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Alan Bulley gets the scoop from publishers in our new series of interviews with publishers, including a Q&A with Dr. Philipp Müller, Founder of Snap Collective Publishing About Snap Collective Snap Collective is an innovative and unconventional publishing concept, founded by Dr. Philipp W. Müller, designed to help to bring to life portfolios of international photographers and artists. The idea behind Snap Collective is to give artists a possibility to publish a photo book or a portfolio of their work by offering a streamlined platform with some of the best printing and distribution partners, the support of a design team and more. Snap Collective works with Print-on-Demand technology, which means there is no financial risk involved and artists can print books as they are ordered. The artist receives a discount on all purchases and also receives royalties. What is your view of the publishing market? Excellent photographers deserve to publish a book. A book is both an old-fashioned—and at the same time innovative—way to communicate with fans and followers. It ennobles every photographers work. How do you choose what projects you publish? How far in advance do you work? Our editors are qualified and know what to do. I trust their decision making. If the editor and the photographer agree upon a new project the cover can be ready in three days and the pre-order campaign starts immediately afterwards. As soon as the project reaches a threshold of 25 pre-orders it has its “GO!” from the market. The photographer chooses the pictures for the book block and our designers are quick. About a month later the book is available in our shop and later in bookstores and online worldwide. What has been the most commercially successful book you have published? Sorry to disappoint you, but we are not interested in best sellers. If a book sells 25, 50 or 100 copies we are more than happy. Most of our titles reach this goal so they are all commercially successful. Our concept is based on the long tail economy—in other words lots of niche titles bringing our success. What makes an effective proposal from an artist? The proposal generally comes from us not from the artist. Our editors are always searching for amazing photographers and sending them our proposal. They are looking for outstanding works AND the artists ability to communicate in a professional way to fans and followers. This means that our proposal is to publish an art book for free, so that you can invest your time—rather than your money—to communicate with your fans and followers about the book. What sort of financial arrangements do you have with artists (dealing with up-front costs, revenues, etc.)? The German word for “publisher” is Verleger. To us, that means that it is the publisher — and only the publisher — who invests money. So, there are no up-front costs, no obligation to buy a certain number of copies, etc. Yes, it really is for free under two conditions: 1) that the photographers work is outstanding; and 2) that the photographer is willing to invest time communicating with fans and followers about the book. Once a year the photographer receives 12% royalties. That’s it. How involved is the artist in book design? It depends on the photographer. Our designer creates drafts and deals directly with the photographer. In some cases, the photographer does the design. How do you market and distribute the books you publish? Where do they go? How many copies do you print on average? During the pre-order phase the photographer does the pre-marketing with his or her community. We provide information and concrete help on how to reach the minimum 25 advance-sales to trigger production. Once the pre-order finishes successfully we offer the book to wholesalers worldwide. And yes, it’s then also available at Amazon. What one message would you give photographers who want to publish their work? Don't hesitate, just contact us! If you like to communicate with your fans and followers, you could be the right artist for us. What's your dream publishing project? SOLO by Mimo Khair was a dream project. When Madara, our editor, talked to Mimo for the first time there was an immediate “flow.” When she came to our office, I felt I had known her since my school days. She is a very sensitive and positive person, and she impressed me very much by sending handwritten letters to her friends and presenting her book by this old fashioned but lovely way. All of this led to a big success in terms of sales. What's one thing that would surprise our readers about your work behind the scenes? My wife and I, together with our eight kids and lots of crazy dogs are behind the scenes. We are an international, family-owned business based in Warsaw, Dusseldorf, Kyiv, London, and San Francisco. More places are coming as we grow! Find out more about the SNAP Collective - HERE. Enjoyed this free read?! Consider supporting us! As the ONLY independent editorial photography publication on Canadian newsstands we'd love to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS

In case you missed our CALGARY 2020 PHOTO INSPIRATION NIGHT, check out our video featuring our editor, Rita Godlevskis. PhotoED Magazine shares Canadian photography stories in a brand new light. Publisher, Rita Godlevskis shares her passion for Canadian photography + some publishing behind the scenes stories in a live presentation to an audience of over 350+ Calgary photography lovers. If you are not familiar - Pecha Kucha is a format where speakers only have 20 slides X 20 secs/ slide to share their story. It's TOUGH. But really, really worth it. WANT MORE?! Check out more videos from our PHOTO INSPIRATION nights HERE. • Consider supporting us! As the ONLY editorial photography publication on Canadian newsstands we'd love to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS

PhotoED Magazine's 2022 season featured a collaboration we were extra excited to facilitate... With the help of our friends at THINK TANK PHOTO, we produced three very special feature stories around the mentor / mentee pairs that connected through a local BIPOC Photo Mentorship project. The BIPOC Photo Mentorship Program (BPM) began in Toronto in 2020 as a way to address systematic barriers that face Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour entering into professional photographic practice. There is significant lack of diversity in all areas the creative industry but, mentorship can help to fast track inclusion, and offer crucial support to emerging photographers. Mentors in the BPM program offer what they can, and mentees comb through a master list to find a fit that is right for them. Since the program began, mentors and mentees from all parts of the industry have connected with with mentees from Canada, the U.S, and all over the world. Here are some of the BTS details on the incredible products our featured mentorship program participants received as part of this collaboration! Our sold out! Spring/ Summer 2022 issue, FASHION X FUTURE featured a showcase of unique fashion images by self-taught photographer SUMI SIDDIQA where she shared her experience of being mentored by photographer MARK BINKS. “Being a photographer can be an isolating experience, especially when you are starting out and trying to figure out your business, aesthetics, and the fashion world. It’s nice to have someone show you the ropes." Mark related to Sumi's experience and that is what drove him to offer his time and expertise as a mentor. He says, “As someone who never had much mentorship myself, I can tell you that it can be a pretty lonely place emotionally trying to get started, to plug away, to wonder if what you’re doing is even any good.” Sumi now shoots on location with a Think Tank Retrospective 10 shoulder bag, and when she needs something small and light the Think Tank Turnstyle 10 sling bag is her go-to. She loves these features on the Lightweight Sling Bag: Easy rotation for rapid access to gear and accessories Stabilizer strap holds the bag steady while active or tucks away when not in use Dedicated, padded pocket fits a 8″ tablet Fully customizable interior dividers Seam-sealed rain cover included in dedicated pocket Mentor Mark Binks is SO right, these bags have "Pockets for DAYS!" Mark now carries a Think Tank Retrospective 10 shoulder bag for his lens collection! Features he loves: Secure zippered opening under the main flap that tucks away when not in use. Hook-and-loop “Sound Silencers” offer discretion when needed Seam-sealed rain cover + POCKETS POCKETS POCKETS: Dedicated pocket fits a 15″ laptop Collapsible water bottle pocket Webbing rail to accommodate modular pouches or carabineer Additional dividers to sub-divide compartments for smaller lenses Organizer pocket Wide storage pocket on back Zippered pocket for valuables and small items In the Fall, we featured Joel Rodriguez and his mentor, Surendra Lawoti. The pair spent three months working together on the production of Joel’s documentary project Certified Organic, an exploration of food production and regenerative agriculture in Canada. Both Joel and Surendra work from an activist perspective and, though they both use a documentary approach, their practices are unique. Joel now carries his gear in this super sturdy THINK TANK Retrospective 50 Duffel This bag is perfect for back road travel. The duffel bag features: Thick abrasion-resistant canvas with a DWR treatment to repel the elements A wide, padded shoulder strap, Think Tank’s legendary carry comfort World-class YKK zippers slide easily even under overpacked loads Full-grain Dakota leather accents and zipper pulls Surendra travels a LOT, so he now uses the both the big Retrospective® Duffel 75 and the Retrospective 30 V2.0 shoulder bag . BIG bags for BIG trips! In our WINTER 2022/23 edition we featured Mentor Jessica Thalmann and her mentee Natalie Asumeng. Jessica echoes a familiar sentiment among artist mentors when she says, “Mentoring and teaching is a significant part of my practice that I cherish. Some of the most meaningful moments and best words of wisdom in my career have been shared by watching and assisting other artists and I want to pay that forward to a new generation of photographers.” Jessica will also soon be moving forward with some sweet stuff from THINK TANK! We LOVE this handy cable management bag, and the carryall duffel holds an insane amount of STUFF! PhotoED Magazine thanks our friends at THINK TANK PHOTO for their generous support in helping us share the stories behind BIPOC emerging Canadian photographer in 2022! Follow the adventures of @thinktankphoto (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok) #thinktankphoto #mythinktank #thinktanktravel

At -25˚C/-13˚F, when it gets this cold, I can often be found outside my house, bubble blower in one hand and camera in the other (I think my neighbours have gotten used to this sort of behaviour by now). Soap bubble mixtures freeze faster than they pop, making for some fascinating effects. However, frozen bubbles are still very fragile creatures, so I’ve experimented to create a more durable bubble soap recipe that won’t pop in the slightest breeze. I let the mixture chill in the freezer to help speed up the freezing once outside, and use a straw to blow bubbles with, rather than a store-bought dipstick, for more control. Frozen Bubble Recipe 200 ml warm water 35 ml corn syrup 35 ml dish soap 2 tbsp sugar TIP: If you blow the bubble onto a smooth surface (such as ice) it will be less likely to pop before it can freeze. #HowTo #winterphotography #naturephotography

A 'luxury print' is really the best and most honest way we could describe the incredible fine art print our PATRONS & Subscribers received with the Winter 2022/23 edition of photoED magazine! Here's why we are in LOVE with this piece... 1. The art. RYAN VAN DER HOUT “VANITAS WITH TULIPS, PEAR AND SKULL” (Need we say more?! ...well, ok!) Toronto based artist, Ryan Van Der Hout’s work has been widely featured in a range of international publications and exhibitions, most notably in the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Collectors Series, as part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. In this exclusive piece, from his 'Collecting Dust' series he re-imagines traditional still life vanitas while considering our fascination with mortality. His compositions explore personal and universal transformations, along with the anxiety and grief that emerged from the pandemic. Taking on the illusion of artifacts documented within a world of decay, the table is adorned with canonical symbols as if belonging to Dutch vanitas paintings of the Baroque period. The artist covers these meticulously arranged tableaux with dust and ash. Closer inspection reveals that the still life objects, while alluding to a post-apocalyptic present, actually belong to a world outside of time. While it may appear that his lens looks back at a world gone by, it is indeed an act of looking forward. Ryan kindly took the time to provide our PATRONS with signed copies of this exclusive limited edition print! 2. Perfect presentation This exclusive limited edition print that captures the black dust details this image needs has been expertly printed by the team at Akasha Art Projects using HDX Ink for fade-resistant ink for up to 400 years. The team at AKASHA ART PROJECTS takes presentation seriously. With meticulous attention to detail, and an expert eye for designing the perfect presentation - this team goes above and beyond. Akasha is custom printing and framing for anyone serious about lookn' sharp. 3. Optimal paper “Vanitas with Tulips, Pear and Skull” has been printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Baryta, a pure cotton, acid- and lignin-free paper with an inkjet coating optimised for the needs of fine art applications. White, without optical brighteners this paper is museum quality. White gloves recommended. 4. Packaging perfection This print has been packaged in an archive-safe, acid-and lignin-free flap seal Crystal Clear Bag made with 10% recycled content. This special project is made possible with the support of United Contemporary. United Contemporary proudly represents Ryan Van Der Hout’s diverse artistic practice. Consider supporting us! As the ONLY editorial photography publication in Canada, we'd love to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS

A playlist by Oliver Flecknell to complement 'The WatcherS' Darkroom – Tunes for an analogue darkness – A playlist to print photographs to "Working in the darkroom, usually alone, and typically late at night, is a much more immersive experience with music. I built this playlist to help me to get into the flow of creation. It’s a glimpse into my mind and state of being while existing in that creative moment that we all strive to achieve. This mix is nearly 5 hours of energetic beats, darkness, weirdness, and motivation. Yes, it’s long and it’s growing, but you don’t want to have to pull out your phone while in the middle of a print session to figure out how to keep the vibe alive. I started with “The 1975” by The 1975 to set the mood. This playlist is equally at home while slogging through grant applications, grinding at that day job, or trying to get your steps in, just press play and turn on those safe lights." Find it here - or on SPOTIFY! The Watchers “Change is in the air; you can smell it from behind your mask. Children are pushing politics, the government is selling weed, winter is getting warmer while summer’s heat is killing the elderly. The eternal flame now burns in the Amazon, California, and British Columbia. Lethal flooding is common around the world. But climate change is fake news. Change is coming but the super-rich resist, rebelling against the science, profiting on the laziness of humans, putting their faith in the dollars they’ve stashed on the islands. Like pirates, they stash their stolen bounty, while their workers visit food banks. The children skip school on Fridays, you won’t find them at the mall though. They’re in the streets. They’re at the legislatures. They’re trying to teach science to the clueless politicians who only listen to the super-rich pirates that need bailout money in a “crisis.” Little do they know, not even the super-rich will survive the end of the human era. These scientists, these activists/rebels/protesters/watchers, are the only true visionaries of our future. Their intentions are pure. Their future is unwritten.” IG: @oliverflecknell Enjoyed this free CONTENT? Consider supporting us! As the ONLY independent editorial photography publication on Canadian newsstands we'd love to continue producing great content for you to enjoy in PRINT + online! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS

If you've only just discovered photoED magazine in print - an extra special - welcome! We're a small (but mighty!) independent print based publication exclusively showcasing CANADIAN photography - in high quality PRINT. The quality of our printed publication is paramount in showcasing our photographers works. We don't cheap out. But we've had to make some changes. Since 2021, the cost to print our magazine has gone up over 100%. We've done what we can to mitigate and absorb costs with more volunteers than ever! but the situation seems to just get worse as all our hard costs have escalated. We've taken some steps, not towards mass expansion, but towards focusing our efforts more intensely on people (like us) who truly value producing a legacy for diverse Canadian photography - in print. We LOVE reading from paper without pop-ups and taking a break from our screen-based lives. We LOVE sharing past articles for inspiration, as opposed to trying to recall or find some random Instagram reel... We've started a PATREON - Patronage option to do more fun stuff with our super-fans, AND allow a sort-of pay-as-you go subscription starting at $3./ month. (and get named in PRINT!) And, we raised our prices in 2022. And we're doing it again... PhotoED magazine was started in 2001 by a group of photography educators in Canada as a way to share CANADIAN photographers stories in an accessible format. As we aim to stay true to that goal of accessibility, making accommodations any time we can, we simply can't continue to produce without this price hike to cover our hard production costs (printing/ postage). (still, less than the cost of a movie ticket!) From NOVEMBER 2022, New issue single copies purchased via the website/ on newsstands will cost $12.99 Back issues from Fall 2022, will continue to cost $8. From DECEMBER 2022 PRINT Subscriptions will rise from $22. / year (3 issues) to $35. and from $42./ 2 years (6 issues) to $65. DIGITAL ISSUU subscriptions will continue at $20. to access 4 issues. Consider supporting us! As the ONLY independent editorial photography publication on Canadian newsstands we'd love to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS

Mutual trust and respect. This is how images are co-created. "I carry residual anger in my body form my time in my early 20s at the beginning of my photography career. A part of this anger is directed at myself; for not listening to my instincts and entering work environments where I was not respected. I did not speak up because I feared a repercussive effect where I’d be labelled difficult to work with. That it might hinder opportunities down for me down the line. I now know that this is untrue. However it was a learning curve to understand the implicit power dynamics between photographer, client, and subject. Between seasoned and emerging. I shared this working text at an International Women's Day Panel during a conversation on how to create safe spaces on set. It was written after consulting two different psychotherapists on what it means to hold someone accountable." Model Bill of Rights (working) I have a right to know how many people will be on set beforehand. I have the right to ask to see reference images before arriving on set. I have the right to have someone I know drop me off and scope the space if I haven’t been there before. I have the right to a private changing area. I have the right to refuse putting on a wardrobe piece if I know I will be uncomfortable wearing it. I have the right to be asked for my consent before being touched (ex adjusting hair and wardrobe). I have the right to take breaks when I feel fatigued. I have the right to state my personal boundaries and to have them respected. I have the right to end the shoot if at any point I feel it is an unsafe environment. For freelance, unsigned models that don’t have the protection of an agent to vet photographers: Receiving basic messages such as ‘Let’s shoot’ or ‘Let’s collab’ don’t give the context for what the shoot is. Is the photographer communicating with you what their vision is? When being approached for a shoot, ask for a moodboard to get a sense of concept, styling, posing to see if it aligns with what you want to do. Before your shoot day, ask to meet for coffee in a public place. Use this time to get to know them and their personality. What is their working style? Do they value your input and ideas? Do you feel comfortable around them? Ask for a call sheet prior which should list important details like the location, the schedule, and who will be on set. Look up the location of the address beforehand to check if its in a studio space or a personal home. If it is just you and the photographer alone, bring a friend to drop you off. Ask your friend for a second opinion to gage someone’s character. Your photographer may come up with new ideas to try during the shoot, but they are merely suggestions. You can always politely decline. Gut instinct and intuition is a powerful tool! Physical and emotional safety is the bare minimum ask. As is mutual trust and respect. This is how images are co-created. PAM LAU PAM LAU is an independent photographer based in Toronto and Montreal. Co-founder of Ecru; a grassroots education initiative for photographers and filmmakers facing cultural, financial, and institutional barriers to entering creative industries. Follow Pam on IG: @pamelaloud Enjoyed this free read?! Consider supporting us! As the ONLY independent editorial photography publication on Canadian newsstands we'd love to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS

Photography often focuses on recognizable images, with an emphasis on capturing something identifiable, or enhancing images that are already there. Frick insisted on creating something new. Joan Frick could easily be mistaken for a photographer. She used a handheld camera, created prints, used film to form her art, and worked extensively with light. However, her creative process differed from that of a traditional photographer, although it did involve drawing with light and employing the use of photographic technology to create unique images. Surveying Frick’s innovative work, it is easy to understand how photographers, or any artist for that matter, would be inspired by her example. Her early work incorporated mediums such as fire, canvas oils, and Plexiglas. Later in her career she utilized photographic techniques to draw and create images. Cameras, prints, and other implements associated with photography entered Frick’s creative process around 1983. Before this, she had extensively used light that was channeled, refracted, reflected, and otherwise manipulated to create installations that were a mixture of sculpture, drawing, and architecture. These “4D Installations” filled studio rooms with various forms of light that immersed viewers. The non-static light in the installations changed with the weather and the Earth’s rotation, creating a “multidimensional” experience. The installations were received with criticism from traditionalists who scoffed at the fact that her shows did not feature “pictures on a wall.” Her later images attracted criticism too; “That’s not possible,” one viewer said after looking at one of Frick’s “2D Light Line Drawings.” The viewer then left the gallery in which Frick was exhibiting. The photographic process may seem like an obvious medium with which to make art using light, however, the practice of simply “taking pictures” did not interest Frick. “I used to look down my nose at using photography,” she said. Perhaps she did not immediately see a strong connection between the work she wanted to achieve and the traditional conventions of photography because she placed emphasis on drawing, and specifically, upon creating lines and forms. While line and light figure greatly into photography, she required the challenge and control of drawing her lines herself. She needed to create her own shapes, rather than capture images with photographs in an imagistic fashion. It was a later realization that led her to incorporate photo-technology into her artistic process: “I discovered I could draw with my camera.” Photography often focuses on recognizable images, with an emphasis on capturing something identifiable or enhancing images that are already there. Frick insisted on creating something new. While she often used light from scenic images (most often the night sky) it was paramount that she was able to exercise her creativity and experience what she termed “the physical challenge of drawing.” “I look at a piece and it has to pass as a drawing.” She observed that primarily “a photographer worries about the perfect print,” whereas she focused on the activity of drawing. Many of Frick's two-dimensional light drawings were created using sources such as aircraft light, the planet Jupiter, the moon, or constellations, but none of these images fully retain their original appearances in Frick’s drawings. The resultant images in her final compositions are linear and colourful, and feature contrast between light and dark. Frick noted that it is not just the lines the light creates that are important but the space in which the lines are drawn, as well as the edges that surround it. It is hard to attribute any of Frick’s work to a particular period or genre. While her work is sometimes viewed as futuristic in look and approach, she also used a number of traditional photography techniques to form her images. She appreciated Scala film for its accurate representation of black. This was very important in rendering contrast and was particularly essential in drawings using nightscape sources. Frick disliked digital SLRs, due to the pixilation when prints were enlarged. Her “2D Line Light Drawings,” are clear, virtually free from pixilation or noticeable grain. Frick achieved some of her dark tones using film rated at about 200 ISO. Clarity, sharp colours, and dark accurate blacks afforded by her by preferred films did not come instantly or easily: “I used all kinds of film, always trying to find the better. Trial and error are important. I lost a lot of work.” This process of trial and error is something that extended throughout Frick’s prolific career and allowed her to achieve the mastery of light and line that figure so prominently in her work. Select traditional inclinations and strong aesthetic philosophies extended to her perspective of artistic integrity as well. She eschewed glamorization and encouraged developing a unique perspective. Frick stated that commercialization and imitation are problems existing in art — issues that affect Canadian art and its identity. For Frick, the decision to become an artist was not really a decision at all “There was never any question, I knew since I was a little kid.” She recalled making drawings for friends and family at a young age: “I often say the only money I made was in high school drawing portraits and horses for people… fifteen dollars a horse or a head.” The desire to work with light was present in her youth as well,: “I remember waking up and looking at illuminated floating dust motes and I said, ‘I’m going to work with them some day, just like drawing.’” She said she was always looking for, “the perfectly imperfect line.” To see more of Frick's images visit joanfrick.com www.ccca.ca and follow the links to her work in the Canadian Art Database. NOTE: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2007 issue of photoED magazine. The 'Abstract' issue sold out quickly. We re-post this article as a tribute to the artist that has since passed. If the Frick Estate has any issues with this revised sharing of the work we will gladly oblige any requests. At this stage, we simply lack contact details to achieve full use permissions. Enjoyed this free read?! Consider supporting us! As the ONLY independent editorial photography publication on Canadian newsstands we'd love to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS

Alan Bulley gets the scoop from publishers across Canada in our new series of interviews with publishers, including Maxine Proctor, BLACKFLASH Managing Editor... About BlackFlash... BlackFlash is a non-profit charitable organization and publishing platform dedicated to contemporary visual art. Since 1983, BlackFlash has been providing invaluable opportunities for artists, writers, and arts workers. As a space for exploration and critical examination, BlackFlash aims to bring the public closer to their local and national art communities. BlackFlash was founded by the Saskatoon artist-run centre, The Photographer’s Gallery (TPG) as a means to bring greater visibility and knowledge to the Prairie art community. BlackFlash is currently in their 39th year of publishing, making them one of Canada’s longest running magazines. BlackFlash is proudly published, designed, and disseminated in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and is an internationally recognized resource and authority on Canadian and international contemporary art. How do you choose what projects you publish? How far in advance do you work? Buffalo Berry Press publishes three issues of BlackFlash per year. Due to our production schedule, we commission articles 4–6 months in advance of publication. Although I guide the magazine’s content from commission to publication, I rely heavily on our Editorial Committee to decide what we commission. The committee is composed of artists and culture workers who are versed in different aspects of Canadian contemporary art. They each bring unique networks and perspectives to the table, which ensures that we have a dynamic roster of projects in each issue. What has been the most commercially successful issue you have published? (Why did it do well?) Our Fall/Winter 2021 issue “Infinities” was guest-edited by Nadia Kurd, an art historian and curator based in Edmonton, Alberta. The issue focused on the impact and influence of Islamic visual culture on contemporary art and featured an incredible group of artists and writers. Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of the issue was the limited-edition risograph print by Afghan-Canadian artist Shaheer Zazai which was included in each issue of “Infinities.” A large part of Shaheer’s practice uses Microsoft Word to emulate the mesmerizing details and patterns of Afghan carpets. Due to the content and contributors within the issue, it was very well received by our subscribers and the general public. What makes an effective proposal from an artist? We primarily receive pitches from writers, not artists. A good pitch not only brings an extraordinary artist to the fore but examines how that artist’s practice explores the important ideas or urgent issues that surround us today. We work hard to eliminate the barriers that might prevent a writer from pitching their project, such as previous publishing experience or academic background. Although working with emerging writers is more time consuming, we welcome pitches from first-time writers and folks outside the art world. What sort of financial arrangements do you have with artists? We pay all contributors (writers, copyeditors, designers etc.) a fee for their work that reflects industry standards. We follow the CARFAC suggested fee schedule for image reproduction and programming. How do you market and distribute the issues you publish? Where do they go? How many copies do you print on average? We print between 600-1000 copies per issue. BlackFlash is distributed through Magazines Canada and EBSCO but perhaps the most fruitful and meaningful mode of dissemination is our participation in special events like collaborative project launches, exhibition openings, and art book fairs. The pandemic was brutal on our distribution and capacity to engage with our community, but we are thrilled that events are starting to happen again, like the Prairie Art Book Fair in September 2022 in Winnipeg. What is your view of the publishing market in Canada? I think people still love books and the tactility of print publications. A beautifully made or perfectly aged book will always be an object of admiration. But the way we consume information has changed and there are myriad reasons why the print publishing market continues to decline. For BlackFlash, I feel that my expectations for production and dissemination have shifted over the years: what success and engagement with our editorial program looks and feels like has changed. I’m now much more concerned with how we support artists and writers in our community. Providing experiences, tools, and dialogue is valuable and I use that ethos to inform our publishing program. I also feel that there is more conversation and camaraderie within the contemporary art publishing community now. I feel a sense of unification growing—that in order to survive we must support and uphold each other. That drive for autonomy, community, and innovation gives me hope for the future of art publishing in Canada. What one message would you give photographers who want to publish their work? Connect with the curators and art writers in your community whose work you value—invite them for studio visits or exhibition tours. I recognize this can be daunting or uncomfortable but it’s the best way, in my opinion, to share your practice and develop advocates in the community. This is the best way to foster quality writing about your practice, which is incredibly valuable to curators or galleries looking at your work. What's one thing that would surprise our readers about your work behind the scenes? I don’t think this is necessarily surprising, but I think readers and members of the art community forget how underfunded and under-resourced arts organizations are. I’m the only full-time permanent staff member at BlackFlash. We are incredibly grateful to our generous funders but we don’t have an excess of resources to commit to new projects, hire consultants, or bring on support staff. We rely on countless hours of unpaid labour from volunteers and short-term project grants. This makes our future precarious and sometimes overwhelming. I wish I could communicate to the art community just how important it is to us that they subscribe to the magazine. Is there anything else that our readers should know about BLACKFLASH or the work you do? Art writing and publishing is a seemingly small but incredibly important part of the contemporary art ecology. Art publications foster timely engagements with art practices and are valuable records of the conversations happening about contemporary art and the world around us—which is the foundation of art history and will inform future generations of artists. Website: https://blackflash.ca Enjoyed this free read?! Consider supporting us! As the ONLY independent editorial photography publication on Canadian newsstands we'd love to continue producing great content for you to enjoy! JOIN US AS A PATRON • SUBSCRIBE FOR PRINT DELIVERY • GET DIGITAL ISSUUS