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Steven Noble
Editor, Internal Publications
p. 403.440.5692
e-mail: snoble@mtroyal.ca

Fred Cheney
Media Relations Officer
p. 403.440.5195
e-mail: fcheney@mtroyal.ca

 

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Flipping through the pages of YYC Photobook, the brainchild of Mount Royal alumnus Duncan Kinney, is like opening a new window on the Calgary experience.

Mount Royal alumnus Duncan Kinney connected with a former instructor of his and a staff member on his newest project, the YYC Photobook.

“There are plenty of coffee-table books showing off what Calgary has to offer,” says Kinney, who graduated from Mount Royal with a Bachelor of Applied Communications — Journalism, in Nov. 2008.

“Far too often though we see photos of the Stampede, the Rockies and the Calgary Tower.

“We wanted to provide an alternative view of Calgary and really show everything from the beauty of the city to the culture of those who live here.”

YYC Photobook presents Calgary from a dynamic and refreshing perspective via the work of 32 Calgary-based photographers, two of whom are Mount Royal employees, Paul Coates and Warren McLeod.

“Collaboration and community building are two of the most important skills for new media journalists,” says Kinney. “YYC Photobook melded my passions of photography and social media into one interesting project.”

Kinney used Facebook, Twitter and Flickr to organize meetings, build buzz and to vet the pictures.

He enlisted the help of Conner Turner of Armadillo Studios to design the book for him. Blurb, an online custom publisher, printed the books and handled shipping.

The book can be ordered online.

Proceeds from the YYC Photobook will go to Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids, a local charity devoted to providing healthy meals to underprivileged children.

A closer look at YYC Photobook A fisherman by the Bow River just after dark silhouetted against the Calgary skyline. A slice of life moment of a high school band unloading their gear from a trip. A weather system rolling in are just a few of the moments captured in YYC Photobook. The photo contributors are just as varied as the pictures in the book. The 32 photographers range from amateur photo enthusiasts to professional photographers, all of different ages, cultures and interests. The book also includes the work of Mount Royal employees Paul Coates and Warren McLeod. “Paul was my photography instructor,” says Kinney. “When I bought my camera in my first year of journalism school at Mount Royal he taught me how to use it. So that was nice that he ended up contributing to the project. “Warren responded to my call for photographers and it was a happy coincidence that he also worked at Mount Royal.”

Behind the lens with YYC Photobook MR contributor — Paul Coates

Paul Coates has worked at Mount Royal as a part-time photojournalism instructor for 22 years.

Before that he worked as a news photographer for eight years at weekly and daily newspapers including the Calgary Sun, the Red Deer Advocate and the Peterborough Examiner. Coates has photographed many high profile individuals over the years including Pierre Trudeau, Stephen Lewis, Ralph Klein and Joe Clark.

“To me photography is all about connecting — it’s about people, relationships and great light,” he says.

That desire to capture the essence of individuals comes across in Coates’ photo in the book which features a couple dancing.

Coates' contribution embodied the spirit of dance and the power of relationships, which he feels captures the spirit of Calgary.

“Their passion for dance is like my passion for photography.”

Coates jokes that he had a bit of trepidation when Kinney asked him to join the YYC Photobook project.

“Here I had been giving him assignments for years and now Duncan was giving me an assignment. I’m glad that I was part of the project and I love the idea of highlighting relationships because that to me is what Calgary is about."

Coates commends Kinney for creating a project like this and believes that other students should look for ways to stand out from the crowd.

“Duncan has always had that entrepreneurial spirit,” says Coates. “It’s where our students should be as far as promoting their own business and portfolios. With cutbacks to the journalism industry it’s more important now than ever that students market themselves as doing something different, and people will take notice.”

Coates also had the pleasure of teaching photography to fellow Mount Royal employee and YYC Photobook contributor, Warren McLeod, through Continuing Education classes at Mount Royal.

“Warren has a great passion for black and white photography and he has a great eye,” says Coates.

From another angle with YYC Photobook MR contributor — Warren McLeod

Warren McLeod has been an employee with Mount Royal’s maintenance department for 20 years.

His passion for photography developed eight years ago when his dad gave him an old camera. A Métis originally from rural Saskatchewan, McLeod captures a unique perspective of the world in images of the ever-changing rural and urban landscape.

You may not recognize Warren McLeod's view of the Talisman Centre.

He is currently part of a group exhibit at the Mount Royal University Library Art Gallery that features ceramics, paintings and photographs from the general Mount Royal community. The exhibit runs through the end of December.

“I call myself a serious amateur photographer,” says McLeod. “Paul has been a great mentor and over the years I have gone to him for advice on how to make my photos even better.”

McLeod describes his contribution as a bit abstract. The photo was taken of the Talisman Centre and it captures the “agony and the ecstasy of lens flare caught in the constant battle between light and shadow.”

He dubs the photo “Liquid Lindsay,” recalling the former name of the sports centre. The moniker also describes the molten metal look of the photo as a result of the sun’s reflection on the roof of the building.

“I’m really glad I was able to contribute to the project,” says McLeod.

“I think it bodes well for Mount Royal University that we’re producing alumni like Duncan, and it reflects well on Paul because he instructed someone who has gone on to do something special like the YYC Photobook.”

—Jondrea De Ruyter, Nov. 19, 2009