Do It For The GrainDo It For The Grain
Do It For The GrainOn display from March 24th to April 25th in Art House Café‘s Drawing Room – virtual guide to come.
If you’d like to meet a whole bunch of photographers and chat with fellow analog enthusiasts, be sure to swing by our vernissage on March 26th from 6pm til late. Please note masks will be required, as will proof of vaccination if you intend on having food or drink at the venue.
As the city opens up its doors and the weather warms up, it’s time to get outside so let’s go for a photo walk!
Over the last three years, we’ve been inspired by locations, people, and things. We’d like to invite you to participate in our series of photo walks where you’ll get the opportunity to explore new spots and skills with the guidance of a DIFTG volunteer.
All are welcome to join the photo walks. No matter your skill level or gear – film, digital, or even a mobile device – creativity need not be limited, and we want to see you there! Each walk has its own route and theme, and a capacity of 10 participants. Pre-registration (via eventbrite) is required.
On this walk we hope to familiarize you with composition through still life along pedestrian-friendly Sparks st. We encourage you to bring an object with you that you wish to be either your subject or an addition to your photos. We will be finding inspiration in found objects & nature. Working with what already exists before our arrival may be a fun challenge to shooters who are in the habit of shooting in controlled spaces & conditions. Let’s get some fresh air & shoot something new!
March 27th – 4pm – register here
On this walk we will explore natural light portraiture on colour film along the Ottawa River near Bayview. Emphasis will be placed on using appropriate depth of field and being mindful of the background to create a well composed image. This walk will be a great opportunity for experimentation and improving your people photos!
April 10th – 4pm – register here
For the final walk of the series, the focus will be on landscape photography in the Central Experimental Farm. We’ll be meeting around golden hour and continuing until twilight, so tripods are recommended. We’ll also explore the concept of revisiting a location and creating a series, which may be particularly useful for getting through a creative lull.
April 16th – 6:30pm – register here
We’ve wanted to provide accessible education resources for as long as we’ve been around, so needless to say we’re super excited to present this series of free events designed to inspire and help you take your work to the next level.
Are you new to film, or maybe just looking to get started? Is your camera knowledge limited to the shutter button? Does equipment just look like mysterious black boxes to you? If you’d like to learn more about the medium, join DIFTG and seasoned photographer Ali Math for an evening of getting to know the analog process! Don’t forget to bring your 35mm camera, the manual (if you have it), and something for taking notes.
April 2nd – 7pm – Black Squirrel Books – no registration required
Is there a photo you took that you sort of like? Or maybe you’re unsure about it and haven’t had the chance to talk about it with fellow shooters? Share it with your peers for feedback during our photo review session!
Perhaps this is your first time giving or receiving feedback, or maybe you’re already familiar with this sort of format. In either case, we will be sharing guidelines in advance of the event to ensure that all participants are comfortable and feel supported.
Our photo review session is organized & facilitated by Mai-Lan T, a graduate of the University of Ottawa Bachelors of Fine Arts program. She currently works at the National Gallery of Canada in Education. As a professional educator, Mai-Lan has years of experience facilitating group discussions exploring artistic themes & critiques. She will ensure a safe environment for participants of all levels and backgrounds to join the discussion.
This event requires pre-registration, and capacity is limited to 15 people to ensure adequate time for each image. Further information and access to a google drive folder will be shared in the week leading up to the event.
April 8th – 7pm – Black Squirrel Books – register here
So, you’ve got a whole bunch of photos that are related, but now you want to publish them and don’t know where to begin? Join us for an interactive and informative evening covering everything from curation and editing to printing and web publishing. We’ll help you guide you from concept to publication with details about:
with a whole bunch of examples and time for questions, so that you can navigate the tricky world of self-publishing!
Postponed until further notice due to covid
This series of one on one sessions will give you the opportunity to present your photographic work to a peer with a focus on sequencing, editing, and exploring the ideas behind, as well as the feelings invoked by your work. This consultation would be useful for anyone looking at arranging their photographic work for a grant/show/school application, competitions and print portfolios. There will only be four sessions, so selection of participants will take place one week before the workshops.
Canceled due to covid, but please reach out to Ali directly if you would like help putting together a body of work 🙂
We love the creativity of our community and are proud to present this pair of projects by independent local photographers. We’re hosting a social screening night for both presentations at Black Squirrel Books on April 1st starting at 7pm. Admission is open to all and no pre-registration is required. Please note masks will be required, as will proof of vaccination if you intend on having food or drink at the venue. Unfortunately, for reasons outside of our control, this event is postponed until further notice. New date TBA.
Having attracted a sudden groundswell of interest from a new generation of photographers – a reversal from what seemed to be the technology’s slow fade into obscurity – the future of analog photography now lies in the hands of its practitioners, young and old, who must decide if and how film can survive in the 21st century.
Emulsion, a short expository film series, follows three local individuals who are involved in the analog photography process: a photographer, a film processor, and a photo archivist-restorer.
Each of the subjects helps tell the story of analog photography’s resurgence from the brink of obsolescence. By inviting viewers into their own personal relationship with the medium, they provide insight to its particular appeal at this point in our collective and technological history.
They also establish the critical juncture at which the medium has arrived, the forces that could influence its survival or extinction, and what either outcome could say about where we are and what we value as a society.
For decades, photographers and hobbyists turned to slide film to freeze time and capture their memories in vivid detail. Slides were mounted and projected to relive memories, cherish family and friends, and tell stories.
Carousel Curated aims to become the world’s largest archive of found slides, shining new light on the mythical colors and sharpness adored by professionals and amateurs alike. Many of these photographs would be left to collect dust and fade in attics, antique shops, and flea markets otherwise.
The project is open for the global community to submit photos they have found, with the aim of sourcing a diverse global history told through the intimate moments captured on slide film. The photos will be curated into releases of 80 images (referencing the tray capacity of the original Kodak Carousel) by a rotating curation team, each lending their own perspective on the pool of submissions.
This ongoing catalog retrospectively documents the pre-internet photographed human experience. Slides from around the globe will be immortalized on the blockchain – the chemical and physical nature of each photograph becoming a digitized window into the past that all can enjoy.
To date, DIFTG has published six limited-edition zines focused on the work of individual photographers. In tandem with our 3-year anniversary we’re excited to feature the work of Felix Denomme and Max Rubarth in two new zines; Tramspotting and Street Stoves II, respectively. To celebrate these new publications, we’ll be at Black Squirrel Books on April 9th from 11am to 5pm with the artists. Swing by to pick up a copy, take a peek at our other publications, and get to know other local photographers. Presale info to come. Unfortunately, due to reasons outside of our control, this event has been postponed to a later date – TBA.
DIFTG operates on the traditional & unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe. We respect those who have cared for the land prior to a colonial presence & will continue to honour their efforts. Learn more here.