SPARK Photo Festival Signature Exhibit

Evie's Elephant by Margaret Wood

Margaret Wood
Light the SPARK: Emerging Artist Exhibit

instagram.com/margaretwoodphotography
facebook.com/margaretwoodphotography

YMCA Balsillie Family Branch
123 Aylmer Street South
Peterborough
(705) 748 9642
ymcaofceo.ca/
facebook.com/YMCAofCEO
instagram.com/ymcaofceo

Hours:
Mon to Fri: 6 am to 9 pm
Sat & Sun: 7 am to 5:30 pm

Reception
SPARK Opening Reception and Juried Awards Ceremony
Sunday, April 7
2 pm to 4 pm
Space is limited. Click here to register on Eventbrite.

SPARK is grateful for funding support for the Emerging Artists Program and Exhibit from:
Bellwether Family Wealth – Weichel & Associates
Griffin’s Greenhouses
Pearle Vision Peterborough
Stoneguide Realty Ltd.

Thank you to:
our host venue YMCA Balsillie Family Branch

Print Partner

SPARK Photo Festival Signature Exhibit

Hands and Feet by Sarah Van Ryn

Sarah Van Ryn
Light the SPARK: Emerging Artist Exhibit

sarahvanryn.com
instagram.com/sarahvanrynphotography
facebook.com/sarahvanrynphotography

YMCA Balsillie Family Branch
123 Aylmer Street South
Peterborough
(705) 748 9642
ymcaofceo.ca/
facebook.com/YMCAofCEO
instagram.com/ymcaofceo

Hours:
Mon to Fri: 6 am to 9 pm
Sat & Sun: 7 am to 5:30 pm

Reception
SPARK Opening Reception and Juried Awards Ceremony
Sunday, April 7
2 pm to 4 pm
Space is limited. Click here to register on Eventbrite.

SPARK is grateful for funding support for the Emerging Artists Program and Exhibit from:
Bellwether Family Wealth – Weichel & Associates
Griffin’s Greenhouses
Pearle Vision Peterborough
Stoneguide Realty Ltd.

Thank you to:
our host venue YMCA Balsillie Family Branch

Print Partner

Exhibit: Siblings

This micro series explores the remarkable bond developing between 2 young sisters and their very new brother in the context of an in-home newborn session. To view the colour edits, along with more images from this newborn session, please visit https://www.sarahvanryn.com/2024-spark-photo-festival/

Artist Statement

Your Life in Photos

I believe wholeheartedly in family photography as a form of story-telling. In other words, I love to make photographs that reflect families, just the way they are.

Parents often hear the adage that “the days are long, but the years are short”. The idea that childhood can be suddenly fleeting is true, but scary. Sometime soon, you will pull out your own family photos to recall THIS very particular time in your life, because so much will have changed already. The smell of your infant’s head, the way sunlight catches in the strands of your preschooler’s unruly hair, the intense, sometimes unpredictable emotion and hilarity that come with being a child, and being a parent. The funny part is, as you look back at these images, you’ll come to realize that all the things we humans worry about in front of the camera…what we’re wearing, who is smiling…don’t actually matter. The only thing you’ll want to remember is what it felt like to be there with your family, in that moment, together.

Making authentic, connection based, “kid-first” family photos is important to me. I love working with natural light, in wide open spaces or the safety of home, where kids can feel free to move, explore and engage with the world around them.

Artist Bio

Sarah Van Ryn is a Lakefield based family, newborn and event photographer. Using a unique session format, Sarah combines casual lifestyle portraiture with a more documentary approach, allowing her to create images that reflect the power of authentic human connection.  As a firm believer in relaxed, stress free and “kid first” family photos, Sarah loves working with natural light, wild settings (inside or out, haha), and encouraging children to engage with the world around them.

Click to read more about Light the SPARK: Emerging Artists Exhibit.

SPARK Photo Festival Signature Exhibit

Bedazzled by Dawn by Kathy Romard

Kathy Romard
Light the SPARK: Emerging Artist Exhibit

rurallivingphotography.ca/

facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091424517504
Kathy Romard - Rural Living Photography

YMCA Balsillie Family Branch
123 Aylmer Street South
Peterborough
(705) 748 9642
ymcaofceo.ca/
facebook.com/YMCAofCEO
instagram.com/ymcaofceo

Hours:
Mon to Fri: 6 am to 9 pm
Sat & Sun: 7 am to 5:30 pm

Reception
SPARK Opening Reception and Juried Awards Ceremony
Sunday, April 7
2 pm to 4 pm
Space is limited. Click here to register on Eventbrite.

SPARK is grateful for funding support for the Emerging Artists Program and Exhibit from:
Bellwether Family Wealth – Weichel & Associates
Griffin’s Greenhouses
Pearle Vision Peterborough
Stoneguide Realty Ltd.

Thank you to:
our host venue YMCA Balsillie Family Branch

Print Partner

Precious Pearls of Nature

Artist Statement

Growing up in the Kawarthas, I have been fortunate enough to experience the distinct aspects of the area. I lived on the side of a "mountain" as we referred to it as kids, where we could see Lake Ontario, and every spring watch the geese come north off the lake, and mom always ensured we caught every sunset, rainbow or wonder in the sky. These are called the magic moments, the moments of awe and wonder. Later we moved to Ennismore, and the sightseeing continued, with a heavy marsh woodland as our backyard and lakes on all sides to adventure to.

Now, as an adult holding onto my camera, I want to capture and share those same magic moments of awe and wonder, through my camera, with my grandchildren and others. There is mystery and mystic in nature, the way that light shines through it and blossoms it into a light show, which is purely magical. If I can find that with my camera lens and share that moment, then I have been successful.

When my first daughter was born, I had a 35mm camera and all its lens loaned to me, so that I could take photos of her. This was the beginning of my love for photography. On a bright sunny day, I took my daughter out to the see her dad at work, thinking this would also be a fantastic opportunity to capture new outdoor photos. When I got my photos back, I found one that was completely dark, except where the sunlight shone directly on her face, leaving everything else in stark contrast darkness, I had to learn more and know how I had created this photo. The beginning of a love affair with my camera and light and shadow.

I have always been a creature of nature, spending hours walking and hiking nature trails or paddling along rivers and lakes with my husband, family and friends. A gardener at heart, photographing my flowers and the sunlight became an everyday occurrence. Seeing my world through my camera lens, taught me to view this great earth from a new perspective, this added to my love of nature and everything outdoors. Trekking through the woods, a field, down a country road or charging through the marshy shorelines and looking up a tree trunk or down a flower stem, I find myself lost in nature.

Now, from brilliant sunrise landscapes to dew drop closeups, flower petals to forests and warm sunsets, I look for the magic that can be found in the light.

Capturing the mystery and mystic of light conveyed in a moment of time and conveying that, sharing that moment with the viewer; that is what I hope to create.

Artist Bio

Kathy Romard is a hobby photographer who was raised in Ennismore and lives there still with her family. A love for photography developed with a borrowed 35mm, a super sunny day and the difference between light and dark that was captured in a photo of her daughter. An avid gardener, photography became a way to capture the light difference in her flowers. This grew to capturing birds, sunrises, sunsets and landscape photography.

Click to read more about Light the SPARK: Emerging Artists Exhibit.

SPARK Photo Festival Signature Exhibit

Caution by Will Pearson

Will Pearson
Light the SPARK: Emerging Artist Exhibit

flickr.com/photos/181767142@N07

YMCA Balsillie Family Branch
123 Aylmer Street South
Peterborough
(705) 748 9642
ymcaofceo.ca/
facebook.com/YMCAofCEO
instagram.com/ymcaofceo

Hours:
Mon to Fri: 6 am to 9 pm
Sat & Sun: 7 am to 5:30 pm

Reception
SPARK Opening Reception and Juried Awards Ceremony
Sunday, April 7
2 pm to 4 pm
Space is limited. Click here to register on Eventbrite.

SPARK is grateful for funding support for the Emerging Artists Program and Exhibit from:
Bellwether Family Wealth – Weichel & Associates
Griffin’s Greenhouses
Pearle Vision Peterborough
Stoneguide Realty Ltd.

Thank you to:
our host venue YMCA Balsillie Family Branch

Print Partner

Artist Statement

My love of photography reignited during the pandemic when I rediscovered the fun of film photography and darkroom printing. Relinquishing control to the unreliable mechanics of old cameras has made the creative process much more enjoyable and less stressful. When I’m using film, photography becomes less about measured control and perfect execution and more about discovery and surprise, which I think is a good way to be in the world.

I am still developing an aesthetic and a style, but I feel most drawn to photographing people as they go about their everyday lives. I am sad that we are all going to die, and I feel compelled to document through images the beautiful community I am fleetingly a part of.

My SPARK exhibit includes two digital photographs of local landmarks, the Parkhill Street Bridge and the North End Lottery Centre, which no longer exists. As well, the exhibit includes three film photographs. I developed the black and white ones at home and Peterborough Photo Service developed the colour one.

Artist Bio

Will Pearson lives, works and creates in Peterborough-Nogojiwanong. As the publisher and editor of the local news website Peterborough Currents, he strives to connect the community through journalism. For his creative work, he is teaching himself the principles and techniques of film photography and darkroom printing as a way to slow himself down and notice the world more.

Click to read more about Light the SPARK: Emerging Artists Exhibit.

SPARK Photo Festival Signature Exhibit

I'm Your Biggest Fan by Lex Belliveau

Lex Belliveau
Light the SPARK: Emerging Artist Exhibit

lexbelliveau.com

instagram.com/lexbelliveau

YMCA Balsillie Family Branch
123 Aylmer Street South
Peterborough
(705) 748 9642
ymcaofceo.ca/
facebook.com/YMCAofCEO
instagram.com/ymcaofceo

Hours:
Mon to Fri: 6 am to 9 pm
Sat & Sun: 7 am to 5:30 pm

Reception
SPARK Opening Reception and Juried Awards Ceremony
Sunday, April 7
2 pm to 4 pm
Space is limited. Click here to register on Eventbrite.

SPARK is grateful for funding support for the Emerging Artists Program and Exhibit from:
Bellwether Family Wealth – Weichel & Associates
Griffin’s Greenhouses
Pearle Vision Peterborough
Stoneguide Realty Ltd.

Thank you to:
our host venue YMCA Balsillie Family Branch

Print Partner

My subject is life.

I started taking photos and videos from the influence of my Grade 10 Yearbook teacher Mrs. K. It was through Yearbook, that I learned the gift of documenting life for the enjoyment of looking back on moments past, later in life.

Once I bought my own camera, I started to document my friends. Creating videos with whatever I captured throughout the year to sum up all the fun we got up to — my own personal yearbook. Most importantly, I wanted to create a video that my friends could watch and feel gratitude for the friendships we shared. Life moves so fast.

In the portraits I have today, I have both professional and personal photos but to me the goal is the same, to have a photo that captures the essence of the person in the photo. In one, my friend is painting a mural, the artist in him that makes him who he is. Another, a girl on her 18^th birthday in her favorite red dress – a photo she will look back on in later years. These are all just photos but the stories behind them are plentiful. That’s another reason I love to shoot, to create a photo, that sparks a story.

I’d like my art to feel familiar. Give inspiration to others to document their own lives. I want my art to inspire others to be present - appreciate the moment you have in front of you and the people in it.

I hope you look at your life and see more gratitude for the moments you get to be a part of.

Lex

Artist bio

Lex Belliveau is a lifestyle photographer (and videographer) who grew up in the small town of Little Britain, Ontario. Her art expresses a feeling familiar to the observer. Capturing emotion in her subjects, as they are. Her work is often personal as she documents her own life, relationships and recent travels. Lex shows through her art, her personal view on the world shaped by her career in nursing. Through her camera she slows down, observes the moment, and appreciates her time here.

Click to read more about Light the SPARK: Emerging Artists Exhibit.

SPARK Photo Festival Signature Exhibit

Return to: Receptions - Exhibits

Click an image to view full-size versions.

Light the SPARK: Emerging Artists Exhibit

SPARK Photo Festival 2024 Programming Committee:
Allen Rothwell
Heather Doughty
Jennifer MacKenzie

sparkphotofestival.org
facebook.com/sparkphotofestival
instagram.com/sparkphotofestival

YMCA Balsillie Family Branch
123 Aylmer Street South
Peterborough
(705) 748 9642
ymcaofceo.ca/
facebook.com/YMCAofCEO
instagram.com/ymcaofceo

Hours:
Mon to Fri: 6 am to 9 pm
Sat & Sun: 7 am to 5:30 pm

Reception
SPARK Opening Reception and Juried Awards Ceremony
Sunday, April 7
2 pm to 4 pm
Space is limited. Click here to register on Eventbrite.

Thank you to:
our host venue YMCA Balsillie Family Branch

Print Partner

SPARK Photo Festival Signature Exhibit
Light the SPARK: Emerging Artists Exhibit

Photographers:

• Lex Belliveau
• Will Pearson
• Kathy Romard
• Sarah Van Ryn
• Margaret Wood

SPARK is grateful for funding support for the Emerging Artists Program and Exhibit from:
Bellwether Family Wealth – Weichel & Associates
Griffin’s Greenhouses
Pearle Vision Peterborough
Stoneguide Realty Ltd.

New and emerging artists are an important part of our local art community. Often looking to the local landscape and urban areas scattered throughout the region and to the people in the community as inspiration, these artists explore and document the areas we call home and our neighbours. Each of the participating artists allows a glimpse into lens-based art practices; a medium that has fascinated creatives for almost 200 years, as we know it, and continues in present day through both traditional, digital, and interdisciplinary approaches, equipment and technologies.

This SPARK Photo Festival Exhibit is a collection of emerging photographers from Peterborough and the Kawartha Lakes regions. Through workshops with the SPARK Team, these photographers received guidance on how to select work, consider subject matter and theme, as well as print, prepare and install an exhibition. We invite you to experience the results of this unique experience.

Meet the Photographers:

Lex Belliveau

Lex Belliveau is a lifestyle photographer (and videographer) who grew up in the small town of Little Britain, Ontario. Her art expresses a feeling familiar to the observer. Capturing emotion in her subjects, as they are. Her work is often personal as she documents her own life, relationships and recent travels. Lex shows through her art, her personal view on the world shaped by her career in nursing. Through her camera she slows down, observes the moment, and appreciates her time here.

Click to read more about Lex Belliveau's exhibit

Will Pearson

Will Pearson lives, works and creates in Peterborough-Nogojiwanong. As the publisher and editor of the local news website Peterborough Currents, he strives to connect the community through journalism. For his creative work, he is teaching himself the principles and techniques of film photography and darkroom printing as a way to slow himself down and notice the world more.

Click to read more about Will Pearson's exhibit

Kathy Romard

Kathy Romard is a hobby photographer who was raised in Ennismore and lives there still with her family. A love for photography developed with a borrowed 35mm, a super sunny day and the difference between light and dark that was captured in a photo of her daughter. An avid gardener, photography became a way to capture the light difference in her flowers. This grew to capturing birds, sunrises, sunsets and landscape photography.

Click to read more about Kathy Romard's exhibit

Sarah Van Ryn

Sarah Van Ryn is a Lakefield based family, newborn and event photographer. Using a unique session format, Sarah combines casual lifestyle portraiture with a more documentary approach, allowing her to create images that reflect the power of authentic human connection.  As a firm believer in relaxed, stress free and “kid first” family photos, Sarah loves working with natural light, wild settings (inside or out, haha), and encouraging children to engage with the world around them.

Click to read more about Sarah Van Ryn's exhibit

Margaret Wood

Margaret is a photographer residing in the Douro area. For Margaret, it’s all about the children, although she won’t shy away from wildlife, landscapes, or a beautiful sunset.  She has been involved in several online photography, photoshop, and compositing courses, and took her first photography course at Sir Sanford Fleming College in 2019. Throughout her life, Margaret was always the girl with the camera, who valued the importance of capturing everlasting memories.

Click to read more about Margaret Wood's exhibit.

Individual Exhibit

Return to: Receptions - Exhibits

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Heather Doughty - Ontario Society of Artists
 - Ghost In The Room

Dan Joyce Clothing
87 Hunter Street West
Peterborough
705-743-8131
djclothing.ca
instagram.com/danjoyces
facebook.com/DanJoyceClothing

Hours:
Mon to Sat: 10:30 am to 5 pm
Sun: Closed

Reception
First Friday Ptbo Art Crawl
Friday, April 5
6 pm to 7:30 pm

Heather Doughty
Keene
705-957-0808
heatherdoughtyphotography@gmail.com
www.heatherdoughtyphotography.com
instagram.com/heatherdoughtyphotography
facebook.com/heatherdoughtyphotography

Ghost In The Room
Heather Doughty - Ontario Society of Artists

Artist Statement

In our society, ageism is a widespread issue that often goes unnoticed. We live in a youth-centric world where aging women often feel invisible. However, it's important to remind ourselves that beauty knows no age limit. Older women are just as beautiful as their younger counterparts, and it's time we celebrate that.

Society has long equated youth with beauty. We are bombarded with images of young, flawless faces all around us. But let's not forget that beauty comes in different forms and ages. The lines on a woman's face or the gray strands of hair are not imperfections to hide, but rather subtle reminders of a life well-lived.

The Ghost In The Room Exhibit is a statement that it's time to shift our perspective and recognize that aging should not be seen as a flaw but as a testament to the strength and resilience of every woman. Age brings with it a unique wisdom, grace, and beauty that is unmatched. It's not about trying to turn back the clock; it's about embracing the present moment and seeing the beauty in it.  The models for Ghost In The Room range in age from 40 years to 80 plus.

This exhibit encourages you to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of our ghosts, the wisdom gleaming from their eyes, and the beauty that radiates from within. Let's celebrate the power and beauty of women at this stage of life, and remember that no one should ever disappear with age.

The Ghost In The Room is a collaborative exhibit between photographer Heather Doughty, Dan Joyce Clothing, Illumeroom and Beauty by Leigh.

Artist Bio

Heather grew up as an only child living in a rural area. To escape the loneliness of that lifestyle she created imaginary worlds filled with strange and fascinating characters. She was given her first camera by her father at the age of five and was immediately captivated by this new world that existed within the photos. With the sudden loss of her father at the age of 10, the child Heather turned to family photos of her father to return to moments of time that they shared together and help her process through her loss. The power of a photographic image to create a window into a world where the viewer could experience emotion and relive memories ultimately became the driving force in her creativity.

Heather’s process today is heavily influenced in the use of light by the Dutch Masters; Rembrandt and Vermeer, as well as the work of photographic storytelling pioneers Henri Cartier-Bresson, Saul Leiter, and Sam Abell. Heather employs a voyeuristic perspective of the decisive moment, painted with light and shadow to craft multi-layered, storytelling images. Her deeply personal works that often use humans as the main character range from singular commentaries on social issues to stolen moments of time infused with her trademark quirky humour. Heather pushes herself to create painterly photographs; enjoying the reaction of viewers who cannot decide whether they are viewing a realism painting or a photograph.

Individual Exhibit

Return to: Receptions - Exhibits

Click an image to view full-size versions.

Heather Doughty - Ontario Society of Artists
 - Intentionally Vermeer

Studio 5
Commerce Building
129 1/2 Hunter Street West
Peterborough
705-957-0808

Hours:
Tues, Wed: 11 am - 1:00 pm
Sun, Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat: Closed

Heather Doughty
Keene
705-957-0808
heatherdoughtyphotography@gmail.com
www.heatherdoughtyphotography.com
instagram.com/heatherdoughtyphotography
facebook.com/heatherdoughtyphotography/

Intentionally Vermeer
Heather Doughty - Ontario Society of Artists

Artist Statement

Johannes Vermeer was a famous painter known for his use of light and a voyeuristic viewpoint in his artwork. I wanted to create photographs that resembled his style, so I took on a project to explore painting with light techniques.

I chose to shoot in a historic village with historical interpreters as my subjects. By capturing the setting and the people in a painterly way, I aimed to create fine art photography that evoked the feeling of being in a Vermeer painting.

During this project, I focused on capturing the decisive moment when the light was just right and the scene came together perfectly. By experimenting with different lighting techniques and angles, I was able to achieve the look I was going for.

Overall, this project was a challenging but rewarding experience that allowed me to push myself creatively and create images that truly captured the essence of Vermeer's work.

Artist Bio

Heather grew up as an only child living in a rural area. To escape the loneliness of that lifestyle she created imaginary worlds filled with strange and fascinating characters. She was given her first camera by her father at the age of five and was immediately captivated by this new world that existed within the photos. With the sudden loss of her father at the age of 10, the child Heather turned to family photos of her father to return to moments of time that they shared together and help her process through her loss. The power of a photographic image to create a window into a world where the viewer could experience emotion and relive memories ultimately became the driving force in her creativity.

Heather’s process today is heavily influenced in the use of light by the Dutch Masters; Rembrandt and Vermeer, as well as the work of photographic storytelling pioneers Henri Cartier-Bresson, Saul Leiter, and Sam Abell. Heather employs a voyeuristic perspective of the decisive moment, painted with light and shadow to craft multi-layered, storytelling images. Her deeply personal works that often use humans as the main character range from singular commentaries on social issues to stolen moments of time infused with her trademark quirky humour. Heather pushes herself to create painterly photographs; enjoying the reaction of viewers who cannot decide whether they are viewing a realism painting or a photograph.

Individual Exhibit

Return to: Receptions - Exhibits

Click an image to view full-size versions.

Tracy Hanes Walks on the Wild Side

Lalies & The Dutch
7 King St. West
Cobourg, ON

905-372-2263
lalies.ca/
instagram.com/laliesandthedutch
facebook.com/laliesfoods

Hours
Mon to Sat: 8 am to 4 pm
Sun: Closed

Tracy Hanes
tracyhanes@yahoo.ca
naturesnaps.ca
instagram.com/naturesnapsbytracy
facebook.com/naturesnapsbytracy

Tracy Hanes

Walks on the Wild Side

A diminutive black and white diving duck I noticed on my neighbourhood pond in Cobourg in March 2020 took me down an unexpected path. I’d never seen such a duck before and ran home to get my camera, so I could use a photo to research its identity. That adorable bufflehead duck ignited a curiosity to see what else lurked in my local waterways, fields and woods and along roadsides, that I simply hadn’t noticed before. I brought my Canon EOS R camera on my daily walks and every day yielded a new discovery – owls, hawks, swans, finches, frogs, turtles – hence, why this exhibit is called Walks on the Wild Side. I had taken photos for my journalism career for years, as well as of horses. But wild birds and nature sparked a passion I didn’t know I possessed. Those daily walks and the creatures I found opened my eyes to a fascinating new world. My purpose with my photos to share with others the wonder and joy I experience when I come across a creature in its natural habitat. I’ve travelled to Newfoundland to photograph puffins and gannets, and to Mexico to document pink flamingos. But I still find my greatest inspiration close to home in Northumberland County, or in Peterborough County, where I grew up. My hope is to inspire others to appreciate the nature that exists close to their homes.

Bio

Tracy Hanes

I am a journalist and photographer living in Cobourg, Ontario who writes about real estate and development for the Toronto Star, among other publications. While I have occasionally had to take photos to accompany my writing assignments, my photo journey took an unexpected new direction in March 2020 when a little duck on a local pond piqued my curiosity. I took a photo to be able to identify it, and that inspired a passion for nature photography. Since that day, my Canon EOS R camera and a 100 to 500 mm lens comes along on all my walks in the area where I live, and when I travel, so I can capture the beautiful creatures or scenes I encounter. I reproduce my NatureSnaps images on photos, canvas, wood and metal, as well as on coasters, cards and mugs.

Small Group Exhibit

Return to: Receptions - Exhibits

Click an image to see full-size versions.

Lloyd Holmes and Sandy Randle - Wildlife & Abstracts

Snapshots Photo & Framing
44 Front St N
Campbellford
705-653-0388
snapshotscampbellford.com
instagram.com/snapshotscampbellford

Hours:
Mon to Fri: 9:30 am - 5 pm
Sat: 10 am - 3 pm
Sun: Closed

Note: Closed Easter Monday, April 1st.

Meet the Photographers
Saturday, April 27
12 pm to 2 pm

Lloyd Holmes
flickr.com/photos/llohol66albums
instagram.com/glloydholmes

Sandra Randle
sandy.randle@sympatico.ca
sandra-lee-randle-photography.ca
500px.com/Sandra-Lee-Randle
instagram.com/Sandra-Lee-Randle

Wildlife & Abstracts

Lloyd Holmes and Sandy Randle

Wildlife & Abstracts Is a dual exhibit with wildlife photography by Lloyd Holmes and abstract photography by Sandy Randle. Lloyd’s Wildlife exhibit is a presentation of his exceptional work in capturing the beauty of wildlife in it’s natural setting. Lloyd will be donating a portion of his proceeds to support the work of the Kingston Field Naturalists (www.kingstonfieldnaturalists.org), an organization dedicated to working to preserve wildlife and natural habitats. Abstracts is a selection of images from Sandy's recent explorations involving ICM and In The Round photography.

Lloyd Holmes

Currently in our present world we have a number of species of wildlife that is susceptible to becoming extinct and it was recently reported that another 40 species have been added to that list which will continue to grow if efforts are not employed to change their destiny. In 2023 hundreds of thousands of birds perished with the virus Avian Flu. Tens of thousands of acres of forest were destroyed by fire in northern Ontario and Quebec in early summer and I am sure high numbers of nests containing eggs and young were decimated plus all the mammals that could not escape. How many species has man jeopardized ruining their habitat with his incessant push for urbanization? Our wildlife is having to cope with too many adverse forces to continue to propagate and flourish.

When I go out into the field with my camera to attempt to get some good images of species I like to think that my photographs will be seen and appreciated by the millions of people that never or rarely get out in nature so have never seen an adult bird winging its way back to the nest with food for its young or a fox hunting in the wild for food to support pups back in the den or a whitetail doe teaching her fawn how to signal to the others that there is a possible threat nearby or a female turtle digging a cavity in sand or loose gravel to deposit her eggs into to start a new generation or a salmon battling a strong river current to reach the spawning grounds. I would like to think my pictures will benefit those people as well as those who enjoy viewing and/or collecting wildlife art rather than a memory of an extinct species.

More of my work can be viewed on my website: www.flickr.com/photos/llohol66albums

Sandy Randle

Photography is an emotional outlet for me; one that is constantly evolving as I discover who I am and how I fit into the universe. I feel connected to my surroundings when photographing landscapes and waterscapes, barns and farms, lighthouses, and other buildings and structures that are rich in history, as well as nature and wildlife.  A common feel to much of my work is moody lighting and skies. Dramatic clouds add depth and emotion, especially in black and white. Abstract photography (aka ICM or Intentional Camera Movement) has gotten my attention recently and I’m looking forward to exploring this field of photography. With ICM photography, instead of photographing a specific subject, I feel I'm recording an emotion or mood where the viewer can fill in the details from their imagination, or it may spark a long-forgotten memory from their past. In the Round Photography is another field of photography similar to ICM. It involves walking around the subject and shooting every few feet, until you’ve gone 360° around your subject. These images are then layered and blended to produce an impressionistic image.

More of my work can be found on the gallery pages of my website:  500px.com/Sandra-Lee-Randle or sandra-lee-randle-photography.ca