Featured in the Light Leaks Gallery, the LAST Issue, Sniff, Sniff....

Light Leaks Magazine, Issue 19, Secrets

Light Leaks, Issue #19, arrived in my mailbox yesterday. It was a bittersweet moment, because I knew one of my images was being featured in the gallery, but I also knew it was the last issue ever. Yet another one of my favourite magazines is no longer being printed. Here is what Mike Barnes and his wife, Rachel, had to say about their decision, in an email sent out about 2.5 months ago:

"As you know, we have struggled to keep Light Leaks in print over the past year. We had an excellent plan—with the addition of the Light Leaks Shop and Holgapalooza we felt the financial difficulties could be resolved. Unfortunately those additions required more of our own time. With a growing young family, free time has quickly become our most precious commodity.

While we enjoyed working on Light Leaks over the years, we have come to a point where we must focus on our own careers to support our family. My own interest in toy camera photography has always been a hobby, not a profession. Unfortunately as much as I loved putting together Light Leaks I spent most of my time putting together a magazine about toy cameras, but not actually being able to use those toy cameras myself!

Contributing to each issue of Light Leaks magazine was (I think) an excellent use of my time, and I think all those who contributed will feel the same way. It was always a labour of love for an end product that never lacked in quality. For all of you that have been scoffed at for wielding your beloved low-fi cameras, Light Leaks represented you and why you love what you do.

For current subscribers, you believed in us, and we thank you for that. We would be honoured to have you consider your unfulfilled subscription a donation into helping us pay our final printing payments. We can offer you some of the remaining back issues that we have left, or some of the digital versions we have created (which also includes The Toycam Handbook), however supplies are limited. In addition to creating some revenue from the digital issues, we have had to sell off our entire store inventory to help get this last issue to you.

We will be closing the Light Leaks shop, but keeping www.lightleaks.org open along with links to the digital versions.

We want to thank you all for supporting our humble magazine, and especially to those who contributed over the years, particularly Gary Moyer, Steph Parke, and of course my wife, Rachel who did a lot of the work behind the scenes. Best to you all in your future low-fi photographic adventures!

Mike Barnes (toycamera@rogers.com)"

My little one...

...hamming it up

My image, Talking Walls, is a Holgaroid double exposure, made using a Holga CNF 120 with a Polaroid back. The original image is on chocolate Type 80 film from impossible project, which has shades of brown and pink, but it was printed in black and white for the magazine.

 My photography also appeared in Issue 13, Road Trip and Issue 14, Childhood.

Goodbye, Light Leaks. You were a stellar Canadian publication that toy camera lovers around the world will always remember fondly. Thanks so much!

"UFOs on display at library" Rocky Mountain Outlook Article About My Current Show "Decidedly Undecided"

UFOs on display at library
Feb 03, 2011 12:33 pm | MICHELLE MACULLO

submitted
BUCKET STUDY #2 by Tiffany Teske

January was a busy month for Banff photographer and artist Tiffany Teske.

Rarely one to say no, even with little notice, she jumped at the opportunity to host the February art show at the Banff Public Library Art Gallery. With little more than a month to pull off an exhibit, operating on a-few-minutes-here and an-hour-there schedule, she did what she does best – making visual magic out of what she calls UFOs – unfinished objects.

“A lot of people in crafts and arts would know what that is,” she said.

The past four weeks were a blur, and now that she’s playing catch-up, she’s wondering how it is she is no longer considered a scorpio, given the recent astrological decision detailing the misalignment of the stars to their signs.

“I’m flabbergasted,” she says in disbelief. “There’s no way I’m not a scorpio.”

But perhaps there is some truth up in the sky.

Unlike a scorpio, Teske was ambivalent about a name for her exhibit. And then it dawned on her.

During February, Teske presents Decidedly Undecided, a rich blend of new and revamped photography, mixed media and mosaic pieces on display at the Banff Public Library Art Gallery. An opening reception with the artist in attendance takes place on Saturday (Feb. 5) from 7-9 p.m.

Most impressive pieces in the show include Cold Heart of the Sun, Balance and Bucket Study #2.

Teske says her career choice was deliberate and made for a number of reasons, the least being money. And while she’s had the opportunity to follow more traditional artistic paths with a meatier paycheque, she’s comfortable with who she is and what she does. And she has a good support network to boot.

“I make it work,” she said. “There’s a statistic out there that says most artists quit by the time they’re 40. My husband won’t let me quit.

“It’s who I am. It’s my sanity. When I don’t do it I get stressed out.” Teske uses her house as an informal gallery, displaying many of her efforts, those of her friends and pieces acquired through art trades. While her skills and interests have evolved since she first picked up a 110 camera at the age of seven, she’s a firm believer that her past has provided her with the foundation for continual inspiration, and a constant supply of artwork for her walls.

“I’m not old enough for a retrospective,” she says. “But I’m proud of all of it.”

The majority of the show’s pieces are for sale. For more information on Teske or her artwork, email tiffany@oldesage.com or visit her blog at www.tiffanyteske.com.

Decidedly Undecided is on display until Feb. 28.

Female Photographers of Etsy Release Their First Book, "She's a Rainbow"

Photo Mosaic by Amy Longberry

I have a shop on the popular handmade site, Etsy. I started selling on Etsy in 2007 and I am a member of several teams there. Teams do many things together like have group sales, hold member chats, write group blogs, and promote team members. Teams are usually formed around a theme or shared interest. One of my teams is Female Photographers of Etsy or fPOE, formed by fellow photographer, Elle Moss. The team was formed in 2009 and has over 200 members. As an admin on fPOE I have been working with team members Myan, Meganzii, Ligeia, Lililly,Shannonblue, Ena and the Swan, and Elle Moss, on our first group book, She's a Rainbow. We started the process back at the end of October. The book features four photographs from each of 58 talented members who chose to participate. The cover was designed by Myan, the cover photo is by ravencolours, and the intro was written by Futurowoman. The book is available through Blurb and can be viewed and purchased here. It has been wonderful to work on this colorful project with so many incredible female photographers.

Here are my images from the book:


Stairway to Heaven (Iceland) by Tiffany Teske


Kamibayashi by Tiffany Teske (Polaroid Transfer)


Carrotss by Tiffany Teske (Polaroid Transfer)


Deflowered by Tiffany Teske (Polaroid Transfer)

All Over The Map - Solo Exhibition at the Banff Public Library

Wow! The month of October was spent getting ready for my show. And the past week has been spent shooting and posting for Polaroid week. And my in laws were here, and now my dad is here. Add play dates and preschool, crafting with friends, hunting treasures, baking and cooking, etc etc etc, man oh man I am tired.

Tomorrow night, Saturday, November 7th, I am having an opening for my latest show at the Banff Public Library from 7-9 PM. If you are local, please come! I am thrilled to have already sold two pieces in the show. And friend and writer Michelle Macullo wrote an awesome article about the show in this week's Rocky Mountain Outlook. She writes about all of the art shows for the library. It was so fun to chat with her and then to see what she would write. She is so sweet, I can't believe she said I give people the same feeling hot chocolate does! Below you will find the article and my artist statement for the show.


Image by Craig Douce of the Rocky Mountain Outlook

Artist all over the map with new exhibition
Published: November 04, 2009 10:00 PM
Updated: November 04, 2009 11:05 PM

MICHELLE MACULLO, BANFF

There’s something remarkable about Banff photographer Tiffany Teske.

Within minutes of sitting down with her, she puts you at ease. She’s that friend who loves you unconditionally, flaws and all – the kind of person who makes you feel the way hot chocolate does.

And while her Twitter page claims she’s “trying to get a handle on all the projects running around in her head,” it’s clear she’s got a gift for getting things done. With more than one blog, various projects on the go and two young daughters, she still manages to pursue her love of photography.

During the month of November, Teske presents All Over the Map – a solo exhibition of previously displayed and new photo-based works at the Banff Library Public Art Gallery. An opening reception with the artist and family in attendance takes place at the library, Saturday (Nov. 7) from 7-9 p.m.

Whether Polaroid transfers, collages or photos embellished with hand-sewn details, the end result is curiously pleasing, inspiring and peaceful. Noteworthy pieces include Wedding Cake from Kiki’s Wedding Series (Polaroid emulsion lift), Tremendous Journey from the Series Wanderlust (mixed media collage on a recycled album jacket) and Amazing Grace (Polaroid Transfer).

Since becoming a mother, Teske’s managed to weave visual arts into her regular routine. With 22 group shows and three solo efforts, there’s little doubt she’s adjusted. While the amount of time she spends on her craft has changed, her love of art hasn’t.

“I have no illusion that I’ve got it all together,” she laughs. “I’m not happy if I’m not creating. I have to feed the need to be creative. So even though I’m not getting into the studio as much as I’d like, I cook more and I bake more.”

And while she’s good at many things, she has no interest in being the best.

“It’s hard to be a perfectionist in art because you stand in your own way,” Teske says.

The transition from straight photography to mixed media has been a natural progression for Teske. Her inspiration is found in family, spirit, recycled objects and creative genius – something old, something new, something borrowed and hand-made glue.

All pieces in the show are for sale either framed or unframed. For additional details, or to contact the artist directly, please e-mail tiffany@oldesage.com.

All Over the Map runs until Nov. 30 at the Banff Public Library Art Gallery.


Metamorphosis
Mixed Media Collage
By Tiffany Teske
SOLD

All Over the Map ~ Mixed Media Works by Tiffany Teske

I have to admit that this exhibition has turned out differently than I originally planned. It makes total sense, in fact, it is truly perfect. Not the work perhaps, but the way it all came together. It is a bit like the way my husband and I travel. We have a map, we have a guidebook, but in the end we hop on some mode of transport and just let the experience take over and dictate where we will go. In the end, we have the most amazing adventures because we are open to not only all good experiences, but also to the occasional mishaps and misadventures. The ups come with some downs and in the end it is absolutely sublime. Like life. Like making art while at the same time mothering my two children.

Maybe someday I will present the body of work I had originally intended to create, a cohesive group of art like I was trained to create while in University. The kind of work I used to be able to create, before I became a mother. However, I am a much different person now and since I just keep changing, as does my life, whatever I plan to make in the future can not be what I had envisioned in would have been in the past. So, I am realising as I write this that what I have created in this retrospective body of work, that is sprinkled with some new pieces, is exactly what I meant to create. All Over the Map is real, it is true, it is me, and how I am creating art right now.

I used to be really good at my life. I looked as if I had it “all together” and truthfully I did. I could juggle dozens of balls in the air without dropping one. I could work on several projects at once and finish what I started in good time. I was not ruthlessly structured, I had a map and would use it, but I would also meander in appropriate ways. I had 24 hours 7 days a week to be me; a wife, a daughter, a friend, an artist, an activist, a traveler, an adventurer. Now, I am also a mother.

Lately, I have taken to calling myself the Artist Currently and Forever Known as Mama. I had no idea what I was in for. I thought for some reason babies would just be extra balls to juggle in the beautiful circus of my life. But, I am pleased to say, that in fact, they are the main attractions upon which my spotlight is permanently fixed. Their beauty transfixes me in a way that I can scarcely take my eyes off of them in order to catch the balls that now fall from time to time, some occasionally rolling away. Now, instead of seamless working on several things at once, I can barely start what I finish artistically because I am too busy relearning the wonder of being a child. It is sublime in a way that I could not have imagined. Yet, I must admit that there is a darker side, that my muse does become cranky, frustrated, and sometimes down right angry when I don’t create but she is appeased by snippets of time that I can spin into art; the art that you see here. In the three and a half years I have been a mother, I have been able to create and to participate in 22 group and three solo shows. All while watching my children grow and while joining them in play. All by learning that perfection is not my goal. I freed myself by truly not caring if others think I have it all together. I can honestly and happily say I don’t. All Over the Map is showcases my current adventure. Thanks for coming along.

Feature on POE Blog (Photographers of Etsy) - My Internship with Wegman

I have been on vacation with my family for so long (no complaints!) that I am getting behind on my posts. I would be posting each night but my darn hotel internet is a bit unreliable, especially when it comes to uploading images. C'est la vie! Technology is great when it works...




I want to thank Ann Wilkinson for interviewing me about an internship I completed in University with William Wegman for the Photographer's of Etsy blog. You can check it out here. It was a fun trip down memory lane. I really haven't thought about it much in recent years. It is only when people have read my CV and ask me about it that I remember it. I was able to find these photographs, which now seem like they were taken AGES ago. I have changed a lot in going on 10 years... Ann's article was pretty accurate (although Wegman's "cabin" is more like a mansion) which I appreciate and expected from Ann. As the article states, if you are interested in interning for another photographer, just be brave and ask. It worked for me...

Feature Article in PhotoEd Magazine

I have long been a fan of PhotoEd Magazine. I was first alerted to this publication when my friend and fellow photographer, Angela Marklew, was featured in their book arts issue. I have submitted to them twice, and the first time I had one of my Polaroid transfers featured in their Reader's Gallery. I blogged about it here.

The second time I submitted, they were looking for portfolio submissions by photographers who were working in historic processes. I contacted Felix Russo, the magazine's publisher, and asked if Polaroid processes would be considered. He was looking for photographers working in all alternative processes and asked me to submit some of my tranfer work. I sent him two bodies of work, my Seeing Double Polaroid Spectra Series, and Personally Created Iconic Memories (which I need to upload to Picasa or Flickr...). Six images from Iconic Memories were selected to appear in the magazine and I was asked to write about the series. I received both a contributor's credit on the magazine's masthead, as a writer, and then had my article in the contents and in the magazine.

No matter how many times I have seen my work in print, as a professional photographer, it is always exciting. I am thrilled to be in full color, across two pages, of this wonderful Canadian publication. And especially to be in THIS issue. It is the 25 issue, called Photography Revisited. It features many talented photographers working in processes from albumen printing to cyanotype toning to pinhole and toy camera photography. I have read about half way through the issue, and I can't wait to get online to check out even more of these artists' work.





Here is Mr. Russo's editorial for this issue:
"With this issue we celebrate a milestone, our 25th issue — a good time to reflect on what photography is and why photographers are fascinated with their art of choice. PhotoEd has always considered that photography is not a singular activity with a uniform approach. In fact, one of the lures of photography is the almost infinite paths that it offers to anyone setting out on a journey of photographic exploration. The sum total of all photographic discoveries, inventions, and processes are available for you to discover. The relation of past processes and present practices is symbiotic—mutually beneficial. Encompass the entirety of photography and you will be rewarded with many rich experiences. Thank you for taking PhotoEd along on your journey and for your support over the years.

The fall 2009 issue of PhotoEd will be a survey of post-secondary colleges, universities, and professional schools offering an education in photography. Consider having your school featured in this issue. Students attending these schools are welcome to submit their portfolios. The photographic universe is expanding at an accelerating pace and education will be your ticket to this new world."

If you are a student, what are you waiting for? Get together your best work and submit to PhotoEd....

I am a photographer for exactly the reason Mr. Russo talks about in his editorial. Photography doesn't present just one option, it is compilation of all things within its history. The options are unlimited, the possibilities endless. It is never the same. I am obsessed with photography. It is my passion. I am so grateful to be able to turn my passion into something that speaks to others.

National Pinhole Photography Day

Detail #3 by IMRE BECSI

Yippee!! I have to admit, in all of my time as a student of photography, which started in high school, went through two university degrees, and now I teach, I have never made or used a pinhole camera. It is on my list of things to do... which is what I love so much about photography, there are so many possibilities when it comes to processes. Anyway, I want to get into pinhole photography. And since I am such a Polaroid addict, I think I will either buy a Polaroid pinhole camera or make one. When I was researching for this post, I found several very helpful and generous how-tos on making a Polaroid pinhole camera. Check them out, and if you make one, and use it, sent me some photos so I can blog about you.


How to Make a Polaroid Pinhole from Make Magazine.

How to Make a Pinhole Polaroid Camera by DuChamp on Flickr.

Pimp My Polaroid on Silverbased Blog.

Where to Buy A Polaroid Pinhole Camera (Daylab).

A Polaroid pinhole can use Fuji instant films.

Here are some wonderful images I found online made with Polaroid pinhole cameras... Just click on the info below each photograph to be taken to that person's website or blog.


Dandelions By Adrian Hanft


Pinhole 24 by Moominsean


By Katier


By Cecil Rimes


Fish Market by Marcelo Saraiva

I hope you are inspired! Now go, make some images...

Naked Light

Polaroid Transfer by Tiffany Teske.

This image is available for purchase here.

Mother & Child - Norway

Tonight, I took a bit of a trip down memory lane, when I was asked about some of the most memorable places I had been on my travels. One of my favorite places is the Vigelund Sculpture Garden in Oslo, Norway. It is filled with some of the most breathtaking sculptures by my favorite sculptor, Gustav Vigelund. There are 212 in total, including this one.

This original Polaroid transfer is available for purchase here.

Image copyright Tiffany Teske.

Cuties

Who doesn't love the color, smell, and taste of a mandarin?
Image copyright Tiffany Teske

Number Twenty One - Seeing Double Series

This image is a double exposure of my husband and my feet while hiking on Tumbledown. It is from the series Seeing Double: Reflections on Human/Nature In Banff.

Image copyright Tiffany Teske.

Number Fourteen - Seeing Double Series

This is a double exposure of the sky and Banff Springs Hotel in Banff. It is part of my series, Seeing Double: Reflections on Human/Nature in Banff.

Image by Tiffany Teske.

Number Thirteen - Seeing Double Series

This image is of a statue at the Banff Springs Hotel and the trees. From the series, Seeing Double: Reflections of Human/Nature in Banff.

Image by Tiffany Teske.

Shopping Cart Double Exposure Featured on Try Handmade

I was pleasantly surprised to find out via Google Alerts that this image was used to illustrate a blog post on the blog Try Handmade. The post, called How You Spend Matters: The Case for Buying Handmade, was written by Beverly Rustica. Thank you so much, Beverly!

This image is from my Seeing Double: Reflections on Human/Nature in Banff series. It is available for purchase here.

Image copyright Tiffany Teske.

Flutter

One of several butterflies in my Flutter Series. This image is available for purchase here.
Image copyright Tiffany Teske.

Letters - Ottawa

This image was taken in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I have a thing for mail slots. And I also love to write actual, snail mail letters. In fact, I am overdue to write one to my grandmother... I am off to do that now.

This Polaroid transfer original is available for purchase on Etsy. It is 3x4" and comes in an 8x10" mat. Prints are also available.

Image copyright Tiffany Teske

Before Her Fatal Fall

This is a Polaroid emulsion lift. It is approximately 5x7". The original is available in an 8x10 mat for $35 here.
Image copyright Tiffany Teske.

Too Tired To Sleep

This is a Polaroid emulsion lift of a sunflower. It is approximately 5x7". The original is available for purchase here.
Image by Tiffany Teske

QQ - Banff

This is an image I took of our daughter, running around the living room of our new home, back in June. I love it...
Image by Tiffany Teske

Gaetane - NYC

This is an SX-70 manipulation that I made while on the same road trip from Ottawa to NYC that I mentioned here.
Image copyright Tiffany Teske