My View Finder - How Photographers Approach Photography (David Youn)

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Julya Hajnoczky to talk about her practice. She's a visual artist here in Calgary who uses photography as a part of a mixed media approach to express themes of nature, sustainability, and forest undergrowth. Julya shares her experiences learning about the art world - applying for exhibitions; developing a specific focus; grants and other project resources; and the effect of this growing process on her own artistic mindset. We even dabble a bit on representation and Calgary's art scene. 

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

Today I sit down with Dona Schwartz. Dona is a professor of photography here at the University of Calgary and the President and Chair of the Exposure Photography Festival. I learn about her personal photographic process and the influence of her career as an Ethnographic researcher. A scientific approach that informs her art practice and inspires us to look beyond just pretty pictures. For Dona the camera is a tool to help express narratives built around research and observation of a person's ideas.
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I'm adding challenges or thoughts to the end of each episode. Today's consideration is to look for something that is a passion (or an irritant) in your life and to consider how it might be represented in images. While we can't hope to complete a story in a week (Dona's research took years), we might start forming ideas around these intuitions. And most importantly, we might be inclined to get out and take more pictures!
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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network. Locally Grown, Community Supported.

This week I zoom with Louie Villaneuva. Louie is a photographer. And I mean that definitively. As you'll hear, he has committed himself completely to this craft and his passion and dedication shows. He speaks photographically. In this first half we gab a bit about how he got here and what he's looking for. About his love of brutalist architecture. His words. And we start to talk about books. And Spain. And man... we'll have to sit down with him again! I feel like we just barely scratched the surface.
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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Tyler Tanner. Tyler is a local skate board fanatic and photographer and we connected over zoom to chat about the relationship between the two; approaches to life that we can learn from both; and generally the process of photography and its impact all around us.
Tyler is a reflection of a genuine and peaceful professional who should be indicative of the skate board community, and our biases around it. They're not a bunch of hooligans with concrete wax! They're people, just like you and me.
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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

This week I’ve asked Jennifer Sanford to join me. While not a professional photographer, Jennifer is a political and PR consultant with her own podcast called Conservative Like Me. I asked her to talk to me because a) she’s been a guest and collaborator on my other podcast Kyle and Dave vs The Machine and she’s smart and well read; and b) because she “quote unquote” leans to the right politically and as artists we need to keep our ears open to the full spectrum. I think we’ll discover that we’re not that different. At all. 

I ask her about the use of photography and truth forming, politics, and propaganda. We discuss the tension in the recent rise of so called nationalism, think MAGA, and I ask the most important question… what is up with Geese? They’ve been hissing at me on my runs and I’m just tired of their devil-may-care attitude. Protected animal my ass. Anyways, here’s the first part of my discussion with Jen.
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My View Finder is proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. 

We are joined by Danny Luong award-winning photographer here in Calgary. Just because we can, we focus on what we know about fine art commerce and inevitably about our communist-leaning sense that there's just something off about capitalist speculation in art. And in general. Did we solve free market capitalism? You're f'ing right we did!
We have a slow and uneven publishing schedule but we're working together. If you want to be part of our discussion come join us on Discord (https://discord.gg/XSVzYPku) or just message/review/email!
Just to add to creepiness: cover art created on Adobe Firefly - AI Generation is a thing.

Here in the second part of my talk with Jennifer Sanford we talk about art’s role in politics and directing the public’s attention to important issues. I also yell a lot about Meaghan Markle. But I think it’s an interesting juxtaposition. The media has the power to make any story a focal point. Add on the wide reaching power of social media without any research or citation and we have a recipe for polarization. We have left it to the listener and reader to filter this information for themselves. I don’t know if that’s going so well. Can we shape this into a discussion about collective growth? Is there an opportunity to harness this information to bring about unity instead of division? What do we need? More education? More represntation? More activism? Perhaps simply more critical thinking. Let’s check in with Jenn to hear her thoughts on some of these pieces.

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My View Finder is proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. 

My guest today is Chelsea Yang-Smith. I met Chelsea through the Exposure Studio program and our conversation has given me insight into where she comes from and how she has become a pragmatic commercial photographer and still a champion of the arts! We talk about her experiences in Calgary's professional photography world, her background as a mixed race woman in Calgary, and how all of these experiences helped form her unique perspectives on the art of photography itself.

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

Rocio Graham is a Mexican /Canadian multidisciplinary artist based in Mohkinstsis/Calgary. Her work is influenced by her cultural heritage, personal experience with trauma and reflections on life cycles. She explores the landscape from a body engagement perspective where labour, mysticism, and temporality merge. She is currently a peer residency coordinator for the Alberta University of the Arts Student Association, Hear/d Art Residency; and serves on the board of directors for SEITIES Magazine. Graham’s work has been acquired by the AFA art collection, Saks Fifth Ave and the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. Her writing musings include Luma Quarterly and Chrysalis zine magazine.
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My Viewfinder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported

Last week we met Stefan Strangman and learned about how his focus and work in photo journalism comes with awareness of both the positive and negative impacts images have on the public discourse. This week we wrap up our talk with some musings of his personal projects and staying passionate in a field that can be pretty draining. Frankly I don’t think this is restricted to journalism or photography but in modern living in general. 

How do we stay involved in our passions when burn out is so common? LEt’s find out how he does it and see if there are any lessons for all of us.
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My View Finder is proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. 

This week I sit down with Stefan Strangman, writer and freelance photojournalist. I wanted to find out how journalism is taught and practiced, You know, to challenge my own cynical bias that it’s twisted in its nature. Stefan shares with me his own journey becoming a journalist and how his own practice centres around a strong sense of ethics and personal beliefs. He explains that both through his education and work experience he’s very aware of the impact photography can have on public opinion and understanding. And he also understands that the ability and responsibility to share stories is changing - it’s not just the privileged and the establishment that should endeavour to create stories. 

We are seeing the marginalized groups being challenged and earning access to be part of the story telling as well. Here’s the first part of my chat with Stefan!
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My View Finder is proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. 

This week I sit down with Ashley Nixon. Ashley holds a PhD in Ecology and has worked in education, research, as well as in the private sector. 

More relevant to us, he has been working a camera since his youth - primarily focusing on building narratives about the environment, culture and social change. His work brought him around the world where he ultimately connected with the native cultures in Peru and I learn how his profound search for sharing his experiences with the people there has driven him into becoming a documentarian through images, words, as well as through film.
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My View Finder is proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. 

Our discussion points me to consider my own values in my work. Can I, like Esther, face some of these ideas. This podcast/blog is a start, of course. But I’ll have to also have to be sure the concepts which I believe will express whatever opinion I project will be pure. That the position I realize will be the best reflection of my true self and therefore of my true intent and integrity. So that even in the face of any criticism… I can make the conversation very simple. That whatever I have created in whatever manner in which it is seen, consumed, and or reflected… is in its essence, some form of a truth for me.

Thank you to Esther for your time. And to you, dear listener, for yours! To see Esther's project, click here: Know Your Place. To connect with Esther, check out her website www.estherchophotography.com or her social media @estherchophotography on instagram.

Send me your subscribes, likes, comments, debates, challenges... send me something to start a conversation! 

What happens when 2 guests can't make it and Alvin and I are left on the mics with no direction? What happens when life prevents a quick post-process turn around? This. This is what happens. We're going to talk about Diane Arbus and Contemporary Calgary. We're going to talk exploitation and purer pursuits. We're going to explore what about Calgary is preventing Dave from taking out his camera. And really we're going to just shoot the shit while we wait for life to throw us a clearer and more focused subject.
After a long wait here is another chat for you... next one will have guests and some focus. We hope.

If you want to be part of our discussion come join us on Discord (https://discord.gg/XSVzYPku) or just message/review/email!

Today I sit down with Dona Schwartz. Dona is a professor of photography here at the University of Calgary and the President and Chair of the Exposure Photography Festival. I learn about her personal photographic process and the influence of her career as an Ethnographic researcher. A scientific approach that informs her art practice and inspires us to look beyond just pretty pictures. For Dona the camera is a tool to help express narratives built around research and observation of a person's ideas.
***
I'm adding challenges or thoughts to the end of each episode. Today's consideration is to look for something that is a passion (or an irritant) in your life and to consider how it might be represented in images. While we can't hope to complete a story in a week (Dona's research took years), we might start forming ideas around these intuitions. And most importantly, we might be inclined to get out and take more pictures!
***
My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network. Locally Grown, Community Supported.

This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Twinkle Banerjee. I was introduced to Twinkle through the Exposure Studio project. As part of a select group of photographers here in Calgary, we have created a new community of creativity. I had not yet come across Twinkle's work but what a great discovery! She's amazing. I think I was inspired to speak to her both as a multi-national woman and, of course, her fascinating recent work of shooting "street" images through a set of binoculars! Genius!
Our discussion did not disappoint. My aim is always to ask questions about both "why" we take photographs and their impact on the world around us. I want to continue to hone in on a Philosophy around Photography. Have a listen and see if you agree with me. My chat with Twinkle is enlightening. The wisdom of a global experience. Something each of us should have some responsibility to engage with!
***
My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

My chat with Curtis yeilded a fascinating reflection. I posited the idea that Photography has had a particularly negative impact on culture and Curtis responded. His approach of separating the act and pursuit of photography as a pure art form and the manner in which is used echoed Stoic approaches to ethics. Namely that the ultimate aim of any pursuit should be it's core virtue - separate from any worldly or secondary interpretations... in this case that photography itself remains pure when practiced for the "correct" virtue of capturing and displaying images. The fact that it has become politicized and used in specific and negative ways is not a reflection of photography itself but of others. Of the people who misused it.
Stoicism has become a great rallying call for spiritual pursuits. Looking for an idealism that promotes a humble inward look can unlock and free people from the burden of worrying what anyone else thinks. But is it simply that; and idealism? We don't get into the philosophy itself... it's something that occurred to me after the fact.
But there's a line between "pure" processes and "actual" expressions that, in my opinion, gets blurrier each generation. I want to agree with Curtis - that if I can't practice photography separate from what I want others to think of me, of money, of fame... then I shouldn't photograph. It's too damaging.
This process is just starting. It'll be a goal of mine to return to this idea after more conversations and perspectives.
Thanks to Curtis for his time. Check out his great body of work at www.curtisdez.com and on instagram @curtisdez . 

This week I sit down with Ashley Nixon. We close out our chat with some final insights from Ashley. His approach is not about taking pictures. It’s about putting together stories and narratives that reflect his social principals. Heritage and community. Across cultures. Across generations.

Here’s the conclusion of my chat with Ashely Nixon. 

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My View Finder is proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. 

Here's a 52 episode conclusion. We'll call this Season 1. With it I'm going to take a hiatus to reassess how to continue this project. I've learned a great deal from all my guests. The main take away here is that I probably think too much and that I need to get out more. It's a meandering final 15 minutes but if you're still out there this is the end! For now.
You can find my work at www.davidyounphotography.com or follow me on instagram and twitter. Talk to you soon. Hopefully.
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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported.

Can art help us deal with the stress and even traumas of our day to day existence? My guest believes so. Wilmer Aburto has been building provocative and challenging statements through photography. He asks why we must rely on a single representation of beauty and strength - and he builds images to demonstrate that once we move outside the norm we can draw on even greater power. He's published books, put on shows, and has had his images displayed as public art. If you're looking to see the diversity and creativity embedded here in Calgary - look no further! Here's the first part of my chat with Wilmer. 

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

Welcome! This is David Youn and this podcast is called My View Finder. I’m looking to get to some of the roots questions behind why we photographers do what we do. To start of this second season of weekly episodes I’ve moved completely away from photography. I called my friend Nick Olkovich. Nick and I went to school together many years ago when I masqueraded as a philosophy major. Nick is an Assistant Professor and Marie Anne Blondin Chair in Catholic Theology at St. Mark’s College in Vancouver. I wanted to start with Nick because I was interested in imagery and iconography. And while I could do with searching for art historians and aesthetics… I thought what better place than the use of imagery in religion. 

Nick’s got a fascinating perspective both in his field and in our discussion being informed by the more contemporary writings of Bernard Lonergan - the Jesuit Priest Philosopher who, if I understand this correctly, sought to work with both rational and empirical data and the spiritual experiences of the unintelligible. Something he coined Critical Realism - according to wikipedia at least.

Imagery, it seems, are influenced by cultural context but can be gateways into a greater sense of fulfillment and, dare I say, the spiritual connection with our world. Photography has a direct relationship here. One that I’ll continue to explore moving forward.
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We are now a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Check out APN for more information and links to the huge podcasting community here in Alberta.
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This episode's sponsor are Park Power - local utility service alternative; and ATB Financial's latest community initiative called #GoodnessGrows

David Youn is not interested in the technical side of photography, but the thinking and philosophies behind snapping a picture. Subscribe now to get each new episode!

Email Dave at dyounphoto@gmail.com

In considering Photography's role in establishing, manipulating, and perhaps controlling the ideas of "normal" or "good" - I thought of my friend Esther's recent work entitled Know Your Place. A series of stark images about the role assigned to Korean women. This is an evolving definition, of course, but one that I personally resonated with.
Here, in two parts, is our discussion about the relationship between photography, expression, race, and representation.
To connect with Esther, check out her website www.estherchophotography.com or her social media @estherchophotography on instagram.

In today’s episode I speak with Mecoh Bain, portrait photographer, mother, and woman of colour. We explore her roots as a biracial child, growing up in rural BC and how that’s informed her practice in searching for soul through photography. Her portrait work focuses on representation and personal truths so that she can exemplify the spiritual power of accepting who you are and saying yes to life.
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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: locally grown, community supported.

I'm David Youn. Thanks for listening to my podcast. Here's my year end wrap up for 2020. I've learned a lot this year from these incredible artists. 2021 looks to be just as great as I have a slew of great artists ready to talk to you each week.
Thanks as always to the Alberta Podcast Network for your support. And don't forget to subscribe and rate this podcast!
Happy New Year. Talk to you again January 1, 2020!

This week's guest is Soloman Chiniquay documentarian photographer, film maker, and as I'm about to learn, a very wise young man. He lets me into his experiences growing up in a reserve in Morley and how hard it was to get out and build himself as an artist. He had great role models in his mother and grandfather which is reflected in his work to bring his experiences and successes back to his people at home.
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My View Finder is proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. 

Today’s guest is Eric Donovan - Professor of Astrophysics at University of Calgary and photographer! In this, the first part of 2 talks, we’re going to talk about the intersection between art and science and how creativity is required. There’s a thought that science and math are cold, calculating, and robotic. Eric believes the opposite is true - that living emotionally is key to our success.

Polymath
noun

a person of great learning in several fields of study; polyhistor.

It’s interesting to think about defining people by one aspect of their life. The assumption that a photographer only cares about their camera and the quality of their exposures is… frankly.. insulting. What drives art and creativity is dimension and depth. And how can we lay claim to either if we aren’t interesting in EVERYTHING around us? So I have to ask… what books and non-photography avenues are you interested in? Have you read a book on science or sociology or… book binding? Do you craft? This week my challenge for you is to take a peek at something besides your camera that you’re passionate about. Let me know how this does or may in the future influence your creativity.

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. For more Albertan podcast content, click their link!

Another long break and another catch up episode. This time Alvin and I find ourselves in the recording booth at the Calgary Central Library. The summer's been busy. And we have put together two conversations for you. This first is just a reflection on... well... a summer of actually making photographs... Imagine that.

This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Twinkle Banerjee. I was introduced to Twinkle through the Exposure Studio project. As part of a select group of photographers here in Calgary, we have created a new community of creativity. I had not yet come across Twinkle's work but what a great discovery! She's amazing. I think I was inspired to speak to her both as a multi-national woman and, of course, her fascinating recent work of shooting "street" images through a set of binoculars! Genius!
Our discussion did not disappoint. My aim is always to ask questions about both "why" we take photographs and their impact on the world around us. I want to continue to hone in on a Philosophy around Photography. Have a listen and see if you agree with me. My chat with Twinkle is enlightening. The wisdom of a global experience. Something each of us should have some responsibility to engage with!
***
My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Julya Hajnoczky to talk about her practice. She's a visual artist here in Calgary who uses photography as a part of a mixed media approach to express themes of nature, sustainability, and forest undergrowth. We have a great chat about her upbringing and experience as a teacher and her journey into the world of art and grant writing. Can art impact the world around us? And what's the deal with whales? Julya has an opinion!

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

Do we put images on pedestals? Does art have intellectual influence and what can we do to press this conversation forward? Wilmer Aburto has been building provocative and challenging statements through photography. He asks why we must rely on a single representation of beauty and strength - and he builds images to demonstrate that once we move outside the norm we can draw on even greater power. He's published books, put on shows, and has had his images displayed as public art. If you're looking to see the diversity and creativity embedded here in Calgary - look no further! Here's the first part of my chat with Wilmer. 

***
My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

This week we meet Angela Boehm. Angela is a documentarian photographer based here in Calgary who started with building a photography project at home with her teenage kids which then evolved into projects documenting different cultures and most recently a project documenting the forests around us. How do we know if we’re building images that show our subjects in their best light? There is, of course, no one single answer, but Angela shares her insight through her work and her participation with the ICP in New York. She also talks about what urban parks are like in the ironically named Big Apple. Here is the conclusion of my talk with Angela Boehm

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My View Finder is proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. 

This week I zoom with Louie Villaneuva. Louie is a photographer. And I mean that definitively. As you'll hear, he has committed himself completely to this craft and his passion and dedication shows. He speaks photographically. In this first half we gab a bit about how he got here and what he's looking for. About his love of brutalist architecture. His words. And we start to talk about books. And Spain. And man... we'll have to sit down with him again! I feel like we just barely scratched the surface.
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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

Welcome! This is David Youn and this podcast is called My View Finder. I’m looking to get to some of the roots questions behind why we photographers do what we do. To start of this second season of weekly episodes I’ve moved completely away from photography. I called my friend Nick Olkovich. Nick and I went to school together many years ago when I masqueraded as a philosophy major. Nick is an Assistant Professor and Marie Anne Blondin Chair in Catholic Theology at St. Mark’s College in Vancouver. I wanted to start with Nick because I was interested in imagery and iconography. And while I could do with searching for art historians and aesthetics… I thought what better place than the use of imagery in religion. 

Nick’s got a fascinating perspective both in his field and in our discussion being informed by the more contemporary writings of Bernard Lonergan - the Jesuit Priest Philosopher who, if I understand this correctly, sought to work with both rational and empirical data and the spiritual experiences of the unintelligible. Something he coined Critical Realism - according to wikipedia at least.

Imagery, it seems, are influenced by cultural context but can be gateways into a greater sense of fulfillment and, dare I say, the spiritual connection with our world. Photography has a direct relationship here. One that I’ll continue to explore moving forward.
***
We are now a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Check out APN for more information and links to the huge podcasting community here in Alberta.
***
This episode's sponsor are CPA Alberta - Chartered Professional Accountants are here to help you navigate your personal or business financial planning during the COVID pandemic; and The YEG Podfest - a three-day celebration of podcasting, a collaboration of LitFest and the Alberta Podcast Network, presented by the Edmonton Community Foundation and funded in part by the Edmonton Arts Council

Art is often associated with mental health. Usually in some dramatic and brutal way. Think of the phrase: suffering for one’s art. But sometimes it’s related in a sense of therapy, coping, self discovery. Today I sit down with Kristofer Schofield to talk about the latter. And perhaps the first one too. We discuss how his struggles with his mental health line up with his approach to photography. And rally car racing. And next week with straight edge hardcore music. I’m getting ahead of myself. What is the line between solitude and isolation. Healing and expression? Art and madness! Let’s hear what Kris’ experiences teach us.
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My Viewfinder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported

John Goldsmith is a photographer and chemist originally from Chicago and now living and working in Vancouver BC. His latest venture in art is his print shop The Printmaker Studio. We mix up some great conceptual concoctions about art’s beauty and purpose both to the artist and the presumed audience. Our hypothesis? That art helps to reflect what an individual or even a community experiences 

and its purpose is to communicate this experience to a larger audience. In photography the camera has a unique relationship with the world. Does it represent reality? Is it 2 dimensional? Is it even art? Let’s start the conversation learning about John and see if we can get his opinion on what photography is and can be to society at large.

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

So after a long break we're back. This season's goal: bring on co-host Alvin Paringit, build a Discord channel, and just riff on Photography in general. Where do we start? How about the realization that both of us aren't sure we actually LIKE photography in the first place.
No sponsors (for now) so let's get into it!
If you're still on this channel - thanks for your patience and reach out. We're looking to get people involved through the Discord, joining in as guests on topics and conversations, and just generally shaping a discussion about this medium. You can get in touch with us at mvfpodcast@gmail.com. Alvin's also still on IG @loupe.fiasco

How does one define their self. It’s a fascinating question that has troubled philosophers and psychologists for many years. With the influx of photography, imagery, and now social media… this has become more complex than ever. My guest today is my friend Kaitlin Moerman. Two years ago she built a life size self-portrait for a photography show on Identity. The catch was that she took that image and displayed it through obscured glass. There’s a metaphor there. Here’s the first part of my chat with Kaitlin. We’ll start with where she comes from and how she approached the subtle art of self searching through self-portraiture.

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

In today’s episode I speak with Mecoh Bain, portrait photographer, mother, and woman of colour. We explore her roots as a biracial child, growing up in rural BC and how that’s informed her practice in searching for soul through photography. Her portrait work focuses on representation and personal truths so that she can exemplify the spiritual power of accepting who you are and saying yes to life.
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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: locally grown, community supported.

David went to Toronto for his grandmother's funeral. As a photographer. Alvin was a photographer for his uncle's funeral a few years back. How does one separate themselves as a process and as a family member. And when our family isn't doing well, are we one or the other first? Or both? This week's episode is the two of us trying to figure that out.
If you're interested in becoming part of the conversation or have any personal experiences you wanted to add, you can find us on social media @mvfpodcast; email us mvfpodcast@gmail.com; or look us up on Discord https://discord.gg/yFGkvuSX

This week's talk is with Ryan Wilkes. Ryan has an adventurous journey into the wildlife photographer he is today. We talk about being raised in Calgary with dreams of being a professional athlete. His move from sports to engineering. His decision to leave engineering to pursue a PHD in medical sciences. And then how he connected with nature and with birds living in New Zealand during his studies. The bird that started it all? The New Zealand Kea. They are endangered... why? Because they eat sheep. Or at least peck them for their fat. WTF?
Ryan's got great insight in living life without attachment and fear. Or perhaps in the face of it and choosing to get outside and walk around instead of hiding out indoors. Connecting with the world around us viscerally and ultimately his aim is to use his images to inspire all of us to appreciate and take an active role living with nature.
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When's the last time you were outside (our recent cold weather warning notwithstanding)? Did you know Calgary was a hotbed for aviary activity? I didn't. I mention that I don't really like birds. But after listening to Ryan I have to challenge you: next time you're outside... look up... keep your ears open... let me know if you see anything flapping around. There's a world of birds out there. Waiting for you to see them. And perhaps to eat sheep. New Zealand Kea - the alpine parrot and apparently carnivore.
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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. For more Albertan podcast content, click their link!

This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Tyler Tanner. Tyler is a local skate board fanatic and photographer and we connected over zoom to chat about the relationship between the two; approaches to life that we can learn from both; and generally the process of photography and its impact all around us.
Tyler is a reflection of a genuine and peaceful professional who should be indicative of the skate board community, and our biases around it. They're not a bunch of hooligans with concrete wax! They're people, just like you and me.
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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

Art is often associated with mental health. Usually in some dramatic and brutal way. Think of the phrase: suffering for one’s art. Part 2 of my talk with Kristofer Schofield focuses on his relationship with the prairies; how his photographs become self portraits of his mental health; how seeking help through art, therapy, or medication is not a cure all. Rather, they are ways to hold off the extremes while we search for balance.
Most importantly we find out that Kris was a lead singer of a hardcore band called Shiloh. And I added a clip at the end. And it's sweat-inducing. So Shiloh or Landscape time-lapse... you decide.
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My Viewfinder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported

My guest today is Chelsea Yang-Smith. I met Chelsea through the Exposure Studio program and our conversation has given me insight into where she comes from and how she has become a pragmatic commercial photographer and still a champion of the arts! We talk about her experiences in Calgary's professional photography world, her background as a mixed race woman in Calgary, and how all of these experiences helped form her unique perspectives on the art of photography itself.

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

How does one define their self. It’s a fascinating question that has troubled philosophers and psychologists for many years. With the influx of photography, imagery, and now social media… this has become more complex than ever. My guest today is my friend Kaitlin Moerman. Two years ago she built a life size self-portrait for a photography show on Identity. The catch was that she took that image and displayed it through obscured glass. There’s a metaphor there. Here’s the first part of my chat with Kaitlin. We’ll start with where she comes from and how she approached the subtle art of self searching through self-portraiture.

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

I met fellow Exposure Studio member Danny Luong building my first Perspectives Art Show. I don’t remember how. Maybe Alvin. I could fact check that, but obviously too late for that now. Danny’s main focus is documentary or journalistic - he uses different formats and subjects but always seems to focus on his family lineage, stories of immigrants in this country, and the generational experience of, at least right now, asian canadians.

Through our chat I kept hearing this asian perspective in his thinking and my head got stuck between concepts from Taoism and Zen Buddhism. For me, Zen Buddhism is a powerful spiritual influence that helps to moderate my own tendency to overcomplicate things; and by things I mean everything. 

Zen focuses on a practice is knowledge process and there’s great power to the subsequent concept that instead of thinking about an action, one must be present and simply act. Even if by act we mean to sit and not do anything! 

Danny brings up walking and meditation and he seems to embody a lot of the practical ideas that circle around Zen Buddhism. Even if he’s at odds with it often. It’s interesting that in acting Zen, there is always a sense of conflict and dialectic. Because in Zen, there’s no single truth. Life is a balancing act between every living and dying thing. Spiritualism is a process towards this sense of balance. Literal study a distraction from it!

“You cannot see the Path, you can only see from it” - Nanyue Huairang (677–744) 

So are we trying to look for the path, or are we looking out from it? I’m probably more the former… this podcast seems to be essentially that. But I think photographers like Danny tend to the latter. Whether he is aware of it or not, just participating in projects like his reflection on his family lineage seem to be actions towards balance, rather than thought experiments trying to label them! 

Hope you’re all out there continuation to act the truth rather than think it. And by act… aptly… actuate those shutters people!

I met fellow Exposure Studio member Danny Luong building my first Perspectives Art Show. I don’t remember how. Maybe Alvin. I could fact check that, but obviously too late for that now. Danny’s main focus is documentary or journalistic - he uses different formats and subjects but always seems to focus on his family lineage, stories of immigrants in this country, and the generational experience of, at least right now, asian canadians.

Through our chat I kept hearing this asian perspective in his thinking and my head got stuck between concepts from Taoism and Zen Buddhism. For me, Zen Buddhism is a powerful spiritual influence that helps to moderate my own tendency to overcomplicate things; and by things I mean everything. 

Zen focuses on a practice is knowledge process and there’s great power to the subsequent concept that instead of thinking about an action, one must be present and simply act. Even if by act we mean to sit and not do anything! 

Danny brings up walking and meditation and he seems to embody a lot of the practical ideas that circle around Zen Buddhism. Even if he’s at odds with it often. It’s interesting that in acting Zen, there is always a sense of conflict and dialectic. Because in Zen, there’s no single truth. Life is a balancing act between every living and dying thing. Spiritualism is a process towards this sense of balance. Literal study a distraction from it!

“You cannot see the Path, you can only see from it” - Nanyue Huairang (677–744) 

So are we trying to look for the path, or are we looking out from it? I’m probably more the former… this podcast seems to be essentially that. But I think photographers like Danny tend to the latter. Whether he is aware of it or not, just participating in projects like his reflection on his family lineage seem to be actions towards balance, rather than thought experiments trying to label them! 

Hope you’re all out there continuation to act the truth rather than think it. And by act… aptly… actuate those shutters people!

Rocio Graham is a Mexican /Canadian multidisciplinary artist based in Mohkinstsis/Calgary. Her work is influenced by her cultural heritage, personal experience with trauma and reflections on life cycles. She explores the landscape from a body engagement perspective where labour, mysticism, and temporality merge. She is currently a peer residency coordinator for the Alberta University of the Arts Student Association, Hear/d Art Residency; and serves on the board of directors for SEITIES Magazine. Graham’s work has been acquired by the AFA art collection, Saks Fifth Ave and the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. Her writing musings include Luma Quarterly and Chrysalis zine magazine.
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My Viewfinder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported

This week I had the pleasure of talking to Greg Gerla. Greg is a commercial and fine art photographer here in Calgary. I met Greg a few times over the last few years at several of his shows but this is the first time we’ve been able to sit down and actually meet. And what a conversation we had! In this, the first part of our conversation, I learn of his balanced approach to the craft. How commercial can inform art, and vice versa. How social media is not the bane of art, but rather another piece of artistic expression. But one, like fast food, that needs to be consumed in moderation. Greg’s a photographer in nature and he shines light on how to maintain creative engagement in our passion.

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. For more Albertan podcast content, click their link!

I sit down (over Zoom) with my good friend Alvin Paringit. We talk photography. Inspiration. And walking. He sends me a link to Bryan Formhals' blog Way of the Walk. Whenever I meet Alvin I always talk about the "why" of photography and he always humours me. He's a great photographer in a purist sense. He loves the process. And however disconnected we've both been lately from the publishing and feedback of public engagement, he's always got a camera in hand. Or at least around a strap or in a bag or somewhere on his body. 
Check out his work. Listen to our conversation. Let me know what your thoughts are on the idea that walking and the pursuit of self-development is at the core of photography. That mimicking great works should only be a step to greater things. We shouldn't hold ourselves back to simply recreating what we think is cool. Let's keep walking and build that next genre or image or moment!

John Goldsmith is a photographer and chemist originally from Chicago and now living and working in Vancouver BC. His latest venture in art is his print shop The Printmaker Studio. We mix up some great conceptual concoctions about art’s beauty and purpose both to the artist and the presumed audience. Our hypothesis? That art helps to reflect what an individual or even a community experiences 

and its purpose is to communicate this experience to a larger audience. In photography the camera has a unique relationship with the world. Does it represent reality? Is it 2 dimensional? Is it even art? Let’s start the conversation learning about John and see if we can get his opinion on what photography is and can be to society at large.

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Through their work of connecting us with local businesses and events, Albertan content can continue to grow and flourish. Check out their work and the depth of the Alberta podcast scene at their website: www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

The continuation of our last chat. Recorded at the Calgary Central Library podcast recording studio. Edited with help from the AI Transcribe function of Adobe Premiere Pro. Brought to you by Alvin and my disdain for any rules, planning, or structure. We'll be sure to ask Chat GPT to give us a script for the next episode.

This week's talk is with Ryan Wilkes. Ryan has an adventurous journey into the wildlife photographer he is today. We talk about being raised in Calgary with dreams of being a professional athlete. His move from sports to engineering. His decision to leave engineering to pursue a PHD in medical sciences. And then how he connected with nature and with birds living in New Zealand during his studies. The bird that started it all? The New Zealand Kea. They are endangered... why? Because they eat sheep. Or at least peck them for their fat. WTF?
Ryan's got great insight in living life without attachment and fear. Or perhaps in the face of it and choosing to get outside and walk around instead of hiding out indoors. Connecting with the world around us viscerally and ultimately his aim is to use his images to inspire all of us to appreciate and take an active role living with nature.
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When's the last time you were outside (our recent cold weather warning notwithstanding)? Did you know Calgary was a hotbed for aviary activity? I didn't. I mention that I don't really like birds. But after listening to Ryan I have to challenge you: next time you're outside... look up... keep your ears open... let me know if you see anything flapping around. There's a world of birds out there. Waiting for you to see them. And perhaps to eat sheep. New Zealand Kea - the alpine parrot and apparently carnivore.
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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. For more Albertan podcast content, click their link!

Stoics believe in acting for the process... the essential essence of an act. Not for the results. Not for the gains. But good and wise actions based on broader conceptual beliefs. Can photography be practiced this way? Is there an argument that most hobby and passion photography is already in this sphere? Or is there a line between "pure" processes and "actual" expressions that, in my opinion, gets blurrier each generation. I want to agree with Curtis - that if I can't practice photography separate from what I want others to think of me, of money, of fame... then I shouldn't photograph. It's too damaging.
This process is just starting. It'll be a goal of mine to return to this idea after more conversations and perspectives.
Thanks to Curtis for his time. Check out his great body of work at www.curtisdez.com and on instagram @curtisdez . 

This week's guest is Soloman Chiniquay documentarian photographer, film maker, and as I'm about to learn, a very wise young man. He lets me into his experiences growing up in a reserve in Morley and how hard it was to get out and build himself as an artist. He had great role models in his mother and grandfather which is reflected in his work to bring his experiences and successes back to his people at home.
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My View Finder is proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. 

Today’s guest is Eric Donovan - Professor of Astrophysics at University of Calgary and photographer! In today’s episode I continue my chat with Eric Donovan. As a scientist, Eric’s had a variety of life experiences that have framed a pretty interesting relationship with the world. We’ll discuss how humans interact with each other through social fictions; we’ll get his thoughts on the aurora - Eric says the aurora itself is just a scientific tool that reflects the magnetosphere - which  reflects the health of the earth itself; And we’ll get a glimpse of how valuing happiness gave his Dene guide purpose in life.

It’s interesting to think about defining people by one aspect of their life. The assumption that a photographer only cares about their camera and the quality of their exposures is… frankly.. insulting. What drives art and creativity is dimension and depth. And how can we lay claim to either if we aren’t interesting in EVERYTHING around us? So I have to ask… what books and non-photography avenues are you interested in? Have you read a book on science or sociology or… book binding? Do you craft? This week my challenge for you is to take a peek at something besides your camera that you’re passionate about. Let me know how this does or may in the future influence your creativity.

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. For more Albertan podcast content, click their link!

This week I had the pleasure of talking to Greg Gerla. In this episode Greg explains what he believes is a crucial relationship for a photographer. There are three pieces. The photographer themselves. The subject. And the viewer. He explains that once art is put into a public place, the artist bears the responsibility to hear and be open to it's affect on others - whether they like what they hear or not. As I'm learning about Greg, finding balance in all of our practices is what makes us grow as creatives. And as people.

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My View Finder is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported. For more Albertan podcast content, click their link!

I sit down (over Zoom) with my good friend Alvin Paringit. We talk photography. Inspiration. And walking. He sends me a link to Bryan Formhals' blog Way of the Walk. Whenever I meet Alvin I always talk about the "why" of photography and he always humours me. He's a great photographer in a purist sense. He loves the process. And however disconnected we've both been lately from the publishing and feedback of public engagement, he's always got a camera in hand. Or at least around a strap or in a bag or somewhere on his body. 
Check out his work. Listen to our conversation. Let me know what your thoughts are on the idea that walking and the pursuit of self-development is at the core of photography. That mimicking great works should only be a step to greater things. We shouldn't hold ourselves back to simply recreating what we think is cool. Let's keep walking and build that next genre or image or moment!

This week we meet Angela Boehm. Angela is a documentarian photographer based here in Calgary who started with building a photography project at home with her teenage kids which then evolved into projects documenting different cultures and most recently a project documenting the forests around us. How did she start her journey? Has she been taking pictures her whole life? If you looked at her portfolio would you believe she’s only been seriously learning this craft for 3 years? Let’s talk to Angela and see if we can get some insight into her process.
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My View Finder is proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally Grown, Community Supported.