We are VanSPC
The Vancouver Street Photography Collective (VanSPC) is a non-profit society bringing together photographers from Vancouver and beyond to create and share diverse street photography approaches and aesthetics. We are founded on the principles of exploration, engagement, and inclusion. For us, street photography is a way to interact with the world, the everyday and the spectacular, and capturing those interactions through photography that is grounded in the streets, and at the same time, evocative of our individual artistic visions. We strive to offer a welcoming space to learn about, practice and display street photography through meet-ups, exhibitions, publications and simply walking the streets to discover new moments of inspiration.
We began as a group of street photographers primarily on Instagram in late 2018 and held our first meetup in 2019. Since then, we’ve held monthly meetups and photowalks, attended gallery exhibits and talks together, and created the Vancouver Street Photography Collective Instagram account (@van_spc) where we feature both local and international street photographers. Our goal is to support the Vancouver street photography community through social media outlets (IG account, facebook page, website) and events such as monthly meetups and photowalks, workshops and exhibitions.
VanSPC Member of the Month
Ania Luczak
Ania was born in Poland and is a person who fit the stereotypical European sensibilities of an independent liberated woman, accent and all. Her photography changes depending on seasons. She enjoys telling a story through her photography and loves the feeling that capturing images gives her.
What one piece of advice would you give street photographers just starting out?
"Find a local street photography group and become a member. If there are none in your small town, find it online and take part in photo competitions. Learn from constructive criticism. This is how I started back in Ireland in 2013 when I became a member of Irish Street Photography Group created by Des Byrne. Watching how other photographers behave on the street, what and how they shoot, taught me a lot. Plus it is a super cool way of meeting new people with the same passion, and getting to know new places. Once I moved to Vancouver in 2019 I was looking for a similar collective, and joined VAN SPC"
2. What are your top two places in Vancouver for shooting and why?
West End downtown Vancouver - because it has everything in one spot. From nature, to architecture, gritty alleyways and people. I like the complexity of this neighborhood.
Strathcona - because of the huge diversity of colour and textures in every block of this neighborhood.
3. Which three street photographers have influenced your work the most?
Diane Arbus
Vivian Mairer
Elliot Erwitt
Joel Meyerowitz
Bill Cunningham
4. Describe your work using up to four keywords.
History, Style, Light, Reflections.
5. Tell us about (up to 5) books, music or other art forms that influence your photography.
I'm a highly sensitive person, and visual stimuli inspire me the most. After watching movies like "Tale of Tales"(2015) or "They Live" (1988) I search for places that will make me feel the same way as what I just watched. The same goes for other types of art. My favourite is brutalism architecture, and rococo, cubism and dystopian surrealism in art paintings. Inspirations can be found in many different places.
Richard Sandler, My Practice of Street Photography
December 2024
We were thrilled to welcome Richard Sandler, a distinguished street photographer known for capturing gritty, dynamic moments of urban life, for an in-depth talk on his approach to photography. In his talk titled My Practice of Street Photography, Richard presented a curated selection of his own work as well as pieces from a 1997/98 street photography exhibit he organized at the New School/Parsons School of Design in New York City. It was a rare opportunity to gain insights into the creative process of one of the field's most influential figures.
Photos by David Papa
Follow Our Journey
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Miranti Aisyah
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Rolf Erni
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Vadim Marmer
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Cleo Espirinti
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Jason Lapeyre
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Angela Walsh
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Ted Nodwell
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Carissa D'andrede
