AND THE WINNER IS....

Without further ado, please join us in congratulating Shauna for claiming the title of Season Two Range Master with her portfolio entitled, "She Is." The Judges felt that Shauna's portfolio was cohesive, personal, relatable, and poignant, and after weeks of gruelling work, TSR is thrilled to see her claim this hard-earned title.

And because we are never actually sure what twists and turns are in store, we are extremely excited to announce that we have a TIE for runner-up!!! Both Martha and Nicky Lynn (alphabetically) impressed the judges so much that they will walk away from Season Two sharing a title (and a little swag from Sprout Studios.) Congratulations to you both!

Prize Recipient

Congratulations to Week Eight's Winner Nickly Lynn, who for the first time in TSR history earned a First Place from the Guest and all Panel Judges. Four organisations were suggested as the recipient of this week's prize: a $100 donation in the name of the winner to one of the following four organisations below suggested by Guest Judge Jessica. Nicky Lynn has elected to support the Native Woman's Association of Canada.

We urge everyone to keep the ripple effect going this week, and consider supporting an Indigenous, First Nation or Inuit organisation that speaks to your own heart. Financial support is always appreciated, but the the gift of your time if you are able to volunteer, and by you sharing your personal reflections and stories and promoting these organisations, we can keep the ripple going in the right direction.

Native Woman's Association of Canada

IndigeSTEAM

Bear Clan Patrol

Canadian Native Friendship Centre

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HEALING THE FUTURE THROUGH UNDERSTANDING THE PAST

Nicky Lynn (winner)

"They just took us"

I'll never forget feeling the emotion behind those words when spoken to me by my Mother in Law. We had such a truly meaningful day together, which I will cherish forever. We spent the entire Saturday afternoon connecting with each other by sitting at her kitchen table, sipping tea and sifting through her old photographs. With each image we came across, I heard a story of her past. Some were beautiful, wonderful memories of a time embraced that brought a big smile and an uncontrolled laugh to the surface. Some were more solemn and quiet, met with a disheartening frown. Born and raised in a small isolated Dene community with long harsh winters and equally long, never ending summer days, life was hard.

The stories you've heard are real. And now, many Indigenous people just like her find themselves down a long, difficult, continuous path of healing. "It never ends," she says. "It doesn't just go away."

"Healing" is a term widely used but perhaps not well understood. While most people are aware of the significant health and social disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, what is also important is the context in which these inequities occur; the way social, historical, political and economic factors have shaped and continue to shape Indigenous peoples’ health and well-being. How we understand these issues, is critical to any action we take.

But what can we do? We can take responsibility for our own learning. We can take action to make change. We can speak out against racism. We can take time for self-reflection. We can commit to lifelong learning. We can listen. We can acknowledge. We can connect with one another.

ULA TETT (RIGHT HERE)

Martha (second place)

Teyah Maloney lives minutes away from the site of the residential school her great-grandmother was forced to attend as a child at age four until her sixteenth year when she ‘aged out’ of the system. Miraculously, her great-grandmother retained her language and spoke fluent Mi’kmaq her whole life.The Shubenacadie Residential School as it was called sat imposingly on a hill overlooking the river in Sipekni’katik, Mi’kma’ki; a hellish home to First Nations children from Atlantic Canada. Run by the Archdiocese of Halifax, it was typical of the other residential schools across Canada, inflicting lifelong multigenerational trauma on young souls who attended in the name of assimilation and ‘taking the Indian out of the child’.

Teyah was asked how she felt about the history of the residential schools “They were horrible and they tortured the Mi’kmaq people. Many lost their language, their culture, their long hair. They lost everything.” Miraculously, her great-grandmother retained her language and spoke fluent Mi’kmaq her whole life. Teyah wishes she had learned to speak Mi’kmaq- no doubt she will.

Teyah and her brother, Tate, are grounded in the traditions of their ancestors through the activism of her father, Brandon, and support of their mother, Nikki. Brandon is the grandson of Chief Reg Maloney and is currently a councillor at Sipekne’katik First Nation. He has been instrumental in the reclamation of a moderate living fishery for the Mi’kmaq people as guaranteed in the Treaty of 1752. Ever aware of the past, Brandon and his family flourish in spite of the atrocities inflicted on their ancestors by settlers. “We are very aware of ‘the ripple effect. Overcoming the effects of the residential school is what formed us into the huge rights activists and resilient warriors we are.”

Wela’lin, Teyah, for sitting for this portrait.

SOURCES

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/culture/clmhc-hsmbc/res/information-backgrounder/pensionnat-shubenacadie-residential-school

https://indigenous-law-association-at-mcgill.com/reflections-on-land-back/

http://www.danielnpaul.com/BritishMi%27kmaqTreatyOf1752.html

https://sipeknekatik.ca/moderate-living-fishery-fleet/

AND THE FOREST WEPT

Shauna (third place)

It took me a long time to decide how I wanted to approach my shoot this week. How could I do justice to such an important topic. Over the years I have learned about Residential Schools and the treatment of Indigenous people in this country but I have always read the information as facts. I never allowed myself to contemplate and sit with the emotion and the horror, likely out of guilt and shame and coming to terms with my own privilege. This week I took the time to read their stories and to sit with the pain and the hopelessness and the anger and the despair. I imagined my own children being ripped from me and not knowing where they were or how they were being treated. I felt the terror and the pain and the confusion of thousands of little faces as their identity, their souls and often their lives were stripped from them. I confronted some of the biases I have held and the impact of intergenerational trauma and how I can be an ally as I challenge and work towards breaking down barriers that continue to violate Indigenous communities.

With my image I wanted to show the juxtaposition of what was and how it should have been. I imagined all those children sitting at a desk far from comfort and everything they knew. I imagined the forests and the land mourning and weeping their loss as she too was their mother. I imagined her holding them in her embrace. I imagined the ripple effect and what was taken from them. I imagined their spirits coming home.

SOURCES:

https://www.strongnations.com/download.php?https://legacyofhope.ca/wherearethechildren/

https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/land/meaning-of-land-to-aboriginal-people

THE SKELETON CLOSET OF CANADA'S FOOD GUIDE

Stacy (fourth place)

Canada's Food Guide has been promoting healthy and balanced eating amongst Canadians since 1942. It is included in school curriculums, doctors have physical copies in their offices, and yet despite it's large popularity CFG's dark history is still widely unacknowledged. The dietary recommendations we have today evolved from non-consensual experiments conducted on starved Indigenous children in Canada's Residential Schools. Children were intentionally starved for up to 2 years prior to any testing to create a "baseline" for any studies. Extreme malnourishment was a widespread problem with children being fed less than half (to as low as a third) of their daily recommended calories. Oftentimes food was contaminated, smelling, and spoiled. The poor physical conditions and stunted growth of these Residential School children made them a perfect target for the Canadian Government's experiments. "It's really difficult to do those kinds of experiments because you need hungry people," said Mosby (A Historian speaking on the history of CFG)

The long-lasting effects of extreme malnourishment are still evident to this day amongst Canada's Indigenous communities. With all their generational and cultural skills like cooking stripped from them, Indigenous children often grew into adults who lacked the knowledge to feed themselves and their offspring properly. The physical side-effects of starvation, such as adulthood obesity and type 2 diabetes, are far greater for up to 3 generations following the Survivor.

Canada's Food Guide would not be what it is today if it weren't for the thousands of innocent Indigenous children who suffered at the expense of our Government. Nearly every Canadian citizen has learned about Canada's Food Guide, but how many know about the atrocities that formed it?

Not enough.

SOURCES:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/how-food-in-canada-is-tied-to-land-language-community-and-colonization-1.5989764/the-dark-history-of-canada-s-food-guide-how-experiments-on-indigenous-children-shaped-nutrition-policy-1.5989785

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5555756/

Stacy, we are gutted that you did not make Top Three, and wish you nothing but the best going forward in career and life. We look forward to seeing you around the Discord, and hope you will consider critiquing flip the script week when the Judges and Admin shoot Forever Young. We also hope you will consider submitting a portfolio for the Passion Portfolio - now that the pressure is off, perhaps inspiration will come.

Please give Stacy a follow here: Facebook | Instagram 1 | Instagram 2 | Website

FROM SEEDS TO BEADS

Bonnie (submitted for feedback)

I experienced a lot of emotions while researching this Brief. From devastation because of the treatment of children in residential schools, to admiration of the persistence of the Indigenous People.

My quest started with the 94 Calls to Action, but I found myself drawn to the Indigenous, Metis, and Inuit art.

My grandparents worked amongst the Dene People of Great Bear Lake in the early 1970’s. While there they formed friendships with the local people. They were given beautiful beaded necklaces made for them by the Chief’s Daughter, which I have showcased in my photo, and art pieces made of wood, birch bark fur, and mosses, which I believe were made by the Chief himself.

When my grandparents were in Wabasca, my sister and I were given each a pair of Mukluks that were made by a local Cree woman. Going through all of the items my grandmother had handed down made me realize how appreciative she was of the Indigenous arts. Perhaps, this is why I too am drawn to this.

The photo I have created tells the story of how the Indigenous People used seeds, bones, wood, and clay for beads up until European Settlers introduced glass beads. With the introduction of residential Schools, Indigenous Children were forbidden to practice their own cultural arts and crafts. The children were taught embroidery on silk of which the intricate floral designs were popular.

**Floral designs originated with the Metis as they were taught this pattern by the Grey Nuns. Popularity was spread to other groups such as Cree or Ojibwe.

SOURCES:

**https://guelpharts.ca/general/beading-our-identity-the-flower-beadwork-people/

myEdmonton Aboriginal Beading https://youtu.be/y7wkUoXJGKE

https://www.powwows.com/native-american-beadwork-a-rich-history-of-cultural-techniques/

Prize Provider Shout Out!!!

Teri has been referred to as an emotional dominatrix and "Tough Love Teri" for her bold approach to personal responsibility and self love. Teri's main mission is to challenge and empower humans to shift their focus from constantly changing their bodies to changing their mindset, so they can start changing the world. Teri has graciously agreed to provide this week's winner an autographed copy of her best-selling book The Geode Theory.

Please visit Teri and add her her socials here Website | Instagram | YouTube and make sure you

BUY THE BOOK!!!

~~~

Stacy, who is a boudoir photographer in the greater Niagara region, took second place exploring the topic of "always the photographer, never the photographed" in her image "A Hypocrite Boudoir Photographer No More (Can You See Me Now?)" As a person who encourages others to just buy the lingerie and love themselves, she had bought this lingerie set quite some time ago but had never worn it.

Martha learned about the anthropological term liminality this week. While the term is generally applied to the context of rites of passage, in pop culture the term has emerged as a way of defining neither here nor quite yet there. In her third place image, she chose to photograph herself in that delightfully ambiguous contemplative state where you're still in the sacred space of bed (or maybe your pyjamas) but not quite ready to start the day.

Nicky Lynn took 4th place with her image called "True Colours" in which she decided to show a literal interpretation of her "sparkly"parts by undertaking both the task of experimenting with an advanced in-camera technique while posing with her body uncovered, for a play on the expression "double exposure."

Unfortunately that means that in 5th (and last) place with Old and Grey and A-Okay is Johanna. TSR would like to publicly acknowledge the incredible commitment Johanna showed this week with producing an image despite dealing with extreme emotional and mental exhaustion, and contracting CoVID19. While we are very sad to see her go, this week was an important lesson in being honest and compassionate with others and oneself. Johanna's image portrays her contentment with each and every well-earned grey hair and wrinkle, and we can't help but think the Universe was somehow telling her she needed to spend some time focussing on her emotional, mental, and physical health. While we don't expect to see much from Johanna in the next couple of weeks while she recovers, we know she will be back on top of her game as soon as (in)humanly possible. Please give her a follow on her Socials here Facebook | Instagram 1 | Instagram 2 | Website and we are confident that once her well-deserved downtime has passed, you will be richly rewarded by her work.

~~~

TSR would also like to highlight the work of Challengers Bonnie, Kayla, and Virginia, who submitted image this week for feedback.

Bonnie explored the "fun" side people often overlook with her image My Alter Ego, Virginia experienced catharsis after she collaborated with a make-up artist to create an image called My Killer Clot: Scary, Messy, Beautiful portraying the pulmonary embolism she experienced in her 20s, and Kayla whose image I Am An Athlete celebrates the fact being a champion can't be erased, and doesn't have an expiration date.

Prize Provider Shout Out!!!

YEG-based Mortgage and Finance guru Lisa McInnis is as passionate as TSR when it comes to supporting local, and has provided a $200 gift card to a local business or service of Brief Winner Martha's choosing. Thank you, Lisa!

Visit Lisa on Facebook| Instagram for all your mortgage needs, and be sure to check out all of our amazing Vendors and Prize Providers on the Support Local Page.

~~~

Below are Covers and Supporting Images from Challengers Nicky Lynn (Aurora), Stacy (Local Niagara Food), Shauna (Naturopathy), and Johanna (The Balm Dot Com) who were all marked Safe from elimination this week. We've also included Bonnie (Alzheimer's Valentine) and Jean François (Mémé Killer) who both submitted their images this week for feedback from the Judges.

Please visit the Challenger Profiles to read about their feature stories and/or find contact information for the people, products, and services featured this week.

The Judges loved Virginia's gorgeous and impeccably shot images this week, but felt they fell just short of both telling and selling the story of yin yoga.

Virginia has been an incredible member of the TSR family, as passionate about her photography as she was about supporting and uplifting her co-competitors, and we wish her the best of luck as she continues on her photography journey.

Please be sure to give Virginia a follow on Social Media Facebook | Instagram | Website and visit Karling Dallyn Yoga & Wellness to try out a FREE online yoga video and sign up for a private session or group class.

For Black & White week, challengers were asked to work in partners and create a pair of complementary images that, like the problem with access to services v. access to training, showed two sides of the same coin. Teams were assigned using a random generator, and each Challenger's image had to tell the same story presented in their joint Artists' Statement without the help of their partner's image; bringing the images together would illustrate both sides of the coin.

Congratulations to Stacy and Martha for winning this week's incredibly difficult Challenge. Each of them will receive their choice of swag courtesy of Bryan Caporicci and Sprout Studio, who have been incredible supporters of The Shooting Range: A Photography Challenge for all of Season Two. And an extra special shout out to admins Emily and Jules over at Sprout for being made of extra awesome!

*****TRIGGER WARNING*****

We ask people visiting this website to be aware that the images from Black & White Week may be triggering to some. Themes depicted in these images include governance/hunting and school shootings, religion/consumerism, socioeconomic disparity/slave and child labour, reproductive rights and body autonomy, and politics and body autonomy. If you feel that any or all of these topics may cause you emotional and mental distress, we recommend not advancing the slides. For those of you who choose to view these images, please ensure that you prioritize your personal well-being and ask for the time and support you need to practice self-care when and if required.

*****TRIGGER WARNING*****

Women's Reproductive Health in Canada

Many Canadians assume a woman can easily exercise her right to body autonomy regarding reproductive health, however, there are many barriers when it comes to accessing legal, safe abortions in this country. Canada’s anti-abortion law was deemed unconstitutional in 1988, and Section 7 of The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms should provide women across the country full and equal access to these services. However, there are jurisdictions that are anti-abortion/pro-life and are able to limit accessibility through lack of willing governing legislation.

Denying abortion or putting up barriers to the service perpetuates stigma, continuing prejudice and stereotyping experienced by women in relation to reproductive health. Disproportionately, younger women, BIPOC women, disabled women, single mothers, the LGBTQ community, and victims of domestic partner violence are disadvantaged by lack of access to safe termination and may have to resort to unsafe procedures endangering their life and safety.

While partners quickly found their topics and everyone nailed the technical of shooting in B&W this week, some teams struggled more than others with identifying or illustrating two sides of the core issue, opting to depict opposites or extremes, which left the Judges struggling to see the connection, even with the joint artist statement providing context. Sadly, this left us saying goodbye to both Jean François and Kayla this week. Unfortunately, while it was obvious their images touched on the topic of vaccine mandates, their images told two very different stories, and didn't quite illustrate what their Joint Statement was indicating as effectively as it needed to.

Jean François and Kayla, it has been an honour and a privilege having you with us, and we sincerely hope you will continue on with some or all of the upcoming Matches. Keep pushing, keep shooting, and keep being made of awesome.

If you haven't already, please go check out their work and give them a follow on social.

Jean François Facebook | Instagram | Website

Kayla Facebook | Instagram | Website

Because TSR's focus is on mentoring and growth, Challengers who are knocked out of the running for the Grand Prize are, of course, always welcome to submit an image to receive feedback from our amazing Panel and Guest Judges. Participation in this process is voluntary on the parts of the both Shooters and Judges.

This week, Bonnie and Matt decided to partner up and tackle the topic of consumerism and religion at Christmastime. The Judges appreciated their tongue-in-cheek representations of the ongoing friction between those who celebrate holy days and those who like statutory holidays, despite the fact both sides are equally guilty of participation in commodification and consumerism.

Stereotypes exist on the surface, but are deeply rooted in unconscious biases that shape the way we view and experience the world. Within nanoseconds, our brains are able to stitch together millions of pieces of information that lead to narratives, assumptions, and feelings even when we know little or nothing about someone or something.

In preparation for this week, Challengers and Judges were asked to participate in an exercise used in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity awareness education. A list of people is given, and participants are instructed to become aware of whatever thoughts pop into their heads. Influencer. Nurse. Gym Rat. Elementary School Teacher. Pilot. Waitress. Foreign Driver. CEO. While reading this list, your brain was busy filling in blanks with gender, age, education, and social status as well as character traits like, Are they shallow? Entitled? Generous? Self-absorbed? Lazy? Kind? And so forth.

The purpose of the exercise isn’t to stir feelings of guilt or shame. It is simply to bring awareness to the fact that we ALL make snap judgments. The first thing that comes to mind about Plastic Surgeons is usually boobs, butts, and blowfish lips, but in reality plastic surgeons also reconstruct tissue and de-scar burn victims’ bodies, repair birth defects like cleft palates, and research how to restore sensation, function, and mobility after nerve damage or spinal cord injuries.

When people start unpacking unconscious bias, they are often surprised at what comes up. The bad news is, humans will never stop making snap judgments. The good news is, it gets easier - research shows that confronting bias when it becomes conscious actually reprograms the neural networks in our brains, resulting in an ability to be more open, curious, and accepting of ourselves and others.

This process made the creation of these images a cerebral process not just for the Shooters, but their models, and across the board you can see the amount of thought, emotion, and creativity that went into these images.

Go find us on YouTube this Friday at 5pm MST to hear what the Judges had to say about the images below!

Sadly, each week there is one Challenger who's image doesn't quite hit the mark. Given the level of skill and creativity appearing week after week, the competitors up their game a little each week, making it harder for the Judges to put one image above another. Primed for this challenge with three weeks of technical Match Briefs, the Shooters who brought the highest level of clarity and creativity overtook the pack, which sadly led to Matt being the Shooter sent home this week. Despite his image being technically strong - it was well-composed, beautifully lit, and in tack-sharp focus - the Judges felt that the story Matt wanted to tell couldn't be read without the aid of his title and artist statement.

Matt, it has been an absolute pleasure having you on the journey for the last four weeks. Your co-competitors hold you in the highest esteem, and TSR joins them in wishing you continued success with your Kelowna-based photography company. We hope you feel that you have found value in this experience, and will continue shooting the upcoming challenges.

If you haven't already, please go check out Matt's work, and the next time you're in Kelowna and need some photos, hire him. That's an order, not a request. Twitter | Instagram | Website

January 20, 2022

Congratulations to Virginia for squeaking past the other individuals in the top three to the win again for Week Two - Recreate a Renee Robyn! Renee generously provided a 3-pack of her stock images to this week's winner - thank you, Renee!!!

Renee Robyn is in the process of creating an art book. Her publisher told her to "find someone famous" to write the foreword, so those of us on Team Ryan Reynolds have started a petition to Make Things Happen. Please take a minute to sign the petition now!

The competition was STIFF this week, with some incredible offerings from all of our Challengers. The Judges were again impressed by Season Two's Shooters, several of whom (despite being told this was NOT a compositing challenge) went all in and took HUGE risks putting their Photoshoppery on the display for scrutiny. The major takeaways? Post-processing at this level takes a loooooong time.

Go find us on YouTube this Friday at 5pm MST to hear what the Judges had to say!

Sadly, someone has to leave each week. The judges thought that Skye's image was really well done. It was described as having a painterly quality that, had it not been Rip Off a Renee Robyn Week would have gotten high scores as a standalone image. The Judges advised Skye to spend a bit more time learning how to understand light so there's not so much time needed trying to correct it in post. We look forward to seeing Skye around the Range, and wish her all the best as she continues with her schooling and photography.

January 16, 2022

The Shooting Range: A Photography Challenge would not exist without the support of amazing individuals, businesses, and organisations in the Canadian creative and business community who genuinely believe in what the competition stands for. After participating in Week One, TSR gained new fans in Guest Judges Erika and Lanny Mann of Two Mann Studios, who have very generously gifted tuition to their wait-listed Two Mann U (valued at over $4000CAD) making the value of the Season Two Range Master’s winnings in excess of $6300CAD in cash, swag, and prizes. Combined with additional swag, discounts, and prizes furnished by our amazing vendors and supporters, this brings the total value of prizes to be awarded over the season to almost $7500. The creators of TSR are truly humbled by the love we’ve been shown, and would greatly appreciate it if everyone would please take a few minutes to share the love with Erika and Lanny - give them a like and share on Instagram, advise your photographer friends to sign up for their newsletter, and (of course) hiring them for your wedding! For more details on our incredible vendors, please visit the Support Canadian page.

This week we say a sad farewell to Dennis, whose image of a frosty window for his team's concept using gradients of the colour blue with pops of orange to explore and express a spectrum of emotion didn't quite make the cut. Thank you for joining us, Dennis. We are disappointed your time on The Shooting Range was so short and hope you will continue participating in upcoming Matches as much as you are able. Please give Dennis a follow on Instagram.