Having their cameras taken away from them, the photographers in this book have created vivid visual art pieces, not with their eyes through a lens but rather, with their words on paper.

On Friday, May 11 at 7:30pm the Ampersand Gallery will host a panel discussion and book signing of Will Steacy's 'Photographs Not Taken'. The panelists will include Amy Elkins, Eirik Johnson, who are both contributors to the book, and Michael Itkoff, Daylight Magazine co-founder and editor. Drinks will be provided by Ninkasi Brewing Co. and there will be a Q&A and book signing session following the panel.

Information:

http://www.ampersandvintage.com/Ampersand_Vintage/Home.html

Jeff Whetstone's connection to the land, love of history and susceptibility to romance brand him along with other great photographers-especially the sons and daughters of the South. 

The first time that I saw this image, I was spellbound. Listed on his website under the heading Human, this image defies being fully identified.The viewer's gaze is interrupted by only having access to the back of the sitter. 

What we do know comes from the barrel of the gun to the left, the plaid covered arm on the right and that enveloping hair that glistens and shields (to the point of camouflaging) the sitter's body. This, along with Whetstone's characteristic naturalistic vista creates an image (and narrative) that is at once classic and defiant similarly to that of Lorna Simpson's Waterbearer (1986) seen below. Both subjects reflect on female workers in art history-mainly those in the paintings of Vermeer.

The 2012 Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival has kicked off in Toronto. For the month of May, the Contact Photo Festival is filled to the brim with exhibitions, public installations, artist talks, panel discussions, workshops, screenings, portfolio reviews, and many more events, making it one of the biggest photography events of the year. This years theme is based on 'Public' which was sparked by the rekindled global interest in street photography. Daylight co-founder Michael Itkoff will be present for portfolio reviews and will be one of two judges for the BMW exhibition prize. Be sure to check out the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival.

Information:

www.scotiabankcontactphoto.com

Image by Max Dean, 'Family Photo Albums'.

The 2012 Krakow Photomonth Festival is nearing fast and there are a lot of things to be excited about. There will be many exhibitions with artists like Alexander Rodchenko, Jerzy Lewczynski, Rene Magritte, Sergey Bratkov, and many more, that will explore how photogaphy has evolved up to our modern times. Something new for this year is the Experimental Section presenting 'Photography in Everyday Life', which investigates the role of photography in our own individual lives as well as the relationship between photogaphy and the social and historical phenomena. There will also be the VII Portfolio Review for participants to bring their work and have it reviewed by professionals in the photo world. The 2012 Krakow Festival will also host a myriad of meetings, screenings, lectures, workshops, and slideshows to further enrich the viewers experience.