in the Carlton Arms Hotel in New York, which led her further abroad to explore Tokyo’s red light district, Brazilian brothels, and Swiss naturists in the Alps. Nathalie’s project, Korean Dreams (2016) is a complex series of 25, 50 × 70 cm prints that reflect the mysterious world of North Korea. “I was working on a photo documentary in China about North Korean women living in hiding and working in the sex industry. I wanted to better understand why these women would rather live in such conditions in China than remain in their own country with their friends and family.” Nathalie’s images captured in North Korea reveal a country that seems to exist outside of time, as a carefully choreographed mirage. She has spent much of her career exploring the idea of fantasy: the hidden desires and urges that compel people to dream, to dress up, to move beyond the bounds of convention. With Korean Dreams , she is exploring this escapist impulse not as an individual choice, but as a way of life forced upon an entire nation. Most foreigners associate North Korea, shrouded by fanatical isolationism, only with the hallmarks of its repressive regime – kidnapping, torture, and forced labour camps. Tourist experiences are carefully crafted to countermand these impressions. Accompanied by guides at all times, and adhering to the rigid, pre-approved travel program, visitors get a highly selective view of the country as they are paraded past cultural landmarks such as theatres, schools, and music halls, meant to create the illusion of a perfect society. The difficulty of reconciling systemic violence and repression with this shiny world led Nathalie to focus on the spaces that exist on the edge of the “tourist zone.” By shooting furtively while travelling between destinations, she was able to capture an alternative narrative. Guided by the notion that North Koreans are residing in a “dream-state,” where truth is not lived but imposed by those in power, her anonymous forms wander through the landscape. From civilians bicycling against an urban backdrop, to military personnel marching stridently in line and schoolchildren staring pensively out of the frame, these figures seem to exist suspended in an ambiguous, timeless dimension. Playing with the line between fiction and reality, Nathalie exposes an indeterminate space where “truth” and “lies” are interchangeable. Nathalie’s multi-step development process is integral in this series to the interplay between fiction and reality. In the darkroom she reconstructs a forgotten past and an unknown present. The images were taken on 35mm black and white film and have been obscured in her unique photographic process. She creates a “negative” by cutting out her selected frame from its contact sheet and peeling off the back of the photo paper. The breakdown of the original negative film has produced final images that appear indistinct and somewhat ghostlike. As the layers of distance from the original film are removed, a sense of detachment between the photographer and her subjects is revealed. Nathalie’s darkroom method also mimics the way information is transferred in North Korea: it is stifled until the truth is lost in the process. The resultant images speak to North Korean society, of missing information and truth concealed. daoustnathalie.com Find this story + more in our CANADIANS ABROAD - ISSUE #53 Enjoyed this free read?! Consider supporting us! We would love to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON   • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY  • READ our digital editions