Through the Lens: May 2020

There’s something so beautiful and evocative about this minimalistic shot of a robin’s egg in a nest by Photo Club member Amanda Porter. Maybe it speaks to us because we recognize that, in this time of physical distancing, we are all the egg, isolated in our individual nests, waiting patiently to emerge. Or maybe it’s just because the photo is well-composed and pleasing to the eye, with the dark, textured nest providing natural framing for the egg. Either way, it’s a lovely shot that reminds us of brighter, warmer days to come. Want your photo to be chosen as a Photo of the Week? Upload your best shots to one of our Assignment Galleries for your chance to be featured!

Photo: Amanda Porter/Can Geo Photo Club

Community relocations are part of the story of what has and continues to shape Canada as a country. As part of our educational project on relocations in Canada, we want to know: what does home mean to you? We’re looking for photographs that capture your personal concept of home, be it the house you grew up in, a place you visit when you need to rest and recharge, a landmark that makes your community unique, or a person who represents comfort, hope and identity. In this uncertain time of social and physical distancing amid a global pandemic, home has become even more important. It’s not just where we spend most of our time; it’s where we find safety, balance, creativity and, hopefully, joy. Submit an image and tell us the story behind it for a chance to win one of three cash prizes, including the grand prize of $1,000.

Photo: Carlos Marrero Reiley/Can Geo Photo Club

Northern Isolation is a portrait project by Yellowknife-based photographer Pat Kane that began in March 2020 as the spread of COVID-19 forced governments in northern Canada to close borders to southern provinces and to international travellers, and as physical distancing and self-isolation orders were put in place. “The project actually began as a joke,” writes Kane. “A few significant assignments I had in March and April were suddenly cancelled, so my wife suggested, sarcastically, that I photograph people through their windows to make up for the lost work. We put the idea out on social media in mid-March and I was immediately flooded with requests for portraits. My intention with the project is to capture a little piece of history, and to shed a light on the unique issues facing people in northern Canada.”

Photo: Pat Kane

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