Primal He{Art}

The Primal He{Art} series was inspired from a photo project I was invited to participate in based out of Toronto called the 10x10 Photography Project. The ten year Project is in its third year and each year invites ten photographers to create ten portraits of individuals who have contributed to the LGBTQ arts in Canada. Those 100 portraits were showcased at a Gallery in Toronto in June and also published in a gorgeous photo book. I was also fortunate to have the Project accepted into Vancouver's Queer Arts Festival Curated Show in August.

My series honoured ten Vancouver artists and the primal heart connection they feel to their artistic expression. I invited my ten subjects to choose words that described what their artistic expression evoked for them. Those deeply intimate words were then spray painted onto their bodies by artist Carole Lagimodiere, and they were then photographed semi nude. I have experienced firsthand the vulnerability of sharing one’s art with the world and I felt that having them pose in the nude would help to illustrate that vulnerability. I also love how light and shadow can create texture, form and beauty when photographing the human body.

I endeavored to create an atmosphere of collaboration with my artists with poses and lighting that would suit their personalities and to some extent their gender expression. I took the duty that the 10x10 Project bestowed upon me very seriously as I wanted to honour these individuals by creating compelling and beautiful images for them. A lot of folks helped with this Project and I’m extremely proud of what we have all created together.

DJ Miss M, Monster DJ

Zoée Nuage, Photographer

David Robinson, Ceramic Artist

Mandy Randhawa, Event Producer

Eileen Kage, Taiko Drummer

Noam Gagnon, Choreographer/Dancer/Performer/Teacher

SD Holman, Photo-based Artist

Amber Dawn, Writer

Gwen Haworth, Filmmaker

Paige Fewer, Community Oganizer/Drag King

My He{Art} work debuts

Conceptualized it, planned it, photographed it, retouched it, printed it, framed it, mounted it.

Matting and framing my work for the Queer Arts Festival!!

On the walls and ready to go!!

Being in the same show as Joe Average was mind warping for me. Especially when he walked in and looked at my work on the wall.  

Noam Gagnon, my future husband.

Two of my artists...Mandy Randhawa and Eileen Kage.

Zoee Nuage, a photographer I admire and have now photographed.

It was fun to watch people's reactions to the images.

Mandy Randhawa in front of the beautiful image of her we created together.

David Robinson poses with his powerful image we collaborated on and created together.

A touching moment for me when my lighting instructor from photography school came to the opening to congratulate me.

Amber Dawn and I goofing it up in front of her stunning image.

This is the face of a happy Photographer Girl

I might be just a wee bit proud standing in my room at the 10x10 Photography Project Opening in Toronto, Ontario.

Photo by Teiya Kasahara, Opera Singer Extraordinnaire

Pro-development

I recently got to play with the big lights during a portraiture course taught by one of my favorite Bodhissatva Photographer's Adam Blasberg.

This is Lindsey. Isn't he the most Dapper ever?!!

This is Lindsey. Isn't he the most Dapper ever?!!

Angela helped me with this Game of Thrones recreation. I'm happy with the result especially since we only had about 45 minutes to get the lights and coloured gels right.

The ever so lovely Ava Vanderstarren.

In Memory

When you get that phone call. You know the one. The one where they ask you if you are sitting down. When that call comes time stands still and that moment is etched in your memory forever.

There is no 'right' way to grieve. Everyone finds their own way. My way was remembering through photographs. I sat on my bedroom floor surrounded by photo albums and memories sheltered under yellowing sticky tack pages. Some of the photos were faded. Some of the memories had faded as well, thankfully triggered by the existence of photographic evidence.

It wasn't until my uncle died suddenly last April that I realized how profoundly important photography is in our lives. Photographs helped to renew bonds within my family, they filled us with joy, they offered us relief from our grief, and they honoured my uncle's life.

This is the last photograph I took of my Uncle Stew in the summer of 2011. I will always remember his giggle, his bratty sense of humour and his love of life. I am so grateful I took a moment to take this image of him.

To have had those moments with him and to have this photographic memory. It is truly, a gift.

10x10 Photography Project

Once upon a time I did a photo project called the Mr/s. Movember Project and a curator named James Fowler from Toronto, Ontario discovered it online and asked me if I'd like to participate in his Project (this is the part where I reveal my special project).

The 10x10 Photography Projectis a ten-year photo project currently in its third year. Each year ten photographers are chosen from across Canada to create ten portraits of LGBTQ Canadians who have contributed to the Arts.

I was incredibly honoured when James asked me to participate in the Project, and I almost said NO. I'm proud of myself for facing my fears and ultimately saying yes, because the Project has challenged me on so many levels. It has challenged my creativity, my confidence, my fear of failure, my photography skills and my communication skills. I'm halfway through the Project now and it has been a wonderful experience collaborating with talented people I so admire. We've had a blast playing in the studio and I'm excited for the upcoming shoots in April.

Alas, I cannot share the images with you until after the Toronto Gallery Showing and book launch in June. I can tell you that the concept for the Project involves vulnerability, body language, and having my people posed semi-nude. I've been collaborating with body painter Carole Lagimodiere (pictured below) and her work has enhanced the Project significantly. I am so grateful to my ten artists Amber Dawn, DJ Miss M, SD Holman, Paige Frewer, Gwen Haworth, Eileen Kage, David Robinson, Zoée Nuage, Mandy Randhawa, and Noam Gagnon. What an amazing gift it was to collaborate with you.

The Mr/s. Movember Project story

by Aileen Penner

Vancouver photographer Belle Ancell had a vision of handsome queer women in moustaches. For Movember, she made it happen. On a fall day as the rain poured outside, and Madonna reverberated on the stereo inside, six queer women sat for their close-up. The camera clicked and the first queer Movember Project in Canada, "Mr/s. Movember", was born.

The Movember art campaign is a series of six queer female models ranging in age from early twenties to late forties, photographed in portrait, and in a moustache. Movember is a global campaign to raise funds and awareness about men's health - specifically prostate cancer. This year, the organization has added mental health to the campaign.

Belle Ancell is a celebrated child of the 70's and loves moustaches. She heard about the Movember campaign when she relocated to Vancouver two years ago. "I thought it was a fabulous way to create dialogue about prostate cancer and to support men's health. I kind of wished I could participate and grow a moustache myself. And that is how the idea for Mr/s. Movember came about," Ancell explains. She thought it would be fun to get a group of handsome queer women together to rock their own moustaches.

The photos in "Mr/s. Movember" are about identify, playing with identity, and raising awareness by prompting private and public conversations in the GLBTQ community about health. Some of the models in the project identify as lesbian, butch, male, female and all of the above. Yet all queer women have men in their lives - whether they are partners, brothers, fathers, uncles, nephews, or sons who are dealing with prostate cancer and mental health issues.

"One of the great things about Movember is that having a moustache starts conversation and gets Canadians talking about their health", said Peter Bombaci, National Director, Movember Canada. "It's the power of the moustache that has raised awareness and reduced stigma surrounding prostate cancer and it's exciting to have the opportunity to do the same for mental health."

"I am very happy to see this year's Movember campaign focusing on the LGBTQ community more and for including anti-bullying and mental health in its funding for this year", says Ancell. She says this is just the beginning for the Mr/s. Movember photo project. Over the next year she will be photographing more women and having a fundraising gallery opening of all the images in support of the 2013 Movember campaign.

Mr/s. Models are: Chris, Rina, Kaylee, Robin, SD and Palmer. Isabelle Champigny (Visual Effects Makeup Artist), and Katrina Gurr and Kelsey-Ann Derksen-Hatt (Assistants).

 Gratitude extended to Aileen Penner for the above article on the Mr/s. Movember Project.

Visit Aileen's BLOG to read the more in depth article on the Mr/s. Project and the Movember Campaign.

PLEASE DONATE TO THE Movember Campaign AND/OR SUPPORT A GROWING MO.

 To see more of my Personal Projects please visit my LGBT portraiture websitebelleancell.com

The Real Crystal Precious

I took the big studio lights out on location and photographed Crystal Precious, Vancouver's Queen of Sass. Part riot grrl, part raver, part burlesque dancer and part rapper.

Crystal graciously agreed to be photographed in the old Dayton Boot Factory on Hastings Street. The good folks at Dayton were very accommodating and lent Crystal five pairs of shiny new boots to wear.

Having the opportunity to collaborate with the bodacious Crystal Precious, while enveloped in the smell of leather in a dark sexy setting, what more could a Photographer Girl want?!!!