Calgary’s creative energy is on full display during the annual Exposure Photography Festival, a city-wide celebration where photography takes over galleries and unexpected spaces. This year, local photographer Todd Korol toured multiple exhibitions, connected with artists, and explored how contemporary photographers are pushing both ideas and technique forward.
Here’s a look at some of the standout moments from the tour.
The tour begins at K Gallery. During Exposure, the gallery hosted a compelling group show that challenged viewers to reconsider modern life, technology, and identity.
Todd and Bryce Meyer's contributions to the exhibition address media consolidation and control. Todd's piece was photographed with a Hasselblad camera and a homemade lens, requiring manual focus adjustment. The deliberate process reinforces the conceptual message: slow down, question what you’re seeing, and look more closely.
At cSPACE Marda Loop, Julian talks about how square photography came naturally to him early in his photographic process. His exhibition My Life Through the Lens explores quiet, expansive landscapes to subtle moments of light and form. His work is shaped by an ongoing dialogue between place, presence, and perception. These photographs offer viewers an intimate glimpse into the way he sees, thoughtful, deliberate, and deeply connected to the land he calls home, inviting them to slow down and engage with the subtle beauty found in everyday surroundings.
Join Julain for his talk next week!
My Life Through the Lens - B&W Photography Seminar with Julian Ferreira
Wednesday, February 18th, 2026 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM MST
cSPACE Marda Loop - Floor 1 | $30
The tour includes a photograph by Steve Speer at the Christine Klassen Gallery of Teatro restaurant in downtown Calgary, formerly the Dominion Bank building, now owned by Vendome (which also operates a Bridgeland cafe). This image was part of a 2011 collaboration with Boma, creating a book on historic Calgary commercial real estate featuring 73 building facades. The photographer received artistic carte blanche for the project approach.
Speer emphasizes black-and-white photography as his primary medium, focusing on composition and light rather than colour. He argues that colour can mask weak images, while black and white immediately reveals compositional flaws. His architectural documentation prioritizes artistic interpretation over historical significance, though the work has gained historical value over time, particularly as some photographed buildings no longer exist.
The Concept Behind The Camera Store's Group Exhibition Then & Now:
The "Then and Now" exhibition, presented by The Camera Store and Sony Canada, showcases 30 years of photographic evolution. The display includes work from multiple photographers. One featured comparison shows a bull rider photographed 30 years apart, the original shot with a Leica M6 and Kodachrome 64 film at a small Southern Alberta rodeo, contrasted with a 2023 image captured with a Sony A1 and 70-200mm lens at a large Las Vegas-style rodeo event with thousands of spectators.
This exhibition includes work from George Webber, Gerry Thomas, Greg Fulmes, Greg Gerla, Jason Stang, Jeff Bright, John Dean, Leah Hennel, Maja Swannie Jacob, Mark Vitaris, Matt and Harry Palmer, Mike Drew, Steve Speer and Todd Korol.
Why Exposure Matters
The Exposure Photography Festival runs through February 28, in many Alberta galleries in Calgary, the Bow Valley, Waterton, and more. More than just an annual event, it’s a reminder of how vibrant and diverse the photographic community is, from experimental large format techniques to minimalist street work, from architectural documentation to conceptual commentary.
And for all of us, it’s a chance to see differently.
If you’re in Calgary, take the time to explore. Photography isn’t just hanging on walls this month; it’s shaping the conversation.
For more about the Exposure Photography Festival and all of the associated events, visit: exposurephotofestival.com
