Thursday, July 1, 2021
The True North Strong and Free
Submitted by Mona D'Amours Regardless of whether we agree or disagree with the restrictions for the past sixteen months during the pandemic, the truth is that we have all been impacted. We lost our Canadian Rights and Freedoms, such as freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, freedom of worship, and countless other freedoms which we took for granted. The first image that reflects this reality is LOCKDOWN. It was a provocative emotionally charged image I entered for the National Salon competition 2021. This was my first time submitting since my accreditation in February 2020. I did not know how the judges would respond to it. They could have easily dismissed it without comment, and a result of “not accepted”. However, the image was judged three times for 12 minutes 33 seconds, and two of the five judges gave it a score of “excellence”. I also wrote the poem though it was not part of the image for adjudication. What impressed me with the judges is that they were thoughtful, honest, and open-minded to my message. I am sharing the judges critiques with you to understand how it reflected the loss we have all experienced. As a former psychology professor, the comments of the judges reminded me of the defence mechanisms we use during times of stress and anxiety such as denial, intellectualization, and rationalization.
Friday, June 18, 2021
ORNITHOLOGY / BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE VALUE OF CITIZEN SCIENCE
Submitted by Violet Aubertin. As a recent recruit to PPOC I am very pleased to announce my first successful accreditation in Ornithology / Bird Photography. After retiring from a career in health care in 2018 I made the decision to pursue my long time passion for photography by letting it guide me to my destination. My photographic interests are many allowing me to explore several techniques and genres, but one that has kept me active through all seasons has always been Ornithology / Bird Photography making it the best choice for my first accreditation.
Sunday, May 16, 2021
ACCREDITATION: MY PERSONAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE HIGHS AND LOWS
Story by Terry Tinkess. I guess I would have to lay blame at the feet of photographer Joe McNally for being the reason photography became more of a pursuit than an interest for me. It’s not like he came to me and said, “You’re good kid,” although he did say something similar, years later after I had stopped being a kid, and as part of a paid workshop/critique session.
Thursday, April 29, 2021
2021 NATIONAL IMAGE COMPETITION AWARDS
PPOC had their annual Gala (virtual this year), on April 18th - to celebrate the accomplishments of all the members who entered the National Image Competition. It also celebrated the achievements of our membership who attained new Professional Photography Designations. The fact that this Gala existed this year, is a testament to all the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. The following is a list of our major award winners from the 2021 National Image Competition. Congratulations to them and all who participated.
Sunday, April 11, 2021
6 Food Photography Myths - Busted
Story by Jules Sherred. Food photography is one of the most technical forms of photography that fall within a wide range of classifications, including fine art, editorial, lifestyle, advertising and more. In the infancy of food photography – think Mad Men – the form was mainly advertising and had a very specific look, thanks to tomfoolery and plastic food. In recent years, there has been a huge shift in the industry, thanks to a mix of cameras in every pocket and truth in advertising laws.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Taking Colour A Step Beyond Simple Harmony
(Submitted by Jay Terry MPA). As every artist knows, a successful image has many elements to it: lighting, composition, a center of interest, impact and story. Each has a role to play in how an image is viewed and interpreted by the viewer. An image maker can, through their use of line, contrast and depth, influence how the viewer’s eye travels through an image and what parts of the image hold more “weight” than other. Each element can play off of another, enhancing their mutual effects, but one intersects and connects them all: colour. The right balance of colour can add either harmony or tension, depending on the intentions of the maker, by using any one of the principal colour schemes: monochromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary or triadic, and finally, tetradic.
Thursday, March 11, 2021
2021 NATIONAL IMAGE COMPETITION FINALISTS
THE 2020 NATIONAL IMAGE COMPETITION FINALISTS ARE… LES FINALISTES DE LA COMPÉTITION NATIONALE DE L’IMAGE 2020 SONT…
Saturday, February 13, 2021
SHAPING OUR PERSPECTIVE OF COLOUR
(Article submitted by Chelsea Jones).
Monday, February 1, 2021
Photography: The Art And Science Of Racial Oppression
(Submitted by Chelsea Jones). Since the invention of the camera, the images we created and the photographic industry has been fraught with issues of inequality, inequity, and oppression that continue to this day. As with the industrial revolution and the current age of technology, with innovations come distinct benefits as well as consequences. Created and developed in the Victorian era by French and English inventors, the camera and the images it produced was as the intersection of art and science. 1 This development of photography took place when positivism was the dominant scientific ontology. 2 This led to a strong faith in machines, known as ‘machine objectivity’, since they were regarded as more objective than individual human perception. 2At that time there was little question that a photograph was an accurate and truthful representation of the subject.1 Photography, like any form of representation, was and is a social practice whose connotations were organized through cultural ideas and contracts, and is inherently problematic with roots in colonialism, government oppression, and racism especially towards the black community. 1
