Photographs, Portraits and Me

A panel discussion presented in conjunction with Ordinary People (Like Me)

With Dona Schwartz, Bryce Meyer, Chinenye Otakpor, Leah Hennel, George Webber & Britta Kokemor.
Moderated by Annie Rudd.

When can a photograph be considered a portrait? What do portraits reveal about their subjects? What do they reveal about the people who make them? How do they function within the hierarchies of image making and contemporary art? 

Taking these questions as entry points, panelists will consider the meanings and uses of photographic portraiture, from selfies to art photography and from commercial portraits to documentary images. Panelists will explore how portraits are shaped by photographers, their subjects, their intentions, and the many contexts in which they are produced. In Q&A, the panel will also draw insights from the audience and their experiences with photographic portraits, as subjects, makers, and viewers.

About the Speakers

Dona Schwartz

Dona Schwartz is a photographic artist based in Calgary, Alberta. She received her PhD from the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Pennsylvania with a focus on photography and ethnography. Through her photographic work she examines definitions of family, evolving identity, social bonds and boundaries. Proceeding from her perspective as a visual ethnographer, her investigations involve long-term engagement with subjects, resulting in richly layered photographic series and narratives. Inspired as a teenager by the work of André Kertész, she approaches photography with insight, wit, and humour.

Her award-winning photographs have been exhibited and published internationally. She has authored four books: Waucoma Twilight: Generations of the Farm (Smithsonian,1992), Contesting the Super Bowl (Routledge, 1997), In the Kitchen (Kehrer, 2009) and On the Nest (Kehrer, 2015). Her work is included in the collections of the United States Library of Congress; the Museum of Fine Arts Houston; the Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne; the George Eastman Museum; the Center for Creative Photography; the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas-Austin; the Portland Art Museum; and the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. Schwartz is Professor, Department of Art, University of Calgary. She is represented by Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto.

Bryce Meyer

Bryce is a commercial, advertising and editorial photographer based in western Canada. He has been a professional photographer for 15+ years. Bryce’s work has been published in The New York Times, MacLean's and countless magazines and periodicals across north America. Most of Bryce’s ad work is within Agriculture with clients that span the industry from egg farmers to BASF. As a retired professional cyclist, Bryce has rediscovered his love of cycling and spends most of his off time riding and hanging out with his wife and dog, Trapper.

Chinenye Otakpo

Chinenye Otakpor is a Rehabilitation Specialist by day and stylist and fashion/lifestyle blogger by night. Specializing in mental health through her field of work made her realize the importance of having a creative outlet and balance outside of work, hence the creation of her blog “queensplayground”. Since she started her blog, fashion has become her second passion and she has been able to help others find the light and beauty in themselves both physically and mentally through both jobs and that has kept her going all these years.

Leah Hennel

Leah Hennel is an international award-winning photojournalist. Always in search of stunning visuals, the Calgarian has traveled the globe — yet she's managed to uncover some of her most arresting shots in her backyard. In particular, Leah's work documenting rural life is captivating.

A graduate of SAIT, she worked more than 20 years for daily newspapers in Calgary. Leah has covered two Paralympic Games and three Olympic Games.

Her work appears around the world in publications such as the Globe and Mail, The Guardian, Maclean's, The Narwhal and the CBC. Too, Leah has published two photography books — Along The Western Front and Alone Together: A Pandemic Photo Essay.

Leah is a three-time winner at the National Newspaper Awards. She also earned first place for Feature Photo in National Press Photographers Association and two awards in Pictures of the Year International. Leah has also claimed the Sports Media Canada’s Outstanding Photography award. As well, she's a four-time finalist for Photojournalist of the Year for the News Photographers of Canada.

George Webber

George Webber’s artful photographs spring from his affection for the people and culture of the Canadian West.

His books include: Borrowed Time, Saskatchewan Book, Alberta Book, Badlands, Prairie Gothic, In this Place, Last Call, People of The Blood, A World Within and Requiem.

George’s photographs are included in many Canadian and international museum collections.

In 1999 he was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in recognition of his contributions to the visual arts in Canada.

Britta Kokemor

With a photography career spanning 20+ years, Britta has amassed a rich and diverse portfolio of work, experiences, and connections. An award-winning commercial & editorial photographer who has previously worked with Canadian Geographic, The University of Calgary, WestJet, and Travel Alberta, Britta prides herself on building lasting relationships and rendering meaning through her lens

About the Moderator

Annie Rudd

Annie Rudd is a historian of photography and an assistant professor in the Department of Communication, Media and Film at the University of Calgary. Her research has appeared in journals including Photography & Culture, photographies, and Information and Culture, and her writing has also been published by institutions including the International Center of Photography, the Boston Museum of Fine Art, and the Nieman Journalism Lab. She received her PhD in Communications from Columbia University. Her current research examines the histories of candid photography.

Join Dona Schwartz for a tour of her exhibition and artist talk. Discussion will encompass the project’s motivation, it’s conceptual and logistical challenges, and the rewards of doing socially engaged and collaborative photographic work. Schwartz will share stories behind the photographs, providing a glimpse of her photographic process. The event will allow plenty of time for audience Q&A and discussion of the many issues the exhibition raises.

About the Artist

Dona Schwartz is a photographic artist based in Calgary, Alberta. She received her PhD from the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Pennsylvania with a focus on photography and ethnography. Through her photographic work she examines definitions of family, evolving identity, social bonds and boundaries. Proceeding from her perspective as a visual ethnographer, her investigations involve long-term engagement with subjects, resulting in richly layered photographic series and narratives. Inspired as a teenager by the work of André Kertész, she approaches photography with insight, wit, and humour.

Her award-winning photographs have been exhibited and published internationally. She has authored four books: Waucoma Twilight: Generations of the Farm (Smithsonian,1992), Contesting the Super Bowl (Routledge, 1997), In the Kitchen (Kehrer, 2009) and On the Nest (Kehrer, 2015). Her work is included in the collections of the United States Library of Congress; the Museum of Fine Arts Houston; the Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne; the George Eastman Museum; the Center for Creative Photography; the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas-Austin; the Portland Art Museum; and the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. Schwartz is Professor, Department of Art, University of Calgary. She is represented by Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto.