Wednesday 20 July 2011

An Hour or so With Ashley Barker...


 

I have known Ashley Barker since high school and recently caught a glimpse of her work during an interview she did with ESPN. Ashley is incredibly modest with a talent many of us could only begin to dream about having. Her sports photography takes the viewer to new levels; suddenly you begin to love snowboarding or want to take it up based on the gorgeous shots she is able to capture. Her free spirit is captured in every shot and her fabulous personality comes through loud and clear. Ashley’s work is one of a kind and we are really proud to feature her on The AGC blog.

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

For starters, I’m a terrible writer. I like doing things, experiencing life, travelling, meeting people, talking, not texting. I love music, mountain life, surf, food, yoga, dancing, singing, jamming and those kinds of things. I have two amazing older brothers and my dad worked for airline companies until I was 7 so we moved around a lot and travelled often. When he quit we stayed in Calgary where I was raised. I went to French immersion until I was 16 and hit the ski hill every weekend since I was 2. I tried every sport available to me for at least a year.
I looked up to my brothers my whole life, they molded me whether it was in skiing, boarding, music or photography; they're my roots, my role models.


Did you study photography or are you simply a natural talent?
I studied. I went to a photo school in Victoria for a year. School was awesome, just expensive.


It appears as though you travel a lot for your shoots, where has your favorite place been so far and if you could move anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
Yes, it's unreal. Favorite place I travelled to shoot snow sports would probably be Argentina. I spent 80 days there one summer working with SASS, a ski and snowboard camp and living with the coaches. They have great snow and terrain with a more 'laid back' vibe. Most of the trips I shoot are a week or two, so you don't really get to soak in the culture but in 80 days I really got to experience Argentinean living.
As for living, I think its Whistler, at least for now.


When did photography really begin for you and how long has it been your profession?
I've been shooting for fun for almost 10 years now and it has been my only job for 3 years.


My favorite work of yours is your sports photography; it is truly out of this world! Is shooting
snowboarders and skateboarders your favorite subject matter or do you prefer other genres like
weddings, portraits and fashion?
I like shooting snowboarding and skiing because it allows me to be in the middle of nowhere, yet feel so at home. All the elements make it a real challenge, which is exciting and always new. People that aren't out there doing it have no idea what kind of work can go into a shoot. So, when you get a banger shot, something you’re really proud of, the harder you had to work to get it, the more rewarding it is. That feeling, that effort, makes it all worth the while. I like shooting portraits and lifestyle too, it's just different. Anything you can make fun and put your real heart into is fun for me.


I would suspect that you’re using digital cameras, have you always used digital and what camera do you use now?
No I started with film before digital SLR cameras were all the rage; they weren’t very good back then. Now I’m on a digital camera 99% of the time. It's fast, efficient and what my clients want right now. Pairing a digital shot with a film shot makes for two different looks, in other words they don't go well together so it doesn't make sense for me to shoot with film much.


What has been your most memorable assignment and why?
Most memorable trip might be Alaska. I would go there anytime, that place is unreal.


If you could shoot anything in the world with another photographer, what would you shoot, with who and why?
Wow, anything? I guess I'd probably take the opportunity to shoot with David Lachapelle, because his work is so new and conceptual. I feel like I'd learn the most from that right now.


I know that you are an avid snowboarder and skateboarder, so when you are on location for a shoot, specifically for snowboarding, skateboarding skiing etc. do you feel like you get in on the action and ride along with your clients or do you try not to get involved?
It depends on the day/client. I try to snowboard everyday I'm shooting. I'm mostly out on a snowmobile these days so I clock mad hours on those things which is pretty fun once you get the hang of it, but photos come first. Other times I'll be on a "shoot" where your riding time is greater than your shooting Last year I went to Baldface with DVS Snow Team Riders (Mikey LeBlanc and Marc Frank Montoya) it was a shop giveaway contest and we shared the cat with the public. Because there were paying clients in the cat we couldn't hold up the crew by stopping to shoot for more than a minute every run, so I rode with my camera in my jacket, and snapped a couple quick ones every run. It's hard to get good shoots like that, but that's how it is sometimes and I can't argue with that.


How did you get your first photo in a magazine, which magazine was it and what did you do to celebrate that occasion?
It was a contest photo of Jeff Pepperdine in SBC Snowboard Canada. The photo credit went to Geoff Andruik, so I was pretty disappointed. My next best published shot was the cover of Snowboarder in 2007, which happened to be their 25th Anniversary Issue, so they hosted a party in commemoration of this success. Everyone else was celebrating the Abdominal Snowjam and Mag party, but I was celebrating for my first US published photo and cover.


What is the most rewarding part of your career and why?
The people I've meet and places I've been because life is lonely by yourself and there is so much world to experience.

For more work by Ashley please check out www.ashleybarker.com













Tuesday 19 July 2011

Artists All Around Part IV

Please note that all the photos on this blog have been submitted by the artists and therefore I have consent to use them for this project. The AGC does not own the rights to these images or works and any further use of these images or works requires written consent from the artists directly.

Visual artist Kelsey Montague's pen and ink drawings reflect a unique world view based on her studies and travel abroad in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Oceania. Montague’s observations and experiences are intricately translated in each drawing, offering a perspective that is both broadly universal and deeply personal.
* Please check out Kelsey's amazing video work as well:

Escape

Empire State Building

Froude House

Grasping

Reaching




Joyce Wong, Canada

August Full

Nothing Important

Paradise




Thursday 14 July 2011

Artists All Around Part III

Please note that all the photos on this blog have been submitted by the artists and therefore I have consent to use them for this project. The AGC does not own the rights to these images or works and any further use of these images or works requires written consent from the artists directly.


Michelle Spice Photography, Canada

Working with natural light inspires me as I feel it captures the raw beauty of my subjects. I specialize in family photography, and enjoy bringing out the personalities of each family member.
Freedom

Bare Bones

Waiting for the Wind


Liane Pinel, Canada
Twitter: @LianePinelPhoto
"I would like people to see just how much our individual choices can change our world with a ripple effect just as water drops from the sky can effect the level of an ocean. We CAN make a difference, one drop at a time." Artist/photographer Liane Pinel takes the tiny to the magnificent in a breath. Her attention to the smallest details in her macro work and to the fantastic color and clarity of her liquid in motion work leaves you wanting more.
Spring Kiss

Moving UP in the World

Soft Lily

Sian Red


Roberta Murray, Canada

I approach photography much the same as the Pictorialist photographers of the late 19th century to tell a more personal, interpretative story based more on my dreams and imagination than reality. I combine traditional techniques, historical ideas and contemporary tools, using the camera more as a paintbrush than a mechanical device in creating my images. In the series Subliminal, I use controlled motion blur, multiple exposures, and careful blending to recreate these dreamlike subliminal scenes or the feelings they produce. My work is not process driven though - it's the feelings of the image and how the viewer interprets them that matter most.

Field Workers

La Playa

Parkland County

Summer Rain

Sunday 10 July 2011

Artists All Around Part II

Please note that all the photos on this blog have been submitted by the artists and therefore I have consent to use them for this project. The AGC does not own the rights to these images or works and any further use of these images or works requires written consent from the artists directly.

Christian Grandjean, Canada
I like to explore the relationship between the organic world and the urban grids found within Calgary's city limits. I explore the dramatic confrontation between order and chaos, spaces and colours, and create my compositions within these guidelines. When photographing my environment I respond to the light, space, and colours provided on the day as opposed to recognizing a landscape, a sky or a building.

From The Whispering Hill Set

From The Whispering Hill Set

From The Urban Grids

Erwin Staniszewski, Canada
As an Artist, I believe everything is energy. My work is drawn to compliment and attract simple yet appealing interior elements for the contemporary space. It’s strange really, how texture, brush strokes, and finishing touches give off a clear understanding that value and quality are utmost important elements. My work is Abstract. It is a movement. Like a visual story that I hope you enjoy, discovering your own story behind it. When I paint, colors demand to be precise. Texture moves feeling. Mood and emotion contract and mingle with one another smiling at you knowingly confident that this form will inspire the world for years to come.


Till There Was You

Wilderness Rains

A Moving Heart


Jacinta Shmid, Canada

I recently graduated from the University of Calgary with my BFA, with a focus on intaglio printing. All of my work is inspired by the people I've met while travelling. About a year ago, I spent a lengthy time in India where the people, culture, smells, sights, and sounds inspired the whole of my creativity. These images are from this inspiration; some of them i have printed with turmeric and cinnamon. I also have a website which is http://www.jacintaschmid.com/ where you could get more info about me and my work. 
He Was Gone the Next Morning

The Rattling of The Bus

Betholi

She Sang

Thursday 7 July 2011

Artists All Around

I am really excited and pleased to present our newest addition to The Art Gallery of Calgary Blog, Artists All Around. Last week I put out a call to artists and individuals in the community who have a flare for photography, painting, drawing or any artistic medium and asked them to submit their work so that it could be featured on our blog. I have been overcome with the amazing talent arriving in my inbox and am delighted to share your artwork with all our readers and viewers around the world. Enjoy the following posts and please make comments, encourage and support one another. Let’s make this an online hub for local and international talent to come together.
Thanks to everyone who has participated!
Please note that all the photos on this blog have been submitted by the artists and therefore I have consent to use them for this project. The AGC does not own the rights to these images or works and any further use of these images or works requires written consent from the artists directly.  


Todo Quedo en el Olvido is about unforgettable memories. How even though we live in the present many of us still hold on to our past and to those special moments in our lives we can never bring back.  The Alcohol is just as added factor; many of us deal with our sorrows in different ways—alcohol was added for an even more dramatic effect. Todo Quedo en el Olvido means “Everything remains in the Past”.



Lisa Brawn, Canada

I have been experimenting with primarily figurative, portrait genre painted woodcut blocks for twenty years since being introduced to the medium by the printmakers at ACAD. Recently; I have been working with salvaged century-old rough Douglas Fir beams from the restoration of the Alberta Block. This wood is interesting not only in its history, but also in that is it ornery. It has holes, knots, and gouges and is unlike the traditional flawless and smooth woodcut material that I work with such as cherry walnut. I don’t make prints from the woodcuts, but prefer the blocks themselves.

Blackbird
Owl

William S. Hart


Jason Nelson, Canada
Jason enjoys carving fine art sculpture, in marble, alabaster, wonderstone, chlorite, jade and many other semi-precious gemstones. His subjects include wildlife, abstract, symbolic, geometric and figurative sculpture. He also carves decorative stone bowls.
Commissions are welcomed.
Stone sculpture restoration and repair services are available.
Wild Blue

The Ice Queen's Tear

Veined Octopus

Lava Bowl






Maha Ejaz, England/ Saudi Arabia

Monday 4 July 2011

The Royal Couple in Cow Town


With the countdown to Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, visiting Calgary we thought it most appropriate to include a list of Do’s and Don’ts in case you find yourself face to face with the Royal couple in the coming days.  William and Catherine will be joining us in Calgary for 2 days next week, kicking off our annual Stampede Parade on July 8th. We are thrilled to play host to this lovely couple and hope they enjoy their visit to our beautiful city; who knows, they might just make a stop at The Art Gallery of Calgary!

For the lucky few who may run into The Royals next week, study the list below for a few pointers:
Do bow or curtsy if you are a part of The British Commonwealth. A dance routine is not necessary and if you are not a part of the commonwealth this custom is not mandatory, however, it is appreciated
Don’t Introduce yourself, wait to be introduced
Do address them as “Your Royal Highness” and subsequently thereafter “Sir” and “Ma’am”
Don’t be overly familiar as if you have been BFFs for the past 10 years, even though you have watched every documentary and read every “Hello” magazine article
Do feel free to make eye contact and smile
Don’t ever refer to a member of the royal family by his or her first name; nicknames would be an even bigger Faux Pas. Ladies, for the sake of all Canadians, please spare shouting out “oh Willy…” from across the Grand Stand
Do dress appropriately. However, next week Western attire will obviously pass as appropriate but you may want to watch the length of your daisy dukes, ladies, and men, don’t go too petit on the Wranglers
Don’t ask personal questions to the Royal couple, like when they expect to have a family or where they plan on staying while in town
Do offer a small bouquet of flowers as a gift if the opportunity presents itself
Don’t bring them your Jarome Iginla jersey to sign, this isn’t the red mile. While on this topic, it would be equally inappropriate to offer them a Molson Canadian from your cooler or tail gate
Do try and say something if the opportunity arises but keep it generic; money, politics and religion are likely a deal breaker
Don’t, at any time, touch, hug or kiss the Royal couple. Even though you may be super excited, this is not a custom the Royal Family shares with us.

To sum up the Do’s and Don’ts of meeting the Royal couple, just remember to use your manners, don’t overdo it and most of all enjoy this momentous occasion. It is a great honor to host “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge” in our city and we hope they enjoy their stay in our great country.
Photos taken from The Globe and Mail