London Drugs Photolab Honoured to Print National Pictures of the Year

News Photographers Association of Canada’s Capture Photography Festival exhibit printed with the help of LDPhotolab’s expertise and state-of-the-art printing equipment

Images on left wall by photographers Jonathan Hayward (top left), Jeff McIntosh (bottom left), Martin Tremblay (centre), Carlos Osorio (top left), Leah Hennel (bottom right).

Every year, the very best Canadian photojournalists are nominated for the National Pictures of the Year Awards, organized by the News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC). Each of the prestigious nominated photos are then showcased during a Capture Photography Festival exhibition…with a little help from our London Drugs Photolab!

This year, our Photolab Technician Adonia worked with NPAC’s coordinator Ali Ledgerwood to print each of the nominated photos for the exhibit. The photos were printed using our photolab’s state-of-the-art Epson 9000 large format printer, on fine art paper with patented dye inks that deliver the very best in colour and definition.

An image by Canadian photographer Darryl Dyck being printed on the Epson 9000

Each image was then inspected by hand, and adjustments were made to get the colours of each image just right. The vibrant image coming off the Epson printer here is of 89-year old Canadian Blood Services volunteer, Nina Graham, taken by nominated Canadian photographer Darryl Dyck. Seeing it, you just can’t help but smile!

Photolab Manager Adonia stands with News Photographers Association of Canada coordinator Ali Ledgerwood. Image on print by photographer Darryl Dyck

This is the 6th year the London Drugs Photolab has prepared the prints for the National Pictures of the Year exhibit.

“Working with Adonia at the LDPhotolab has been amazing.  The quality of the prints and the professionalism with the team is unprecedented.  We have the largest show as far as Capture goes, and I never have to worry about timing or the amount of work printed in such a tight timeframe.  Always accommodating and always first class,” says Ali Ledgerwood.

Fine art print of an image by photographer Darryl Dyck

From photolab to the gallery wall; it’s always a thrill to see the final prints on display! Here, you can see Darryl Dyck’s colourful shot showcased at the opening of NPAC’s National Pictures of the Year exhibit, during Capture Photography Festival at the Pendulum Gallery in Vancouver.

“Photographers use their cameras as tools of exploration, documentation and ultimately, as instruments of change.  This is a testament to the ideal that photojournalism matters—now more than ever,” Ali says. “When I walk through and I see school groups completely engaged with the photos and related stories, it’s hard not to get emotional.  We are so honoured that we are able to produce an exhibit like this and we certainly couldn’t do it without the support of the LDPhotolab.”

Photographer Chris Donovan standing beside two of his photos nominated for National Picture of the Year

Chris Donovan was one of the nominated Canadian photographers who attended the opening of the Capture Photography Festival exhibit for the National Pictures of the Year. Chris’ photos are nominated in multiple categories, including the Sports Feature Category for two images he took in Flint Michigan with ESPN. Chris was also named last year’s Photojournalist of the Year!

“It’s always a great feeling to see your work printed whether it’s in a newspaper or on a gallery wall. To have this work in such a visible place alongside some of Canada’s finest photojournalists is an honour. The prints look stunning and I’m truly grateful to London Drugs for helping support Canadian photojournalism over the years,” says Chris.

Images by photographers Cold Burston (top left), Kayle Neis (bottom left), Chris Donovan (centre & top right), Pieter de Vos (bottom right)

Feeling inspired by these talented Canadian photographers? We can print your photos in gallery quality too! Choose from our photolab’s wide variety of fine art prints, such as the enlargements printed on Epson Lustre Paper used for this exhibition, or other surfaces like bamboo paper, metallic paper, aluminum metal panels, canvas prints and canvas gallery wraps. The choice is yours!

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 4th 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.

National Pictures of the Year Award Nominations Printed at London Drugs: Exhibition Recognizes the Best in Canadian Photojournalism

 

London Drugs has been a proud supporter of the Capture Photography Festival in Vancouver since its inauguration in 2013. The festival features both local and international lens-based artistic talent through high-profile gallery exhibits throughout the city of Vancouver. For the second year in a row, London Drugs printed the festival’s entire National Pictures of the Year Awards exhibit, displayed at Vancouver’s Pendulum Gallery.

London Drugs Photolab Technicians worked closely with the News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC) to print the exhibit, which features finalists for the largest photojournalism competition in Canada. Thirteen categories are represented, including news, sports and social issues.

Photo of Superhero window cleaners outside Kingston General Hospital by Lars Hagberg with The Canadian Press. Printed on Epson Professional Lustre paper by London Drugs Photolab Technicians.

London Drugs Photolab Technicians collaborated with NPAC and the 2016 National Pictures of the Year coordinator Ric Ernst to print each of the finalist’s photos in gallery quality, to each photographer’s specifications.

“This is our second year having the London Drugs Photolab print our exhibit for the Capture Photography Festival and once again the quality of our exhibition prints are superb. I have to admit, the first year I was somewhat skeptical about London Drugs printing our images but was blown away by the quality of work they produced for us. I had no doubts this year and was not disappointed,” says Ernst.

Among the photos printed by the London Drugs Photolab was an image of CrossFit athlete Lindsay Hilton, captured in her element by Canadian photographer Darren Calabrese, as part of a series he was working on for ESPN. The photo was selected as a Picture Story Feature finalist for the National Pictures of the Year Awards.

“The project with Lindsay Hilton began after I had seen a local story about one of her workout videos going viral. That story was a straightforward news item, but I was interested in learning more about her as a person rather than just an athlete,” explains Calabrese. “I shot the series over a span of five or six months. At first, I rarely shot any pictures. I would show up at the gym with just one body and a lens, but would just chat with her and the coach/gym owner. I would help with the weights sometimes and every once in a while I would jump in and try the same workout or exercise out of curiosity.”

Photo of CrossFit athlete Lindsay Hilton by Darren Calabrese. Printed on Epson Professional Lustre paper by London Drugs Photolab Technicians.

Ernst appreciates the trust that the photojournalists, including Calabrese, put in him and the London Drugs Photolab team to ensure the photos printed are as true to the original as possible. The goal is to maintain each personal art aesthetic which helps to convey the photo’s story.

“The most important part of printing our images is getting the tonal qualities and colour balance correct and as close to what the photographer achieved with the original file. The quality of the paper is important and the stock London Drugs Photolab used for our prints was premium,” says Ernst.

Ernst believes the Photolab Technicians’ own passion for photography is what makes working with London Drugs an exceptional experience. “They know what we expect and they speak the same language which makes it very easy to communicate our needs.”

Photo of Fort McMurray wildfires by Cole Burston with AFP. Printed on Epson Professional Lustre paper by London Drugs Photolab Technicians.

London Drugs Photolab Technician John Goldsmith, who worked with Ernst to print the exhibit, used London Drugs’ new Epson P-9000 printer for many of the finalists’ photos. Authentic Epson inks will provide a lifetime of enjoyment, with an archival stability of 200 years. These new printers can now be found in every London Drugs Photolab, and will be used to print customers’ photos in gallery-quality, whether it’s for an exhibit or to hang on their walls at home.

London Drugs Photolab Prints Fine Art for the 3rd Annual Capture Photography Festival

For the 3rd consecutive year, London Drugs is proud to be a sponsor of the Capture Photography Festival, celebrating local and international lens-based artistic talent in Vancouver. The festival is devoted to exhibiting challenging and thought-provoking photography at over 50 esteemed galleries and public installations.

This year, the London Drugs Photolab printed the works of several high profile Capture exhibits, including LA-based photographer Aline Smithson’s exhibit Self & Others: Portrait as Autobiography, and the News Photographers Association of Canada’s National Pictures of the Year awards exhibit.

Using the best in photofinishing equipment and innovative materials such as our Hahnemühle Fine Art Bamboo Paper, our passionate, experienced Photolab Technicians printed flawless fine art pieces hung in galleries across the city.

These fine art printing services aren’t just reserved for professionals, either. Amateurs, freelancers, and professionals alike can get museum-quality prints, using the London Drugs Photolab’s cutting-edge printing services.

Visit our Photolab in-store or online to find the right print for your photography project!