Edmonton’s digital artist, Renee Robyn, stands on the precipice of international recognition as she prepares to represent Canada at the 2024 World Photography Cup. Known for her enchanting composite artworks brought to life through fantasy inspiration, Robyn’s artistic prowess has ensured her nomination in not one, but two different categories — illustrative digital art and illustrative portrait art.

A Leap into the Fantasy Realm

Robyn’s childhood was steeped in the realms of video games and fantasy novels. They would later serve as the springboard for her artistic endeavours. A last-minute decision to participate in the competition, encouraged by her partner and fellow artist, Curtis Jones, led her to submit five of her best works. As the judging process unfolded, four of her submissions were eliminated, leaving two images that would cement her place as Canada’s representative.

Crafting Ethereal Art

Robyn’s signature style involves photographing subjects and backgrounds separately, then meticulously layering multiple images to create the final composite artwork. One of her nominated pieces, a captivating self-portrait, features Robyn draped in a hand-sewn cape. The attention to detail is evident in the lifelike capture of the fabric’s flow, showcasing the artist’s commitment to her craft.

A First in the World of Photography

As the World Photography Cup inches closer, Robyn and her partner, Curtis Jones, find themselves in an unprecedented situation. Marking a first in the competition’s history, they are the first couple representing the same country in the same year, albeit in different categories. The World Photography Cup has received submissions from 42 countries, with the top 10 finalists set to be revealed at the end of January. The winners will then be announced in a grand ceremony in Texas come spring.

While the world awaits the results of the World Photography Cup, Robyn is not resting on her laurels. She is already gearing up for her next venture — the launch of her first art book slated for release in the upcoming summer. This achievement serves as testament to her relentless pursuit of artistic expression and her unwavering dedication to her craft.

By IVY JACOBS

Times Co-Editor

Did you know that one of the premier photography studios is in Clay County?

SUBMITTED PHOTOS – WHITE PINE MANOR PHOTO FARM – Images of the Photography Studio’s sets that can be rented for family photos. More information is available at www.whitepinemanor.com.

White Pine Manor is a unique photo studio.

“The dream in purchasing this land was to bring back community and family memory making,” said JoAnn Wilkerson, who bought the land a few years ago for the sole purpose. I wanted to provide a place for families to make memories together. I knew this would be a perfect place.”

The 16-acre is a place to slow down and enjoy the scenic beauty of the outdoors while taking the perfect photos. Some special places include a unique glass house and numerous indoor backdrop sets featuring seasonal vintage art to create the most memorable images available for professional and novice photographers at reasonable prices.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS – WHITE PINE MANOR PHOTO FARM – Images of the Photography Studio’s sets that can be rented for family photos. More information is available at www.whitepinemanor.com.

Friends Debbie McNinch is an award-winning photographer with decades of experience, and Wilkerson works together to create the award-winning seasonal sets in “Studio 624.”

“We do these together. I get to be creative and artistic,” said McNinch, who loves helping people bring art back to photography. “JoAnn is the detail person. She gets things done.”

“It is amazing how our minds work together to get things done,” said Wilkerson, who urged McNinch to tell a story about why each set is special.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS – WHITE PINE MANOR PHOTO FARM – Images of the Photography Studio’s sets that can be rented for family photos. More information is available at www.whitepinemanor.com.

“We were poor when I was a child, but somehow, my mom saved the money to buy my first camera. She encouraged my love of photography,” said McNinch. “To honor her, I put something of my mother’s in each set.”

“Our brains just mesh so well,” said Wilkerson, explaining there are not many photo barns throughout the county.

Both women share a love of “vintage junk,” which works well when designing photography sets.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS – WHITE PINE MANOR PHOTO FARM – Images of the Photography Studio’s sets that can be rented for family photos. More information is available at www.whitepinemanor.com.

Last year, White Pine Manor was nationally recognized with a “Most Innovation” award for their photo barn.

“Each one is unique; they do their own things,” said McNinch about the outside-the-box idea. “We are kind of known.”

More than 200 photographers from throughout Indiana and a handful from outside the state have used the facilities at White Pine Manor Photo Barn for photo shoots. Many families have scheduled appointments for family photos and engagement and wedding photos throughout the year.

The mission statement of White Pine Manor is “Capture The Memory.”

the winter sets are available until the end of December, with new ones coming in January.

McNinch said it takes about two weeks to tear down and put new ideas together.

“The new sets should be available mid-January,” said Wilkerson. “People can check Facebook (White Pines Manor photo farm) for details.”

More information is available at www.whitepinemanor.com.

NEW DELHI: BRYT India, a pioneer in cutting-edge technology, has set a new benchmark in photography solutions with the unveiling of its latest products–the SD Card V90 and CFX Cards. Designed with professional photographers in mind, these state-of-the-art cards offer unprecedented speed and reliability for capturing high-resolution images and 4K videos.

BRYT India has emerged as a leading brand in India’s memory and storage industries, celebrated for its range of high-grade memory solutions. The company’s focus on quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction has propelled it to the top 10 brands in the country. With a comprehensive product lineup, including SSDs, pen drives, DRAM, micro-SD, and IC, Bryt India ensures customers receive reliable, durable, and high-performing products.

SD Card V90 USH II: The SD Card V90, available in capacities ranging from 64GB to 512GB, boasts an impressive Read Speed of 300 and Write Speed of 300. Ideal for professionals seeking swift data transfer capabilities, this card ensures unparalleled performance.

CFX Cards: With a Read Speed of 1900 and Write Speed of 1800, the CFX Cards, also available in capacities from 64GB to 512GB, are tailored for professional photographers engaged in wedding and high intensity shooting scenarios. These cards provide the speed and capacity required for a seamless workflow. Ideal for Professional Photographers: Meticulously crafted to meet the specific needs of professional photographers, the SD Card V90 and CFX Cards excel in wedding photography and high need shooting situations, delivering the performance and reliability that photographers demand.

Strengthens Bryt’s Photo Channel Lineup: The launch of the SD Card V90 and CFX Cards reinforces Bryt India’s commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions for the photography community. This expansion solidifies Bryt India’s position as a leader in the photography technology space. (ANI)

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Portrait photography is a great passion of mine. Ever since flicking through the photography books of great portrait photographers such as Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Gordon Parks, and Arnold Newman, I have appreciated the skill it takes to capture another through the lens. This inspired me to forge a career by doing the same. 

Every photographer is different in their approach, and I have learned to appreciate that this is not always aligned with my own – which is a great thing! 

As social media has become a larger part of my job, I am always on the lookout for great portrait photographers to follow for inspiration, and I have compiled a list of 10 that do just that in the hopes it may do the same for you. The majority of these photographers are not solely ‘portrait photographers’, they may be documentary or fashion-focused, but capturing people is a large part of their practice. 

The list below is comprised of photographers at various stages of their careers, some high profile and some in the process of blazing their path, but all are extremely talented. 

Stephan Vanfleteren

Stephan Vanfleteren is a photographer whom I have followed for many years and who produces incredible portraits. His social media features a wide range of portrait subjects, some well-known faces and some unknown, but you are unable to tell the difference as they are all captured with the same character. 

His latest book Altelier, features 12 years of work captured in his home studio and is a masterclass in studio portrait work – I highly recommend it! 

Camila Falquez

Camila Falquez is a US-based artist. The use of bold punchy painted colors has seen her work grace the covers of many renowned publications and she has developed a unique and recognizable style. 

Rodrigo Carmuega

Carmuega’s work blends fashion and portraiture, with the same characteristic style. His work photographing gauchos in Argentina is an exquisite body of work that has been recently published into a book titled Doma.

Pie Aerts 

Pie Aerts a.k.a @because.people.matter on Instagram, travels the world capturing portraits of native people. His approach and execution enable authentic portraits of authentic people and provide a glimpse into their world. He also integrates moving portraits, which offer another dimension to his already exceptional work. 

Roman Jehanno

Roman Jehanno is a master of the environmental portrait,  providing the viewer with a lot of information in each image. By combining natural and artificial light seamlessly, he has developed a signature style throughout his work. 

Karina Barberis

UK-based Karina Barberis is establishing herself as a portrait photographer who captures beautiful portraits on film. Whether photographs of her family or strangers, she can capture incredibly intimate portraits that connect with the viewer.  

Laura Pannack

Laura Pannack has an amazing ability to capture representational narratives with her portraiture, which is evident in her recent photography book – Youth Without Age and Life Without Death.  

Max Miechowski

Max Miechowski photographs portraits with a documentarian approach, photographing people to enhance the story. His recent book Land Loss, follows the artist’s deep interest in the British landscape, exploring themes of time, community, and resilience, capturing its people within the land. 

Szilveszter Makó

Szilveszter Makó creates stunning painterly studio portraits that are both high concept and unique. When this is paired with fantastic subjects like his recent shoot with actor Willem Defoe, it’s magic!

Dan Winters

Dan Winters is a photographer whom I have admired for a long time and is one of the most recognized portrait photographers working today. Often capturing some of the world’s most famous faces, his location and studio work seamlessly intertwine due to his masterful lighting skills. The use of tone, design, and connection with the subject is a tour de force – a true master at the craft!

So here is my list of 10! There are many more that would have made an even linger list, but I feel these picks offer something for everyone and I hope that at least one can inspire you as they do me. 

For more information regarding what equipment we recommend for portrait photography, see our guides on the best camera for portraits, and the best lens for portrait photography. 

This photograph is one of 18,000 frames I took at the Canadian Cheer National Championships in Niagara Falls. That’s an absurd amount of pictures, but with dozens of performances to capture, it seems fittingly excessive for a story documenting the very extreme sport of competitive cheer.

Reporter Jana G. Pruden and videographer Timothy Moore and I spent three days in April documenting the sparkle, bounce and shouts of 8,000 cheer athletes from all over Canada. Here, the jubilant team members of the Montreal-based Coyotes Savage Pack celebrate their divisional win. A shiny, shrieking, hair-flying sport like no other.

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Marcus Gee and I visited downtown Oshawa a number of times in 2023 to document the people and places that have been affected by a triple crisis of drug addiction, mental illness and homelessness. This photograph was for a story in January about the warmth and support that Nicole Teelucksingh, the convenience store owner on the right, offers to those who are struggling in the neighbourhood. We caught serene moments like this one between Daniel Renaud and Amber Kellas, who spend a lot of time at Convenience Plus.

Later in the evening, just down the street, two people were taken to hospital after separate opioid overdoses within the same block.

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Cambria Harris, of Long Plain First Nation in Manitoba, is the daughter of Morgan Harris, one of the victims of an alleged serial killer. It’s suspected her mother’s remains, along with those of another woman, are in the Prairie Green landfill near Winnipeg. When this photo was taken in January at the Brady Road Landfill protest site, Ms. Harris had already spoken at Parliament asking for police to search the landfill for the women’s remains.

As the landfill search became a provincial election campaign topic, Ms. Harris continued to advocate with other family members and Indigenous leaders for police and government to search the landfills. Her determination is clear in her gaze.

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Every day in the late afternoon at the Dajabon border with Ouanaminthe, Haiti, caged immigration buses and repurposed school buses arrive crammed to the windows with deportees. Children and families, many collected by soldiers in the middle of the night without belongings or shoes and sometimes held for days at detention centres, are sent back across the border. Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country, shares the island with the Dominican Republic, the largest economy in the Caribbean. The extreme disparity has led to an increase of would-be migrants.

This photo from March is of Gesnal Duval, who was on one of the school buses. He said he had been arrested with his wife and three children the night before along with every Haitian on his block. Reporter Adrian Morrow only spoke to him for a minute before he was ushered across the border back to Haiti, carrying only his daughter.

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On the border with Haiti in Dajabon, Dominican Republic, sits an enormous market where Haitians are allowed to cross without a passport to work or sell goods for the day. Nearby, the Dominican government has been erecting a wall to keep out Haitian migrants.

Reporter Adrian Morrow and I watched this seemingly endless lineup of thousands of people at the border. At 8 a.m., the gates open and Haitians lugging their wares shuffle across the bridge. They spend the day working at the market, selling mostly secondhand items from the U.S., transporting goods for Dominican vendors or buying food, before returning to Haiti as the sun sets.

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For a deep dive into fair trade chocolate, reporter Adrian Morrow and I visited cocoa farms in the Dominican Republic. In this photo, a worker is pulling a 70-kilogram bag of cocoa beans from piles that nearly fill a fair trade co-op’s cavernous processing centre.

The dried and roasted beans will be distributed to companies who use them to make cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and chocolate. The fair trade label indicates cocoa farmers have followed labour and environmental standards and generally have been paid more.

In late October, three weeks into Israel’s war on Hamas, the country stepped up operations in Jenin in the West Bank, killing many Palestinians and arresting hundreds. I have covered conflict in Jenin as far back as 2002. This time, I attended the funeral after an Israeli raid killed two Islamic Jihad militants. As the body was being carried out of the mosque, one man placed his hand on the dead man’s head as if saying goodbye.

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An estimated 60,000 people live at Al Roj and Al Hol prison camps in northeast Syria, with women and children making up the majority of those detained on suspicion of having ties to the Islamic State. I photographed this young girl standing with her family at a market in the Al Hol camp.

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In this image from Vietnam, two people attempt to fish a river at low tide in the town of Tran De near the Mekong River, which has been dammed to prevent inland salination from rising seas. With so much garbage and so little water, they look like they are fishing in mud.

It illustrates climate change in the area well. It’s beautiful when the tide is high and you can’t see the garbage, although that brings the threat of saltwater destroying agricultural crops. When the water pulls out, it looks like a disaster.

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Embedded with the Syrian Democratic Forces in April, I documented this counterterrorism raid in Deir ez-Zor, Syria. It was a rare look into the Kurdish-controlled territory where the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria uses the SDF to attempt to control areas in the aftermath of the war against the Islamic State. On this night the soldiers arrested a suspect, rounding up scared family members lit by the military vehicles’ light.

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Years ago, I photographed protests in the West Bank just like this one in Ramallah on Oct. 27. I was surprised to see Israeli forces were using live ammunition, not rubber bullets, and women were collecting rocks for the young men to throw toward the border guards.

I was wearing heavy, press-labeled safety equipment, and with the threat of live ammunition, these Ramallah protests were more difficult to photograph. I stood away from the boys – they were mostly teenagers – when they threw the rocks, and didn’t photograph the border guards.

Photographing puppies is not the usual Report on Business assignment. But for a story on a company that holds dog-centric events, I found myself, along with the company’s founders, trying to wrangle two puppies for a portrait. Puppies tend to do their own thing and don’t often take direction well. While finishing up portraits with the other puppy, I noticed Oberon, an Olde English BullDogge, just sitting on the floor, staring at himself in a mirror.

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News of an incident of intimate partner violence that left one woman and three children dead and another woman injured in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., had me on the road to meet up with a reporter also heading up that night. These stories can be difficult to photograph as there is little information available.

On my last day there, as I headed out in the early morning, I made one last drive past a home where a memorial had been set up. Lights had been left on throughout the night, as if to offer a beacon of support for the family and neighbours.

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I shot a protest against gender-identity education this fall at Queen’s Park for a story on the parents’ rights movement. The group opposed to gender ideology in schools staked out space by a monument, and counter-protesters eventually began to gather there as well. The two groups engaged in trying to drown out the other side’s voices and block each other’s signs. A transgender flag backlit by the noon sun stands out against the silhouetted figures of the protesters.

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Decades after being transported from their communities in the north to southern hospitals to be treated for tuberculosis, a group of survivors returned to the Mountain Sanatorium in Hamilton. They attended workshops to help them heal from the trauma they suffered as a result of being taken from their traditional lands.

Part of the group’s itinerary included a visit to the former site of the sanatorium, where a large cross they could see from their rooms was still standing. When they exited the bus and saw the cross, emotions poured out and they held each other in support. Photographing intimate moments like this is always difficult because we want to respect people’s privacy while helping tell their story.

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Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s election night party was held was in an intimate space. As soon as I began to follow her in, I realized there was no way I was going to be able to make my way through the densely packed crowds. I managed to get near the stage behind a row of people, some of whom let me squeeze in.

The only way to get the photographs I needed to show the jubilation of the night was to hold my camera over my head and look at the screen while shooting, not ideal. While I still wished I could have made it to the upper level to shoot this moment, the lower angle showed the view from her supporters’ perspective.

I have a love/hate relationship with family vacations. I enjoy going away for a few days with my wife and daughter, but it is not something I am super excited about and looking forward to each day in the months before the trip, the way most people do. Truth be told, I’m happier putting my money into buying a new lens rather than using it to book a plane ticket.

I know it is healthy to take a break from the hustle and grind of NYC, but I love my job, and I’m content to stay in NYC shooting pictures all year round. My true love is taking photographs, so whenever we book a family vacation, I make an effort to schedule a model shoot in whatever city we may be in.

Years ago, the process of scheduling a model shoot was surprisingly easy for me, despite people being less connected a decade ago than we are today. In the past, there was a higher demand for a skilled, professional photographer like myself who was willing to offer his services for free to an unknown model. Today, someone who wants to be photographed can easily find a friend to take pictures for them. While there are benefits to working with a professional photographer, the model is likely to produce high-quality images even if they are being photographed by a friend using a smartphone. 

I remember taking my first trip to Miami about 20 years ago and contacting a modeling agency in South Beach, asking for new models willing to test. “Test Shoot” is the term used by photographers and agencies when referring to an unpaid shoot with no guarantee of publication. I was invited to visit the agency, where the walls were filled with comp cards from which I could select with whom I wanted to work. We settled on a model named Yami, whom I photographed on a Miami Beach using a Mamiya 67 medium format film camera. The process is different today, and in this article, I will break down how I came to book a model named Mari on a recent family vacation to Paris.

I had become obsessed with Instagram Reels in the weeks preceding my trip. These are short-form vertical videos that cover any subject you can think of, including cooking tips, dancing tutorials, and huskies talking back to their owners. The platform is addictive, and I’ve spent hours watching the random videos that make their way onto my feed. If you watch or re-watch a video on a particular topic, the algorithm will include more videos on that topic as you continue to scroll, and your feed becomes even more addictive as you are fed videos that are less random and more likely to appeal to you.

Several videos discussing ways of using AI caught my attention and I became curious if I could incorporate ChatGPT, which is often used to assist in tasks that involve writing, into my next photo project. As a professional writer, I don’t need assistance in constructing an article or email, but with so much talk about this AI-based tool, I wanted to see how ChatGPT would create a pitch I could send to a model in Paris to take part in a test shoot. 

I regret not having saved the prompt I entered into ChatGPT, but this is the message that the platform created for me to send to potential models:

The pitch did not sound like me, and I was uncomfortable sending it. I’ve never even heard of Paris referred to as the City of Light. But I sent it as written to about 25 models who had used the hashtag #ParisModel in their posts to see how many would respond. Four models responded, including Mari. As explained in my message, the shoot would be a trade of her time and beauty for my time as skill as a photographer. In subsequent messages, I explained that she would receive one edited image from each look that we photographed, and I offered to give her the entire unedited shoot immediately after if she wanted to bring a laptop. I know giving the model access to everything captured on the shoot is not standard procedure for other photographers, but it is something I’ve done many times over the years, and I’ve had no issues doing so. I photograph all of my personal work on the Leica M system, and I knew I would pair a Leica M10 with my 35mm Summilux and 75mm Summarit. I view a test shoot as a collaboration between two (or more) creatives, so I asked Mari how she felt about me doing the shoot in black and white. She said she preferred that we shoot in color, so I brought the standard M10 rather than the M10 Monochrom with me on this vacation. I wanted Mari to feel comfortable about meeting a stranger for this session, so I asked her to suggest where the shoot would take place. I also felt that she, as a native, was better equipped to find a strong location than I was. She suggested a macaroon shop called Laurete that had a nice interior design, and we agreed to meet on a Thursday at 6:30 pm.

When we met at the location, the business was undergoing construction, so we did all of the shooting outside on the street. The day was overcast, and that worked in my favor since the light would be soft and shadowless and I had not brought any artificial lighting with me on this trip.

I looked for backgrounds unlike those I might find in my NYC hometown. I was drawn to the pastel-colored walls, ornate gates, and cobblestone roads on the side street of the macaroon shop. Because Mari is a professional model, she had an arsenal of poses that she could perform on cue. She was also good at following instructions, and I would often ask her to lower a shoulder, turn to the side, or raise her chin. Working with professional models who can pose themselves helps you create images that look different from the shots you take when you pose the model yourself. If you don’t have access to professional models, you will find many will accept a cash payment of USD 100 for a 2-hour test shoot if you have some decent images already in your portfolio to show.

We photographed on a clean white wall to simulate what I would have photographed had we done the shoot in a studio. My composition varied between close-ups and full-length for these images. All of the clean studio-style photos were taken with the 75mm lens.

I used the 35mm lens for any shots that would include background elements. The 35mm focal length is my favorite for environmental portraiture. The 35mm Summilux was designed to be used at f/1.4, and at that setting, there is a 3D quality to the photographs that is beautiful to my eyes and unlike the rendering of any other lens I have owned. An added benefit of shooting wide open is that the background is sharp enough to still be understandable by the viewer, but not so sharp that it takes attention away from the model.

For our final shot, I wanted to get a photograph of Mari enjoying a glass of wine in a classic Paris cafe. Everywhere we went in Paris, we passed by outdoor and open-window cafes, where people enjoyed alcohol or coffee with friends for hours on end. I wanted to represent this aspect of Parisian culture. I’ve seen photographers use locations without patronizing the business, but I feel this is tacky. We found a classic-looking café, and I ordered a glass of wine for Mari to pose with. After we completed those shots, I asked her to order herself lunch from the menu so I could treat her to a nice meal in return for doing such a good job on the shoot. Years ago, I photographed several models in a Brooklyn-based restaurant known as the Fashion Cafe. Because the shoot included some well-known (at the time) music video models, MTV had come to the shoot to document the session. I asked the crew to please patronize the business at lunchtime. They didn’t. Instead, they purchased food outside and brought that into the restaurant. I felt this was tacky, and I’ve always made a point of patronizing any business that has allowed me to photograph there.

Mari chose to not bring a laptop for immediate delivery of the images, so I posted a gallery for her on Photoshelter where she could download unedited images at her leisure. I retouched eight final images, and those were delivered to her about 10 days after I got back to NYC. 

For my next shoot, I won’t bother with using AI to write the prompt, as I don’t think it was better than what I would have written on my own. I would also take more time to prepare proper wardrobe styling with the model before the shoot. The clothing Mari brought was ok, but bland for a fashion shoot. Searching for a stylist to bring more interesting looks would have been a good use of my time. For me, this shoot was more about having the fun of working with a model from Paris than it was about creating final images, so I’m pleased with how the shoot turned out. But with a little more time spent in pre-production, I can produce a stronger shoot on my next family vacation.