Defend the Darkroom

The involvement of the hand of the creator… not many people currently think of photography being an art form where the artist has their physical hand in the piece. Digitally, a creator is removed…. But Mike Robinson is intimately involved in all of the images he creates: he builds camera; takes the shot; mixes the chemistry; prints the image. He is precise, concerned with the details, and you can see this in the beauty of his practise: his cameras, his images, his dedication to understanding photography. In my opinion, making historical processes accessible gives a unique insight to the complexity of photography as well as giving creators the access to a simple yet complex method of creating images. Please visit Mike's website at… https://centurydarkroom.com/

A lovely project focused on added beauty not only through the creation of artowrk but also planting trees. An inspiring reforestation project to support cutting carbon emissions and an amazing organziation "One Tree Planted"

I think it's common for most creatives to dream about the day when they garner recognition, find gallery representation and starting to get shown internationally. I don't believe I ever have had a full understanding of what these things would (or could) mean to an art practise or how an art practise needs to be in constant motion to keep evolving and fresh. Speaking with Deanna Pizzitelli was a real pleasure. Her experiences in starting as a photographic printer then evolved her practise to shooting and is now into the realm of education demonstrates how she is constantly striving to make her voice heard while challenge herself both aesthetically and intellectually. For me, this conversation really demonstrates the necessity of consistent dedication when building art practise and that mentorship and community are integral to being a success. In my opinion, this conversation is a seminar about starting a career as a fine artist. It has given me so much inspiration and helped me gain some focus and direction for my own practise.   I hope that you enjoy this conversation.

Marcel Petit doesn’t mince words – he openly shares his journey, philosophy and desire to not only take a great photograph but connect with his environment. He is thoughtful about why he takes photographs and mindful of how he is capturing an image; he isn’t ok with being on default. Marcel is very respectful of the subject and strives to create a strong story. In his community, Marcel is known for much more than photography and he works to create discourse and builds bridges wherever he goes. When you mix in a great sense of humour and the ability to have some fun around everyday ideas, Marcel is going to continue to inspire both other artists but also those within his community. It was a real honour to speak to Marcel and both his community work as well as his photography. I hope that you are inspired to put down your camera and look around your community to see the beauty that is around you. To see his portfolio, please visit his website marcelpetit.ca    

Dianne Bos does not look at her life linearly. At every opportunity she is open to learning and challenging her perception about the world around her. Speaking with Dianne was electric – she loops ideas and processes together seamlessly with a healthy dose of enthusiasm. Knowing that Dianne defines herself as an Artist and that she does not limit herself to only one method of creation makes understanding her enthusiasm and varied career easier. In speaking with Dianne, I learnt how creativity is something that can be seen as fluid and fed by connection to the world around you. By staying open to experimentation, questioning and a continued sense of play – we are able to continue to push the limits of our own creativity. And in my opinion, pushing boundaries is the premise of a creative practice so that we can learn, grow and change. Dianne’s recently updated website is at…. https://diannebos.ca/ Biography… Dianne Bos was born in 1956 in Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up in Dundas where she happily explored the Niagara Escarpment. Always interested in art and science, she studied Fine Arts at Mount Allison University. There she developed an interest in photography through sculpture and science, by creating her own cameras. That interest has continued to this day.  Many of Bos’s recent exhibitions feature handmade cameras, walk-in light installations, and sound pieces. These tools and devices formulate and extend her investigations of journeying, time, and the science of light. This work appeared in the traveling exhibits; Poetics of Light: Pinhole Photography, New Mexico Museum, Seeing, Science Gallery, Dublin Ireland. ‘See the Stars,’ a multi-aperture tent installation created for the ‘Midnight Sun Camera Obscura Festival’ in Dawson City, Yukon and Star Shed at McMaster Museum in Hamilton.

While I was speaking with June Clark she mentioned how artists must be willing to take risks. This sentiment really stuck with me – in these crazy times where nothing is “the same” or “normal”, we creatives have been given the gift of time: time to break out of our routines, time to look at the world around us, time to question, time to be open and try something new and different. June seems almost fearless in her quest to express her vision and ideas to the world. After our conversation, I was left wondering if she ever ran from a challenge (I highly doubt it). June got me thinking that it is through being fully engaged in life, we have the opportunity to dig into ourselves and find a new form of expression, a new thought or even a new passion. I sincerely hope that you take an opportunity to listen to your creative heart, challenge yourself to do something new or try something different in order to simply enjoy the process of creating. I hope that you enjoy our conversation – I know I sure did. Please visit https://danielfariagallery.com/exhibitions to see an amazing short video piece and still images of June’s latest exhibition “Unrequited love”. If you get a chance to see this work in person, I highly recommend it.

Although April Hickox may not be an environmentalist, in the traditional definition of the word, she is very much of her environment. April is completely engaged with the place where she lives, the people that are part of her community and what is happening around her. She is an observer; a thinker; storyteller and her photographs bring you into her world. I feel like every moment inspires her by what she is seeing and experiencing around her – and she stays engaged constantly creating, interacting with others in the community, observing and thinking. It was such a pleasure to talk to April about living on Toronto Island, her involvement in the Toronto artistic community and how she stays engaged.

Craig Richards has a full life but there has always been one underlying theme that brought everything into focus: photography. From his time at the White Museum in Canmore AB starting as a technician and retiring as the Curator of photography; creating the internationally recognized “Through the Lens” program as well as being the originator of the Exposure Photo Festival in Calgary AB – Craig is known as someone who is enthusiastic not only about photography but about collaborating with others.   His passion and enthusiasm was an inspiration for me. I hope that you catch his three big reasons for taking an image – they have already got me thinking different about how I work and even look before taking a photograph.   I hope that you enjoy our conversation.   Craig’s website with his portfolio can be found at…. http://www.craigrichardsphotography.com/

Chatting with George Webber…. While speaking with George Webber he said: “Time is the currency of photography” – so true. George has been part of Calgary’s photo community for decades; not only as an instructor but also as a documenter, through creating artistic commentary and as a commercial shooter. George started as a script writer which gave him an intense understanding of time, process and the necessity of creating relationships. He extols the importance of learning about life – not just staying put and isolated in one world. I really appreciate how thoughtful and dedicated George is to his passion. I hope this conversation gets you thinking about how you are inspired and who inspires you each day. George Webber’s website can be found at… http://georgewebber.ca/

We all have that one artist whose work is compelling and interests us – it provides us with interesting ideas that challenge how we look at the world, ourselves, our work. Barbara Astman’s photography does that for me. I love how she constructs images, layers images (and meanings) while creating bold statements. It was such a pleasure to speak with Barbara. She was really easy to talk to and so open about how she is dealing with COVID, the start of her career, how she arrived in Toronto and why she is so active in the art community. It was an inspiring conversation and has made me think about how I do things differently. I hope that you enjoy our conversation!

When Shin Sugino said that he was up for chatting with me – I was so excited. I knew he was wildly talented but his story makes that seem like an interesting side note. Shin’s story cannot be described as ordinary or dull – he has always challenge boundaries, continued learning and is always having fun. I look forward to seeing the work that comes out of his new darkroom! Attached is a copy of a video produced about his last exhibit in Tokyo – due to the pandemic, his latest exhibit opening has been postponed. Please visit Shin’s listing (https://japanesecanadianartists.com/artist/shin-sugino/) for a short bio and a selection from his personal portfolio.

David Morrish’s career is definitely unique – starting in architecture, moving into carpentry, then photography, throw in some print making all the while creating an epic collection of… things makes for a great story. I love how his every day is an exploration in creation. Learning about his use of found object, the creation of a Wunderkammen, his love of creating narrative and an ever apparent sense of humor gave me so many great ideas for my own practice. I can’t wait to see where he goes next.

This past week I had the pleasure of getting to know Thaddeus Holownia. Our conversation really made me stop and think about how see my practice and myself. I hope that you enjoy our conversation! To see more of Thaddeus' work please visit.... https://holownia.com/ And his printing press can be found at.... https://anchoragepress.ca/

Ruth Kaplan is a documentary-based photographer whose work explores a variety of themes such as the social behaviour of bathers in communal hot springs, participants in rituals of spirituality and most recently, the situation surrounding refugees seeking asylum in Canada in Canadian/U.S.A. border-town shelters in Buffalo, Detroit, Toronto and Fort Erie, and at the Roxham Road border crossing in New York/Quebec.   Kaplan has exhibited internationally and can be found in major Canadian and international collections and publications. She has received numerous grants and awards and is a photography instructor at OCAD University and Ryerson University. Her first monograph, Bathers, was recently published by Damiani.  

This podcast started as an opportunity for creative people to talk about their motivation: not their process; their equipment or their team but simply ‘the why’ of creating. What gets them up in the middle of the night. We believe this interview with Deborah Samuel demonstrates how some people are more than simply inspired but driven to create. It is their language... beyond an emotion… It simply is… and there is no other option. This interview moved us and has inspired us in ways that we are very surprised by. We hope you are inspired as well.  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YS-Z3h6Oh9RT0VQ05iQERqJZ_eVpzqTB Deborah’s full CV and portfolio can be seen on her website…. https://www.deborahsamuel.com http://deborahsamuelcollection.com

Defend the Darkroom, Episode 3

Welcome back! This episode we are talking with Steve Sherman. I met Steve a number of years ago when he came to Elevator Digital to lead a workshop on his method of split tone printing. Flash forward a number of years, a couple of workshops and a few parties and I was attending the inaugural Photo Arts Exchange symposium in Connecticut with over 50 other photographers from across the US (I was the only Canadian btw). During the PaX symposium, Steve was interviewing everyone about who they are and why they were attending the symposium and what their process is all about but no one was interviewing Steve. So I remedied that… Steve has been a master mind of a number of different camera clubs, fundraisers and symposiums. He has been a mentor for numerous large format photographers across North America – but he also had a career and a family!  I hope you enjoy our conversation. Here is Steve’s artist statement…. My interest in the landscape has always been developed with a childlike wonderment, filled with enthusiasm and uncertainty as I venture into a landscape to create a photograph. The mystery of what lies around the next corner has fueled an intrigue and passion that has eclipsed more than 35 years in a blink of an eye.  I cherish adventuring with my close friends, who put photography in front of all else, in search of that elusive image. Connecting with these kindred spirits during many early morning and late night escapades has only furthered my passion into an obsession.   Although we live in a world where photographs are used daily to communicate with the world around us; I am drawn to the technical challenges presented by an antique camera and the use of film in the outdoors. Creativity must be embraced during all aspects of the process in order to create a memorable landscape. The technical conveniences of the 21st century are not available to me. I capture mere seconds and sometimes minutes of time that may never return again.   My love of this process has turned into a YouTube channel in order to share my knowledge with whoever is interested. I have also mentored many photographers from Europe, South America, Canada and the United States on my particular process and philosophy.  Premium downloadable videos and an online Mentorship Program are available by visiting my website https://www.powerofprocesstips.com/   We look forward to hearing what you think… Email us at:defendthedarkroom@gmail.com Find us on Twitter at:@defenddarkroom Or Facebook at: DefendtheDarkroom

Welcome to our first interview! Bob Carnie has been working in the photographic industry for over 30 years now. He is an accomplished printmaker, colour corrector and project manager. Known to being a supportive collaborator, Bob has dedicated himself to helping educate new photographers and printmakers as well as supporting seasoned photographers exhibit their work. He is in a new studio space at 1681 Dundas West and I cannot wait to see the new works that will be created there. It was a pleasure to sit and talk with him about his past exploits and future. A short bio…. Bob Carnie is a Toronto-based photographer/printer with an international reputation for printing traditional and digital for acclaimed photographers, galleries and museums. He is fuelled by his hands-on approach, that he maintains throughout his photographic practice; being most in his element when working in the darkroom. Bob is also the owner of The Dylan Ellis Gallery which is an extension of his photographic experience.   Connect with Bob at http://www.alternativephotoservices.com/   We look forward to hearing what you think… Email us at:defendthedarkroom@gmail.com Find us on Twitter at:@defenddarkroom Or Facebook at: DefendtheDarkroom