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2017 InFocus Photographers Announced

The 2017 InFocus Photo Exhibit is going to be a great show! Inspired by the theme “The Future,” the 2017 InFocus photographers come together in a moving collection of some of the best photography our country has to offer!


ABOUT INFOCUS:

MISSION: To promote and exhibit innovative, thoughtful, and provocative photography created by CANADIAN contemporary image makers.

INFOCUS PHOTO is an annual exhibition curated by Alexis Marie Chute. In it’s first year, 2015, the show took place at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre and featured Edmonton and area photographers. In the second year, InFocus expanded to celebrate the best photography from across Alberta, showcased at dc3 Art Projects. Now, in its third installment, InFocus has fulfilled its mission of welcoming submissions from ALL Canadian photographers. This year, 2017, the curated show will be mounted in The Front Gallery. InFocus takes place every February during Exposure Photography Festival.

 

Click here to visit the InFocus Photo Exhibit and Award website. 

infocus-photo-exhibit-2017-sq-blk-alexis-marie-chute

 


As the curator of InFocus, I am immensely proud to announce our line-up of talented and innovative photographers for 2017:

Hedy Bach

Wes Bell

Lauren Dary

Al Dixon

Gerry Dotto

Emogene

Greg Gerla

Andy Greening

Laura Grier

Aidan Guerra

Chan Hawkins

Joshua Jensen

Candace Makowichuk

Ann Mansolino

Drew May

Deborah Naoum

Marko Radovanovic

Jay Rehill

Steve Ricketts

Murray Sugden

Anne Tapler White

Vanessa Tignanelli

Curtis Trent

Kevin Tuong

Henry VanderSpek

Peter Young

"Pearl" by Curtis Trent

“Pearl” by Curtis Trent


 

There are many exciting announcements to share in the days ahead. Some of these include:

  • A NEW EVENT: The InFocus portfolio review night! We’ve got a great group of professional reviewers lined-up to offer their wealth of knowledge and experience to photographers. Stay tuned for the online registration which will open soon.
  • Very shortly we will launch the 2017 edition of the InFocus Photo People’s Choice Award. Voting will take place online and is an exciting race to the finish line. The winner will be announced at the opening reception during the curator talk.

Please subscribe to this blog by clicking here to stay on top of all the exciting InFocus news, along with other happenings by the InFocus curator.

 

Why Analogue Photography: Guest Post by Candace Makowichuk

Alexis Marie: The third in our line-up for the InFocus Alumni photography blog series is Candace Makowichuk. Candace uses alternative process in her photography and the way she talks about it is inspiring. I hope you enjoy her work!

Welcome Candace!

 

GUEST POST

 

Why Analogue Photography

by Candace Makowichuk

 

Why? This is a word I continually hear from photographers and others when they find out that I shoot film and specialize in historical photographic processes. Why go through all that work when you can do similar techniques digitally? For me there are many reasons why I have chosen to continue working with the photographic processes I love.

 

I have always been interested in the “alternative” photographic processes since the beginning of my art studies. Today I work with Gum Bichromate, Cyanotype, Van Dykes, Bromoil and Silver Gelatin. I will be pursuing Tin Types and Lith prints over the next several months. The processes I have mentioned are just a few of the many invented in the 19th and 20th Century and it would be amazing to have the time to learn more!

 

Copyright Candace Makowichuck

“Modern Touch” copyright Candace Makowichuk

These historical photographic processes render one-of-a-kind images, impossible to predictably reproduce by hand. It is this unpredictability, which fascinates me. You have only so much control over the final print; the rest is due to chemistry, the hand coating, and your support/backing (paper, fabric, ect). The many steps involved all react to your individual style of work – and sometimes mistakes or accidents produce wonderful results!

 

The time required to learn one of these many processes is challenging. It requires patience and determination as it can take considerable trial and error to become proficient. This challenge is also appealing to me as the satisfaction of producing your first successful print using a new process is very rewarding.

 

Copyright Candace Makowichuck

“Twisted” copyright Candace Makowichuk

I do shoot digital. I have to as large sheet film – 16×20 and larger – is no longer available. Many of the historical processes use a contact printing technique and the most economical way to make a large negative is to output digitally. This also interests me – combining modern technology with historical.

 

The hand coated emulsions and Bromoil techniques are unique in their appearance as the hand of the artist is very evident in every part of the image, from the brush strokes to the applying of ink. This is the main appeal as to why I pursue these processes, the evidence of a human touch. I become a part of it, it is physical. From the movements of processing film, to the movements of coating your supports, to the movement of processing your print, you are immersed in the physical component of producing an image. Also being in the dark with the sound of water where time disappears. All very different from sitting in front of your computer to produce a photograph.

 

"Way Up" copyright Candace Makowichuk

“Way Up” copyright Candace Makowichuk

The InFocus exhibition in Edmonton Alberta showcased a variety of photographers work and I was pleased to have been a part of it. There were two of us in this exhibition that use analogue based photography for our work allowing the public to have the opportunity to view processes that are rarely used today. Both of us analogue photographers in the InFocus exhibition are members of the Monochrome Guild, a group of photographers dedicated to working with film-based processes.

 

Contact Candace:

Twitter: Sunprintstudio

Web Site: www.candacemakowichuk.com

 

Special Guest Blog Posts by InFocus Alumni Photographers

Starting on Tuesday, I am honoured to share the work of some truly interesting photographers. These individuals were featured in the inaugural InFocus Exhibit held at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre this past February in Edmonton. InFocus was a huge success. Over 250 people visited the show over two days and at the opening reception I was thrilled to announce some good news.

InFocus will be an annual exhibit during Exposure Photography Festival. That means the discovery and promotion of more unique and cutting edge photography and more support for our creative community. InFocus will run the entire month of February, 2016, and will be held at a DC3 Art Projects in Edmonton. 2015 was open to Edmonton and area photographers, but soon the call for submissions will be released welcoming images from photographers across Alberta. There is so much to look forward to!

I am proud to curate InFocus. For more information, please click here. To receive blog updates and info about the call for submissions, please subscribe.

Here is the schedule of InFocus Photographers who will be sharing their passion for photography with us:

Hedy Bach – Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Martin Snider – Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Candace Makowichuk – Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Gerry Dotto – Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Wilfred Kozub – Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Robert Pohl – Tuesday, June 30, 2015