Riverbend Lens Collective

Contact details

(519) 815-9941 [email protected]

418 Riverside Drive West, Windsor, ON N9A 5K2

Activities

Choose an activity that suits how you like to learn

Riverbend Lens

Five formats, all small and welcoming, run by volunteer organisers in Windsor. Here is what each involves and how to find your first one.

Finding your first activity

Every format is open to beginners, and none requires special gear. The right starting point depends mostly on whether you prefer moving, talking or looking. Here is how to think about it before you write to us.

If you like being outdoors and learning by doing, a photo walk is the easiest entrance. You walk with others, point out what catches your eye and take your time. There is no pressure to produce anything.

If you are more comfortable with words, a story circle may suit you. People share personal accounts and talk about how to present them with care. You can simply listen at first, and many members do.

Portrait evenings suit people who want to practise working with a person rather than a place. They are gentle and informal, with natural window light and plenty of conversation. Consent is part of every session.

If you already have pictures, the photo essay workshop and critique nights are a good fit. The workshop helps you shape a set of images into a sequence with captions. Critique nights give you feedback from fellow members.

All activities take place in or around Windsor, with details arranged when you get in touch. Group sizes stay small so everyone has room to speak. If you are unsure, tell Thomas Beaulieu what you enjoy and he will suggest a place to begin.

In detail

Photo Essay Workshop

  1. Choosing a subject

    We talk through what you want to show and why it matters to you. A narrow, familiar subject usually works better than a broad one, and we help you narrow it.

  2. Selecting and sequencing images

    With prints laid out on a table, you try different orders. We look at pacing, variety of scale and how one picture leads to the next, and we cut weaker frames.

  3. Writing captions

    Captions should be short, truthful and respectful. We practise naming people and places accurately, avoiding guesses about feelings and keeping the reader's trust.

  4. Responding to feedback

    At the end, members share their sequence and receive kind comments. You leave with notes on what to adjust, and a clearer idea of how to finish the essay.

What guides every activity

  1. Respect

    We ask permission, honour a refusal and think about how a picture will feel to the person in it. Respect applies equally to subjects, readers and fellow members, in every session.

  2. Curiosity

    We encourage questions about places, people and our own habits of seeing. Curiosity keeps the work fresh, and it makes beginners and experienced members equally welcome.

  3. Honesty

    Captions say what is true, and sample stories are labelled as such. Feedback is honest but kind, aimed at the work, never at the person who made it.

Get in touch