InFocus is a celebration of the best in contemporary photography. It is an exhibition and celebration I am honoured to curate, bringing attention to noteworthy image-makers and their work. Last year, InFocus set out to showcase the top photographers from Edmonton. This year, we have expanded the region to include all of Alberta. The bar will be set high as we welcome images from across our diverse province this summer and fall during our call for submissions.
The InFocus exhibition will run the month of February 2016 during Exposure Photography Festival. Photographs selected for InFocus will be exhibited in DC3 Art Projects, a commercial gallery in Edmonton. I am so glad DC3 Art Projects has come on board so our exhibition will run the whole month of February and display the photographers work in such a beautiful space.
InFocus is a great opportunity for photographers! The call for submissions opens on August 1, 2015. I hope you will submit.
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Here are eleven quotes by great minds on the topic of creativity. These words encourage me and I hope they do the same for you. Below you will find the list, but over the next few months I will take each one of these quotes and write a little reflection on life as an artist inspired by the quote. I’m looking forward to it already! For now, just soak up the words:
“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced” – Vincent Van Gogh
“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it” – Salvador Dali
“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people” – Leo Burnett
“You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club” – Jack London
“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will” – George Bernard Shaw
“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try” – Dr. Seuss
“Creativity is more than just being different. Anybody can plan weird; that’s easy. What’s hard is to be as simple as Bach. Making the simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity” – Charles Mingus
“Creativity comes from a conflict of ideas” – Donatella Versace
“Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things” – Ray Bradbury
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, the just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while” – Steve Jobs
“You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not’?” – George Bernard Shaw
https://alexismariechute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/quote-bubble.jpg14301600Alexis Marie Chutehttps://alexismariechute.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Alexis-Marie-Productions-Inc-1030x192.jpgAlexis Marie Chute2015-07-09 09:30:282015-07-09 09:30:28Inspiring Quotes for Artists
Alexis Marie: I have loved sharing the stories and inspirations of some truly interesting individuals during theInFocus Alumni photography blog series. Are you excited about InFocus 2016? We will soon release the call for submissions and we would love to see your work. For now, I’m pleased to introduce Kevin Tuong.
Welcome Kevin!
Guest Post
Some people get their first camera at a young age from a significant family member, and that influence inspires them for the rest of their life to create beautiful photographs. My story is… not remotely close to that. I got my camera three days before my 19th Birthday not from a family member, but from Futureshop. It wasn’t because I’ve always been interested in photography and wanted to learn the art of creating beautiful imagery; instead.. it was simply because it was a “kit” with an extra battery and a bag and it was on sale. How inspirational – I know.
It wasn’t like I wanted a camera because I was interested in photography either, I actually knew little to nothing about photography and didn’t actually care at the time. I just never owned anything more than a shoddy webcam that shot 2 megapixel images before in my life, and felt like having a DSLR was cool. But once I started taking pictures with it, and noticed that “blurry background” effect it had that point and shoots don’t have, it sparked my interest, and that’s when the life-long learning process for me began.
From then on I read tutorials, watched videos, and played around with every effect in Photoshop just to learn what they did and how I could use them (and made some atrocious images because of this). Then one day when photographing a Chinese Opera performance, someone who was an actual photographer saw me struggling in the low-light environment and lent me his on-camera flash. I was hesitant as first because I felt like it was rude to just take someone’s flash, and the fact that I had no idea how to use it. I wasn’t even sure if it was compatible with my camera at the time, simply because I didn’t know how it went on the camera itself. But after playing around with that flash and seeing how it made a difference in the shot, a whole new door was opened for me. Camera gear and accessories… oh what a money draining door that would become.
Of course, gear isn’t everything and a photographer still needs to know what they’re doing in order to maximize that piece of gears potential use. But with each piece of equipment that I acquired, it opened other doors with new techniques I could learn and apply to my photography. I find that photography is a never ending adventure of creative learning. I remember when I first started out, and I saw these images of beautifully done photographs, I wanted to learn how to do it. Then after years of practice and experience, I look back on some of those photographs that once inspired me, and I feel like I’ve caught up to them and can produce photographs of that level. But all that means is that I’ll find new photographs to inspire me, to push me, and to learn from to help better my own photography.
Photography to me is a never ending creative adventure filled with imaginative ideas and fantastical story telling designed to speak to and inspire the viewer. One can never stop learning in photography, there’s always something new and different that we can learn and try for ourselves. Further more, no photographer should ever sit at the top and be “the best”, because the very moment that any person does, that person is no longer learning, and no longer improving, and their art will no longer evolve.
To look at more of Kevin Tuongs awesome photography, click here to go to his website KTB Photography
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I love people, business and creativity. When these three fuse together, I overflow with ideas, which I’m happy to share. I have been a professional writer and artist for almost fifteen years and one aspect of my job which I love is mentoring others to become more successful.
I am currently mentoring a musician, a photographer, a writer, an artist… They are great minds and I am honoured to help them get where they want to go.
Here is a quote from one of my mentees:
“Being mentored. A wonderful experience of discovery and focus.
The best part about guidance from Alexis Marie Chute, professional artist, has been the inexhaustible amount of knowledge she can apply to your situation or seemingly unsolvable problem. Alexis Marie honestly and without judgement pointed out that in my case, spreading myself too thin with multiple projects and talents, would only result in a lack of finishing my projects and that I needed to find my focus or passion, and specialize.
After two weeks of intense thought on the homework she gave, I came up with precise lists of capabilities, skill levels and what I enjoyed the most. Alexis Marie used effective constructive criticism to then guide my focus as to how I would approach selling my products and gave suggestions for solving the problem in a positive and productive manner. As someone increasingly interested in the arts I would recommend her to anyone interested in putting in the time to seriously start their own artistic endeavours.
On that note, she is a kind and enthusiastic individual whose talent is beyond paint and portrait. Her life experience lends to her awareness of the sensitivity others may need and contributes to her knowledge that sometimes life doesn’t work out as planned so we all periodically need a little encouragement to seek out our hearts’ desires.”
Heather Groeller, Artisan
It is always rewarding for me to hear the positive feedback of clients – and these individuals are often an inspiration for me as well. Get in touch for more information about my mentoring services: info@alexismariechute.com. I charge $50/one-hour session. It is a worthwhile investment.
Here are other posts about my mentoring:
Get Focused, Be Productive & Tap into your Creativity through Mentorship
https://alexismariechute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Mentorship-Magic-Alexis-Marie-Chute-Artist-Mentor-art-BLOG-1.jpg466600Alexis Marie Chutehttps://alexismariechute.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Alexis-Marie-Productions-Inc-1030x192.jpgAlexis Marie Chute2015-07-02 10:30:192015-07-02 10:30:19Mentoring to take your creativity to the next level
Alexis Marie: I have loved sharing the stories and inspirations of some truly interesting individuals during theInFocus Alumni photography blog series. Are you excited about InFocus 2016? We will soon release the call for submissions and we would love to see your work. For now, I’m pleased to introduce Robert Pohl, a modern photographer engaging traditional processes.
Welcome Robert!
GUEST POST
“Piano” copyright Robert Pohl
My name is Rob Pohl. I was born in Edmonton over half a century ago and have lived here my entire life. I’ve been photographing the area specifically, but the world in general for about 35 years. I started out shooting film, and have stayed with it. I spend my working days in an office staring at a computer monitor. When I want to escape from that world and immerse myself in my photography, the last thing I want to do is spend yet more hours staring at a stupid monitor. While the masses have embraced digital photography and image manipulation software, I continue to work with film and traditional wet photography. I enjoy the relaxation and escape of the darkroom, the mixing of the chemistry, the experimentation, and the process of creating something with my hands. I shoot black and white film and process and print everything myself. In this age of digital photography that makes me a dinosaur. But I also think that it sets me apart from the masses that blast away with digital cameras. My approach is much more methodical and measured and I try to make every shot count.
“Schoolhouse” copyright Robert Pohl
Most of my work is shot with a large format 4″ x 5″ view camera. A dabble a little with medium format roll film, and with the even larger 8″ x 10″ format. I shoot mostly landscapes, landscape details, and historical images. It disturbs me somewhat that our province is falling victim to massive population growth and extensive development. Mankind seems too wrapped up in economic growth and development and seems to place little value on the natural world, and a responsibility to our planet. We all need to step back and take a deep breath and garner a little appreciation for the world around us, and what our lifestyle is doing to it. Hopefully my imagery helps to illustrate an appreciation for where we have come from, where we are going, and what the consequences are.
“Rock Pool” copyright Robert Pohl
In early 2015 I became involved in the InFocus Photography Exhibition that has expanded from Calgary and Banff, to the provincial level. The YEG show in Edmonton that I was involved in was curated by Alexis Marie Chute. I felt privileged to be included in that show, and hope to take part in future exhibitions. I’ve included a selection of images that are typical of my work. I regularly post work to my Flickr account, and to my blog…
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Alexis Marie: Are you enjoying theInFocus Alumni photography blog series? Today I would like to introduce you to Wilfred Kozub, photographer and artist of many mediums.
Welcome Wilfred!
GUEST POST
Wilfred Kozub, Multi media Artist
These are exciting times as I seem to have a lot of art projects on the go. I have gradually branched out from being a painter and pop/electronic musician to becoming a multi media artist.
“Treads” copyright Wilfred Kozub
I feel that colour and motion are the most conspicuous features in my paintings. These are elements that I typically bring to my photographic images, and to my music, too. I am now applying the same sensibility to my recent ventures in making little lyric videos to post on YouTube for my tunes. An extended music-based film titled “The Weather” will come out in the fall of 2015.
“Go North” copyright Wilfred Kozub
My paintings are frequently populated by swallows, magpies . . . and electrical activity. The goal has always been to engage the viewer with interesting ideas in an accessible format – keep it simple and make it striking! My painting, No One Gets Zapped is a good example of the electrical motion and vibrant colour that I’m talking about, and you can hear its audio equivalent in my song, Wilfred In The City.
“Delirious World” copyright Wilfred Kozub
Although photography isn’t at all new to me, I have recently brought my camera into action more and more with my photographic images now sharing nearly equal billing with my paintings on art cards and prints that I regularly show at the Royal Bison Art & Craft fair. My paintings have also been displayed in group and solo art shows with The Works, at the Artery, and other Edmonton gallery venues. It was a proud moment for me to ‘come out’ officially as an artistic photographer at the inaugural InFocus show for the Exposure Photography Festival in Edmonton (February, 2015). What a fine show it was, and such an excellent opportunity to have some of my new photographs displayed alongside the works of terrific Edmonton photographic artists.
My artwork and photography frequently can be seen in the graphic design for albums by my band, Wilfred N & the Grown Men. I have come to recognize the decorative quality of many of my paintings which use repetitive images (see I See By The Colour of Your Eyes That You Are One of Us). A new painting titled Delirious World has become the centerpiece for new cards and prints – and for my freshly designed, Delirious World printed silk scarves. That image is going to be expanded and transformed to be re-purposed as the cover art for my upcoming tenth Wilfred N & the Grown Men album titled Passing Through Time. A debut solo Wilfred Kozub album, “What’s Gonna Become of Us” is also in the works, and my photograph Ancient Flowers, Rome will be the cover image for that one. Lots going on! . . . I had better get to work!
https://alexismariechute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/WKozub_DeliriousWorld-Dtl.jpg600600Alexis Marie Chutehttps://alexismariechute.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Alexis-Marie-Productions-Inc-1030x192.jpgAlexis Marie Chute2015-06-23 10:11:362015-06-23 10:11:36Wilfred Kozub Photography: Special Guest Post
This summer, one of my portraits from The Quiet Rebuild will be featured in an exhibition called Art through the Lens held at the Yeiser Art Center in Kentucky. The exhibition was curated by juror Sarah Sudhoff.
Here is some information about Art through the Lens, curtisy of the Yeiser Art Center:
HISTORY
Originating in 1975 as the Paducah Summer Festival Photo Competition, Paducah Photo has grown from a fledgling contest into an international juried exhibition. Over the past 40 years, this exhibition has become one of the Mid-South’s most prestigious annual photographic events.
In 2013, Paducah was bestowed the honor of being designated a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative Cities Network in the area of Crafts & Folk Art. To embrace both this international honor and reflect the international growth of the exhibition, this year Paducah Photo will take on a new name, Art Through the Lens.
Art Through the Lens is open to all without restrictions on size or content. It provides photographers with an outlet for their art, encouragement for growth in their vision and presentation and cash rewards for works of exceptional merit. Each year from the hundreds of works submitted, 60 – 100 images are selected for exhibition by a highly qualified juror, with five of them receiving cash awards. An awards presentation will be held during the opening reception.
Yeiser Art Center is a non-profit visual arts organization celebrating more than fifty years of serving the community with exhibitions and education throughout the Tri-State Region. It is situated near Paducah’s riverfront at 200 Broadway in the historic 1905 Market House building.
Plan a visit to Art through the Lens:
Yeiser Art Center
200 Broadway
Paducah, KY 42001
Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Exhibition dates: June 20 – August 1, 2015
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Alexis Marie: The third in our line-up for theInFocus 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!
“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.
“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
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.
https://alexismariechute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Twisted.jpg409600Alexis Marie Chutehttps://alexismariechute.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Alexis-Marie-Productions-Inc-1030x192.jpgAlexis Marie Chute2015-06-09 10:11:012015-06-09 10:11:01Why Analogue Photography: Guest Post by Candace Makowichuk
Alexis Marie: We continue theInFocus Alumni photography blog series with photographer Martin Snider. Martin has a unique perspective on the world and I’m glad he is sharing it with us.
Welcome Martin!
GUEST POST
Thinking back, I can remember those frigid mornings spent on the barren prairies of the greater CFB Wainwright training area. I watched the brilliant pinks and oranges set fire to the sky as the sun would crest the horizon, spilling rays of light onto the frost covered blades of grass below. At the time such scenes were not often the object of my focus, however, I can recall them vividly now. On occasion though, the opportunity might arise long enough for me to snap a quick picture to send back home, serving as a postcard to a world beyond my immediate one. Without even realizing it at the time, that’s where my romance with the lens and world began.
Copyright Martin Snider
Its been a little while now, since that chapter of snapping covert sunrise cell phone pics began. In the mean time a lot has changed. The learning curve was pretty steep for someone who’s photographic experience had been limited to taking maybe 5 rolls of film in their life (with an old film point and shoot none the less). Through much trial and error, as well as guidance from colleagues and friends, an image of my place in the photo scene is now starting to develop.
As a rookie to this, I have been infinitely fortunate in working along side some incredibly talented individuals. They have greatly aided in inspiring me, as well as guiding my course in the right direction. Being one of the featured artists in this past years InFocus YEG exhibition, has to date been one of the largest contributing factors in encouraging me to pursue my dream of becoming a professional photographer. Receiving such recognition has only given validity to my experiment in challenging perspective, while at the same time practicing my technique and creativity.
Copyright Martin Snider
Modern technology and social media have also been highly instrumental in aiding my attempts at visual story telling. Through Instagram I’ve collected a catalogue of photos, documenting my travels, as well as moments from my day to day life. Included in this album are various highlights from a summer spent adventuring through British Columbia’s interior as well as Vancouver Island and the American Pacific North West. At this time I’m looking forward to utilizing social media further by incorporating Tumblr and Snapchat to share more of the story behind the photos.
To be able to wake up every day and live out your passion, all the while being the person who you were made to be, is the ultimate goal for me. In my eyes, that’s what true freedom is. To communicate the beauty and mystery in life through an image is what continues to give these attempts meaning and provides the drive which always draws my best foot forward. Hopefully that shows through my work and breathes authenticity in each photo.
https://alexismariechute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/martin-snider-02-scaled.jpg19212560Alexis Marie Chutehttps://alexismariechute.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Alexis-Marie-Productions-Inc-1030x192.jpgAlexis Marie Chute2015-06-02 09:11:142015-06-02 09:11:14Martin Snider Photography: Special Guest Post
Last weekend was an awesome literary happening in Edmonton and I was so honoured to be a part of it. Words in 3D – D meaning dimensions: writing, editing and publishing – brought together many creative individuals from all over the country for interesting sessions, keynotes and networking.
I taught two awesome workshops and the positive feedback has been rolling in steadily ever since. If you would like more information about the workshops I taught – or to bring them to your writing group or organization – please email me at info@alexismariechute.com
Participants of Memorable Memoir focused in the act of writing during one of the exercises. Copyright Alexis Marie Chute
Paul Matwychuk (NeWest Press), Kelsey Attard (Freehand Books), and Micheline Maylor (Freefall literary magazine) made up the panel in the discussion Beyond the Big Three: Niche and Regional Publishers. Image copyright Alexis Marie Chute
Breaking through the Noise: Inventive Marketing, taught by Harper Collins Canada’s Marketing Director, Cory Beatty. Image copyright Alexis Marie Chute
Getting Published in the 21st Century, taught by Literary agent Carly Watters. Image copyright Alexis Marie Chute
The beautiful view from the Chateau Lacombe Hotel. Image copyright Alexis Marie Chute
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