Previously, we looked the Sony NEX-5 as a budget-friendly camera for anyone looking to jumpstart their photography journey. This time, let’s explore this compact camera from a street photography perspective, through a comparison with Sony’s latest mirrorless camera, the Sony a6700.
Released 13 years apart and with a huge price gap, the better choice may seem obvious. But if you’re looking for a good first (or alternate) street photography camera that won’t break the bank, don’t dismiss the NEX-5 just yet.
As UK-based street photographer George Holden mentions in the video above, both cameras aren’t popular choices for “pure street photography.” But given their capabilities and compact size, it just makes sense to use either when shooting street scenes. Holden proceeds to discuss their similarities and other features that may make or break them for street photography.
Obviously, the Sony a6700 beats the Sony NEX-5 in the autofocus speed department. However, Holden also notes that many street scenes don’t require heavy subject tracking the way a sporting event would. With the selection of E-mount lenses available for both cameras, starting out your street photography journey with the NEX-5, then working your way up to newer models like the a6700 later on isn’t such a bad idea.
Would you use the Sony NEX-5 as a dedicated street photography camera today? Or would you rather jump straight at the newer, pricier Sony a6700? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
But the situation is changing… More awareness is being brought to the fact that many of these artists are being marginalised due to their background, and with that, the number of new listeners is steadily rising as these artists take their rightful place in the spotlight. Since 2019, the ADISQ gala has included a category highlighting Indigenous lyricists – a category that will be put to the public vote from the 2024 gala onwards.
Much remains to be done, however, in terms of airplay, as demonstrated by the recent request by musicians to the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) for a 5% quota of Indigenous music on the airwaves.
As such, Qobuz has highlighted a few must-listen artists from the native scene, as well as a 40-track playlist.
Elisapie Isaac, known as Elisapie, is something of a star among Indigenous artists in Quebec. In fact, she’s freed herself from that label and is now simply part of the music scene as a whole. The Inuk artist, born in Salluit, Nunavik, has been active in the industry since 2004, first with the duo Taima, before striking out on her own.
On her albums, including the iconic The Ballad of the Runaway Girl (2018), she switches between English, French and Inuktitut. Her mother tongue is at the heart of her fourth and most recent album, Inuktitut, on which she brilliantly and elegantly covers radio hits from the past, such as Cindy Lauper’s ” Time After Time ” and Pink Floyd’s ” Wish You Were Here. “
The young singer-songwriter Kanen, only 25 years old, has garnered some attention this past year, since the launch of her first full-length album entitled Mitshuap, which means home in Innu-aimun. The artist won two Félix awards at the Gala de l’ADISQ 2023, as Revelation of the Year and Indigenous Artist of the Year. Kanen, whose real name is Karen Pinette-Fontaine, is based in Montreal, but her roots are in Uashat Mak Mani-utenam, near Sept-îles.
” I miss home, ” she sings on ” Nimueshtaten nete, ” a duet with Louis-Jean Cormier (she opened for Karkwa in Mont-Laurier on March 28). This relationship with distance and the city is woven into her indie-rock songs – sometimes biting, sometimes dreamy. A particular favorite is ” Grande fille, ” on which Kanen carries us along with her beautiful voice that channels such emotion.
The Maten trio, composed of childhood friends Samuel Pinette, Kim Fontaine, and Mathieu Mckenzie, has been a cornerstone of the vibrant Uashat Mak Mani-utenam music scene for over 25 years. In 2023, they unveiled their fourth album, Utenat, marking the inaugural release on the newly established Makusham Musique label, founded by Mckenzie’s father, the esteemed Florent Vollant. Their music, a fusion of classic folk-rock, intricately weaves together the community’s musical heritage with the virtuosity of guitarist Réjean Bouchard, drummer Alain Quirion, and bassist Jean-François Lemieux.
Maten’s talent shines thanks to the team behind them, complemented by the presence of guests like Black Bear – brilliant on ” Nitepuatauat ” – and Élage Diouf on the strange but superb ” Ueshama. “
With her experimental, multidisciplinary approach, singer-songwriter Anachnid successfully bridges the gap between ancestral images and concepts dear to her Oji-Cree and Mi’kmaq origins and contemporary sounds. Real name Kiki Harper, the Ottawa-born but Montreal-based artist made her breakthrough in 2020 with her debut album Dreamweaver, which later made the shortlist for the prestigious Polaris Prize.
Anachnid, whose pseudonym is taken from her animal totem the spider, won the Félix prize for Indigenous Artist of the Year in 2021. She has just released Freak of Nature, an EP comprising three minimalist, instrumental tracks that enrich and broaden her electro, pop and rap repertoire. Whatever comes next is likely to be just as vibrant.
Singer-songwriter Laura Niquay is an Atikamekw artist from the Wemotaci community in Mauricie. Her hit single ” Moteskano ” is energizing, with a catchy chorus – a synthesis of modern vibrance and traditional song. This, her second album Waska Matisiwin, featuring ” Moteskano, ” was shortlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.
And rightfully so – the singer, with her slightly raspy voice, possesses a remarkable talent for creating enchanting melodies, and for infusing her rock songs with a diverse range of sounds. Laura Niquay’s music delves into profound emotional themes, exploring topics such as family, nature, and the struggles of life, all conveyed with honesty yet infused with a glimmer of hope.
It sounds like a code name, and in truth, it sort of is. Q052 is a blend of the first letter of his first name – Quentin Condo – and the official government number of his reserve in Gaspésie. The rapper from Gesgapegiag, of Mi’gmaq descent, delivers predominantly English rap tunes that exude an old school feel, interwoven with rock elements, reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine.
His latest release, ” Vati-Klan, ” channels a style that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Beastie Boys record. Condo identifies himself as an activist, and the sharp energy of his rap is right on par. Q052 doesn’t mince words and paints a sharp picture of society, particularly in its interactions with Indigenous peoples.
But the situation is changing… More awareness is being brought to the fact that many of these artists are being marginalised due to their background, and with that, the number of new listeners is steadily rising as these artists take their rightful place in the spotlight. Since 2019, the ADISQ gala has included a category highlighting Indigenous lyricists – a category that will be put to the public vote from the 2024 gala onwards.
Much remains to be done, however, in terms of airplay, as demonstrated by the recent request by musicians to the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) for a 5% quota of Indigenous music on the airwaves.
As such, Qobuz has highlighted a few must-listen artists from the native scene, as well as a 40-track playlist.
Elisapie Isaac, known as Elisapie, is something of a star among Indigenous artists in Quebec. In fact, she’s freed herself from that label and is now simply part of the music scene as a whole. The Inuk artist, born in Salluit, Nunavik, has been active in the industry since 2004, first with the duo Taima, before striking out on her own.
On her albums, including the iconic The Ballad of the Runaway Girl (2018), she switches between English, French and Inuktitut. Her mother tongue is at the heart of her fourth and most recent album, Inuktitut, on which she brilliantly and elegantly covers radio hits from the past, such as Cindy Lauper’s ” Time After Time ” and Pink Floyd’s ” Wish You Were Here. “
The young singer-songwriter Kanen, only 25 years old, has garnered some attention this past year, since the launch of her first full-length album entitled Mitshuap, which means home in Innu-aimun. The artist won two Félix awards at the Gala de l’ADISQ 2023, as Revelation of the Year and Indigenous Artist of the Year. Kanen, whose real name is Karen Pinette-Fontaine, is based in Montreal, but her roots are in Uashat Mak Mani-utenam, near Sept-îles.
” I miss home, ” she sings on ” Nimueshtaten nete, ” a duet with Louis-Jean Cormier (she opened for Karkwa in Mont-Laurier on March 28). This relationship with distance and the city is woven into her indie-rock songs – sometimes biting, sometimes dreamy. A particular favorite is ” Grande fille, ” on which Kanen carries us along with her beautiful voice that channels such emotion.
The Maten trio, composed of childhood friends Samuel Pinette, Kim Fontaine, and Mathieu Mckenzie, has been a cornerstone of the vibrant Uashat Mak Mani-utenam music scene for over 25 years. In 2023, they unveiled their fourth album, Utenat, marking the inaugural release on the newly established Makusham Musique label, founded by Mckenzie’s father, the esteemed Florent Vollant. Their music, a fusion of classic folk-rock, intricately weaves together the community’s musical heritage with the virtuosity of guitarist Réjean Bouchard, drummer Alain Quirion, and bassist Jean-François Lemieux.
Maten’s talent shines thanks to the team behind them, complemented by the presence of guests like Black Bear – brilliant on ” Nitepuatauat ” – and Élage Diouf on the strange but superb ” Ueshama. “
With her experimental, multidisciplinary approach, singer-songwriter Anachnid successfully bridges the gap between ancestral images and concepts dear to her Oji-Cree and Mi’kmaq origins and contemporary sounds. Real name Kiki Harper, the Ottawa-born but Montreal-based artist made her breakthrough in 2020 with her debut album Dreamweaver, which later made the shortlist for the prestigious Polaris Prize.
Anachnid, whose pseudonym is taken from her animal totem the spider, won the Félix prize for Indigenous Artist of the Year in 2021. She has just released Freak of Nature, an EP comprising three minimalist, instrumental tracks that enrich and broaden her electro, pop and rap repertoire. Whatever comes next is likely to be just as vibrant.
Singer-songwriter Laura Niquay is an Atikamekw artist from the Wemotaci community in Mauricie. Her hit single ” Moteskano ” is energizing, with a catchy chorus – a synthesis of modern vibrance and traditional song. This, her second album Waska Matisiwin, featuring ” Moteskano, ” was shortlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.
And rightfully so – the singer, with her slightly raspy voice, possesses a remarkable talent for creating enchanting melodies, and for infusing her rock songs with a diverse range of sounds. Laura Niquay’s music delves into profound emotional themes, exploring topics such as family, nature, and the struggles of life, all conveyed with honesty yet infused with a glimmer of hope.
It sounds like a code name, and in truth, it sort of is. Q052 is a blend of the first letter of his first name – Quentin Condo – and the official government number of his reserve in Gaspésie. The rapper from Gesgapegiag, of Mi’gmaq descent, delivers predominantly English rap tunes that exude an old school feel, interwoven with rock elements, reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine.
His latest release, ” Vati-Klan, ” channels a style that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Beastie Boys record. Condo identifies himself as an activist, and the sharp energy of his rap is right on par. Q052 doesn’t mince words and paints a sharp picture of society, particularly in its interactions with Indigenous peoples.
The woman who goes by @alexandrajaye5 on TikTok shared her frustrations with wedding photographer Hannah Elise in a series of videos
A woman has been dubbed “Sepia Bride” after her wedding day ordeal went viral on TikTok. Alexandra Jaye Conder got married in a lavish destination wedding in Anguilla last November. As wedding photographs are any bride’s prized possessions, Alexandra took to social media to vent about her situation. What initially appeared to be the perfect wedding photos soon turned into a sepia-toned tragedy.
Sepia Bride drama has gone viral on TikTok(TikTok/ @alexandrajaye5)
What is the viral ‘Sepia Bride’ drama all about?
The woman who goes by @alexandrajaye5 on TikTok shared her frustrations with wedding photographer Hannah Elise in a series of videos. “Imagine paying almost $8,000 for a wedding photographer. And when you raised your concerns, they threatened to sue you for slander if you spoke your truth,” she said in the first video of her 14-part series.
Alexandra explained that she hired Elise after going through her photography page on Instagram. “Her feed looks so bright, airy, but also had this golden-ness to it and I loved that the golden-ness still captured the beauty of like colours, blue, your skin tone, etc,” she said.
However, when it came to her own photos, the case was not the same anymore. “Our wedding day was overcast, nothing you can really do about that. However, photographers should know how to shoot in an overcast situation,” Alexandra revealed. She did admit that her rehearsal dinner pictures turned out to be “gorgeous.”
“So she delivered the photos and of course right away I’m like ‘Oh my God, I love them. I love every single one of them.’ I am like beaming with excitement,” the TikToker said. “And, then for about 30 days, I’m staring at the photos and I am like ‘Why is there something bothering me?’” “I couldn’t put my finger on it, until I realised.”
“I’m a makeup artist, okay? I was a makeup artist in the wedding industry for years. And I do my own makeup for my wedding. And I’m staring at the solo pictures of me and I’m like, hmm, I kind of look really pale and my makeup isn’t showing at all,” Alexandra said.
She explained that after noticing that her face seemed different, she raised the issue with Elise, who offered to re-edit her photos for free. However, the issue only escalated from there. Alexandra then proceeded to compare the edited photo with a picture of herself shot on an iPhone.
“What did she put on my lipstick? What blush am I wearing? Like what is all my eyes, my skin, everything?” the TikToker said. “I then came to the conclusion that I need to reach out to her and tell her that some of the edits felt like there were a preset that was copy-pasted, and I wasn’t happy whatsoever,” she added.
She revealed in the rest of her series that the photographer charged her $4,000 for the RAW shots. Despite the hefty amount, Alexandra agreed to pay and settled on editing them by herself. The “Sepia Bride” drama quickly gained traction on social media, drawing mixed responses from netizens. While many sympathised with her, others blasted her for being too nit-picky.
The International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) is now in its 18th year, and continues to produce some of the most stunning nature imagery of any competition.
This year, the winner of the IGPOTY Macro Art Photo Project competition and £250 ($315) prize money is Henrik Spranz from Austria, with his photograph entitled ‘Pale Rider’.
Spranz captured the image of a pale clouded yellow butterfly in September using: a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Sigma APO Macro 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens, with and exposure of 1/800sec at f/3.2, ISO 400.
He used tonal correction post-capture, as well as denois, contrast, dodge, burn tools and basic image management in PhotoShop, and “to get that rainbow stripe to appear in the lower right part of the photo, I used a piece of glass in front of my lens,” Spranz revealed.
(Image credit: Henrik Spranz)
Tyrone McGlinchey FLS FRSA, IGPOTY Head Judge said:
“Henrik is a ‘master of the macro’ and with this shot has shown artistry via selection of lens, subject, and background – with the rainbow effect delivered tastefully.”
All the winners, finalists and highly commended images will be exhibited at Kew Gardens in London, England, and will then tour the rest of the country, continent and world.
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Check out the other winners, and a selection of the other high skilled entries.
(Image credit: Tony North)
Tony North won second place with his image Silver-Studded Blue, taken in Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria.
“A silver-studded blue butterfly (Plebejus argus) on a meadow clary flower spike. This shot was captured handheld, in a meadow in southern Bulgaria. I positioned myself to get some foreground blur on the left from some other flowers of the same species.”
Third place was won by Zsolt Varanka with The Flowers of the Night, taken in Tahitótfalu, Pest County, Hungary.
“These night-swarming mayfly (Ephoron virgo) were attracted to the area by light; I used two wireless flashes (with rear curtain sync) positioned sideways, (opposite each other) to freeze their flight, whilst two small video LED lights were placed by the tripod-mounted camera to evenly light the insects’ path. I regularly switched off the lights to allow them to continue.”
Equipment used: Sony α7 Mark III, Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD lens, Tripod, 2 wireless flashes, 2 LED lights.. Exposure: 1/10sec at f/14, ISO 1250. Post-capture: use of crop, noise reduction, and dodge and burn tools, basic image management.
(Image credit: Richard Kubica)
A finalist, Richard Kubica took Reflections in Myjava, Trenčín, Slovakia.
“A handheld focus stacked photo of a fly, comprised of twenty photographs – for better depth of field. I took this in the early morning, whilst everything was covered in dew, and the insect was very calm.”
Equipment used: Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro lens. Godox flash with homemade diffusor.Exposure: 1/60sec at f/9, ISO 200. Post-capture: focus stacked 20 images together, use of crop and contrast tools, basic image management.
(Image credit: Jay Birmingham)
Dragonfly Dawn was taken by Jay Birmingham, a finalist, at RSPB Middleton Lakes, England, United Kingdom.
“A skimmer dragonfly, photographed against the rising sun, in the RSPB Middleton Lakes nature reserve – which is self-described as ‘a mosaic of wetlands, meadows and woodland in the heart of the River Tame Valley’.”
Equipment used: Canon ROS R5, Sigma 180mm f/2.8 EX APO DG Macro OS HSM lens. Exposure: 1/200sec at f/2.8, ISO 320. Tripod. Post-capture: use of white balance, contrast and saturation tools, basic image management.
(Image credit: Diana Chan)
Diana Chan captured this image, Going to Fly, in Hong Kong, China.
“The moment of take-off for this tiny weevil is captured. Through the use of a macro lens, the details are revealed of the structure of this beetle’s shiny, glitter-like body, particularly the wings which are seldom opened.”
Equipment used: Nikon D850, Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro VC USD lens, and tripod. Exposure: 1/200sec at f/14, ISO 200. Post-capture: use of crop tool, basic image management.
With his series Praying in the Rain, Australian photographerMichael Dean Morgan explores the spirituality of the people of Bali. Particularly attracted to Asian culture in general and with his documentary approach, Michael wanders the streets of the countries he visits with the intention of discovering the true essence of a culture. This method is evident in his debut book titled Looking for Bali, published by Afterhours in Jakarta, where he offers a new perspective of the island and its inhabitants, far removed from the touristy and stereotypical view. With Praying in the Rain, Michael Dean Morgan performs the same operation again on the same Indonesian island. Balinese Hinduism is highlighted but with a contemporary gaze and a color that enhances the intensity, spirituality and authenticity of a people strongly attached to their traditions.
Praying in the Rain explores the delicate boundary between the visible and invisible realms in Bali. Michael Morgan captures ordinary Balinese people engaged in their daily devotions in various settings-homes, temples, stores, and fields-often unaware of the inherent beauty they embody. Ritual and everyday life intermingle, demonstrating beauty in unconscious simplicity.
The images traverse diverse locations, from mountaintops and sacred groves to urban streets, where people offer tributes to the divine. Morgan’s lens captures teenagers beautifully painted for ritual dances, a priest and his wife preparing offerings at the foot of a sacred tree, a man blessing his Volkswagen. Another shot shows a family praying in the ruins of a temple. In short, each photograph is able to evoke smells, mystical and aromatic sensations of Balinese reality, all to be discerned.
Jacksonville’s Chan Bush is spending his days enjoying retirement, mostly. But his long career as a photographer trained his eye to notice things, like the large numbers of people sleeping on the streets of our communities.
Bush decided to talk to some of them, and take their pictures, and that led to a book,The Homeless: A Living Gallery of Hope. People living on the streets in both Oregon and California tell their own stories in the book, with no editing from the guy holding the camera.
Chan Bush visited the JX studio to talk about his project, and the wealth of knowledge he gained from people who have little material wealth.
“More is more, less is a bore.” Nobody distills an aesthetic point of view down to a six-word credo like designer and lifestyle guru Danielle Rollins. This particular decorating doctrine is how Rollins describes her approach to designing the Palm Beach home of lifestyle and interiors photographer Nick Mele, his wife Molly, and their two sons, Johnny (9) and Archer (6).
A self-professed Brunschwig et Fils devotee, the designer leaned heavily on the textile house’s latest collection, La Menagerie, to outfit the Mele house in a wild mix of elaborate and whimsical patterns suitable for both their lifestyle and their unique aesthetic.
Nick and Molly “live a real life…in a non-pretentious way,” says Rollins, who has known Nick’s family (he is the grandson of Marion “Oatsie” Charles, a longtime fixture on the Washington, D.C. and Newport social scenes) since she was in college. “There is a 100% chance books will be read on sofas, card games will be played laying on the floor, pizza will be served on the Chinese export porcelain, tents will be made out of tablecloths and a lemur will show up for cocktails.”
Nick Mele for Brunschwig & Fils
A self-portrait of Nick in his family room with a monkey
Mele has made a name for himself with his highly stylized approached to interiors and lifestyle photography, often playing with traditional imagery of East Coast domestic leisure by infusing them with irreverent conceits that border on absurd. It’s as if he is gently (or not so?) satirizing the world from which he descends with Slim Aarons-like eye for composition and access to society and a Wes Anderson-esque sensibility and sense of humor.
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It’s not often that a designer will rely so heavily on a single collection of fabrics and wallpapers to design a home, but Rollins insists these fabrics work particularly well together thanks to their coordination of pattern and scale and consistent intensity of color. To wit, the collection, largely based on archival designs in new colorations including several iconic reintroductions of patterns from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, is an emphatic statement that the brand believes maximalism not cooling off any time soon.
For his part, Mele confirms he is a maximalist at heart. “I can’t stand a white wall. I love pattern on pattern and bold color choices. I like chinoiserie, chintz and needlepoint pillows with pithy sayings on them. I come from a family full of Southern charm and Yankee thrift, and I appreciate homes with history and décor with a story. To me, the genius is in the details,” he says.
Given his appreciation for maximalist design as well as his distinctly playful approach to life, Mele found Brunschwig’s La Menagerie collection a perfect foundation for his own home.
The textiles “feel both traditional and fresh at the same time. I also love how playful they are. There is a whimsy that fits our general aesthetic very well,” says Nick. “On top of that, layering them all together lets us hide all our many imperfections.”
In a certain way, the layering of pattern and color is a manifestation of the Mele family personality. “I love it when a home is an extension of its owners and their personality bleeds through the design. I try to give my photographs a very distinctive style and feeling,” Mele says. “If you don’t stand out, you’ll blend in. I wanted our house to stand out. I wanted it to be both memorable and markedly us and I think we succeeded.”
Read on for more details on how Rollins brought to life the mantra of “more is more, less is a bore” inside the Mele home.
Kitchen
Nick Mele for Brunschwig & Fils
The kitchen’s crisp apple green palette was inspired by , a classic Brunschwig & Fils pattern the textile house has reintroduced with the La Menagerie collection in seven new colorways with colored grounds and neutral stylized spots (the reverse of its original incarnation, which launched in 1965).
Rollins clad the kitchen walls in the pattern, whose throwback references updated in a vibrant shade are a perfect fit for the Meles’ aesthetic and lifestyle. Les Touches is “the ultimate classic and the perfect scale to mix into just about any and every scheme. It’s a neutral with out being a nothing,” says Rollins.
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Breakfast Room
Nick Mele for Brunschwig & Fils
Apple green in the kitchen and breakfast room helped inform the palette for the rest of the house. “There’s always that puzzle for a designer trying to balance color, scale, pattern and texture when rooms intersect with each other,” says Rollins. “I needed this space to have a color thread to the rest of the rooms but not to compete with or dominate the other patterns. Plus I think the best kitchen color choices are always the colors of food!”
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Living Room
Nick Mele for Brunschwig & Fils
Nick’s wife, Molly, posing with a camel
Rollins’ mastery of mixing patterns really shines in the living room, where she paired , a large-scale, hand-painted pattern inspired by an archival hand-blocked L’Indienne textile, with (red/blue), a print depicting elaborate scenes of Indian maharajas and their courtiers first introduced by the textile house in 1970s. Balancing the grand scale of the upholstery and curtains with the intricate details of the wallcovering is a small-scale leopard patterned carpet underfoot from Stanton (Felix in True Leopard).
The key to layering pattern on pattern is to vary the scale within one color family, says Rollins. “This collection offers a vast range of patterns and mix of scale, but there’s a consistent color saturation and tones, which made things very easy for me,” she says.
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Dining Room
Nick Mele
The Mele’s dining room beautifully reflects their inclination towards nostalgia, albeit through a contemporary lens. For example, Rollins furnished the room largely with antiques and vintage pieces, including a faux bamboo chandelier from Show Pony in West Palm Beach and a dining table and chairs from Molly’s childhood home.
For a contemporary update to the heirloom dining set, Rollins draped the dining table in a custom skirt made from Brunschwig et Fil’s Kanchou, a print based on an antique Chinese wallpaper panel featuring cockatoos, flowering vines, and dogwood branches and first introduced over 20 years ago. She also upholstered the Queen Anne chairs in Les Touches Reverse in Leaf, picking up the green pattern from the adjoining kitchen.
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Family Room
Nick Mele for Brunschwig & Fils
In the family room, Rollins leaned into the idea of creating a fantastical escape with global design references for the Meles and their two children—starting with Brunschwig et Fil’s Beauport Promenade wallcovering in Garden. Based on a wallpaper that hangs in the historic Strawberry Hill Room of the Sleeper-McCann house in Gloucester, MA, the print depicts an exotic parade of Asian elephants, noblemen and their attendants and is a reintroduction of a design first launched by Brunschwig in the 1985.
The collection’s worldly influences, says Rollins, laid the foundation for rooms that will inspire “inquisitive daydreaming” for Johnny and Archer as they “mull over the textile patterns imagining what stories they tell,” she says. “I strongly believe that rooms should always keep unfolding their treasures the more time you spend in them, and that children should have exposure to beautiful things but be taught to live with in them. If you wait to decorate or use the good stuff until children are older, how will they ever learn to behave in those spaces or to value and appreciate them?”
The patterns have a surprisingly practical side too: “As a mother, I can tell you that solids are not your friend. Patterns can hide an entire world of mishaps, mistakes, tumbles and spills,” says Rollins.
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Brunschwig & Fils Beauport Promenade Fabric
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Steele Marcoux is the Editor in Chief at VERANDA, covering design trends, architecture, and travel for the brand.
FARGO — Watching Kary Janousek take a photograph is like stepping back in time. She photographs her subjects (often in vintage clothing) while wearing a Victorian dress herself. From beneath the camera’s curtain, she orders the subject to hold still — for upwards of 12 seconds.
“Exposure times are generally 4-12 seconds in my studio,” said Janousek, who is a wet plate collodion artist based in Fargo.
This summer, Janousek set out to share her analog art with communities throughout North Dakota with the traveling exhibition, “Silver Linings Tintype Tour.” The tour runs through September, held in various locations and historic places like Medora and Fort Abercrombie, featuring photographic displays and live demonstrations.
Kary Janousek created this self portrait graffiti ambrotype in 2023 while formulating plans for her Silver Linings Tour, which runs through September across the upper Midwest. “Change happens every day. That’s why life is such an adventure,” Janousek wrote about the photo.
Kary Janousek / Contributed
Old-school sensibility, modern mentality
The wet plate collodion process dates back to the 1850s, a process involving treating film and developing it in about 15 minutes, which means photos taken in the field require a portable darkroom.
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If analog photography is an aesthetic, then Janousek expresses her take on it in dramatic, feminine and very human ways. She is the only wet plate photographer in the Fargo-Moorhead area and one of four others in North Dakota.
Trained as a milliner specializing in vintage hats, Jaousek opened an online vintage and antique hat shop in 2012 where she restored and repaired hats from the 1960s to the 1970s. The hat business was her primary occupation until 2020 when she discovered her appreciation for tintype photography and the wet plate process.
Sisters Millie and Madeleine Hyatt sit for a portrait during wet plate photographer Kary Janousek’s visit to the Governors’ Mansion State Historic Site in Bismarck on June 22, 2024. This piece and others collected during Janousek’s Silver Lining Tintype Tour will be archived at the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Kary Janousek / Contributed
“I’ve always loved history and fashion,” she said. “I like feminine, conceptual portraiture that’s rooted in a respect for the past and the emotional journey of the human experience. I also appreciate how fashion from the 1930s to the 1950s really flattered and respected the female form.”
Janousek is prolific and frequently shares her photos on her social media accounts where she details more about her subjects and process.
“I like to start projects that require collaboration and planning, that have a purpose or theme, and that push me past my comfort zone,” she said.
The process
Wet plate photos often come out monochromatic. Not quite black and white, not quite sepia, but something in between. Because they are handmade, Janousek said seeing little scratches and dust fibers on final images is normal and a part of what makes the process so interesting.
“It all adds to an interesting ambiance,” Janousek said during an
“It translates color differently since it only sees the UV spectrum.”
“The Giver,” 8×10 hand gilded ambrotype layered over black glitter, from Janousek’s “Series Surviving Silver,” exhibition. Janousek said she used a seven-second exposure in natural light and dedicated the photo to her subject’s friend, who had recently passed away.
Kary Janousek / Contributed
For example, blue turns white, and red and yellow turn black. The result is that different tones and textures come out that modern digital cameras don’t usually capture, or at least, not intentionally. Janousek said the result is that people’s unique features, like high cheekbones and freckles, tend to stand out more.
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The process of shooting, developing and producing one image is a lesson in chemistry. Janousek said her process is “slow and deliberate,” and it begins with coating a metal or glass plate with premixed chemicals, then dropping the plate into a silver nitrate bath to make it more reactive to light.
Once the plate is ready, Janousek places it in a light-protecting plate holder by the large-format bellows camera with a sheet to cover the photographer. Then she poses her subject, refines the focus, loads the holder containing the plate inside the camera, replaces the lens cap, pulls the dark slide, removes the lens cap.
And then she takes the picture.
Wet plate collodion photographer Kary Janousek pays homage to the Victorian sensibility that gave birth to tintype photography in the 1850s with this photo of Kiymara Smith. Janousek sometimes hints at our modern life, with subjects donning tattoos and piercings, and posing more evocatively than might have been the norm 200 years ago when the photography style was first introduced.
Kary Janousek / Contributed
A few other steps are involved at this point, but eventually she gets to the chemistry part.
“Once I see the highlights appear, I stop exposure in water and rinse. The plate is then placed in a fixing solution and the image turns from a negative to a positive,” Janousek said. “This last magical step of transformation can be done outside of the darkroom.”
Janousek often has her subjects dress in period costumes, but she also enjoys highlighting features and characteristics that are decidedly modern. An eyebrow piercing, a tattoo peeking out the shoulder of a dress, or dramatic makeup that plays with the light are all details that make wet plate collodion decidedly postmodern.
Many of wet plate collodion photographer Kary Janousek’s images glimpse into the world of the working class from both a historic and 21st century lens.
Kary Janousek / Contributed
“I usually have a storyline behind it that plays into a dramatic human emotion,” she said in her SDPB interview, though too much adornment can have the opposite effect. “Choosing the props and accessories is important.”
Current and upcoming exhibitions
The Silver Linings tour has taken Janousek to Bismarck where she photographed the Former Governor’s Mansion State Historic Site and gave live demonstrations on the wet plate technique. Most of her tour stops will involve historic places and landmarks, with an upcoming trip to the Badlands at Medora on July 20 for another traveling exhibit and live demonstrations.
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Janousek will be at Ft. Abercrombie on July 27 for the Weekend Living History series that features live reenactments depicting the “Galvanized Yankees,” a unit of Confederate soldiers who were stationed at Fort Abercrombie before being captured and sent east to prison camps.
Janousek is currently the Jasper Hotel’s featured artist alongside Chase Evert where her work is displayed on the eleventh and fourteenth floors. The Jasper is located at 215 N. Broadway in downtown Fargo.
“I’ve been working with the Jasper for two years now and these particular images I made for this display were taken on their rooftop balcony alongside photographer Chase Evert,” Janousek said. “I wanted to play with the idea of old and new, youth and experience, past and present. So. I invited him to take digital versions of the same images that I made on glass using this antique process.”
Janousek is also displaying at The Rourke’s Midwestern exhibit in which the theme is “The Omnipotence: A Century of Surrealism,” displaying now through September at The Rourke Art Museum + Gallery, 514 Main Avenue, Moorhead.
This article is part of a content partnership with The Arts Partnership, a nonprofit organization cultivating the arts in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo. For more information, visit
Southport Memorial Library is pleased to display the photography of Bruce Burnham during the months of July and August.
Bruce is a Boothbay native whose family roots date back to the 1700s. He’s been looking through the viewfinders of cameras since seventh grade. In high school he lobbied for some darkroom equipment for the art department. His love of developing his own film and prints cemented his love of the photographic arts.
His inspiration, like for many others, came from Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. What he enjoyed most was their nature work and how they manipulated the light and created great patterns from what they saw.
“It’s all about the light,” he said. “Nature inspires me; from birds and landscapes to crashing waves and patterns in nature most people walk by and never see. The workshops I attended held by Freeman Patterson and André Gallant, Tony Sweet, and John Sexton were inspirational.”
This new show features 30 photographs, 14 of which are framed 11” x 14” images for $100. This show includes photos taken during his trip to Hawaii this winter, the Boothbay region and other Maine locations.
Burnham has been a board member of the Boothbay Region Art Foundation for several years. In 2023 he established a new show focused on the art of photography, the invitational Maine Photographer’s Showcase, held in April. During this show, the images of 20 photographers are featured at BRAF.
Burnham has won many awards for his photography over the years. His work has been displayed in these galleries and venues, among others: Portland Public Library, Bass Park, Atlantic Motorcar, Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library, the First National Bank.
“I want to thank Sandra (Seifert) and everyone at the Southport Memorial Library for their generosity in displaying photographers and artists alike.”
Southport’s library is at 1032 Hendricks Hill Road. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; evening hours on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m.
