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London Drugs Photolab Prints the Best in Canadian Photojournalism for Capture Photography Festival Exhibit

We’re used to seeing photos accompanying online news articles and newspapers, but you may be surprised by the talent and skill that goes into capturing those incredibly candid moments. The annual National Pictures of the Year Awards, presented by the News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC), celebrates the very best in Canadian photojournalism, and for the 4^th year, our London Drugs Photolab has had the pleasure of printing their entire exhibit as part of the Capture Photography Festival.

To prepare all of the finalists’ images for the gallery exhibit, our Photolab Technicians worked one-on-one with NPAC’s coordinators Ric Ernst and Ali Ledgerwood. We were careful to take into account each photographer’s specifications, ensuring their colours printed exactly as they should. Using our state of the art Epson P9000 large format printer, we printed each of the photos in gallery quality, on our Epson Lustre paper. The quality Epson inks used in printing will ensure the prints have an archival stability of 200 years.

Ric and Ali visited the lab to see a test print of one of the composite multi-picture category finalists, and had the opportunity to watch the full process, from sizing and checking the image’s colouring on the computer, to seeing the image printed on the Epson P9000, to cutting and inspecting the final print. They also looked over each of the single prints for several other categories in the exhibit.

Left print: International Finalist Jim Young (Agence France-Presse) 2017 Picture Story. Right print: Social Issues Category Finalist Photo by Ben Nelms (Independent)

“I was overjoyed when I viewed the prints for our exhibition for the first time. I knew our featured photographers would truly appreciated seeing their original files accurately reproduced in both tone and colour and on such high quality paper,” said Ric.

Along with Ric, Ali has coordinated the printing of the National Pictures of the Year Awards exhibit with our Photolab for the past 3 years, working directly with Photolab Manager John Goldsmith. “Working with John at the London Drugs Photolab is always a pleasure. The professionalism and understanding of our needs, particularly for such a large project, keeps our minds at ease knowing that the work is going to be completed quickly, but without compromising quality,” she said.

After being framed and installed at the Pendulum Gallery in Vancouver, the National Pictures of the Year Awards exhibit was opened to the public. For the many photojournalists featured, it’s a special experience for them to see their work displayed in a gallery setting.

“Most of our photographers only see their work on computer screens or reproduced in newspapers and magazines so when they see them printed professionally, it’s an eye-popping experience for them,” Ric explains.

Fourteen categories of photojournalism are represented in the exhibit, including news, sports and social issues. Of the nominees featured, a winner in each category will be chosen, along with a 2017 Student Photographer of the Year, 2017 Student Multimedia of the Year, 2017 Photojournalist of the Year and a 2017 Photograph of the Year. Considering over 2,000 photographs along with 25 multimedia productions from across Canada were entered in this year’s competition, being selected as a National Pictures of the Year winner, and even as a nominee, is certainly an honour.

Left print: Sports Feature Category Finalist Photo by Tijana Martin (Lethbridge Herald). Right print: Social Issues Category Finalist Photo by Ben Nelms (Independent)

Photographer Ben Nelms was chosen as a Pictorial Category Finalist, for his photo of salmon trimmings. Taken at St. Jean’s Cannery in Nanaimo BC, the photo highlights the family-run operation which was founded by Armand St. Jean in 1961, but who recently sold a majority stake of the company to a group from Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nation.

Ben shared his appreciation for the quality work and effort that went into printing his photo for the gallery exhibit.

“Having your images shown in a gallery show is a great feeling for a photojournalist. Not only because it’s great to see the caliber of Canadian photojournalism but because the high quality prints draw an audience to them which ultimately brings a spotlight to the story you are trying to tell,” he explains. “It is always great to see your photos printed, especially when it’s professionally. As a news photographer, I am use to seeing my photos printed on lower quality paper so when I get a chance to see high quality prints it’s a real treat. The support from London Drugs is fantastic, their photolab is one of a kind and the professional products they produce is second to none.”

While the images for the National Pictures of the Year Awards exhibit were printed for professional photographers like Ben, our Photolab uses the same innovative photofinishing equipment to print gallery quality images to hang on your walls at home, too! Head over to the London Drugs Photolab to see our full selection of fine art print surfaces.

Fashion Editorial Photographer Farrah Aviva Showcases Her Capture Photography Festival Exhibit on London Drugs Photolab Prints

Vancouver-based actor and photographer Farrah Aviva is one of the latest talents to step into our photolab and work with our passionate team of Photolab Technicians. Farrah was chosen as a featured photographer as part of the Capture Photography Festival, and was given the opportunity to showcase her photography project The BANGBANG at the Opus Hotel in Vancouver, with prints provided by our London Drugs Photolab.

Playing off the work of Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, and David Bailey, Farrah’s work takes a fresh look at fashion editorial-style photography, using it to spark a discussion on contemporary sociopolitical culture. The BANGBANG is meant to re-examine sartorial images, which not only represent beauty, but also represent topics that engage and spark a greater conversation.

We caught up with Farrah in the photolab as she worked with Photolab Manager John Goldsmith to print her collection of 6 fashion editorial images for the Capture exhibit. All of her images were printed using our Epson P9000 large format printer, with high quality Epson inks that have an archival stability of 200 years.

“The printing process was the thing I was most nervous about. As a photographer in the digital world you don’t often get to see your work printed. Everything is on a computer screen,” Farrah explains. “I really didn’t know if the colours were going to translate the same onto paper and carry the same power, but the London Drugs Photolab Manager, John Goldsmith, was a dream to work with. Everything turned out better than I could have hoped.”

After the prints had been given a good once-over by Farrah, they were packaged up and sent off with Farrah for framing. The framed prints were then installed on the walls of the OPUS Hotel, where they would be showcased for the duration of her Capture exhibit.

This was Farrah’s first photography exhibit and she was thrilled to have her prints on public display, after spending over a year working tirelessly on The BANGBANG.

“I had imagined it for months so when they were finally hung I was relieved and excited, but it really didn’t hit me until the next day. I went back to the Opus to drop something off and suddenly I was standing in a room full of my images. It didn’t seem real. I had to do the iconic eye rub to see if I was dreaming. A flood of pride surged in and the fantastic feeling of hard work paying off really set in.”

Farrah has been back to our photolab a number of times since we printed her exhibit, to order more prints to sell during her official exhibit launch and through her website. We’re over-the-moon, knowing that Farrah’s prints will be showcased in homes and offices all over North America!

You can order prints of your own photos, in gallery quality just like Farrah’s, by visiting our London Drugs Photolab.

Celebrating Life and Special Milestones Through Photos

Life is filled with all kinds of defining moments and milestones. From birthdays to anniversaries, and even funerals, these moments in time are an opportunity for us to appreciate and celebrate the life we have lived.

For over a hundred years, photos have been an essential way of preserving life’s moments, allowing us to look back and celebrate each and every one of them. What has changed in those one hundred years, however, is the expanded variety of ways to showcase those precious photos.

Milestone Birthdays

Every birthday is special, but milestone birthdays, like the 30^th, 40^th, 50^th (or even 90^th!) birthdays, are extra special. A great way to commemorate that special year is with a Poster Collage or Photo Book of their best moments – from birth to now.

Dig through old snapshots to find some adorable baby photos, some of the awkward teen years, and some that are more current. In the end, you’ll have compiled a collection of photos that tells the story of their life…so far! We even offer a variety of birthday templates, to help design and customize your Photo Book. Wrap it up as a gift, or put it out on display at their birthday party so guests can flip through it.

If you need some help digitizing a collection of old photos to add to your Poster Collage or Photo Book, our Photo Scanning Box Service will make the process seamless. Just fill the box with up to 800 photographs and documents, bring it back to your local London Drugs Photolab, and our Experts will digitize them for you.

You can even use those digitized photos to create all kinds of other birthday gifts, from personalized t-shirts and puzzles, to photo calendars and jewelry boxes.

Anniversaries

Whether it’s your first wedding anniversary or your 15^th, you’ll want to make that relationship milestone special. Why not celebrate by surprising your significant other with a gift that truly captures your love?

If you’re planning to give your hubby or wifey a traditional anniversary gift, we have a few suggestions that will show them just how much you appreciate the time you’ve spent together.

1^st year: Paper

Don’t just go with regular old paper for your first anniversary, gift them luxe, glossy photo paper! Choose from any of our Photo Books, Enlargements, or Poster Collages and customize with your favourite photos together. Your wedding photos are a good place to start. In fact, we have lots of wedding-themed templates you can use while personalizing your photo gift.

2^nd year: Cotton

Get creative with your second anniversary gift by ordering a Canvas Gallery Wrap. The textured print surface is made of cotton, so you’ll be on the dot with the traditional anniversary gift, plus your other half will be super impressed that you’ve turned a photo of you two into a piece of fine art for your home!

9^th year: Pottery

A Photo Mug is the perfect way to fulfill that traditional ‘pottery’ anniversary gift, while also making them something thoughtful and personal. Just pick a mug colour (their favourite colour, perhaps?), a few photos, and some text (your anniversary date?) to completely customize your gift. It’s sure to impress!

10^th year: Aluminum

The traditional ‘aluminum’ anniversary gift is meant to reflect your marriage’s resilience. What better way to share that than with a beautiful photo, printed on one of our highly durable Aluminum Metal Panels? Pick one memory you’d like to showcase from your 10 incredible years together, or if you can’t choose just one, create a collage with all your favourite moments.

15^th year: Crystal

Just when they think you’ve run out of great anniversary gift ideas…you gift them a beautiful, personalized Photo Crystal for your 15^th anniversary! A truly unique gift that showcases a favourite moment in time together. Choose from our selection of photo crystals, or our crystal ornaments (we think the heart-shaped ornament or crystal with base would be especially fitting).

Funerals

There’s a reason funerals are often called a ‘Celebration of Life’. It’s a time when family and friends can come together, in memory of someone special, to celebrate a life well lived.

A very touching way to help preserve and celebrate their memory is with photos. Start by combing through old photo albums and digging through shoe boxes full of old photographs. To make things a bit easier, use our Photo Scanning Box Service to have up to 800 photos and documents digitized for you by our Photolab, so you can easily personalize all kinds of beautiful photo keepsakes with the digital files.

To create a truly sentimental and heartfelt memento, personalize a Photo Book with images of their life, and blank sections for family and friends to add personal message and stories by hand. It’s a keepsake the family can take home at the end of the funeral service, and read over the kind words from supportive family and friends.

Another thoughtful gift for the family is a personalized Fleece Blanket. The cozy blanket will feel like a warm hug, as they cuddle up in the memories of their loved one. Choose one photo, or a selection of photos, to feature as a collage on the blanket’s surface.

Need a little help creating your photo gift? Speak with one of our Photolab Experts at your local London Drugs! Or, if you’re ready to go, you can start personalizing your gift on our Photolab website, or at any of our in-store Photolab kiosks.

Q&A with Photolab Technician and Capture Photography Festival-Featured Photographer, Gabriel Martins

Photos by Kai Mallari

Ever wondered who prints your photos for you, after you submit your order to our Photolab? Especially if you’ve made an order like a fine art print, or a photo that’s particularly near and dear to your heart, you might be a bit nervous about who will be overseeing the printing, ensuring the sizing and colours are just right, and that the print comes out flawless.

Luckily, many of our Photolab Technicians are photographers themselves, which means they fully understand what it’s like to be in your shoes. Meet Gabriel Martins: a relatively new addition to the London Drugs Photolab team, and a local photographer in Vancouver. Gabriel has a passion for photofinishing and photography, and uses his experience as a photographer to ensure every print order he works on receives the same attention to detail as he would give his own work.

During the Capture Photography Festival this year, Gabriel was chosen by a panel of judges to be a featured photographer with not one, but two gallery exhibits in Vancouver. As part of this opportunity, Gabriel was provided space for his gallery exhibits, Rues de Montréal Part 1 & Part 2, and had his fine art work printed by the London Drugs Photolab. It was a unique and special experience for Gabriel, to be on the other side of the Photolab counter, as a photographer ordering prints for his gallery exhibits. To share a bit more about his experience, we sat down with Gabriel for a short Q&A:

Q: Tell us a little bit about your exhibit, Rues de Montréal.

A: Rues de Montréal portrays the streets of Montréal through 13 photographs taken during the summer of 2017, when the city celebrated its 375th anniversary. The images show the vibrancy of Montréal and question our use of public spaces and how people interact with them.

Q: What kind of print surface did you choose for your exhibit, and why?

A: All photos were printed and mounted on Metallic Canvas Gallery Wrap. I chose this media and finishing because it makes the colours pop out and creates more of a 3D effect.

Q: What was your first thought when you saw the final prints up on the gallery walls? How did the print surface look and feel?

A: I got tears in my eyes. It was the outcome of 7 months of hard work to make it happen. The texture of the canvas definitely made me feel almost like the photos were paintings.

Q: You had a particularly interesting print that’s caught the eye of gallery visitors. Tell us about it.

A: That’s the “Black Moon”. Before I went to Montréal, I knew about the revolutionary work of INSA, who’s a renowned British muralist, and his project called “GIF-TI”, which consists of photographing each layer the artist paints by hand. These images are then uploaded and overlaid to create the final piece, a looping GIF file. The viewers can download his app and point their smartphone camera towards his mural, which scans and recognizes the mural and plays the animation, bringing the piece to life. I wasn’t expecting that his app would work with my print and I got really stoked about it. The augmented reality effect is definitely an extra attraction in this exhibit.

Q: What was it like to be on the other side of the Photolab counter, as a London Drugs Photolab customer?

A: It was a great experience from the beginning to the end. All the Canvas Gallery Wraps were packed separately, which made the logistics easier and safer. Besides that, the colours, contrast, and sharpness turned out exactly how I was expecting.

Q: Do you find it important to build a trusting relationship with your Photolab Technician?

A: As a professional photographer, I believe that this relationship is extremely important because we put so much love and effort into the execution and post-production of all photos, so the printing and finishing processes have to be high caliber. The delivery is as important as the medium.

Q: Has this experience helped you with your own interactions and work as a London Drugs Photolab Technician?

A: Absolutely. When I’m printing, mounting, framing or doing anything else in the lab, I always treat the customers’ photos as if they were mine.

Gabriel (left) pictured here with his Photolab Manager, Bill Storey (right), who came out to support the opening of Gabriel’s exhibit

You can see Part 2 of Gabriel’s exhibit, Rue de Montréal, at Dunn’s Famous BC Restaurant in Vancouver from April 16^th to June 16^th. For more details on the exhibit, visit Capture Photography Festival.

A Gift from the Heart for Mom’s Special Day

Have you looked high and low for a heartfelt gift to give Mom on a special day? We’ve got you covered!

It may be past Valentine’s Day, but thoughtful, personalized gifts never go out of style. Here’s a creative way to use our LD Photolab services and add a whole lot of love and your personality to a mug, coaster, t-shirt, blanket and more.

Use any custom drawing, graphic or photo that captures your sentiment, and easily upload it online in minutes. Think of the smile on Mom’s face when she sees a sweet drawing from her son or daughter! Our order (for the mug and coaster shown in the video above) arrived in a single day—but you might want to give it a few days, just to be sure.

This LD Solutions gift from the heart will have your giftee smiling ear-to-ear, cherishing something she’ll always remember.

Create your own original drawing, graphic or photo.
Add a lot of love.
Snap a photo of on your phone.
Upload the photo to LD Photolab online in minutes and create your gift.
Pick up your gift in-store.
Surprise Mom on a special day!

If you’re ever stuck on finding the perfect gift, London Drugs has you covered in store and online.

Check out more LD Solutions ‘lifehack’ videos below:

How to Charge Up Your Morning Smoothie

How to Polish a Stained Kettle

How to Clean a Messy Microwave

How to Quickly Smooth a Wrinkled Shirt

Surprising Way to Remove a Stuck-On Ring

Special Ways to Spend Time with Mom This Mother’s Day

Moms of all sorts deserve a treat (not just this month, but always!). And what better gift is there than a little quality time with her kids? Whether yours likes to rest up or rev it up, go high brow or get down and dirty, we found some of the most interesting experiences for sharing special time with your favourite lady.

Natural Woman

Reconnect with Mom and nature at the same time on an leisurely walk. The Meadowlark Festival offers more than 30 educational nature tours over five days across southern British Columbia. Introduce yourself to some of the Summerland locals with the Introductory Birding Workshop, or brush up on your photo skills with the Nature Photography Workshop in Penticton.

For young families or moms with grandchildren, a family nature walk offers a curiosity-based pace and a guide with lots of patience for lots of questions. The Canadian Wildlife Federation offers WILD Family Nature Club programs and events in and around Vancouver and Calgary. Adults and kids can connect with other families who love the awe and wonder of the natural world. How does an afternoon of hiking, picnic-ing, bird and bug watching sound?

To truly test mom and offspring cooperation, travel by kayak. The Wings Over the Rockies Festival offers a guided river tour of the Upper Columbia Wetlands to Lake Windermere near Fairmont, BC. You’ll discover intricate facts about this great North American river and its ecologically important wetlands, along with its abundant birds, fish, reptiles and mammals.

Zippety-do-dah!

Does your mom get a little squirrelly over the winter? Try zipping her through the forest from the perspective of a flying squirrel. There are plenty of safe and fun zipline tours to choose from. Many allow children as young as 6.

Some zipline tours emphasize wildlife and nature like this Zipline Eco-Tour at the Canadian Rockies Adventure Centre in Canmore, AB, while others offer more gladiator-style obstacles like this one in Chase, BC (near Kamloops) with its optional adrenaline-raising drop swing.

If your mom likes the view from above but not the need for speed, this non-zip Treetrek tour in Whistler offers spectacular views of the river valley from nine suspension bridges.

Getaway Girl

Those who can split costs with siblings may like to surprise Mom with a holiday weekend. For some maternal harmony, sign her up for the Banff Yoga Festival from June 1-3. Whether mom likes her yoga on a mat, hanging from a rope or floating in a canoe, she will find classes to suit any preference or ability.

If y’all are more of a down-home bunch, the Sooke River Bluegrass Festival (Jume 15-17) may be just your jamboree. Located on the southern-most tip of Vancouver Island, the festival is family-friendly and features an array of local and visiting acoustic talent, food and merchandise vendors, instrument workshops and beautiful scenery.

All Dressed Up

Some Moms jump at the chance to get gussied up. Here are a few cultural events worthy of couture.

The always inventive Alberta Ballet is presenting their newest ballet entitled All of Us, May 2-6 in Calgary and May 10-12 in Edmonton. Inspired by the Tragically Hip’s most loved songs, this post-apocalyptic rock ballet is the newest creation by Jean Grand-Maître. The gritty yet hopeful story combines the artistry some of the country’s most talented dancers with the beloved music from Canada’s favourite band. A fantastic night out for any mom who’s a fan of the arts.

On another note, Vancouver Opera is staging a spectacular new musical treatment of Gogol’s beloved story, The Overcoat – a musical tailoring, from April 28-May 12. It’s a reimagining of Morris Panych and Wendy Gorling’s landmark movement theatre piece of the same name – a bold operatic voice to the beloved rags-to-riches tale of a lowly office worker and his beloved overcoat. Entrancing with spectacular choreography and darkly-funny storytelling, this genre-bending Overcoat is one of the must-sees of the opera season.

Whether your mom is a tracksuit or a tiara type, she’ll appreciate the gift of time with her kids–especially when the activity perfectly suits her personality.

May Book of the Month

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet – sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair, and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. As familiar streets are turned into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, the couple begins to hear whispers about doors – doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through…
An epic compressed into a slender page-turner, Exit West is both of our time and for all time.

Reviews
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid is a timely story about immigration and refugees with a twist. In light of current events I would say it’s a must read to open your eyes to the plight of refugees in the world today. It’s a quick moving story that is beautifully written. I found myself going back time and time again to re-read lines that were so well-written that they needed a second read. I highly recommend this book. – Review by Carolynn

Exit West is interesting and riveting. It gives you an inside look at the effects of civil war, as seen through the eyes of two lovers living in this time and trying to make a life during a time of unrest and tragedy around them. There are lots of issues going on in the world today that help us relate to the issues they must cope with and the decisions they must make. It gives you a ‘bigger picture’ feeling with regards to how people deal with certain stresses and keeping a relationship going despite things going on around them. – Review by Angela

Book of the Month
Every month we will be featuring a new book to be showcased in our Book of the Month. Staff members and friends will be reading the book and posting their reviews. We’d love to hear what you thought of these books as well. Post your comments and let us know. Exit West is available at London Drugs along with many other great titles and is on sale for the month of May.

London Drugs Photolab Prints the Best in Canadian Photojournalism for Capture Photography Festival Exhibit

Fashion Editorial Photographer Farrah Aviva Showcases Her Capture Photography Festival Exhibit on London Drugs Photolab Prints

Celebrating Life and Special Milestones Through Photos

Q&A with Photolab Technician and Capture Photography Festival-Featured Photographer, Gabriel Martins

A Gift from the Heart for Mom’s Special Day

Check out more LD Solutions ‘lifehack’ videos below:

How to Charge Up Your Morning Smoothie

How to Polish a Stained Kettle

How to Clean a Messy Microwave

How to Quickly Smooth a Wrinkled Shirt

Surprising Way to Remove a Stuck-On Ring

Special Ways to Spend Time with Mom This Mother’s Day

Natural Woman

Zippety-do-dah!

Getaway Girl

All Dressed Up

May Book of the Month

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Check out more LD Solutions ‘lifehack’ videos below:

Natural Woman

Zippety-do-dah!

Getaway Girl

All Dressed Up

Archive

Categories

Pages

Newsletter

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